San Francisco is the perfect place for a book lover. Between the parks, beaches, coffee shops, and bars, you’re never more than a block away from a nice place to relax with a good drink and an even good-er book. In honor of the Friends of the SF Library’s “Big Book Sale” VIP preview on Tuesday, September 15, we wanted to give you a literary look a 5 books set in, about, or just straight up representing, the San Francisco Bay Area, here are the 5 Best Books ‘bout the Bay (in no particular order).
1. The Subterraneans
Jack Kerouac
While On The Road spends some time off the road in SF, The Subterraneans takes place deep inside in. Set in the 1950s underground scene (dark alleys, smoky rooms, other cool artist things you’re parents warned you about when you moved here from the midwest) this book tackles subjects like race, liberal idealism, and love. Beatnik love. Snaps for that.
2. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore
Robin Sloan
You gotta love a book about books. This book about a book in a bookstore, has everything today’s Bay Area-er loves; tech stuff, elite secret societies, and the struggle between protecting what you love about the past, and what is best for the future. If you love your iPad, but keep stacks of hoarded library books by your bed for the sole purpose of smelling the pages long after reading, this book is for you.
3. The Royal Family
William T. Vollmann
For the lovers of the naughty bits of San Francisco’s history, and just naughty bits in general, The Royal Family gives a look into prostitution, drug use, and other unsavory things going down in the TL (the Tenderloin district for those of you hella unfamiliar with SF colloquialisms). It’s also part crime novel and no parts 50 Shades of Grey.
4. The Joy Luck Club
Amy Tan
If you’re a San Francisco local, chances are, you read this book in school. This classic tale of 4 Chinese immigrant families in San Francisco is a fantastic representation of a huge part of the history of the city. It also explores the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, immigrants and children of immigrants, and young and old generations. It doesn’t teach you how to play mahjong though, you’ll have to learn on the internet.
5. McTeague
Frank Norris
Maybe you just want to read this book because you like its cool bar namesake on Polk, and that’s fine, no matter what your reason for picking up this gritty classic, you won’t be sorry. Violent deaths, crime, shady political dealings, winning the lottery, greed, dentists, a pretty standard night with McTeague, the bar and the book.