Come Zoom With Us

Independent Bookstore Day was originally scheduled for this past weekend. We usually celebrate it with local authors and an afternoon open house of wine and great camaraderie. Needless to say, this national event didn’t happen as planned and has been postponed until August. None the less, we wanted to recognize our local writers and asked them to share what they are reading now, and/or what they recommend as good reads in these troubled times.

Grab a glass of wine or a cup of tea and join us for the following VIRTUAL EVENTS:

Wednesday, May 13th – 4pm
A Zoom Book Tour with Cheryl Popp hosted by Sausalito Village

Thursday, May 14th – 5pm
Sausalito author Gail Andersen Stark will discuss her new book –Creating a Life of Integrity – in conversation with Cheryl Popp

Wednesday, May 20th – 2pm
Let’s Talk to Children’s Book Writers in partnership with Sausalito Library

Saturday, May 30th – 5pm
Book Launch Celebration for Sausalito author Barbara Sapienza’s latest novel The Laundress 

I have been asked to serve on the county-wide Marin Recovers Retail Industry Working Group; our goal is to get retail operations up and running again in some capacity by May 18th. There will be restrictions, there will be guidelines, it will not be “business as usual”, but it will be a step towards retail recovery. It isn’t likely we will be able to do much more than we already are doing, but stay tuned. The County Health Officer will ultimately determine what are safe retail conditions so that we can continue to prevent infection from COVID-19. Cheryl P.

Maybe I should have posted this Mother’s Day?

Shot at 7:30 at night. Downtown Sausalito. A hoof step away from our bookshop. No photoshop editing. No one else in sight.

I love that the creatures are reclaiming their land and coming to visit (do you think they came by boat?) but we miss our other friends and neighbors as well. Clearly, retail business has disappeared on main street Sausalito.

Photo Credit: My dear friend Dr. Matthew Naythons

What We're Reading

Afterlife
by Julia Alvarez

Julia Alvarez’s small gem is a masterful story about family and love. College professor Antonia is mourning the sudden loss of her beloved husband. Her life is grey and meaningless. In walks a young immigrant worker from the farm next door, asking for help to get his girlfriend to Vermont. The young woman turns up pregnant with another’s child. Then another jolt: her vivacious sister has gone missing and Antonia and her two sisters rally to locate her. This novel asks: what do we owe to those in crisis and how do we move forward after loss? Angela K.

he Laundress
by Barbara Sapienza

This novel is a poetic and poignant coming-of-age story for anyone who has ever sought to understand where they came from in order to figure out who theyʼre meant to become. You’ll meet young Lavinia who runs a personal laundry service for an eclectic, high-end clientele in San Francisco. She has been torn from her childhood home in Italy to grow up with an uncle in North Beach and is desperately seeking information about her past and pondering her future. Barbara Sapienza is a talented artist and retired clinical psychologist who enrolled in the SFSU graduate program of Creative Writing at age 66 and started writing. Her wildly popular first novel - Anchor Out – was set in Sausalito – where she also lives, works and dances. Be sure to tune in for our virtual book launch party with Barbara May 30 @ 5PM.  Cheryl P.

in Five Years
by Rebecca Serle

This lovely novel is a love story, but not the kind you anticipate. Dannie Kohan lives her life by the numbers, she has a five-year plan for her career and fiance. She goes to sleep knowing that she is on the right track. She awakes five years in the future in a different apartment with a different ring on finger. She spends an hour in this future before waking back in her current time. She cannot shake this misplaced hour. She throws herself into her work and making wedding plans. But as she moves forward, an event changes her life. A love story that will stay with you for a long time. Angela K.

The Woman in the Dunes 
by Kobo Abe 

Published in 1962, filmed in 1964, Abe's The Woman in the Dunes refuses to stop being one of the greatest literary and cinematic experiences of my life, forty years on. Enigmatic at first, then horrifying, then charmingly tender, Woman is without a doubt the great existential novel of the twentieth century. Jeff B.

Simon the Fiddler
by Paulette Jiles

The bestselling author of News of the World now brings us a bittersweet tale of a ragtag band of musicians and their leader Simon, and the Irish lass who steals his heart. The novel starts at the end of the American Civil War in 1865 and is set in Texas. As much as I love the WWII novel genre, it was wonderfully refreshing to read about a different era and a different place. Jile’s writing is so mesmerizing and evocative that it reels you in; you can feel the beat of the fiddle singing off the strings and the rain pelting in the torpid heat. Cheryl P.

Thinking Inside the Box: Adventures with Crosswords and the Puzzling People Who Can't Live Without Them 
by Adrienne Raphe

My good friend Dick and his partner Nancy work on and complete the NYT crossword puzzle every day. When I found this book, I knew I had to get it for him. I took a peek inside and spent the rest of the afternoon reading this wonderful book. It gives the history of crossword puzzles, the process of developing a puzzle, the rigorous vetting a puzzle goes through to make it into the NYT and the fascinating stories at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Oh yeah, and quite a lot of info on Will Shortz. Even if you are a novice like me, this is a book that will make you want to do more crosswords. Angela K.

Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Other Poems 
|by William Shakespeare

During his lifetime Shakespeare was known primarily as one of the country's most accomplished poets, along with Edmund Spenser and Sir Philip Sidney, and not as a dramatist. Venus and Adonis and Lucrece are sophisticated, erotic, and daring (as they allude not-so-discreetly to Elizabeth I). The Sonnets, however, are his crowning glory. For some reason they were suppressed immediately after publication, and only in 1780 did they reach a wide audience. In my opinion, poetry begins and ends with The Sonnets. Jeff B.

Creating a Life of Integrity: in Conversation with Joseph Goldstein

by Gail Andersen Stark

I am not easily swayed by books encouraging self- improvement especially those based on Buddhist teachings.  I often get lost before I am found. But I must admit, this one was hugely compelling.  It’s written in a smart, witty, user friendly fashion that I think would resonate with anyone. It’s a 10-part “exercise” program to hone your integrity. And what better time to engage in a little mindfulness? Not that I’ve mastered the art, but I felt inspired after every chapter. Gail is a local Sausalito author – a successful businesswoman who has turned her hand to writing. Her coach is the renowned master of mindfulness Joseph Goldstein. I’ll be in conversation with Gail on Thursday this week, May 14th@ 5PM. Join us! Cheryl P. 

Container Vegetable Gardening
by Liz Dobbs

It’s all about growing crops in pots in every space! I have to admit, like many, I’ve harbored thoughts of pandemic food shortages, victory gardens and a more sustainable food supply that doesn’t involve standing in line outside a grocery market. Also, like many, I don’t have a huge backyard to cultivate. We have several great books on “growing your own”, especially in containers, but this is one of my favorites. The good news? You needn’t have a green thumb. And lots of veggies will grow in our cooler, not-so-sunny climate. The bad news?  Good luck finding any lettuce or other greens to plant! Like toilet paper however, it will likely make a come-back. Cheryl P.

The Best Little Bookshop On The Bay!

SPECIAL ORDERS? We gottcha covered.
If we don’t have the book you want, we can usually get it in 2 days….and it can be delivered to your front door. 

Don't Forget our FREE Parking
In front of the store in the Sausalito Yacht Harbor lot 

We Need You Now More Than Ever

By becoming a member of our Community Supported Bookstore Loyalty Program NOW you will provide us with valuable working capital to weather this crisis. The money you put into an account will help keep us afloat, and IT’S YOURS TO DRAW upon any time you purchase books. As a CSB member you will get a 10% discount on all book purchases. The minimum to join the program and set up an account is $150. If you can afford more, please do. Let’s not lose our local independent bookstore. 

For more information CSB program

Call us to set up an account at 415.887.9967.CSB program

A post-mother’s day tribute to my long gone mom who read to me – Elizabeth Wood Popp

2nd Year #6