Top 10 New Distro Titles in 2009
For the first Distro Top Ten of 2010, I thought it only right to look back at the past year and pull out ten titles that were released in 2009 that made it onto the year’s bestseller list at AK.
It’s worth noting that because we’re just talking about distro right now, this list doesn’t include all the great new AK-published titles that came out in 2009 (you can see our published books sorted by release date here. This list also won’t include our very newest distro titles, even the ones that have made a big splash—because they haven’t been out long enough to make the bestseller list. But as always, you can see all of our newest releases here. And I promise there’s some great stuff there right now—I’ve already got my bets placed for the hot titles of 2010 (I’m looking at you, Vegan Cookies).
So without any further ado, the bestselling new distro titles in 2009 were:
10. Protest Graffiti Mexico: Oaxaca
The latest (and one of the greatest) addition to our selection of full-color books celebrating the street art of movements around the world. From our friends at Mark Batty Publisher, who put out lots of excellent art books, including the also-highly-recommended Stencil Graffiti Capital: Melbourne. This one is a collection of photographs taken from the streets of Oaxaca in 2007.
9. Anarchism for Beginners
You might already be familiar with the “For Beginners” series—the books that use accessible cartoons and text to introduce often-complex theories and histories. You can see other books in the series here.
8. Bumping Back
We always sell this one when we bring it to a tabling event, because it’s kind of a “you-have-to-see-this-to-believe-it” sort of thing. But when you see it, you realize that if you have, you know, a completely innocent curiosity about direct action tactics…this is a really practical thing to read.
7. The Coming Insurrection
Besides being one of our bestsellers, this was also one of the most talked-about releases this year. From the New York Times to Glenn Beck to your local anarchist reading group, pretty much everyone had something to say about it, making it one of the year’s must-reads.
6. Resistance Behind Bars
A welcome complement to the other recent literature on imprisonment and prisoners’ struggles, this one is unique because it focuses specifically on collective organizing and individual resistance in women’s prisons. The author’s extensive speaking tour helped make this one of our bestselling distro items this year.
5. Vegan Brunch
This book is very much what it sounds like, but I can personally vouch for this one—shortly after it came out, I held my annual vegan brunch birthday party and I think everyone who came made something from this book. And it was all delicious. You kind of can’t go wrong.
4. Fart Party Vol. 2
On the heels of the also-excellent first Fart Party collection, this autobiographical comic has really nothing to do with farting or parties, but the title got your attention, right? Anyway, it’s really, really funny. It’s published by the excellent Baltimore indie institution Atomic Books, whose titles we distribute to the book trade—check out the rest of them here.
3. Subverting the Present, Imagining the Future
When this long-anticipated title made its appearance at the beginning of 2009, it was eagerly snapped up by the radical intellectual community. An edited collection exploring the socio-historical construction of capitalism and anticipating future trajectories of worldwide struggles—an excellent, forward-thinking way to start a new decade?
2. Slingshot Organizer 2010
This year’s Slingshots have only been out a few months and already they’re near the top of the list. We’ve still got them in stock, it’s not too late to get yours! Also available as a spiral-bound desk planner.
1. Make Your Place
I gave a copy of this book to my sister as a gift and she said, “I’m a total sucker for books like this.” Apparently she is not the only one. This year’s bestseller from our friends at Microcosm Publishing is a cheap, straightforward guide to human- and earth-healthy DIY household products. We always take a stack of this one to our tabling events, people just can’t seem to get enough of it!
All right folks, that’s your list. You’ll want to catch up on these books now I’m sure, ‘cause the 2010 releases are rolling in already, and you won’t want to get behind!