Sept. 3
(Courtesy University of Nebraska Press)
Chris Haft: The former reporter who covered the San Francisco Giants for 14 seasons and authored four books on the team discusses his new biography “A Giant Among Giants: The Baseball Life of Willie McCovey,” in conversation with Allison McCovey, Willie McCovey’s daughter. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
Sept. 4
(Courtesy Steerforth)
Karleigh Frisbie Brogan: The Sonoma County native speaks about her debut memoir, the mostly Sonoma County-set “Holding: A Memoir About Mothers, Drugs, and Other Comforts” in which she shares details about her addiction, her partner’s addiction, and the powerful relationship she struck up with her partner’s mother. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 138 N Main St., Sebastopol]
(Courtesy Advantage Publishing)
Sept. 5
Kathryn Henry: The Napa writer, spiritual seeker and business leader speaks about her memoir “A Dime to Say I Love You: A Journey of Love, Loss, and Spiritual Awakening,” in which she shares how her outlook changed after she lost her wife to a rare, aggressive cancer and offers tips on meditation practices. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 1300 First St., Suite 398, Napa]
Sept. 6
Northern California Book Awards: Honorees are slated to appear at the 44th annual free event presented by Northern California Book Reviewers, Poetry Flash, the San Francisco Public Library, Mechanics’ Institute Library and Women’s National Book Association-San Francisco Chapter. Winners are local authors of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, general nonfiction, translation and children’s literature released in 2024. Rebecca Solnit will accept the Fred Cody Award for Lifetime Achievement and Service, while the NCBA Groundbreaker Award will be presented to Paul Yamazaki, principal book buyer for City Lights Books for over 50 years. [2 p.m., Koret Auditorium, S.F. Main Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
Sept. 7
(Courtesy Harper)
Peter Mann: The Stanford University instructor and San Francisco author of “The Torqued Man,” among The New Yorker’s best books of 2022, appears with Michaela Hulstyn of Stanford to discuss his new historical novel “World Pacific,” about the 1939 disappearance of a boys adventure novelist (loosely based on Richard Halliburton) who vanishes while trying to sail from Hong Kong to San Francisco. [2 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
(Courtesy Health Communications Inc.)
Sept. 7
Guryan Tighe: The San Francisco workshop facilitator, communications strategist and private leadership coach whose company “Fourage” helps clients grow by understanding rather than conquering fears, shares concepts from her new title “Unmasking Fear: How Fears Are Our Gateways to Freedom.” [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
(Courtesy Harry N. Abrams)
Sept. 9
(Courtesy Algonquin Books)
Trans Narratives of America: Carolina De Robertis ( “So Many Stars: An Oral History of Trans, Nonbinary, Genderqueer, and Two-Spirit People of Color”) and Nico Lang (“American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era”) discuss the importance of preserving and honoring lives and voices of trans people in a ticketed ($6-$12) talk moderated by Britta Stromeyer. [6 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
(Courtesy Workman)
Sept. 10
Joanna Schroeder, Christopher Pepper: Schroeder, a writer, editor and critic often covering parenting issues, and Pepper, a San Francisco high school health educator and curriculum developer, speak about “Talk to Your Boys: 16 Conversations to Help Tweens and Teens Grow into Confident, Caring Young Men,” their guidebook compiling insights from dozens of young men and experts including therapists. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Sept. 10
(Courtesy Harper)
Meg Waite Clayton: The Lafayette Library and Learning Center hosts “The “Postmistress of Paris” and “The Last Train to London” novelist, speaking about her “Typewriter Beach,” her new mystery set in Carmel-by-the Sea bout the unlikely friendship between an Oscar-nominated screenwriter and an actress hoping to be Alfred Hitchcock’s new star, in a ticketed ($20-$125) event. [7 p.m., Don Tatzin Community Hall, Lafayette Library, 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd, Lafayette]
Sept. 11
(Courtesy ZE Books)
Joe Boyd: The veteran music producer appears in person at a ticketed ($13-$17) talk to promote his book “And the Roots of Rhythm Remain” in an event with a screening of rare clips of Kate Bush with Bulgaria’s Trio Bulgarka, Taj Mahal with kora great Toumani Diabaté, Ravi Shankar with George Harrison, Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Django Reinhardt, Carmen Miranda, Dizzy Gillespie and more. [6 p.m., Roxie Theater, 3117 16th St., San Francisco]
(Courtesy Philomel Books)
Sept. 11
Sonia Sotomayor: The U.S. Supreme Court Justice celebrates the release of “Just Shine!: How to Be a Better You,” her new children’s book with illustrations by Jacqueline Alcántara and geared to ages 4-8, at a ticketed ($5 for one child and one adult) event in which audience members are invited to pre-submit a question for the jurist. [6 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian, 2515 Fillmore St., San Francisco]
Sept. 11
(Courtesy Koehler Books)
(Courtesy Bridge House)
(Courtesy Vanguard Press)
Local Authors & Local Stories: Fiction writers John Doll (the novel “St. James Park”); Marisa Gray Atha (the novel “Written on the Wall”); and Ben C. Davies (the short story collection “And So I Took Their Eye”) share their work in a talk moderated by Matthew Clark Davison, author of “Doubting Thomas” and founder of The Lab, a generative writing workshop. [7 p.m., Bookshop West Portal, 80 W. Portal Ave., San Francisco]
Sept. 12
(Courtesy Rare Bird Books)
Greg Anton: The Sonoma County drummer, co-founder of the rock band Zero and practicing attorney launches his rock ‘n’ roll novel “It’s About Time,” about a talented but troubled singer-songwriter facing myriad personal and career challenges in conversation with Sonoma County attorney Chris Andrian. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s, 775 Main St., Santa Rosa]
Sept. 12
(Courtesy Random House)
Sister Helen Prejean: The acclaimed memoirist of 1993’s “Dead Man Walking” reflects on its adaptations into film and opera in a free program beginning with a screening of the Oscar-winning 1995 movie starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn, followed by a discussion with Jake Heggie, composer of the opera based on her activism challenging the death penalty. A graphic novel version of “Dead Man Walking” is stated for October release. [2 p.m., Koret Auditorium. SF Main Library, 100 Larkin St., San Francisco]
(Courtesy Koehler Books)
Sept. 13
Michael J. Cooper: The East Bay resident, a retired pediatric cardiologist and historical fiction writer appears in a conversation with psychologist Sylvia Boorstein about a new revision of his novel “The Rabbi’s Knight,” set during the Crusades in 1290 and telling the story of two men who journey at great risk to Jerusalem to fulfill their destiny as guardians of the Temple Mount. [11 a.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
Sept. 13
(Courtesy Match Point Press)
Ashwin Gulati: The Marin resident, a longtime entrepreneur, executive and start-up consultant, shares “Soul Venture: A True Life and Death Journey Into the Startup”; in his 2025 hybrid memoir/guidebook he examines “unspoken truths” behind most startup failures, and rare successes. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
(Courtesy Grove Press)
Sept. 15
Michael Thomas: The author of the acclaimed novel “Man Gone Down” shares his first nonfiction work, “The Broken King”; the memoir focuses his father—a philosopher, baseball fan and absent parent; his estranged older brother; his two sons; and himself. [7 p.m., City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco]
(Courtesy Beacon Press)
Sept. 16
Del Seymour, Alison Owings: The subject and author of “Mayor of the Tenderloin: Del Seymour’s Journey from Living on the Streets to Fighting Homelessness in San Francisco” appear in conversation with veteran reporter Kevin Fagan to promote the paperback release of the book, a portrait of the former addict who founded a San Francisco organization to assist the homeless recovering addicts and other ex-felons. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Sept. 16
(Courtesy W.W. Norton)
Mary Roach: The funny East Bay author and best-selling science writer of “Stiff” and “Fuzz” discusses her new book, “Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy,” which covers regenerative medicine, a new field encompassing everything from cataract surgery to hip replacements to gene-edited pig organs. She appears in conversation with science podcaster Marissa Ortega-Welch at a ticketed ($34) live and online event that includes a copy of the book. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
(Courtesy North Atlantic Books)
Sept. 17
Dr. Vanessa Grubbs: The Oakland physician, activist and author of “Hundreds of Interlaced Fingers: A Kidney Doctor’s Search for the Perfect Match,” discusses her latest book, “Negligent by Design: Anti-Blackness in American Medicine and How to Address It.” [6:30 p.m., Rockridge Library, 5366 College Ave., Oakland]
Sept. 17
(Courtesy Torrey House Press)
James Workman and Amanda Leland: Workman, a San Francisco writer, speaker and water consultant, and Leland, executive director of Environmental Defense Fund, share details from “Sea Change: Unlikely Allies and a Success Story of Oceanic Proportions,” which describes victories that are quietly revolutionizing the fishing industry with a focus on the journey of Texas Gulf Coast commercial fisherman Keith “Buddy” Guindon. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francis
Sept. 17
(Courtesy Fiction Collective 2)
Alvin Lu: Appearing in conversation with Stacy Levine, the San Francisco novelist reads from “Daydreamers,” described as a “21st century ‘Rashomon’” detailing the adventures of a Taiwanese novelist whose attempt to solve a love-triangle murder takes her to the émigré Chinese literary world in California. [7 p.m., City Lights Bookstore, 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco]
Sept. 19
(Courtesy Scribner)
Arundhati Roy: The award-winning Indian author of “The God of Small Things” on tour promoting new memoir “Mother Mary Comes to Me” appears in conversation with NPR’s Deepa Fernandes in a ticketed ($51-$79 includes book) event presented by City Arts & Lectures. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 333 Hayes St., San Francisco]
Sept. 21
(Courtesy Fairlight Books)
Jennifer Love: The Oakland resident speaks about her debut novel “Please Fear Me,” about a teenage runaway who joins a traveling circus, with poet-artist-zine maker Lauren Parker and fiction writer June Martin, a finalist for a 2025 Lambda Award in Transgender Fiction. [2 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
(Courtesy Hogarth)
Sept. 21
Kiran Desai: The best-selling author of the National Book Award-winning “The Inheritance of Loss” appears to discuss her new novel “The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny” with novelist Ellen Sussman at a ticketed ($45 includes book; $22 admission only) event. [5 p.m., Kepler’s Books. 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park
Sept. 23
(Courtesy Regal House Books)
James Janko: The award-winning writer appears in conversation with Maxine Hong Kingston to launch “The Wire-Walker,” his 2019-20-set novel about the friendship between a young Palestinian tightrope walker and Israel juggler. [7 p.m., City Lights Books, 261 Columbus Ave., San Francisco]
(Courtesy Four Way Books)
Sept. 23
Peter Mountford: The Seattle writer (of novels, essays and stories) and writing coach is promoting his short story collection “Detonator” joined by Bay Area writers Vanessa Hua (“Deceit and Other Possibilities”) and Jon Hickey (“Big Chief”). [7 p.m., Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco]
Sept. 27
(Courtesy Grand Central Publishing)
Ed Begley Jr: The actor, serving on the jury of the 2025 Healdsburg International Short Film Festival, signs copies of his new memoir, “To the Temple of Tranquility…And Step On It!: A Memoir” in which he tells stories of his improbable life, including his relationship with his legendary father, encounters with Hollywood icons, environmental activism, addiction and recovery. [ 7 p.m., Raven Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg]
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(Courtesy Minotaur Books
Sept. 28
Michelle Chouinard: The Bay Area writer launches “A Tour to Die For: A Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco Mystery,” the second in her series featuring Capri Sanzio, a tour guide specializing in serial killers who again finds herself at the center of a murder investigation; Chouinard appears in conversation with Gigi Pandian, multiple-award-winning author of the Secret Staircase mysteries. [2 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
Sept. 27
(Courtesy Heyday)
Liam O’Brien: The San Francisco author-illustrator speaks about “Butterflies of the Bay Area and (Slightly) Beyond,” his decades-in-the-making guidebook, with Durrell Kapan of the California Academy of Sciences in an event co-hosted by the Helen Crocker Russell Library and Green Apple Books on the Park. [2 p.m., SF Botanical Garden, 1199 Ninth Ave., San Francisco
(Courtesy Koehler Books)
Sept. 28
Robert Kehlmann: Appearing in conversation with Carole Joffe, the author shares his debut historical novel “The Rabbi’s Suitcase,” a multi-generational story based on the experiences of his Orthodox Jewish ancestors who emigrated from Eastern Europe to Jerusalem and then to New York. [3 p.m., Jewish Community Library, 1835 Ellis St., San Francisco]
Sept. 30
(Courtesy Simon Schuster/Summit Books)
Amanda Uhle: The journalist and executive director/publisher of McSweeney’s speaks about her memoir “Destroy This House,” in which she details her family life growing up– which switched between being filthy rich and dirt poor, devious and virtuous, fake and real–with Dave Eggers in a ticketed ($45 includes book; $22 admission only) event. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]