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Microcosm's Election Survival Guide
Take a deep breath, unclench your jaw, lie on the floor if you need to—then dig into this stuff we've picked out to help you support your nervous system, feel your feelings, and get through yet another election together.
The List of Little Levities
We don't just write books about the serious stuff (although we have PLENTY of that, if you're in the market.)
Need something for yourself or a bud that wants a little break? Here's some of our faves.
Protest Power Starter List
It's never too late to get involved. Learn how to protest effectively and safely.
Kristine's Picks for Troublemakers
Expanding on Microcosm's popular TROUBLE line of books (okay, that's not technically one of our subject categories, but it could be)...
Liberation for All People
Sometimes the whole world turns its eyes to a particular liberation struggle. In the urgency of the moment, books allow us to remember that resistance movements are always happening all over the world, and throughout human history. We have the tools for you to read, learn, and bring your full self to whatever causes you choose to put your personal power into.
Radical Care for Physical and Mental Health
In a world of systems that aim to keep us feeling helpless, sick, and disconnected from our bodies and emotions, it's crucial to learn how to care for ourselves—and each other. To celebrate the release of zine How to Get Your Period, here's a collection of works that embrace a radical understanding of "self care" as an empowering ethic for healthier individuals and communities.
Reproductive Healthcare Resources
Access your reproductive rights, Supreme Court be damned.
Publishing the Feminist Bicycle Revolution
Herein lies the growing list of in-print books and zines by Elly Blue Publishing.
Resist Amazon Reading List
Every year Amazon runs its "Prime Day" deals. We know sometimes it really is the most affordable way to get something (and sometimes not), and they've made themselves virtually inescapable, but at what cost?
Most book distributors sell on Amazon because, well, they have to. Amazon has cornered the market. We split from that practice in 2018 and never looked back.
If you're looking to break up with Amazon too (or rag on a billionaire, that's always fun), here's a list for you.
Exciting Things from Dr. Faith!
Here are some new and upcoming titles and products from the bestselling author of Unfuck Your Brain.
Witchcraft and Tarot
Stock up on some of our favorite witchy books and zines. For a look at everything we have, check out the witchy subject tag!
Strategies for Utopian Witches and Solar Punks
We're making a little noise to celebrate Utopian Witch with this collection of books, zines, and more, tying together climate activism and magical strategies for fight against fascism, inequality, and eco-catastrophe.
Chickasaw Press Bestsellers—for Kids!
We're excited to be the new distributor of Chickasaw Press, the only publisher in the so-called United States owned and operated by an Indigenous Nation. Learn more about them on our blog, and check out a few of their best-selling titles for kids below!
Chickasaw Press Bestsellers
We're excited to be the new distributor of Chickasaw Press, the only publisher in the so-called United States owned and operated by an Indigenous Nation. Learn more about them on our blog, and check out a few of their most-beloved books below!
Zine Month: History & Biography
July is Zine Month, so we're shining the spotlight on our wide-ranging zine collections to help you celebrate.
This round is a collection of zines about kickass history and notable folks, spanning punk rock roots, queer sailors, global resistance movements, and more.
Zine Month: Teen Edition
July is Zine Month, so we're shining the spotlight on our wide-ranging zine collections to help you celebrate.
This edition features zines for teen readers on topics from skateboarding to cats, magic swords to service dogs, and more!
Zine Month: Completely Original
July is Zine Month, so we're rolling out new collections of our favorite zine subjects to celebrate.
Here we've gathered some of our most original, you-won't-get-these-anywhere-else zines. Radical nuns, substitute teaching, grumpy baristas, and more below!
Spring 2025
The latest and greatest, coming soon!
Bikes in Space!
Bikes in Space is a series of feminist science fiction and fantasy anthologies edited by Elly Blue. You can find our latest call for submissions here: https://microcosmpublishing.com/blog/tag/call-for-submissions/
Zine Month: Help Yourself
July is Zine Month, so we're rolling out new collections of our favorite zine subjects to celebrate.
Sometimes you have to put on your own oxygen mask before helping someone with theirs. This collection is all about self-care, self-love, and self-preservation.
Sexual Health September
September is Sexual Health month!
Celebrate with a collection of our favorite books, zines, and more, about gettin' sexy safely.
Zine Month: Do It Yourself
July is Zine Month, so we're rolling out new collections of our favorite zine subjects to celebrate.
Make some contraptions, harvest your own herbs, make your own cleaning supplies, or organize some rad events with this collection of zines all about DIY!
The Magic of Mushrooms
October 15th is National Mushroom Day!
Celebrate with some of our favorite shroomy picks. Plus, from October 15th through 22nd, get 10% anything on this list with coupon code MUSHROOMMUSHROOM!
Spooky Season Selections
Zines and books and decor for your haunted holiday.
Kandi's Picks for Word Witches
Some of our editor, Kandi's, favorite reads for folks that love books, love themselves, and love pockets.
XOXO Fest: The Analog Version of the Good Internet
For attendees of the XOXO Fest, which prospered between 2012 and 2024, and anyone who loves considerate, quirky online arts and culture. This list contains the most popular hits from the 2024 fest bookstore, including a number of books by speakers and attendees past and present!
Bike Zines!
Zines about bikes, bike culture, bike maintenance, and more.
Celebrating International Workers' Day
Every year on the first of May, International Workers' Day—also recognized as May Day, Labour Day, and Worker's Day—marks the struggle of working people worldwide in their fight for dignity, freedom, and the fruits of their labor. Here is a sampling of books, zines, and more to help you get in the spirit. Labor is entitled to all it creates!
P.S. We can't fit it all here, but check out our Labor tag for more like this.
P.P.S. We also carry a lot of cool and thematically appropriate posters. Hang them on your wall or bring them to the march!Celebrating Disabled Witchcraft!
Kandi Zeller, author of Disabled Witchcraft: 90 Rituals for Limited-Spoon Practitioners and beloved Microcosm editor, shares some of her favorite reads and companion titles for her groundbreaking book.
Read an excerpt from Disabled Witchcraft on the blog, or order your copy today—shipping from us now, available everywhere September 17!
Microcosm's First Decade
Behold all the still-in-print books we published (or first published) in our first decade as a publisher, from 1996 to 2006. Some of these (usually the more brightly-colored ones!) are more recent editions, but they still capture the DIY spirit of our beginnings.
Autism and Neurodivergent Pride and Resources
We're an autstic-owned, neurodivergent-proud company. Take a look at some of our faves.
Books, Stickers, and More for Book People
Do you stay up past your bedtime for just one more chapter? Do you have strong opinions about deckled edges? Does most of your closet consist of bookstore t-shirts? This is the list for you!
Happy 420 Highlights
Whether you're a seasoned stoner or newly cannabis-curious, we're happy to help you celebrate this high holiday for all who appreciate the many gifts of marijuana.
Be Our BFF: All the Microcosm Subscriptions
Be our book friend forever (or at least for 6-12 months) with one of our subscription programs.
Eclipse Season Survival Reading
Eclipses obscure our sources of light, opening portals for shadowy material to rise to the surface of our communities and individual lives. But this doesn't have to mean only dark portents—eclipse season can also be a potent opportunity for excavating and examining unhelpful patterns, dynamics, and narratives. Drink extra water, stay in bed a little longer, and shore up your inner resources with the help of some of these books, zines, and decks.
History of Microcosm in 10 Books
Some of these books hold the key to the Microcosm ethos; others are books that marked a turning point or opened significant doors for our publishing operation. Each is a damn good read selected by Elly for your reading, learning, and DIY-ing pleasure. Learn more about each book's role in the Microcosm story here!
Microcosm Spring 2024
Our exciting lineup of forthcoming titles for the season!
Daley's Nonfic Picks for Punk Rock Witches
Some favorites from our new Marketing and Publicity Supervisor, Daley!
Love Thyself
Whether you need to pick up and dust off after a breakup, or you're looking to get back in touch with yourself (in every sense), this collection is for you.
Love-ly Reads
Books and zines and more about relationships, intimacy, sex, and self-love.
Microcosm's Bestselling Books of 2023
The top 20 Microcosm books sold in 2023!
Microcosm's Bestselling Zines of 2023
The top 20 zines of 2023!
These Books Will Make You Cry
Tearjerkers, emotional reads, catharsis, healing.
New Year, New You (Kalen's Version)
See ya, 2023. 2024 is gonna be OUR YEAR.
Books for Writers
Writers have one thing in common... we love to read. And we love to learn about how to do it better. Whether you're a novelist, a journalist, a copy writer, a bookseller, an editor, a publisher, or just a big nerd about the written word, we have books for you!
Plan Your Year
A selection of planners, both dated and undated, to help you plan, organize, and prepare for the future.
Ronald Reagan Would Hate These Items
Celebrate queer folks, feminists, breaking apart corporations, and more. Make Reagan turn over in his grave (that makes a great gender-neutral bathroom).
Dr. Faith's 5-minute Therapy
The complete works of the freaking awesome Dr. Faith G. Harper, helping you get your shit together one book and zine at a time.
Kalen's Books for a Winter's Day
Dreaming of spring? Me, too. Here are a few books to help you get through winter.
Trans Rights Now!
Whatever your gender, now is a great time to read and learn. Solidarity and empathy go hand-in-hand, and knowledge goes a long way.
Mental Health for Everyone
Here are our most popular mental health and self-help books. These are all great resources for regular freaked out people, peers, and professionals. Want to unpack your trauma? Manage your anxiety and depression? Turn your autism into a superpower? Have better relationships and boundaries generally (including with yourself)? Want to create a more just world? We've got books for you.
Hot Union Summer
Workers' rights forever. (Formerly "That Job You Loved To Hate")
Reclaiming Pink
Pink is for everyone.
Big Books
These books are really, really big! Some are huge in terms of surface area... others are thick as you like. And some have the best of both worlds. They'll keep your furniture from floating away, double as weight-lifting aids, and keep you engrossed for hours.
Abby's Picks
Marketing Manager Abby's favorite reads
Fight for Your Reproductive Rights
Your uterus, your choice, friends.
Banned Books
Because let's face it, #bannedbooksweek is every week and we all deserve the #freedomtoread—especially adorable comics about young, queer people, but everything else, too.
Health, healthcare, and healing
In a broken healthcare system, knowledge is power. These books and zines can help learn about your body, understand physical illness, gain perspective on medical history and culture and the health care system, rally for change and plan for sickness and dying.BIPOC Self-Care
Even when the world is burning, it's worthwhile to take the time to take care of yourself. You're worth it. These books by BIPOC authors compassionately point the way, share their own mental health journey, and/or teach skills for spiritual and emotional health.
Death and Grieving
We all do it, so we may as well do it with intention, compassion, and care for those around us. These books point the way to demystifying death and helping us thoughtfully prepare for the end of our lives and grieve the loss of those we love.
Best Year Ever!
New year's energy, all year round. If you need a fresh infusion of energy and skills to get your life together, look no further than these perennially bestselling Microcosm-published gems and never be bored again!
MacArthur Geniuses
Here are all the books we carry by people awarded the MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship over the years for their world-changing work.
Back to School (or Not)
It's that time of year, when kids, adult students, and teachers all head back to school... or maybe choose not to. These books are aimed at inspiring, education, relating, and coping, no matter what back to school time means for you.
Survive the Apocalypse
Pandemics, wildfires, constitutional crisis, civil war... what have you got for us world? Here are some books to help you prepare mentally and materially for the worst while still hoping and working for the best.
Vote Your Conscience
Love it or hate it, we've got a way for you to learn something and express your feelings about our electoral system.
BIPOC Histories
Histories and biographies centering Black, Indigenous and POC leaders, influencers, and everyday people.
Creativity & Fun
Enjoyable distractions from current events—take some time to laugh, think, marvel, and forget your troubles for an hour while reading and supporting BIPOC artists and authors!
BIPOC Voices
Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry: #ownvoices work by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color authors.
BIPOC Role Models for Future Leaders
Strong BIPOC characters in kids picture books, middle readers, and young adult books. Give your kids the tools and confidence they need to change the world.
Diary Comix
There's a quiet movement out there of comics artists drawing their daily lives. Some draw daily, others weekly, others not on a particular schedule. The result is meditative, compelling, and has plenty of ups and downs without easy answers or pat narratives—like life itself. Here's a list of books and zines to whet your appetite for this small but mighty genre.Sid's Social Distancing Picks
A mixture of escape and balm, existing in the time of Covid-19 is a rollercoaster of emotions. This list has a dash of whimsy, a touch of paralleled narratives to provide literary wisdom we can apply to our current situation, and a whole bunch of coping tools for the tough realities of pandemic life.
Lydia's Bookshelf
A combination of books I own and love, and books I wish I owned.
We Are the Media
Publishers, filmmakers, street journalists, podcasters, protest singers, radical writers, creative weirdos, storytellers, zinesters, bloggers, political cartoonists, social media geniuses, and everyone whose public explanations of the world around them can't be pinned down by genre: these books are for, by, and about you.
Political Savvy
Sharpen your political thinking, improve your understanding of government, and improve your effective activism and advocacy with these extra wonky books and tools.
Make a Living Doing What You Love
Sometimes it can be nice have a steady source of income that isn't your primary job. Learn about what other people do on the side (without falling for a pyramid scheme) and how to do it yourself with these titles.
School's Out!
Many places are currently struggling with the decision to keep schools closed right now. While we can't provide everything you need to suddenly start learning from home or on your own, we've got plenty of books to learn from. This list is a mix of traditional subjects, like history, and more skills-focused learning like how to repair a bike. Most books are aimed for high schoolers and parents.Quaranzine Fest
We're excited to have participated in 2020's Quaranzine Fest! Our offerings were selected to help you be happy, healthy, entertained, and thinking critically during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown... but they still do those things at other times, too.
Roller Derby Reads
These are the books that people love and adore at roller derby conventions. Even includes a few books about actual roller derby, but mainly catering to our queer friends who love to laugh and live life to the fullest.
Comics Fest Virtual Pop-up
Missed us at the comics fest or con? Or was it canceled due to global crisis? Here's a selection of graphic novels and other sequential art books that we publish and distribute that you'd be likely to find at our table.Quarantine Survival Guides
Stuck at home during a global pandemic? Here are our best books for keeping your mind and body occupied. All are chock-full of projects and practical applications, and most have either paperbook or ebook options.
XOXO hearts Books
Featuring books beloved by attendees of the XOXO festival for artists who work on the Internet, including many works by past fest speakers and attendees! Alphabetical by title to simulate our in-store browsing experience.
Music albums
We used to sell a lot more music. Here's what's survived the decades!Audiobooks
These are all the books we have in audio! Various format options, depending.
School's Out! - For the Youngsters
Many places are currently struggling with the decision to keep schools closed right now. While we can't provide everything you need to suddenly start learning from home or on your own, we've got plenty of books to learn from. This list is a mix of traditional subjects, like history, and more skills-focused learning like how to repair a bike. Most books are aimed for younger students (middle and elementary school kids).
Books for Zebras
A curated selection for attendees of Dazzlecon 2017, and anyone else who's building a feminist business with the long view and big picture in mind.
Omnibus of Assortments
Not sure what you want? Let us select for you an assortment of the kind of thing you like!
Discontinued T-Shirts
These shirts are not going to be reprinted...we'll just sell through them till they're gone. So snag yours now! Click the links to see if we still have your size.
Welcome to Portland
First stop: The bike lane!
Pulitzers
We don't go in much for award-winning books, but we found a few on our shelves that have won the big P!
Adulting Level-Ups
Books and zines that give you vital life skills for the act of being an adult, which may or may not include adultery or adulteration, but definitely involves adulting. Manage your feelings, make good decisions, and build satisfying and mutually happy relationships!
Bike Books from Microcosm
Books for new and experienced bicyclists
Risktaking
Anti-survival guides for the unprepared
Perfect Passive-Aggressive Gifts
Just what you were looking for! Nothing brings friends and families and coworkers together like the gift that says "you're doing it wrong."
HOW TO
There might be something that the books and zines on this list can't tell you how to do, but there won't be much!
Never Stop Laughing
Quick, funny reads to soothe your troubled mind.
Indigenous Resistance
An anti-Columbus Day reading list
Important reading, period.
Books and zines about menstruation and other such uterine concerns.Bicycle and Urban Planning Master List
Imagine you're at a bicycle or urban planning conference. Your head is spinning with lane widths, rights of way, community engagement strategies... you stumble out into the hallway and straight into a table filled with amazing books! You feast your eyes! And then you snag something to read on the plane... and a gift for your spouse... and look, there's one for your kids... and a sticker... ! Yes! Best conference ever!
Watch Your Back
Conspiracies, plots, and other misdeeds by governments, cartels, corporations, and mysterious entities we don't even know about yet.
Coloring and Activity Funtime!
Not just for kids anymore!Cats or Dogs?
We are conducting a scientific inquiry into which is more popular: Cat books or dog books.
