New novels, memoirs, histories, guidebooks, and political and sociological titles are in the lineup this month. To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.
July 1
Jonathan Weber: The Los Angeles Times’ first Silicon Valley reporter in 1990 speaks about “City on the Edge,” his new book about San Francisco’s meteoric transformation into a global capital of technology, in conversation with Quentin Harvey. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
July 7
Nicole Adler: Nicole Adler: San Mateo County Libraries celebrates Disability Pride Month with a talk by advocate and author of ‘With Love as Her Compass,” her memoir describing her life as a queer woman with Trisomy 21, commonly known as Down Syndrome. [11 a.m., San Carlos Library, 610 Elm St., San Carlos]
July 7
Laura Marie Meyers: The pop culture journalist originally from Chicago, now a Northern California resident, launches her debut novel “The MASH Up,” a fun rom-com about a 35-year-old woman who enters an alternate reality in which she’s living out the details of her seventh-grade M.A.S.H. game. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 7
Maria Lenhart: The veteran travel writer, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, shares details from her new title “Lost Treasures of San Francisco: Restaurants, Drive-Ins, Concert Halls, and Other Favorite Places from the Past,” a compilation touching on historical events, sites and characters, some even dating back to when the city was called Yerba Buena. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
July 7
Melissa Murray: The New York University law school professor, legal podcaster and former faculty member of the University of California, Berkeley law school discusses “The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader” with UC Berkeley legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
July 7
Jonathan Weber: The Los Angeles Times’ first Silicon Valley reporter in 1990 speaks about “City on the Edge,” his new title about San Francisco’s meteoric transformation into a global capital of technology, with reporter Joe Menn, author of “Cult of the Dead Cow: How the Original Hacking Supergroup Might Just Save the World.” [7 p.m., Bookshop West Portal, 80 W. Portal Ave., San Francisco]
July 9
Katie Gaddini: A former evangelical, the Stanford University visiting scholar and associate professor of sociology at University College London discusses “Esther’s Army: The Christian Woman Who Power the American Right,” her product of more than a decade of ethnographic research, with Guardian columnist Moira Donegan; RSVP requested. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
July 11
Liese Greensfelder: The freelance science writer discusses “Accidental Shepherd: How a California Girl Rescued an Ancient Mountain Farm in Norway,” her account of how, at age 20 and with no experience, she overtook operation of a remote Norwegian farm in 1972. [11 a.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 11
Wayne Feinstein: The San Mateo retiree, a former investment banker and head of Jewish service organizations, discusses his debut novel “Turning,” about a successful real estate developer who must come to terms with himself as his son is dying of cancer. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 11
Joanna Choi Kalbus: The Moraga author speaks about “The Boat Not Taken,” her decades-in-the-making memoir about her journey with her mother from North Korea in search of a better life in the United States. [2 p.m., Moraga Public Library, 1500 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga]
July 11
Phil Cousineau: The San Francisco cultural historian shares “The Wisdom of the Odyssey: Twenty-Four Life Lessons from Homer’s Epic,” described as “an accessible companion to Homer’s Odyssey that illuminates its timeless lessons on change, resilience and the search for home.” [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 12
John M. Adler: The San Francisco law-professor-turned author shares his debut novel “Second Chance,” about a doctor who, upon being summoned by his godfather, returns to the small New Mexico town he thought he left behind and uncovers long buried family secrets. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 12
Chris Carlsson: The San Francisco writer and historian shares “Hidden San Francisco,” in which he explores the city through interconnected themes—ecology, labor, transit and dissent. [2 p.m., Presidio Branch Library, 3150 Sacramento St., San Francisco]
July 12
Mac Barnett: The award-winning Oakland picture book author and ninth U.S. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature speaks about “Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children” in which he describes what makes a great children’s book and why adults should create and supports such books. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 14
Jia Jiang: The inspirational speaker, entrepreneur and bestselling author of “Rejection Proof” speaks about “Easy Discipline: An Unconventional Way to Achieve Ambitious Things,” his new volume outlining principles to help people take action toward meeting their goals, at a ticketed ($24 includes book) talk. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View]
July 15
Grace Loh Prasad: The Bay Area writer shares 2024’s “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, in a talk and slideshow presentation. [6 p.m., Sunset Branch, SF Library, 1305 18th Ave., San Francisco]
July 15
Parini Shroff: The South Bay author of bestselling “The Bandit Queens” launches her second novel “Some People”— about what happens when an injured woman must accept nursing care in her home from her daughter’s soon-to-be-ex-husband—with Kate Schatz, feminist author of the “Rad Women” books. [7 p.m. Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View]
July 16
Phil Cousineau: The San Francisco cultural historian shares “The Wisdom of the Odyssey: Twenty-Four Life Lessons from Homer’s Epic,” described as “an accessible companion to Homer’s Odyssey that illuminates its timeless lessons on change, resilience, and the search for home.” [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
July 16
Holly Larsen: The Bay Area writer speaks about her second novel “Lucky, Lucky People: A Comedy of Bad Manners,” an Alameda-set about following the misadventures of four couples: a disillusioned coach, a viral busboy, a conflicted entrepreneur, a self-sabotaging artist, and their partners. [6:30 p.m. Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda]
July 16
Greg Sarris: The Sonoma writer, who’s serving his 17th term as chairman of Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria discusses his new novel “The Last Human Bear,” a coming-of-age story following a Native Pomo woman from the Great Depression to 21st century (and inspired by the Native women elders he knew in his youth), with writer Rebecca Solnit in a event presented by Copperfield’s Books; registration requested. [6:30 p.m., Finley Community Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa]
July 17
Samaira Mehta: The high-schooler and creator of coding and artificial intelligence-related board games celebrates “Sama Crushes the Code,” her loosely biographical graphic novel about the adventures of a middle-school coder. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View]
July 18
Christopher Pollock: The author of “San Francisco’s Parks,” the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s first historian-in-residence, shares how the city’s landscapes have evolved from early gathering spaces such as Portsmouth Square to transformed waterfront and neighborhood recreation sites. [2 p.m., Glen Park Branch, SF Library, 2825 Diamond St., San Francisco]
July 18
Miranda Yaver: The Bay Area native and assistant professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh speaks about “Coverage Denied: How Health Insurers Drive Inequality in the United States,” an examination of the causes and consequences of coverage denials (often through the mechanism of prior authorization) by drawing on a nationwide survey of 1,340 adults, administrative data and numerous interviews with patients, physicians, health insurance lawyers and former health insurance executives. [2 p.m., Orinda Books, 276 Village Square, Orinda]
July 19
Maria Lenhart: The travel writer, a fourth-generation San Franciscan, shares information from her new book “Lost Treasures of San Francisco: Restaurants, Drive-Ins, Concert Halls, and Other Favorite Places from the Past.” [4:30 p.m., Fireside Books and More, 2421 Broadway, Redwood City]
July 20
Rebecca Solnit: The prolific author, intellectual and essayist appears in a ticketed ($22-$38) talk with Angie Coiro (rescheduled from April) to promote “The Beginning Comes After the End,” her new book describing the massive social, political, scientific and cultural changes in the past 75 years that may counteract recent forces seeking to turn back the clock on history. [6:30 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
July 21
Greg Gaar: The native San Franciscan, photojournalist, environmentalist and historian appears in conversation with photographer Jay Blakesberg in a slideshow-storytelling session to promote his new book “Greg Gaar’s Streets of San Francisco.” [6 p.m., Park Branch Library, 1833 Page St., San Francisco]
July 21
Nina Schuyler: The Northern California fiction writer whose latest short story collection is “In This Ravishing World” speaks about how her journey into understanding artificial intelligence, from encounters with lifelike robots to research with experts and chatbots, informed her award-winning novel 2023 “Afterword.” [6 p.m., Merced Branch, SF Library, 155 Winston Drive, San Francisco]
July 21
Taleen Voskuni: The Kiss & Tell Literary Salon hosts the San Francisco tech worker and author of “Lavash at First Sight,” speaking about her new queer romantic comedy “Our Ex’s Wedding” with Ann Adams, author of “Racing Hearts,” an opposites-attract romance about a competitive rower in a slump who returns to her hometown to train with a new coach. [6:30 p.m. Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda]
July 21
Terria Smith: The Native (Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla) journalist, world traveler, editor of News from Native California magazine and director of the Berkeley Roundhouse, Heyday’s California Indian publishing program, speaks about “I Love You So Many: A Native Memoir of Adventure, Culture, and Family” with Piper Kerman, author of “Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison” in a ticketed ($11-$35) event. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
July 21
Elizabeth Svoboda: The San Jose science writer speaks about “The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving,” which blends memoir, research and interviews with elite athletes and entrepreneurs in a volume aiming to help people live meaningful lives while effectively balancing ambition with rest. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1875 South Bascom Ave., Campbell]
July 22
Daniel Mason: The South Bay writer, a Pultizer Prize-finalist for his short story collection “A Registry of My Passage Upon the Earth,” launches “Country People,” his latest novel about a year in the life of a family that strikes out into the unknown (aka Vermont) in conversation with Bay Area writer-blogger Beth Spotwood, in a ticketed ($11.50-$45) event. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
July 23
Veronica Rossi: The Northern California writer of young adult books and historical fiction discusses her novel “Rebel Spy,” which reimagines the story of Agent 355, a New York society girl and spy for George Washington during the Revolutionary War. [1 p.m., Ygnacio Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road, Walnut Creek]
July 23
Nick Greene: The East Bay author of “How to Watch Basketball Like a Genius” shares “How to Watch Soccer Like a Genius,” in which he covers the popular game and its history from numerous perspectives, in conversation with poet Benjamin Gucciardi, founder of Soccer Without Borders. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
July 23
Greg Sarris: The Sonoma writer and tribal leader discusses “The Last Human Bear,” a coming-of-age story following a Native Pomo woman from the Great Depression to 21st century (and inspired by the Native women elders he knew in his youth), with Oscar Villalon, editor of the literary magazine ZYZZYVA, in a City Lights Books presentation. [6:30 p.m., Kerouac Alley, between City Lights Books and Vesuvio Cafe, San Francisco]
July 23
Clara Ward: The Silicon Valley author speaks about “Dream the Deep,” a novella set on a near-future Earth whose protagonist, a nonbinary scholar with disabilities who misses the chance to to go to Mars, makes connections working in a research facility while fighting deep sea threats in conjunction with a giant cephalopod. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View]
July 24
Michelle Huneven: The Southern California author of “Bug Hollow,” the 2026 One Book Napa selection, shares the novel—a decades-spanning family saga about members of a messy but loving clan as they cope in after the loss of their son — in conversation with Napa writer Anne Evans. The ticketed ($20 or free for students with ID) event is part of the Napa Valley Writers Conference. [6:30 p.m., Napa County Library, 580 Coombs St., Napa]
July 24
Phil Cousineau: The San Francisco cultural historian shares “The Wisdom of the Odyssey: Twenty-Four Life Lessons from Homer’s Epic,” described as “an accessible companion to Homer’s Odyssey that illuminates its timeless lessons on change, resilience and the search for home.” [7 p.m., Copperfield’s, 138 N. Main St., Sebastopol]
July 25
Aiden Yang: The San Francisco writer speaks about “The Spineless Porcupine: Why Our Differences Are Superpowers,” an all-ages fable about diversity and inclusion based on his journey of self-discovery as an Asian American trans man. [3 p.m., Books Inc., 601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco]
July 26
Joseph McBride: The film critic and historian, author the 2025 memoir “I Loved Movies, But: Conversations with Danny Peary,” shares details about his career and the major filmmakers he has known and written about, from Frank Capra, John Ford and Steven Spielberg to Orson Welles, Billy Wilder and the Coen brothers. [1:30 p.m., Golden Gate Valley Branch, SF Library, 1801 Green St., San Francisco]
July 26
Nicholas Enrich: The former civil servant discusses “Wood Chipper: A Whistleblower’s Account of How the Trump Administration Shredded USAID,” his memoir about what happened, and what was at stake, when the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency began to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, a longtime humanitarian institution. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 26
Richie Unterberger: The rock ‘n’ roll historian appears with City Lights events director/editor Peter Maravelis and DJ Michael Gabriel to launch “Do What You Fear Most: The History of the Velvet Underground,” described as the “authoritative tome on the band that changed music, fashion and culture forever”; admission is $10. [6:30 p.m., Make Out Room, 3225 22nd St., San Francisco]
July 28
Catherine Cho: The literary agent and author of the memoir “Inferno” shares “The Devoted,” her debut novel about a young Korean woman who becomes entrenched in an infamous crime organization, in conversation with San Francisco novelist Sophie Wan. [7 p.m., Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco]
July 28
Joseph Ogilvy: The chef and writer shares “Tin Can Coast: A History of Industry, Greed, and Fishing in the Golden State,” in which he explores the hidden history of the California coast through generations of immigrants, industrial shifts and human impact on marine species.[6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
July 28
Vinita Gupta: The Woodside resident speaks about her memoir “The Woman in Deed: Road to IPO, Bridge Tables, and Beyond,” which detail her remarkable journey from India to America; her startup Digital Link Corporation’s inception to its initial public offering; and her rebirth as a bridge champion, in a ticketed ($11.50-$45) talk with Adobe executive Shantanu Narayen. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
July 29
Keith Hansen: The author of “Hansen’s Field Guide to the Birds of the Sierra Nevada” and “Birds of Point Reyes,” both published by Heyday Books in Berkeley, shares his experiences studying the birds of Point Reyes, arctic Alaska, the Galapagos and beyond in an entertaining program featuring rich illustrations. [6 p.m., Steve Silver Music Center, fourth floor, Main Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
July 30
Michael Buckley: The urban planner, scholar and architectural historian shares “City of Wood: San Francisco and the Architecture of the Redwood Lumber Industry,” his examination of how capitalists and workers logged California’s vast redwood forests to create the financial capital and construction materials needed to build the metropolis of San Francisco. [4 p.m., Richmond/Senator Milton Marks Branch, SF Public Library, 351 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
July 30
Greg Sarris: The Sonoma writer and tribal leader discusses “The Last Human Bear,” a coming-of-age story following a Native Pomo woman from the Great Depression to 21st century (inspired by the Native elders he knew in his youth), with writer-naturalist Obi Kaufmann, author of “The California Field Atlas.” [7 p.m., Clio’s Books, 353 Grand Ave., Oakland]