Read Local SoCal is BookSwell’s year-long campaign connecting readers in Southern California with local authors — particularly Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, LGBTQ+, women, nonbinary, and indie writers. Each month spotlights one book by one author. We provide a free discussion guide, recommend companion reads, and amplify the readers, book clubs, and creators who are already lifting these books up.
The 2026 program runs from June through mid-November, with a new featured book on the first of every month. From 2027 onward, the program runs January through mid-November.
This month
September 2026: Orbital Bebop by Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett. Six linked speculative stories that travel from a 2067 California uprising to the cusp of the Year 3000, with Black queer lives at the center of every one. Jerry L. Wheeler of Out in Print says, “This isn’t your father’s science fiction, and that’s a good thing.”
2026 calendar
June
Before You Can Fly
Jase Peeples
July
Amarisa’s Cooking Pot
Désirée Zamorano
August
The Killing Spell
Shay Kauwe
September
Orbital Bebop
Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett
October
Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe
C.B. Lee
Early November
There\’s Only One Sin in Hollywood
Rasheed Newson
How the program works
- One featured book per month. Selected by BookSwell with attention to Southern California voices.
- Free discussion guide. Delivered by email when you sign up on the month’s landing page.
- Companion reads. Curated pairings for every featured book, with affiliate links that support indie bookstores.
- Community amplification. We highlight book clubs reading along, micro-influencer recommendations, and reader posts on social.
Stay in the loop
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