Literary giants, celebrities and authors of big bestsellers are promoting their new titles across the region this month. Also in October: The huge literary festival Litquake, happening in San Francisco and the East Bay. Opening Oct. 8, Litquake, as always, offers dozens of author talks and gatherings (many are free!) and culminates on Oct. 24 with Lit Crawl in San Francisco’s Mission, billed as the world’s largest literary pop-up event. To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.
Oct. 1
Tomas Moniz: The award-winning East Oakland novelist launches his new Bay Area-set book “The King of Aloe Vera,” a “love letter to San Francisco’s Mission District” about the unlikely friendship between an elderly man and homeless young woman, in conversation with Miah Jeffra. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
Oct. 1
Parini Shroff: The Bay Area author of the bestselling “The Bandit Queens” speaks about her new humorous novel “Some People,” in which a man on the brink of divorce is forced to care for his injured future-ex-mother-in-law. [7 p.m., Rakestraw Books, 3 Railroad Ave., Danville]
Oct. 2
Robert Hass and Brenda Hillman: The Bay Area husband-and-wife poets speak about their new titles— Hass’ “A Third Commonness” and Hillman’s “Still House in the Desert: An Eco-Contemplation” — in a discussion exploring intersections of poetry, landscape, memory, ecology, and language. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s, 138 N. Main St., Sebastopol]
Oct. 2
Eriq La Salle: The veteran actor-producer-director turned novelist speaks about “Laws of Solomon,” his new standalone title (part of the Martyr Maker thriller series) in which a man is pulled back into New York’s brutal underworld, which he thought he left, with Bay Area news anchor Dave Clark. [5:30 p.m. Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Oct. 4
Jared Huffman: The congressman from Marin speaks about “No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism,” his behind-the-scenes examination of Christian nationalism’s reach in the current U.S. government and the fight to defend church-state separation. [4 p.m., Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto]
Oct. 4
May-Lee Chai, Mai-Linh Hong: The local authors share their titles; San Francisco State University professor Chai’s “My Hungry Ghosts” is an essay collection combining memoir, history, prayer and intuition; Hong’s “Continental Drift” is a poetry collection that explores the geography that shapes her family’s story. [5 p.m., Books Inc. Laurel Village, 3515 California St., San Francisco]
Oct. 4
Kevin Roose: The technology columnist for The New York Times and co-host of the Hard Fork podcast speaks about “The AGI Chronicles” —described as the “definitive, behind-the-scenes account of the trillion-dollar sprint to create artificial general intelligence” and based on interviews with OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind insiders — with California writer Robin Sloane in a ticketed ($11.50-$45) event. [4 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Oct. 4
Suzanne Sherman: The Sonoma memoir editor, coach, consultant and author speaks about “Living in the Long Shadow,” her Los Angele-set, dual-timeline account of her formative years as a child, and her 18-year-old self in the weeks immediately following her mother’s suicide; she’s joined by Brooke Warner, the publisher of She Writes Press. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Oct. 6
Natalie Baszile: The Bay Area author of “Queen Sugar” discusses her new novel “Friends and Family,” the story of two friends (one Black, one white) whose relationship and beliefs about race are tested after their children have a traumatic encounter with police, in a ticketed ($11.50-$45) talk with writer Julia Scheeres. [7 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Oct. 6
Helene Wecker: The Bay Area fantasy writer shares “The Gates of Midnight,” her long-awaited conclusion to the bestselling trilogy that began with her acclaimed debut “The Golem and the Jinni,” a combination of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magic realism. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto]
Oct. 7
Elaine Elinson: The San Francisco writer and former communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union speaks about “Radiant as the Stars,” her historical novel of love and political awakening set in the U.S. and Ukraine during the early 1900s, with author Susan Kiyo Ito. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
Oct. 8
Judy Juanita and Benjamin Bowser: The authors read from their works and discuss Black life in Oakland: poet-writer-Black Panther Juanita’s “California Fever Dream: A Memoir” chronicles her decades in literature and activism; Bowser, emeritus professor of sociology at California State University East Bay, is the author of “The Black Middle Class: Social Mobility and Vulnerability.” [6 p.m., Main Library, 125 14th St., Oakland]
Oct. 8
Robert Kolker: The journalist and bestselling author of “Hidden Valley Road” follows up with “The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia,” the story of a family whose flawed genetic code might hold the key to a cure for dementia, appearing in a ticketed ($11.50-$48) talk with Stanford University neuroscientist David Eagleman. [7 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Oct. 9
Robert Kolker: The acclaimed magazine journalist and author of “Hidden Valley Road,” a detailed look at schizophrenia from personal and historical perspectives, shares his follow-up volume “The Vanishing Family,” which details how one family’s rare form of frontotemporal dementia might lead to a breakthrough in the prevention and treatment of all dementia. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa]
Oct. 8
Obi Kaufmann: The local artist, conservationist and author of The California Field Atlas series shares “California Inside Out: Mapping an Ecology of Mind,” which blends manifesto, philosophy and ecological inquiry, challenging readers to see the Golden State not as a commodity or fantasy, but as an interconnected, living world; RSVP requested. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa]
Oct. 8
Gary Wolf: The Berkeley science writer and former executive editor of Wired Digital discusses “The Quantified Self: Learning to Observe,” in which he describes how people can use scientific methods to answer their own health questions, with Wired co-founder Kevin Kelly. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Oct. 10
Min Jin Lee: Litquake presents the award-winning author of “Pachinko” discussing her new novel “American Hagwon,” about a middle-class Korean family that leaves Seoul for Sydney and eventually settles in Southern California, with Andrew Sean Greer at a ticketed ($18-$50) event. [7 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian Church,2515 Fillmore St., San Francisco]
Oct. 11
Natalie Baszile: In one of many Litquake presentations, the Bay Area author of “Queen Sugar” discusses her new novel “Friends and Family,” the story of two friends (one Black, one white) whose relationship and beliefs about race are tested after their children have a traumatic encounter with police, in conversation with filmmaker Cheryl Dunye; $10-$15 suggested donation. [3 p.m., Koret Auditorium, Main Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
Oct. 11
Michael Douglas: The Oscar-winning actor and producer shares his memoir “One Helluva Ride” in an unscripted ticketed ($80-$150) talk. [4 p.m., Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St., San Francisco)
Oct. 11
Melissa King: The award-winning queer Chinese-American chef, author and television personality appears in a ticketed ($33 includes book) meet-and-greet to promote her new memoir, “The Girl Who Became King.” [4 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Oct. 13
Christopher Gardner: The director of nutrition studies at Stanford University speaks about “Food Sense: What to Eat and Why,” in which he addresses topics including: weight loss, cholesterol, seed oils, plant-based meats, ultra processed foods, protein, GMOS, fads, fibers, fermented foods and more, in a ticketed ($11.50-$45) talk with researcher Sally Duplantier. [7 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Oct. 14
Jon Else: The documentary filmmaker and University of California, Berkeley journalism school professor emeritus discusses his book “Frenchman Flat: The Rise and Fall of Atomic Bombs,” about a 37-kiloton atomic bomb that was test exploded in Nevada in 1957, with Stanford University political science professor Scott D. Sagan a ticketed ($10-$45) event. [6 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Oct. 17
Christopher Gardner: Copperfield’s Books presents the Stanford University nutrition scholar sharing his new title “Food Sense: What to Eat and Why,” in which he addresses topics including: weight loss, cholesterol, seed oils, plant-based meats, ultra processed foods, protein, GMOS, fads, fibers, fermented foods and more; RSVP requested. [11 a.m., Marin Country Mart, 2419 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur]
Oct. 17
Jacob Anthony Rose: The Martinez native, the alter ego of mid-2000s drag artist Sheena Rose, discusses his new psychological thriller, “The Things I Agreed To,” about a novelist whose world explodes when readers insist her book is a confession, not fiction. [3 p.m., Books Inc. Opera Plaza, 601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco]
Oct. 18
Sandy Walker: The Oakland painter and printmaker presents “My Deepest Desire,” a poetic short story by the late Tamiki Hara, an activist who lived through and wrote about the Hiroshima atomic bombing; Walker created abstract prints for the book. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Oct. 18
Obi Kaufmann: The East Bay artist, conservationist and author of The California Field Atlas series speaks about “California Inside Out: Mapping an Ecology of Mind”— a manifest and meditation in which he advances a world view that recognizes of nature’s agency — with Victoria Schlesinger, editor-in-chief of Bay Nature. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Oct. 18
Nathaniel Philbrick: The National Book Award-winning historian speaks about his new title, “The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World,” which “transforms the Gold Rush from a tale of sudden riches into the origin story of America’s modern contradictions” in a ticketed ($11.50 to $70 covering entry for two) talk with tech journalist John Markoff. [4 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
Oct. 19
Bonne Garmus: The “Lessons in Chemistry” author is promoting her new literary novel “Peck & Peck,” about a young man whose life turns upside down when he is hired by a prestigious, dysfunctional poetry journal in 1980s New York, in a ticketed ($34 includes book) conversation with feminist author and educator Kate Schatz. [7 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian, 2515 Fillmore St., San Francisco]
Oct. 20
Brian Evenson: The award-winning California horror and fantasy writer shares his new novel “Phantom Limb,” a follow-up to 2016’s “Last Days” about the adventures of a member of an underground amputation cult. [7 p.m., City Lights, 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco]
Oct. 21
Seth Fleisher: The Berkeley writer launches his time-crossing novel “The Farther Shore,” set in the British concentration camps of the Boer War and the Third Reich and World War II and based on the true story of naturalist Eugene Marais, in conversation with Mindela Ruby. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
Oct. 22
Jude Berman: The East Bay writer speaks about “The Lie,” her sequel to 2024’s “The Die” in which she tackles cybersecurity’s threat to autonomy; the novel follows the adventures of a technological whiz and his friends as they attempt to prevent a dictator from taking over California. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto]
Oct. 22
Kerry Kennedy: The human rights lawyer, activist and author discusses “Ethel Kennedy: The Extraordinary Life and Bold Legacy,” her biography of her mother, in conversation with KQED News reporter Maria Lagos at a ticketed ($40 includes book) event, which also streams. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Oct. 23
Barbara Kingsolver: The Pulitzer Prize winner speaks about her new novel “Partita” with Steven Winn in a ticketed ($64) event that also includes a live classical music performance. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., San Francisco]
Oct. 25
Eric Idle: The actor and comedian is promoting “Idle in Provence: A Brief History of Thyme,” described as “equal parts memoir, travelogue and comedy masterclass” and “filled with laugh-out-loud moments” with Dave Eggers, author of “Contrapposto” at a ticketed ($45 includes book) event. [4 p.m., Angelico Hall, Dominican University, 20 Olive Ave., San Rafael]
Oct. 27
Matthew Aldrich: The local author and renowned screenwriter of Pixar’s “Coco” launches his debut thriller “The Natural Order,” about a billionaire tech visionary who creates a method to stop aging, in conversation with filmmaker-writer Jason Headley. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
Oct. 27
Zara Marielle: The former ESL teacher and world traveler who grew up in Northern California and the French Alps speaks about her debut fantasy “The Café of Infinite Doors,” about a young, trapped young San Francisco housewife who is drawn into a thousand-year-old rivalry between two Scottish goddesses. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 2251 Chestnut St., San Francisco]
Oct. 27
Adam Plantinga: The thriller writer, a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children unit with the San Francisco Police Department, discusses “Dark Country,” his latest title in the Kurt Argento series, in which Argento finds himself shielding a teen caught up in a manhunt. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building San Francisco]
Oct. 29
Frish Brandt: The San Francisco writer, creator of the course “Lasting Letters and The Art of Deep Listening,” which she has taught at Stanford University School of Medicine, speaks about “Unfinished Business: Writing the 5 Essential Letters of Your Life,” with arts and culture columnist Tony Bravo. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building San Francisco]
Oct. 30
Michael Connelly: The prolific bestselling author speaks about his latest Bosch novel “The Hollow,” in which retired Los Angeles detective Harry Bosch “delves into the darkest chapter of his past” in a ticketed ($38 includes book) event that also streams. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]