It's Friday. Readers chose books that best explain the Golden State. Plus, how California's changing rules on hog farming are affecting the U.S. pork industry. |
 | | Illustration by The New York Times; photographs by Jerome Tisne/Getty |
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For weeks, readers have been sending me great recommendations for books that best explain California. |
I've been using your choices to compile a California Reading List, a new project of this newsletter that's intended to guide people who are looking for their next great book about the Golden State. |
Today I'm adding 10 books to the growing list, including "California: A History" by Kevin Starr, an epic telling of the state's past by a lauded historian and former state librarian. Also newly included are "The Tortilla Curtain," T.C. Boyle's 1995 novel about a Mexican couple trying to make it in Los Angeles; John Steinbeck's classic "East of Eden"; and "The King of California" by Mark Arax and Rick Wartzman, about how the Central Valley became an agricultural empire. |
You can peruse the full California Reading List here. The latest additions are shown in bold. And feel free to keep emailing me your suggestions at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
Here are some of the other new selections and what readers had to say about them, lightly edited for clarity: |
"Born and raised in Berkeley, I had a disdain for the Central Valley and Sacramento — hot and flat, they seemed to me — until I read this book. It opened my eyes (and my mind) to the depth of history, the richness of family and community, the importance of place, and the wonder that is all of California." — Peg Cahill, Mt. Shasta |
"Written in 1946, it is the fascinating story of how Southern California got well on the road to what it is today. It starts with geology and the all-important climate, but is filled with larger-than-life characters like Helen Hunt Jackson, Aimee Semple McPherson and the makers of Hollywood. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the region and its hold on America." — Dave Wilkinson, Moorpark |
"It's a terrific mix of firsthand journalism, deep research and great storytelling, and it reveals just how precarious the West's interdependent water supply is. Throw in political rivalries, underhanded deals, and the larger battle between the increasing demands of new arrivals and an overtaxed ecosystem, and you have a landmark work. It was written more than a generation ago, but its story of the conflict between land development and water policy in the American West remains one of the nation-shaping stories of today." — James Daly, Alameda |
"Set mostly during World War II in central California, it is written in such marvelous prose. This sprawling masterpiece is filled with multigenerational coming-of-age stories and dives into the California water wars, as well as the birth (and shameful disgrace) of the Japanese internment camp at Manzanar. It shines a light on the cultural and class differences of that era. There is much about agriculture and the produce native to central California, and there is lots of cooking." — Nancy Dolan, Oxnard |
"This incredible deconstruction and examination of the myth of the Golden West is a brilliant cultural geography of Los Angeles. From the ruins of Llano to the founding of the Church of Scientology, Davis illuminates the power structures that have controlled Los Angeles since its founding." — Elizabeth Rood, San Francisco |
"Ramona" by Helen Hunt Jackson (1884) |
"A love story set in Southern California (numerous locations lay claim) during the period of annexation following the Mexican-American war, the novel established much of the cultural identity, architecture and myth of early Southern California. Inspired by the real-life marriage of Hugo and Victoria Reid, the story was originally serialized in 1884. Now with over 300 reprintings, five film adaptations and an annual live 'pageant' in Hemet, 'Ramona' is considered the 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' of the white settlement of California." — Reed Vickerman, San Diego |
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 | | A meadow in Yosemite Valley, flooded with snowmelt.Mario Tama/Getty Images |
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- As climate change continues to worsen the peril of drought in California, state officials are working on a new framework for water use that could require suppliers to reduce usage by 20 percent or more as soon as 2025, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Retailers in California, and pig farmers and processors thousands of miles away, are bracing for the impact of a state ban on some sources of pork.
- Warner Bros. has moved to suspend deals with some television writers, including Mindy Kaling and J.J. Abrams, escalating the labor dispute between the Hollywood studios and the Writers Guild of America.
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- Ryan Salame, a former high-ranking executive of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is scheduled to plead guilty to criminal charges linked to the sweeping fraud case against FTX's founder, Sam Bankman-Fried.
- A former software engineering manager is suing X, formerly known as Twitter, for breach of contract after he was fired last year for being disruptive and disrespectful in the workplace, The San Francisco Examiner reports.
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 | | Mountains in San Diego County.Sandy Huffaker/Corbis via Getty Images |
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Today's tip comes from Lynn Field-Karsh, who lives in Alpine, in the San Diego mountains: |
"As fall approaches, consider a scenic morning hike (or horseback ride) through gently rolling hills out to Eagle Rock, in the San Diego County mountains. You'll traverse a section of the Pacific Coast Trail. After taking your picture with the Eagle, hike back and then stop in for lunch in Santa Ysabel or try my favorite place in the area, Heroes Pizza in Wynola, just outside Julian. Yummy pizzas, salads and draft craft brews with both indoor and outdoor seating to refresh yourself after your efforts." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
Today we're asking about love: not whom you love, but what you love about your corner of California. |
Email us a love letter to your California city, neighborhood or region — or to the Golden State as a whole — and we may share it in an upcoming newsletter. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
 | | Bioluminescent plankton lighting up the shoreline at Dockweiler State Beach in 2020.Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press |
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And before you go, some good news |
Blue bioluminescent waves have been seen lately along the Southern California coastline, from San Diego to Oxnard. This week, the stunning light show appeared late at night in Orange County, where algae turned the water a bright, electric hue, The Orange County Register reported. |
"Last night the bioluminescence in Huntington was absolutely incredible," Patrick Coyne, a photographer based in Torrance, told the news outlet. |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy your weekend. — Soumya |
Briana Scalia, Maia Coleman and Kellina Moore contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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