"A room without books is like a body without a soul." --Cicero
Wishing you all a healthy and happy new year!
--Team Diesel
Celebrating Difference
and Open-mindedness
since 1989
Books make great holiday gifts and the booksellers at
Diesel would love to help you find just the right book for everyone on your list!
Stop by and pick out a book from our staff recommendations or our bestsellers wall or take a look at the lists below. We will even wrap it for you!
At Diesel, we recognize the value of University Presses everyday but we are excited to have a week dedicated to celebrating their importance. Read more about UP Week in an article featuring Diesel co-owner John Evans.
Read more about UP Week here!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2022
Indies First, a national campaign of activities and events in support of independent bookstores, is held every year in conjunction with Small Business Saturday, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We are so thankful for our wonderful Diesel customers and hope you will stop by the store, as you support all small businesses on Saturday November 26th.
This Year, Author Celeste Ng Will Serve As The 2022 Spokesperson For Indies First!
"I think that literacy is so important
to society. The idea that people can passively, in a way, and in a solitary way, take on information. We are always being fed so much – whether it’s Facebook or whatever, things are being put in our face – but here, readers take the time to select – What will I learn about now? What will I read about now? I’m sure it alters your brain patterns, and I think it does make for a nicer person. We are so lucky. You hear horror stories of retail or restaurants, but we don’t get that because, as I say, our readership has already pre-sorted people that are coming in the bookstore." -- Alison Reid
Our own John Evans was featured on the What We Wore Podcast recent episode.
John Evans is the co-owner of Diesel, A Book Store with his wife Alison. In an industry that seems to be working against them, they’ve created an independent book selling legacy for over 30 years in California. This episode offers a unique perspective into the world of independent bookstores and how, as John says, "book selling may not always be a good living, but it’s a good life".
What We Wore is a podcast hosted by Laura Vinroot and features standout fashion icons and talented industry leaders. For Laura Vinroot Poole, Capitol has never really been about fashion... it has always always been about the people. From the designers she meets on the road to the editors and friends she hosts in-store, Laura gets to know our guests on a deeper, more authentic level through What We Wore.
Dear Friends,
With this letter we announce that Diesel in Del Mar Highlands, San Diego is for sale. We have spent the past 33 years establishing and nurturing our bookstores. It has been deeply satisfying for the two of us to build a business together and to watch it take off. In 1989, we opened our first bookstore. We wanted it to be fun, smart, helpful, engaging, accessible to everyone, discerning, and delightful. At the time, we were different than many other stores in the area -- we were a bit more playful; our selection was a bit deeper than other general bookstores our size; and we were intensely reader-focused, providing excellent customer service, because we cared. We still do -- about books, about people, about culture, and about our society. We brought our distinct, and distinctive, styles, knowledge, and sensibilities to it all. And people liked it. We still do all of that, and still have wonderful booksellers who believe in that.
