Local and visiting writers offer new novels, short story collections and fascinating memoirs. To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.
April 3
Hanif Abdurraqib: The poet and cultural critic appears with University of California, Berkeley professor Shereen Marisol Meraji, speaking about “There’s Always This Year,” a memoir with essays detailing how basketball informed and affected his life; the ticketed event ($49 includes book) is presented by Book Passage and City Arts & Lectures. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., San Francisco]
April 4
Becky Ellis: The writer and teacher from Portland shares her memoir “Little Avalanches,” about growing up as a daughter of a traumatized World War II veteran, and what happened after her father told her about his wartime experiences at age 90, breaking 70 years of silence. [7 p.m., A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., Oakland]
April 5
Rowan Beaird: The writer shares her debut novel “The Divorcées,” set in 1950s Reno divorce ranches, where women spent the six weeks necessary to establish Nevada residency and obtain an easy divorce, in an event presented by Copperfield’s; registration requested. [7 p.m., Thumbprint Cellars, 102 Matheson St., Healdsburg]
April 6
Jennifer Croft: The award-winning translator-memoirist speaks about “The Extinction of Irena Rey,” her new novel about eight translators and their search for a world-renowned author who goes missing in a primeval Polish forest. [5 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
April 6
Kalpana Mohan: The Saratoga memoirist and columnist (“Letters from Everywhere”) shares details about what she has learned by regularly reading works translated from multiple languages. [2 p.m., Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga]
April 7
Beverly Parayno: The California writer launches “Wildflowers,” her debut collection of short stories about the journeys of Filipino and Filipino American girls spanning both generations and geography, from the Philippines to the Bay Area to Ireland. [2 p.m., Books Inc. Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., #600, Campbell]
April 7
Greg Sarris: The Sonoma writer and American Indian leader appears with literary critic Jane Ciabattari to promote “The Forgetters,” a cycle of stories in the manner of Southern Pomo and Coast Miwok creation stories. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
April 9
Holly Jackson: The author of the bestselling “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series and “Five Survive” discusses her new thriller “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” in conversation with Alexa Donne in a ticketed ($24 includes book) event. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
April 10
Summer Brenner: The Berkeley activist and writer reads from her memoir “Dust,” which she describes as “”Driving Miss Daisy’ meets ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.'” [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley]
April 11
Jude Berman: The Berkeley writer discusses her techno-thriller “The Die,” about a tech writer who uncovers an international conspiracy after she suspects someone has been tampering with a game she’s developing for a Silicon Valley company. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View]
April 12
Lian Dolan: The bestselling author of “The Sweeney Sisters” and “Satellite Sisters” podcaster launches her fun new novel “The Marriage Sabbatical,” about what happens when a long-married couple decides to take a nine-month break from their jobs and each other. [7 p.m., A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., Oakland]
April 13
Anne Lamott: The Bay Area writer discusses her 20th book, “Somehow: Thoughts on Love,” an essay collection exploring the transformative power of love, in a ticketed event ($49 includes book) presented by Book Passage and City Arts & Lectures. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, Hayes St., S.F.]
April 13
Valerie Bertinelli: The actress and bestselling author is promoting her new 100-recipe cookbook “Indulge” at a non-seated ticketed event ($40 includes book) that includes entry to a signing line and a candid photo opportunity. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, The Embarcadero, San Francisco]
April 15
Amor Towles: The author of “A Gentleman in Moscow” and “Rules of Civility,” on tour with a new story collection “Table for Two,” appears in conversation with Michael Krasny at a ticketed ($40 includes book) event. [7 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian, 2515 Fillmore St., San Francisco]
April 16
Kathya Alexandar: The Seattle playwright and storyteller shares her debut novel, “Keep A’Livin’,” about a young Black girl coming of age in Arkansas as the civil rights movement gains momentum in the 1960s. [6 p.m., SF Main Library, African American Center, third floor, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
April 16
Laurie R. King: The prolific mystery writer speaks about “The Lantern’s Dance,” the 18th in her 30-year-old series with Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes; in this book, the pair gets caught up in a personal case in the French countryside. [6 p.m., Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas St., Half Moon Bay]
April 17
Grace Loh Prasad: The Bay Area writer discusses “The Translator’s Daughter” — her memoir about facing language, cultural, political and generational barriers as a Taiwanese-American immigrant who wants to connect with her birthplace — with fellow writer Grace Hwang Lynch. [7 p.m., Books Inc. Pruneyard, 1875 S Bascom Ave., #600, Campbell]
April 18
Michael Ondaatje: The author of “The English Patient” and other acclaimed titles speaks about his highly anticipated collection “A Year of Last Things: Poems.” [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma]
April 20
Leigh Bardugo: The author of the young adult series Grishaverse (adapted on Netflix’s “Shadow and Bone”), speaks about “The Familiar,” a romantic fantasy in which, according to Publishers Weekly, “two people with magical powers and sketchy pasts plot their escape from the Spanish Inquisition” at a ticketed event ($33 event includes book). [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
April 21
Donna Levin: The San Francisco novelist’s lastest “The Talking Stick,” is a dramedy about four Marin County women in a support group trying to get their lives together. [2 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
April 23
Amy Tan: The author of “The Joy Luck Club” speaks about her latest volume of essays and drawings, “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” in conversation with fellow birder Keith Hansen at a ticketed talk ($45 includes book). [7 p.m., Angelico Hall, Dominican University of California, 20 Olive Ave., San Rafael]
April 23
Maggie Tokuda-Hall: The author of the acclaimed “The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea, “Squad” and “Love in the Library” speaks about her new young adult novel, “The Siren, the Song, and the Spy.” [6 p.m., San Ramon Library, 100 Montgomery St., San Ramon]
April 24
Ethel Rohan: The San Francisco writer (in conversation with Oakland writer Nayomi Munaweera, author of the award-winning Sri Lanka-set novel “Island of A Thousand Mirrors”) speaks about her new novel “Sing, I,” about a middle-aged Half Moon Bay woman who rediscovers herself after a masked gunman robs the convenience store where she works. [7 p.m., A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., Oakland]
April 24
Yangsze Choo: The California author of the best-selling “The Ghost Bride” (which was adapted into a TV series) and “The Night Tiger,” speaks about her new novel “The Fox Wife,” set in 1908 Manchuria, and described as “equal parts detective story, folk tale and family saga.” [7 p.m., Milpitas Library, 160 N. Main St., Milpitas]
April 27
Susannah Breslin: The Southern California writer speaks about “Data Baby: My Life in a Psychological Experiment,” her memoir describing her formative experiences as a “lab rat” in a lifelong psychological study, and her attempt to reclaim her identity as an adult. [11 a.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
April 28
Brian Copeland: The performer and author of “Not a Genuine Black Man,” the longest-running solo play in San Francisco theatrical history, speaks about his debut crime thriller “Outraged” with former KQED “Forum” radio host Michael Krasny. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
April 30
Doris Kearns Goodwin: The preeminent scholar of U.S. presidents speaks about “An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s,” a different project for her, with journalist Steven Winn in a ticketed ($49 includes book) presented by City Art & Lectures. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., S.F.]
April 30
Sasha Vasilyuk: Appearing with Molly Antopol, author of “The UnAmericans,” the San Francisco writer, a native of Russia and Ukraine, launches her debut novel “Your Presence is Mandatory,” about a Ukrainian Jewish World War II veteran with a dangerous lifelong secret. [7 p.m., Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco]