Best California Books (434 books)

Fiction or nonfiction, slim volume or doorstop, it doesn't matter: What are your favorite books that are set in California and evoke a strong sense of place, or otherwise capture something essential about the state?

flag

All Votes Add Books To This List

1	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4.03 avg rating — 998,521 ratings score: 4,682, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Cannery Row (Cannery Row, #1) by John Steinbeck 4.06 avg rating — 155,308 ratings score: 3,241, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	East of Eden by John Steinbeck 4.44 avg rating — 646,378 ratings score: 2,937, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 710,687 ratings score: 2,119, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck 3.90 avg rating — 2,851,516 ratings score: 2,043, and 21 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe, #1) by Raymond Chandler 3.94 avg rating — 169,198 ratings score: 1,903, and 20 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Ten Good Reasons (Sandy Cove, #2) by Lauren Christopher (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 347 ratings score: 1,767, and 18 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West 3.69 avg rating — 24,250 ratings score: 1,625, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	L.A. Confidential (L.A. Quartet, #3) by James Ellroy 4.18 avg rating — 38,181 ratings score: 1,544, and 16 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion 4.18 avg rating — 83,718 ratings score: 1,353, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	The Devil's Teeth: A True Story of Obsession and Survival Among America's Great White Sharks by Susan Casey 4.01 avg rating — 7,220 ratings score: 1,347, and 14 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Rain of Gold by Victor Villaseñor 4.50 avg rating — 8,389 ratings score: 1,259, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis 3.61 avg rating — 100,568 ratings score: 1,140, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 2,899 ratings score: 999, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell 3.88 avg rating — 350,585 ratings score: 936, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author) 3.95 avg rating — 141,013 ratings score: 935, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	Tales of the City (Tales of the City #1) by Armistead Maupin 3.99 avg rating — 47,901 ratings score: 772, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck 3.83 avg rating — 63,682 ratings score: 762, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	White Oleander by Janet Fitch (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 367,106 ratings score: 660, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	A Place at the Nayarit: How a Mexican Restaurant Nourished a Community by Natalia Molina (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 435 ratings score: 598, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Where I Was From by Joan Didion 3.86 avg rating — 6,481 ratings score: 592, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	Weetzie Bat (Weetzie Bat, #1) by Francesca Lia Block (Goodreads Author) 3.75 avg rating — 15,058 ratings score: 586, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett 3.86 avg rating — 115,984 ratings score: 539, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe 3.92 avg rating — 79,183 ratings score: 518, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Sorrow by Tiffanie DeBartolo (Goodreads Author) 4.40 avg rating — 1,007 ratings score: 500, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	A Desert between Two Seas: A Novel in Stories by A. Muia (Goodreads Author) 4.75 avg rating — 36 ratings score: 500, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	A Is for Alibi (Kinsey Millhone #1) by Sue Grafton 3.86 avg rating — 192,330 ratings score: 490, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Hell's Angels by Hunter S. Thompson 3.98 avg rating — 55,059 ratings score: 487, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	The Black Dahlia (L.A. Quartet, #1) by James Ellroy 3.78 avg rating — 97,140 ratings score: 483, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	The Onion Field by Joseph Wambaugh 4.10 avg rating — 21,468 ratings score: 469, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher (Contributor) 3.62 avg rating — 18,810 ratings score: 459, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner #1) by Philip K. Dick 4.09 avg rating — 515,652 ratings score: 442, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Lady Sunshine by Amy Mason Doan (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 5,211 ratings score: 400, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror and Deliverance in the City of Love by David Talbot 4.31 avg rating — 6,968 ratings score: 398, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	California Dreamin': Cass Elliot Before The Mamas & the Papas by Pénélope Bagieu 4.07 avg rating — 3,707 ratings score: 390, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	The Galton Case (Lew Archer, #8) by Ross Macdonald 4.07 avg rating — 4,279 ratings score: 387, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Ask the Dust (The Saga of Arturo Bandini, #3) by John Fante 4.10 avg rating — 39,653 ratings score: 387, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm by David Mas Masumoto 3.98 avg rating — 1,378 ratings score: 386, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	Captive of the Labyrinth: Sarah L. Winchester Heiress to the Rifle Fortune by Mary Jo Ignoffo 3.65 avg rating — 441 ratings score: 385, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	The Octopus by Frank Norris 3.82 avg rating — 2,067 ratings score: 365, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Two Years Before the Mast: A Sailor's Life at Sea by Richard Henry Dana Jr. 4.03 avg rating — 14,641 ratings score: 359, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	A Crack in the Edge of the World by Simon Winchester 3.79 avg rating — 7,258 ratings score: 351, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Hotel California: The True-Life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles, and Their Many Friends by Barney Hoskyns 3.83 avg rating — 2,174 ratings score: 345, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Dead Do Not Improve by Jay Caspian Kang (Goodreads Author) 2.76 avg rating — 995 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Money, Family, Murder by Timothy Patten (Goodreads Author) 3.74 avg rating — 23 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	My Dirty California by Jason Mosberg (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 335 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Clover Blue by Eldonna Edwards (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 1,968 ratings score: 299, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh 4.03 avg rating — 6,432 ratings score: 292, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka 3.71 avg rating — 64,289 ratings score: 288, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Red Bikini (Sandy Cove, #1) by Lauren Christopher (Goodreads Author) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 329 ratings score: 288, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	Fat City by Leonard Gardner 3.99 avg rating — 5,051 ratings score: 287, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain 3.76 avg rating — 48,970 ratings score: 284, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas by Rebecca Solnit 4.25 avg rating — 1,263 ratings score: 283, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	The Land of Little Rain by Mary Hunter Austin 3.87 avg rating — 2,073 ratings score: 283, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Blue Willow by Doris Gates 3.88 avg rating — 3,912 ratings score: 282, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	My First Summer in the Sierra by John Muir 4.05 avg rating — 7,456 ratings score: 280, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	The Pastures of Heaven by John Steinbeck 4.08 avg rating — 11,395 ratings score: 275, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Short Stories by Bret Harte 3.66 avg rating — 271 ratings score: 268, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Van Halen Rising: How a Southern California Backyard Party Band Saved Heavy Metal by Greg Renoff (Goodreads Author) 4.22 avg rating — 1,540 ratings score: 268, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson 3.76 avg rating — 2,548 ratings score: 265, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	Water to the Angels: William Mulholland, His Monumental Aqueduct, and the Rise of Los Angeles by Les Standiford (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 891 ratings score: 264, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Chinatown War: Chinese Los Angeles and the Massacre of 1871 by Scott Zesch 4.01 avg rating — 69 ratings score: 260, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	What We Do Is Secret: A Novel by Kief Hillsbery 3.86 avg rating — 208 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Girl with Ghost Eyes by M.H. Boroson 3.85 avg rating — 4,468 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Promise of Fate by Sarah Margolis Pearce (Goodreads Author) 4.48 avg rating — 21 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Middle Ground: Stories by Jeff Ewing (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 77 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	The Urban Mystique: Notes on California, Los Angeles, and Beyond by Josh Stephens (Goodreads Author) 4.62 avg rating — 13 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	I've Been Walking by Janet Sternburg (Goodreads Author) (Artist) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	Paradise: One Town's Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire by Lizzie Johnson (Goodreads Author) 4.32 avg rating — 3,004 ratings score: 200, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	The Valley of the Moon by Jack London really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,955 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	True West by Sam Shepard 3.68 avg rating — 11,573 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Alta California: From San Diego to San Francisco, A Journey on Foot to Rediscover the Golden State by Nick Neely 3.80 avg rating — 404 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	All's Fair and Other California Stories by Linda Feyder (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 39 ratings score: 199, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Feedback by D.L. Richardson (Goodreads Author) 3.91 avg rating — 65 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West: The Reminiscences of Mary Hallock Foote by Mary Hallock Foote 3.65 avg rating — 82 ratings score: 198, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles by Mike Davis 4.20 avg rating — 4,882 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Lunch Bucket Paradise: A True - Life Novel by Fred Setterberg (Goodreads Author) 3.79 avg rating — 38 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Desert Gardens by Gary Lyons 3.88 avg rating — 8 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	California: A History by Kevin Starr 3.79 avg rating — 1,867 ratings score: 197, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	McTeague: A Norton Critical Edition by Frank Norris 3.68 avg rating — 6,857 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The Final Leap: Suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge by John Bateson (Goodreads Author) 3.78 avg rating — 356 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	The High Sierra: A Love Story by Kim Stanley Robinson 4.27 avg rating — 1,902 ratings score: 196, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Trees in Paradise: A California History by Jared Farmer 4.19 avg rating — 294 ratings score: 195, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring by Richard Preston 4.12 avg rating — 9,077 ratings score: 194, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	An American Genocide: The United States and the California Indian Catastrophe, 1846-1873 (The Lamar Series in Western History) by Benjamin Madley 4.33 avg rating — 500 ratings score: 193, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	The Serial: A Year in the Life of Marin County by Cyra McFadden 3.68 avg rating — 300 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Cool Gray City of Love: 49 Views of San Francisco by Gary Kamiya 4.25 avg rating — 2,317 ratings score: 192, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The William Saroyan Reader by William Saroyan 4.42 avg rating — 210 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	The Kept Girl by Kim Cooper (Goodreads Author) 3.58 avg rating — 118 ratings score: 190, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Elizabeth the First Wife by Lian Dolan (Goodreads Author) 3.82 avg rating — 1,570 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Murder Off Mike (Talk Radio Mystery #1) by Joyce Krieg 3.57 avg rating — 63 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Dain Curse (The Continental Op #2) by Dashiell Hammett 3.79 avg rating — 8,527 ratings score: 188, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	More Tales of the City (Tales of the City, #2) by Armistead Maupin 4.21 avg rating — 18,634 ratings score: 187, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 216,537 ratings score: 186, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	The Age of Gold: The California Gold Rush and the New American Dream by H.W. Brands 4.05 avg rating — 1,702 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	We Got the Neutron Bomb : The Untold Story of L.A. Punk by Marc Spitz 3.97 avg rating — 2,752 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Mommie Dearest by Christina Crawford (Goodreads Author) 3.67 avg rating — 11,582 ratings score: 185, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Drowning Pool (Lew Archer, #2) by Ross Macdonald 3.93 avg rating — 7,584 ratings score: 184, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Flora Segunda (Flora Trilogy #1) by Ysabeau S. Wilce 3.69 avg rating — 4,318 ratings score: 184, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle (Goodreads Author) 3.66 avg rating — 34,644 ratings score: 184, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars