North Fig Holiday Catalog

HOLIDAY CATALOG

2023

NORTH FIG MEMBERSHIP THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING!

$25/YEAR 10% OFF EVERYTHING, 20% OFF SIGNED BOOKS, EVENT BOOKS AND BOOK CLUB PICKS SIGN UP IN STORE OR ONLINE AT WWW.NORTHFIGBOOKSHOP.COM/ MEMBERSHIPS

MADS’S PICKS OPEN THROAT by Henry Hoke Fierce, feral, gay. The perfect LA novel for our dissipated era.

$25, MCD

ROAMING

by Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki

A queer coming of age graphic novel from cousins Jillian (art) and Mariko (words), following a trio of young people exploring New York City and falling in and out of love.

Bittersweet, expressively drawn, and deeply felt. I would read anything the Tamakis make.

$34.95, Drawn and Quarterly

HIS NAME WAS DEATH

by Rafael Bernal

A drunk misanthrope retreats into the jungle to die, where he discovers that the mosquitoes have a plan for him. A deeply insane concept that will haunt you every time you hear an insect buzz...

$15.95 New Directions

AMADEUS’S PICKS NOCHITA by Dia Felix A coming of age novel told in short versey chapters.

Nochita is the daughter of a new age guru and has grown up too fast. While she can comprehend Nietzche, she realizes she doesn't have the emotional tools to navigate adult encounters when she runs away.

City Lights Publishers

$15.95

UNDER THE SIGN OF THE LAYBRINTH by Christina Tudor-Sideri A short hybrid-memoir collection of essays that explores isolation, generational trauma, and myth as collective memory- told in the dreamiest most poetic Sublunary Editions $18 prose.

SUNKEN HEIGHTS by Elias Ronnenfelt From the frontman of Iceage and Marching Church, Sunken Heights is a cold, brooding collection of poems that seeks beauty in biting wind and whimsy in urban loneliness.

Anthology Editions

$28

ADDIE’S PICKS YOUR HOUSE WILL PAY by Steph Cha Incredible book, heart wrenching and urgent. Based on the killing of Latasha Harlins and the effect of anti-black racism on generations of families. Quintessential Los Angeles crime fiction, 100% must read.

Ecco

$17.99

PANDEMIC PEEPSHOW

by Antonia Crane

Absolutely gorgeous collection of photos and stories from the infinitely resourcefulness of sex workers. Such a heartwarming love letter to the community during these times of sex panics and conservative crackdowns.

$50

Books from the LOS ANGELES POLITICAL ECONOMY Study Group We’ve had a great year going through books inspired by Mike Davis’s legacy!

LILY’S PICKS SNAIL CROSSING by Corey R. Tabor One of my favorite picture books ever! Snail has spied a field of delicious cabbages across the road, but the road is full of obstacles--barreling trucks, hungry crows, and impatient ants. Can Snail make it safely to snack time?

$17.99

Balzer + Bray

THE LOST LIBRARY by Rebecca Stead A sweet and moving mystery about a library fire, an orange cat, and some ghosts! When a mysterious Little Free Library shows up on Evan's route to school, he finds himself diving into an old mystery in his town—why did the old town library burn down and why hasn't it been rebuilt? Made me cry in the best way. Perfect for ages 7-11..

Fiewel & Friends

THE BLACK KIDS

by Christina Hammonds Reed A smart and compassionate novel about two Black teens trying to navigate their lives as the 1992 LA riots ignite around them. This book is incredibly well-written and thoughtful about race, identity, and being a teenager. It is written for young adults, but I also recommend it for adult readers, espeically those of us living in LA.

Simon & Schuster

$12.99

$17.99

VIDHISHA’S PICKS IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD, MY LOVE

by Alla Gorbunova A tender and electric bildungsroman set in the underground scene of St. Petersburg. Non-linear tales of dark mythology, unsettling girlhood and characters that demand empathy despite their terrors.

Deep Vellum Publishing

$16.95

HOW TO CARRY WATER

by Lucille Clifton A tender, unflinching collection from one of poetry's luminaries. These poems draw from a 45 year career, truly showcase Clifton's range as a poet who mines the personal in the political. A must read if you are angry, tired, but still hopeful.

BOA Editions Ltd.

$20

POSTCOLONIAL ASTROLOGY

by Alice Sparkly Kat Astrology is the study of time and its cyclical nature.

Alice Sparkly is surgical in their analysis of magic and astrology as a tool to deconstruct power, labor and capital. This is for anyone who is looking for a spiritual understanding that honors the collective and our genealogies.

North Atlantic Publishing

$17.95

GRAHAM’S PICKS SECRET STAIRS: A Walking Guide to the Historic Staircases of Los Angeles This guide of 42 strolls through the city’s public staircases will take you from the Palisades to Pasadena.

Each walk is chock full of architectural wonders, stunning views, and glimpses of LA’s cultural history. Get your steps in!

Santa Monica Press

$16.95

ONWARD TOWARDS OUR NOBLE DEATHS

by Shigeru Mizuki Mizuki’s semi autobiographical WWII manga explores the grim absurdity of total war, veering from hilarious to horrifying, often in the same beautiful panel. It’s a Japanese Catch-22 with way more pictures.

Drawn & Quarterly

$16.95

SIX FOUR

by Hideo Yokoyama An unsolved kidnapping, a detective with nothing to lose, and a killer twist!

Picador $20

MATTHEW’S PICKS DAWN

by Octavia Butler

This woman. If you haven’t read anything by her, this would be a great place to start. Frightening, delicate, and unexpectedly sexy - tentacle p*rn, anyone? - Ms. Butler’s take on aliens makes many others’ seem like child’s play.

$16.99

PERDIDO STREET STATION

by China Mieville

A steampunk classic, just to get that out of the way - but what keeps me thinking about this book is the admirable commitment to world-building. What was once said about Tolkein’s worlds that each closer look reveals even more detail - is true here, too.

Complex and complete histories of the Garuda bird-people, beetle-headed Khepri, sentient cacti, and corrupt politicians are laid out before us in full. Plus magic, hallucinogens, robots, and an unexpected undercurrent of cosmic horror - this book is juicy, dark, and so much fun..

Del Rey $20

GHOST MUSIC

by An Yu An Yu was born in Beijing, studied in the US and now writes in English, but also teaches Creative Writing in Hong Kong. In her sparse, delicate prose we’re told a dreamy story of a fragmented and isolating marriage, a wife’s surreal obsession with a missing pianist, and womanhood in contemporary China.

Recommended for fans of Haruki Murakami, and published by NFBS partner Grove Press. Talking mushrooms, anyone?

$17

SARA’S PICKS RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR DRYLANDS AND BEYOND: VOL 2 Incredible comprehensive guide to maximizing the impact of rainwater on your landscape, whether it's a patio, yard or garden. Move from water scarcity to abundance!

$49.95

GARDENING WITH LESS WATER A well-illustrated introduction to cost-friendly irrigation techniques that deliver water more efficiently to plants' roots, help prevent pests and save precious water. Useful for the casual container gardener and urban farmer alike.

$14.95

GOOD DRINKS: Alcohol-Free Recipes for When You're Not Drinking for Whatever Reason Non-alcoholic drink recipes are often overlooked in cookbooks, making this collection a rare treat for the teetotal among us - the glossy pages and stylish photography are just the icing on the rim. A great gift for the beverage fiend or sober gourmand in your life.

$22.99

ANJ’S PICKS TAROT FOR CHANGE

by Jessica Dore Great for tarot beginners, or if you’re seeking a more psychological approach to these timeless archetypes. Use tarot as a mirror to help yourself get unstuck.

$27

THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS

by Ruth Ozeki

A perfect balance of the magical and mundane. Meta, affecting and emotional. Ozeki will expand your universe.

BUG CLUB by Elise Gravel

Read this book if you like bugs! Read this book if you hate bugs! The Bug Club is open to all :)

FOR NEW READERS

FOR GROWING READERS

FOR RADICAL THINKERS

FOR GLOBAL READERS

LOCAL HEROES

PANDEMIC PEEPSHOW ed. by Antonia Crane

MANIFESTO FOR NOBODY

by Adam Johnston This enigmatic little text holds a lot of wisdom...

SLEEPWALK

by Ingrid Calderon-Collins

#jivjiv #twitterpoem

by Hrayr Varaz A bilingual collection of poetry in English and Armenian that boldly and playfully reinvents the form.

THE DREAMERS

A gorgeous magazine by and Mystical, powerful poetry from

by Ricardo Vicente Reyes for sex workers seeking to the magical MC of Serpentine, A visionary work from painter, connect and build solidarity our open mic poetry night! printmaker, and longtime online during the pandemic.

Highland Park resident.

YOU ARE HOLLYWOOD THIS POEM MIGHT SAVE WE MOVE MOUNTAINS MODEL BOY YOU (ME) WITH SPOONS

by Somi Jun

by Jesenia Chavez ed. by BR “Robo” Robles A wry sense of humor and Cerebral, surprising short fiction A deeply moving graphic in a weird and wonderful gorgeous imagery makes storytelling project focusing on package, designed by former this one of our favorite the lives and experiences of North Fig bookseller Bhavani! local poetry collections. wildland firefighters.

ESSENTIAL LA READS

UNNAMED / RARE BIRD UPCOUNTRY by Chin-Sun Lee

For readers who have been personally victimized by their home renovations or simply love antiquing, get the hot small-town goss on April, Anna, and Claire who seem destined for tragedy and judgment in the Catskills.

MAKE IT STOP

by Jim Ruland

Jacked up on a combo of street drugs and jalapeño vodka, Make It Stop is for all those looking for a bare knuckle, punk rock fever dream with an intoxicating mixture of crime and conspiracy.

DELIVER ME by Elle Nash

Find womb snatching, insect fetishes, and religious trauma galore in this delightful horror most often hailed as the "What the fuck did I just read?" title of the year.

DESOLATION PEAK

by Jack Kerouac

A special treat for anyone who's ever wished they could hang out in Kerouac's mind one last time, spend the summer of 1956 with Kerouac and his most unfiltered thoughts over the future direction of his life, his writing, and faith on Desolation Peak.

Not A Cult

Co-Conspirator Press

First to Knock

Sublunary Editions

INDIE PRESS PALS

50 Watts Books

Bulgilhan Press

NYRB

Fieldmouse Press

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