These are among the new titles with local themes or released by local writers, listed in alphabetical order by author names:
“The Wisdom of the Odyssey: Twenty-Four Life Lessons from Homer’s Epic” by Phil Cousineau
New World Library, 272 pages, $19.95 paperback, June 30, 2026
San Francisco cultural historian Phil Cousineau’s extensive look at Homer’s “Odyssey’ will get readers ready for the summer blockbuster, filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” starring Matt Damon. Mythologist Cousineau condenses the tale into 24 chapters that reflect the original books, following the struggles with monsters and dedication to love. Daniel Handler of Lemony Snicket fame says “Phil Cousineau always notices what nobody else does — a sure sign of a sharp writer. His odyssey through ‘The Odyssey’ uncovers new sights at every site.” Cousineau, a filmmaker and teacher, has written more than 40 books consulted on mythology in movies for Warner Bros., Pixar and Lucasfilm. Cousineau appears at 6 p.m. July 9 at Readers’ Books in Sonoma; 4 p.m. July 11 at Book Passage in Corte Madera; and 7 p.m. July 17 at Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley.
“14 Going on 24: Growing Up With Willie Mays” by Larry Hayes
Koehler Books, 296 pages, $19.95 paperback, June 16, 2026
Bay Area emerging author Larry Hayes writes about what he loves in “14 Going on 24: Growing Up With Willie Mays.” In the novel, he shares stories from The Say-Hey Kid’s early days in Harlem to the New York Polo Grounds, and on to San Francisco’s ballpark by the Bay. Michael Mays, Willie’s son and director of his foundation, calls the book a “wonderfully nostalgic trek . . . capturing the cultural significance of my father’s character and impact.” Hayes, who writes fiction about hidden histories and multicultural issues. He has been a 911 emergency dispatcher, teacher and worker for Major League Baseball. Hayes appears at 7 p.m. Aug. 4 Green Apple Books on the Park in San Francisco.
“Country People” by Daniel Mason
Penguin, 320 pages, $30 hardcover, July 7, 2026
Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of “North Woods” Daniel Mason describes a year in the life of a family that leaves the comforts of home on the West Coast and strikes out into the Vermont forest. The new novel tells the tale of Miles Krzelewski, a somewhat lost fellow who follows his professor wife to a new college, where he meets a cast of folkloric characters from a ghostly tree surgeon to a scythe-mad biochemist, and stumbles across a town legend that needs unraveling. “Slow Horses” author Mick Herron calls the book “wonderful—full of joy—and exactly the kind of reading experience we could all do with right now.” Mason, an associate professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, found acclaim with first novel, 2002’s bestselling “The Piano Tuner,” which was published in 27 countries. Mason appears at p.m. July 22 in Kepler’s in Menlo Park.
“The MASH Up: A Novel” by Laura Marie Meyers
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 336 pages, $20 paperback, July 7, 2026
Northern California writer Laura Marie Meyers’ humorous debut novel tackles traditional expectations about life and love, following heroine Ruby Wynne, who finds herself breaking up at 35, upending her plans and landing somehow in a game she played in the seventh grade, called M.A.S.H., where her better half is supposed to be her brother’s best friend. She tries to escape but finds she may need to throw out all her rules to find true love. Emily Griffin, author of “Love You More,” says, “Laura Marie Meyers’ debut novel glows with charm, humor, and heart. An irresistible, page-turning treat from first laugh to last swoon.” Meyers, a pop culture journalist focusing on books and trends, appears at 6 p.m. July 7 at Book Passage in Corte Madera.
“The Last Human Bear” by Greg Sarris
Heyday Books, 384 pages, $30 hardcover, June 16, 2026
North Bay Native writer Greg Sarris’ first novel in 28 years explores love, desire and destiny. Protagonist Mary Hatcher may be cursed or may be empowered: She may be a human bear and shapeshifter. Determining her fate by passing between Native and white societies from the Great Depression to the 21st century, she is inspired by women elders Sarris met in his youth. Rebecca Solnit calls the book “lush and gripping” and Dave Eggers says, “It’s revelatory on every page.” Illustrations are by Oakland author Obi Kaufmann. Sonoma-based Sarris, an enrolled member of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, is serving his 17th consecutive elected term as chairman of the tribe. Sarris discusses the book with Solnit at 6:30 p.m. July 16 at the Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa sponsored by Copperfield’s Books.
“The Resilience of Red Thread” by Catherine Marshall Smith
She Writes Press, 360 pages, $17 paperback, July 21, 2026
Novato author and philanthropist Catherine Marshall-Smith follows up her debut novel, 2016’s “American Family,” with this Santa Cruz-set thriller and look at emotional manipulation. It’s about a woman who escapes her abusive ex-husband with a safe and steady man, only to discover he may not be what he seems. Writer Lynn S. Hightower calls it “a story of breaking the patterns of trauma and taking the future you want.” A portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to the Center for Domestic Peace in San Rafael. Marshall-Smith appears in conversation with Center for Domestic Peace Executive Director Tara Peterson at 1 p.m. July 26 at Book Passage in Corte Madera.
“I Love You So Many: A Native Memoir of Adventure, Culture and Family” by Terria Smith
Heyday Books, 240 pages, $20 paperback, June 23, 2026
Native journalist Terria Smith, editor of News from Native California magazine, grew up on the Torres Martinez Reservation in Southern California with a longing for adventure, which she details in her new memoir. Named after an expression favored by her Spanish-speaking relatives, the book takes readers from Smith’s ancestral homelands to Cuba, Iceland and Guyana, then back again, as she establishes relationships based on the Native traditions of reciprocity, risk taking and bridging differences. “Orange Is the New Black” author Piper Kerman calls the book the “best memoir of the summer.” Smith, who directs Heyday’s California Indian publishing program and lives on ancestral homelands in the Coachella Valley, appears with Kerman at 7 p.m. July 21 at Kepler’s Books.
“City on the Edge: Technology, Politics and the Fight for the Soul of San Francisco” by Jonathan Weber
Atria Books, 432 pages, $32 hardcover, June 9, 2026
Longtime chronicler of the Bay Area tech scene Jonathan Weber traces San Francisco’s transformation into a global tech capital, and its near collapse, in this volume for which he conducted some 200 interviews with political leaders, business executives, activists, entrepreneurs and artists. John Heilemann, author of “Game Change,” calls the book “the definitive account of a monumental era in a mythical city and a world-changing industry that both lost their way.” Weber, the Los Angeles Times’ first Silicon Valley reporter in 1990, also was editor-in-chief of The Industry Standard; oversaw West Coast global technology coverage for Reuters; and editor in chief of The San Francisco Standard. Weber appears at 7 p.m. July 7 Bookshop West Portal in San Francisco.