New books from San Francisco Bay Area authors, listed by release date.
New in Hardcover
IN THE TIME OF OUR HISTORY
by Susanne Pari (Atherton)
(Kensington, Jan 3)
Inspired by her own Iranian-American heritage, a story of mothers and daughters, secrets and lies, and defying expectations—even when those choices come with an irrevocable cost.
THE BANDIT QUEENS
by Parini Shroff (Los Altos)
(Ballantine, Jan 3)
In this debut novel, a young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful—until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands.
MONEY AND LOVE
by Myra Strober (Stanford) and Abby Davisson (San Francisco)
(HarperOne, Jan 10)
A guide for navigating life’s most consequential and daunting decisions using research-based insights road-tested in a popular Stanford University course.
THE RIDERS COME OUT AT NIGHT
by Ali Winston and Darwin BondGraham (Oakland)
(Atria, Jan 10)
A critical look at the systematic corruption and brutality within the Oakland Police Department, and the more than two-decades-long saga of attempted reforms and explosive scandals.
IMMEASURABLE OUTCOMES
Gayle Greene (Mendocino)
(Johns Hopkins University Press, Jan 17)
In teaching a Shakespeare class at a small liberal arts college, Greene shows as well as tells what is vital and urgent about the humanities.
THE CHINESE GROOVE
by Kathryn Ma (San Francisco)
(Counterpoint Press, Jan 24)
A novel about a blithely optimistic immigrant with big dreams, dire prospects, and a fractured extended family in need of his help—even if they don’t know it yet.
UNRAVELING
by Peggy Orenstein (Berkeley)
(Harper, Jan 24)
In this quirky memoir, Orenstein sets out to make a sweater from scratch—sheering, spinning, and dyeing wool—and in the process discovers how we find our deepest selves through craft.
THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN
by Myisha Battle (San Francisco)
(Seal Press, Jan 24)
Swipe. Match. Get ghosted. Repeat. A certified clinical sexologist helps make the world of dating and relationships more enjoyable (and bearable!).
New in Paperback
THE STRESS PRESCRIPTION
by Elissa Epel (San Francisco)
(Penguin Life, December 27)
From the director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center, a simple plan to turn your stress into your strength in just seven days.
THAT DANGEROUS ENERGY
by Aya de Leon (Berkeley)
(Kensington, January 3)
A young Black artist in a love triangle with a climate activist and a fossil fuel mogul begins spying on the billionaire for the movement.
PLEASE REPORT YOUR BUG HERE
by Josh Riedel (San Francisco)
(Holt, Jan 17)
In this debut novel, a dating app employee discovers a glitch that transports him to other worlds.
OUT OF SILENCE, SOUND. OUT OF NOTHING, SOMETHING.
by Susan Griffin (Berkeley)
(Counterpoint, Jan 17)
Griffin breaks down the creative process step-by-step, guiding the reader through a practical course in how to begin and end a work of literature, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry, or prose.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND
by Mike Chen (Palo Alto)
(MIRA Books, Jan 31)
A genre-mashup from Mike Chen, featuring a punk-rock vampire learning to connect to the world again when her surly teenaged grand-nephew needs her, and her music, to get him through a tough time.