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November is a month to focus on giving thanks. We are always thankful for great books but it is nice to acknowledge some of our current (and maybe past) favorites and especially to share them with others.

Here are a few books we are grateful for from some of our staff at Diesel:

I am most thankful for poets' books -- they have been the lifelines thrown to me throughout my life. All of Rilke, but particularly Letters to A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, which I read in a bookstore in Boulder in 1979. And 3 years earlier, Song of Myself by Walt Whitman, read on University steps which faced south into the low hanging Autumn Sun. – John

Lessons In Chemistry. On top of the fact that this book is utterly charming and funny it also is a treatise on the endless frustrating challenge it is to be a woman. Elizabeth Zott is a role model for all of us and so is her 60+ year old first time author Bonnie Garmus. This book is WONDERFUL. – Barbara

I’m absolutely LOVING Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver! -- Mia

The book I'm thankful for is The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon. In the vein of "Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse," this book is a beautiful tonic to our uncertain and scary times. It shows us that not only is it ok to not always be ok, but lovingly reminds us that there's one person out there in the world, whether we know it or not, who loves and cherishes us. -- Adriana

I have two books: Stay True by Hua Hsu, a memoir of his friendships, a tragedy and himself during his college years. It captures so many of the passions of those youthful times in a reflective way. Also Trespasses, a novel by Louise Kennedy about a family, a romance and the effects of living in a small town in Northern Ireland during the "Troubles'. Both of these books made me nostalgic for another time in my life. -- Alison

A book I’m grateful for A Swim in the Pond in the Rain by George Saunders, for simultaneously revealing the wonder of literature and coaxing you to find your own unique voice. --- Thatcher

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers has become a comfort read for me, it's a beautiful, short read that fills me with hope for a better tomorrow -- we just have to build it. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki is a very special book full of tenderness, deals gone wrong, found families, and the lengths you'll go to in order to protect your most loved ones. --Joey

There are two books that have been transformative in my life. The first: Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed; the second: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. Strayed's collection of answered columns and testimonies reminded me what it means to be a messy, complicated and emotional human being. How in the sharp throb of emotional, physical and mental pain, there is a profound understanding that we're all the same and yet so damn different. Brown on the other hand, had exposed vulnerability and the root of shame and gave a name for the unseen and dark emotions we as people harbor. Her book allowed me to come to terms that one's vulnerability does not equate to weakness, and that being vulnerable allows people to make meaningful connections, take creative risks, and to be brave. It's understanding that being vulnerable is as necessary as breath itself. -- Leslie

And join us at our new events in November!

Upcoming Instore & Online Events!

For Booksellers in L.A., a Partial Reopening Brings Hope and Anxiety

By Dorany Pineda via Los Angeles Times

EXCERPT:

On a recent Saturday afternoon, Hillary McMahon pulled up into a parking spot in Pasadena, where a sign attached to a traffic cone read: “Reserved for Vroman’s Curbside Pickup. Space 1.” She dialed the phone number listed below the sign and let the store know she was ready for her book.