It's Friday. We're adding more titles to our California reading list. Plus, the San Diego Zoo could be the first in the U.S. to get giant pandas again.
I'm always on the lookout for my next great book, and I'm guessing you might be, too. Today we're updating our California Reading List, a guide to nonfiction books and novels that are especially good at illuminating life in the Golden State. New to the list are Amy Tan's San Francisco classic, "The Joy Luck Club," and John Steinbeck's early novel "Tortilla Flat," a portrait of life in Monterey after World War I. Another popular suggestion readers sent in was "Men to Match My Mountains" by Irving Stone, a gripping history of westward expansion and the settling of California that was published in 1956. You can peruse the full list here. The latest additions are shown in bold. Keep emailing me your suggestions at CAtoday@nytimes.com, and include your full name and the city where you live. Here are thoughts readers shared about the latest entries, lightly edited: "Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California" by Frances Dinkelspiel (2008) "A fascinating and engaging book illuminating the life and influence of Isaias Hellman on the growth and changes in California from the 1850s to current times. Finance, business, health care, discrimination and the incredible power of money and financial acumen. As a Jew who grew up in Los Angeles and has lived in the Bay Area for over 40 years, the book taught me so much about the history of the regions I have lived in. My book club selection years ago, it received a positive vote from my entire book club, which rarely happens, especially for a nonfiction title." — Farrell May Podgorsek, San Jose "The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty that Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation" by Miriam Pawel (2018) "Miriam Pawel possesses a remarkable talent for zooming out and revealing a broader narrative than one might expect. In this book, she doesn't limit herself to the prominent politicians in the Brown family, such as Gov. Jerry Brown and his father, Pat Brown. Instead, she delves into four generations, offering more than just a political family biography. Through the lens of the Brown family, Pawel paints a vivid portrait of California's own history." — Natalia Molina, Los Angeles "The Long Goodbye" (1953) and "The Big Sleep" (1939) by Raymond Chandler "You can't go wrong with any of the Philip Marlowe books, especially 'The Big Sleep' and 'The Long Goodbye.' To read them is to get a lesson in the L.A. geography of that era, a picture of the society of that time, and not to mention an unforgettable cast of characters." — Marty Levy, Los Angeles "Ask The Dust" by John Fante (1939) "In this novel, Arturo Bandini, the young author's fictional alter ego, struggles to become a famous writer in Depression-era Los Angeles. I first read this story in the 1980s when I was in my early middle age. Reading it made me almost wish I had been alive and young and as impudent as Bandini is in the story, and just as hungry as he was to make it as a recognized, successful writer, in the Los Angeles of those 1930s. Robert Towne, who wrote the screenplay for 'Chinatown' and wrote and directed the motion picture adaptation of 'Ask the Dust,' has called 'Ask the Dust' the greatest novel ever written about Los Angeles." — Jim Luther, Mendocino "The Golden Gate" by Vikram Seth (1986) "A story about a group of friends in the Bay Area in the '80s — love, tech, relationships, etc., and it's written in rhyme! I loved it, have given it to friends and family — they loved it, too. A small wonder!" — Ellen Grobman, Amherst, Mass. "Play It as It Lays" by Joan Didion (1970) "Didion's first novel, set in Southern California, provides a vivid portrait of the state while telling the story of a woman whose life is falling apart. The driving sequences evoke the southland like no other book I have read." — Elizabeth Rood, San Francisco
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Tell usWhat are the best California movies? "Chinatown"? "Vertigo"? "La La Land"? Tell us which movie you would put on a California movie list and why. Email us at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Please include your full name and the city in which you live. And before you go, some good newsThe Bay Area has no shortage of great sandwiches, and the number of restaurants, delis and counters serving creative spins on the classic lunchtime fare has expanded recently, as chefs with temporary pop-ups have settled into more permanent brick-and-mortar shops and traditional restaurants wade into the sandwich game.
Cesar Hernandez and Soleil Ho of The San Francisco Chronicle have put together a running list of the 25 best sandwiches to try in the Bay Area, including a few affordable options under $10. Duc Huong, a Vietnamese deli chain that serves a top-notch banh mi at a low price — it has a buy-four-get-one-free deal — makes the list. So do Little Lucca, a specialty sandwich shop with an old-school feel that's been in business since 1980, and Newkirk's, with its California twist on East Coast bodega favorites like the bacon, egg and cheese. Read the full list before your next lunch. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. Enjoy your weekend. — Soumya P.S. Here's today's Mini Crossword. Maia Coleman and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox.
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California Today: Updating the California reading list
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