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What are the best Los Angeles books ever written?
At last year's Los Angeles Times Book Festival, the literary magazine Alta Journal posted advertisements around the USC campus asking "What wine goes best with a Joan Didion anecdote?" It seemed made for this crowd, which takes the L.A. written word and their literary heroes very seriously.
Every few years, a publication or organization comes out with their list of the best books ever written about Los Angeles. They tend to include many of the same names: Didion, of course, Mike Davis, Octavia E. Butler, Paul Beatty, Raymond Chandler.
But in 2023, there was a flurry of activity on this front. The book festival was back in person and perhaps post-pandemic L.A. was ready to turn off the TV and crack open a book. Consider:
- LAist asked independent booksellers across the city to offer their picks. It was an eclectic list that included "Ask the Dust" by John Fante, "Mercurochrome: New Poems" by Wanda Coleman, "Always Running" by Luis J. Rodriguez, "South of Pico: African American Artists in Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s" by Kellie Jones, "The Library Book" by Susan Orlean and "Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology" edited by David Ulin.
- Journalist and novelist Hector Tobar offered a charming meditation on reading and writing about Los Angeles for the New York Times that included his own list. Among the picks: "Slouching Towards Bethlehem," by Joan Didion, "Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992," by Anna Deavere Smith, , "City of Night," by John Rechy, "On the Road," by Jack Kerouac, "Helter Skelter," by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry, "The Long Goodbye," by Raymond Chandler, "On Gold Mountain," by Lisa See, "Devil in a Blue Dress," by Walter Mosley.
Here are some other L.A. best books guides I like:
And finally … You must take this 1981 Los Angeles literary quiz. It does not include some of the modern masters, but it's a lot of fun. Sample question: Which of the following leading men has not played Philip Marlowe on screen? a) Humphrey Bogart b) Robert Montgomery c) Robert Mitchum d) Paul Newman.
The Los Angeles Times (June 28, 1981) (Handout)
Today's top stories
A grizzly bear drinks from Pelican Creek as her two cubs stay close by her side in Yellowstone National Park. (Jonathan Newton / Getty Images)
The California grizzly bear, gone for 100 years, could thrive if brought back
Good news for Californians on 'Tax Day'
- Tuesday's tax filing deadline is usually a dreaded experience for taxpayers. But many restaurants are offering some financial relief this week.
- The state also is giving an automatic six-month extension to file tax returns for all Californians.
LA28 announces Dodger Stadium among new 2028 Olympic venues, lineup nearly complete
- With Dodger Stadium and Alamitos Beach joining the list, LA28 has almost completed its full venue plan for the 2028 Olympics.
- "This plan brings the Games to all corners of our city like never before — from the Sepulveda Basin to the iconic shores of Venice Beach, our world-famous neighborhoods as well as our hidden gems will be on full display for all to experience and enjoy," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement.
What else is going on
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This morning's must reads
Stephanie Blanco holds her son Vicente Giron Sarria, 5, after he wakes up at their home on April 10 in Mission Hills. Vicente was born with several serious medical conditions and requires constant care at home. (Juliana Yamada/Los Angeles Times)
Can a baby struggle with their mental health? How this hospital is helping L.A.'s youngest. A major initiative at Children's Hospital Los Angeles aims to address a critical but much overlooked need: mental health care for families experiencing the complex flood of joy, fear and upheaval during the first few years of a child's life.
Other must reads
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For your downtime
A view of the Leimert Park Garden Tour Moroccan Fountain. (Lena Hobson)
Going out
Staying in
A question for you: What is the best concert or music festival you experienced in California?
Stephen Brown writes: "It was the first concert for a twelve year old boy. I got my grandfather to take me to the Pan Pacific Auditorium in LA to see Elvis Presley. As Elvis entered to walk to the stage, which resembled a boxing ring surrounded on all sides by fans, the crowd went wild, girls screaming and everyone standing on folding chairs. My grandfather said 'This place has gone crazy, let's get out of here.' I pleaded and got him to change his mind. I saw the show standing on my chair, and began my life long love affair with live rock 'n roll."
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they're important to you.
Traivon Jackson at the Altadena Cars & Coffee meetup at Unincorporated Coffee. (Marcus Ubungen / For The Times)
Today's great photo is from Times contributor Marcus Ubungen at a meet up for car enthusiasts, which has become a space for Altadenans to reminisce about their lost cars.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Hunter Clauss, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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