October 2021... News, Events and What We are Reading

October the New December?

We heard this refrain last year. Retailers across the country are again urging consumers to do their holiday shopping in October.

This holiday season, most of us are vaccinated and even have booster shots, but we’re facing a different problem – supply chain challenges that are affecting the global economy and inhibiting the flow of products to markets. We’ve all heard of factory shutdowns and overwhelmed ports unable to handle the volume of container shipping. Some retail outlets are have nothing but empty shelves; many are closing.

This supply chain issue is also affecting our ability to supply the books you’ll want to read and give as gifts.

• Already shipments that used to arrive in a day or two are taking a week or more.

• Publishers have told us that their capacity to print and distribute books this holiday season will be severely impacted.

• Some major titles, originally promised for the holidays, have already been postponed to 2022.

• Many new titles, including bestsellers, have had smaller print runs than we would normally expect.

• Publishers have warned us that titles that run out before the holidays may not be reprinted for several months.

All this being said, do not despair! In anticipation of these shortages and delays, we have stocked up on our featured and recommended titles. We can’t predict what our inventory will be later in the season. SO DO SHOP EARLY. We want to make sure we can take care of everyone on your list.

Rest assured, should we run out of the book you want, our expert booksellers

can recommend just the right replacement across all genres and for all kinds of readers. After all, informed, and personalized service, is what your local independent bookseller does best and what differentiates us.

Cheryl

Past Events Photo Gallery

October 24th, 3-5pm

Its Been A Long Haul!

Join us for Live music,

Libations & Local Authors…

Love All Around!

When we opened in October 2019, there were raging wildfires and long-term power outages. Five months later a global pandemic slammed our doors shut. We all know what hell broke loose on every front and how sideways and challenging our lives became with COVID. And, no, we’re not out of the woods yet. Everyone asks “how are you doing” and it’s hard to say because we haven’t had one “normal” year in business since we opened our doors! But we’re still here; we thank you for that, and we think it’s something to celebrate. We hope you will join us this Sunday….rain or shine, life goes on. With masks (!) 

Upcoming Events

Unless otherwise noted, all events are live, in person at 100 Bay Street, Sausalito.

October 28th, 4pm

Books & Bottles Tuesday Tasting Series

Lisa Miranda & Jan Wahl– A Spook-tacular Event

Join Marin's Empress of Entertainment, Jan Wahl, and the Wine Country Witch and author Lisa Miranda, in a Spook-tacular event. We'll celebrate witches in the movies, the Wiccan community, and books that highlight this magical season. 

Lisa will be signing copies of her first book, Witch Cop, the tale of Santa Rosa detective Alexandra Channing, who incorporates magic into her daily life, casting spells to help her solve crimes and protect her family.

Jan Wahl is a noted Bay Area media personality who can be heard weekly on KGO radio who also writes for the San Francisco Bay Times. She has won 2 Emmy awards for documentaries and is a longtime member of the Directors Guild of America.

Feel free to come as your favorite witch or Halloween character!

November 9th, 5:30pm

Book Club Discussion

The Ripple Effect

with author Cathy Rath joining us!

November 11th, 5:30pm

Book Launch Celebration With Local Author

Sophie Shulman

Dave Pell

Please Scream Inside Your Heart

Book launch celebration co-hosted with Driver’s Market!

SAVE THE DATE. More details to follow!

November 16th, 6pm

Books and Bottles Tuesday Tasting

Spectrum of Style!

Are you… Vivacious… Voluptuous… Elegant… Sensuous… or Powerful?

Let’s see if your wine style matches your personal style! Join us as we explore Boisset Collection’s Spectrum of Style and discover why we like the wines we do, which foods pair best — particularly for Thanksgiving — and how to use our unique wine navigation system.

$25 for tasting flight of 5 wines Register & pay in advance at the store or email: angela@sausalitobooksbythebay.com

WINES brought to you by JCB Fine Wine Curator and Concierge Anne Minkin pouring exclusive wines from the Boisset Collection and the family's historic wineries in CA and France.

WORDS (related recommended reading) brought to you by our staff!

Space is limited therefore you must register and pay in advance. Must be vaccinated to attend

Wines of The Month

There is more than one way “to toast” the Thanksgiving Turkey next month. In fact, there are many wines that work. Pinot Noirs are perhaps the most popular pairing with the big bird, but I think a rich Chardonnay holds up well to gravy and mashed potatoes. That being said, traditional turkey dinners can be so rich, a lighter white wine, like a Sauvignon Blanc, is also a great pairing. And then, of course, a hearty red blend can also be divine as you savor all the rich side dishes on the groaning board. We have a great selection from which to choose.

Book Club By The Bay

Save the Date & Buy the Book!

Tuesday, November 9th, 5:30pm

The Ripple Effect 

By Cathy Rath

The Book: This is a debut novel set in the turbulent 60’s & 70’s – a suspenseful drama involving a family mystery, featuring a determined young woman who is lost and then found. 

The Author: A native of New York, Cathy is a professor at SFSU Public Health Department. She has long been an activist, especially as an advocate addressing violence against women. An active participant in protest movements of the 70’s, she drew upon this experience to craft her novel. She is also a writing coach and tutor. 

“The pleasure of reading Ripple Effect is like the turning of a kaleidoscope: each chapter brings a burst of new revelations, each jump back and forth in time deepens the moral complexity of a story that is part political thriller and part family drama. At its heart is a dauntless and empathetic heroine, Jeannie Glazer, whose coming of age as an activist and truth-teller is both inspiring and emotionally affecting.”

—Christopher Castellani, author of Leading Men

 Paperback -- $17.95

Book club participants receive a 10% discount if you buy the book from us.

If you are interested in joining our book club, please email me cheryl@sausalitobooksbythebay.com or sign up at the bookshop on your next visit!

 Our book club is almost always (!) the SECOND TUESDAY of every month. 

COVID Protocols: Please wear a mask. If you are not vaccinated, please find another book club; preferably one online

What We're Reading

The Every
Dave Eggers

From one of my favorite local authors comes the sequel/companion piece to The Circle. The world’s largest search engine/social media company -- the Circle -- merges with the world’s most dominant ecommerce site creating the richest, most dangerous—and, oddly enough, most beloved—monopoly ever known: The Every. A hard-core tech skeptic and her compatriot try to bring the company down from inside hoping to free humanity from all-encompassing surveillance and the emoji-driven infantilization of the species. But does humanity truly want to be free? All the great characters, absurdity, satire and suspense you’d expect from the inimitable Dave Eggers. Cheryl P.

The Lincoln Highway
Amor Towles

From the bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow and Rules of Civility (two of my all-time favorite novels!) Towles offers us yet another compelling story. This one is set in 1950s America where we meet Emmett Watson who has just returned to his home in Nebraska after serving time for involuntary manslaughter at a juvenile work farm. As it turns out, he does return alone, and a fateful journey begins. The book spans just 10 days. Ten days you won’t forget. Cheryl P.

Crossroads
Jonathan Franzen

Franzen is a brilliant storyteller and manages here to not only study the American psyche and experience in-depth but weave it all into an extremely readable and captivating novel. No stone is left unturned in this story as Franzen touches on almost everything -- religion, faith, politics, sexuality, mental health, gender stereotypes, and most importantly, morality. Right vs. wrong; does it comes from within or is it predicated on what society accepts and expects. This is the first novel in a trilogy and I can’t wait to see what Franzen has in store for us. Evan A.

Harlem Shuffle
Colson Whitehead

After his last two novels, both winning Pulitzer prizes, Whitehead needed some levity in his life, and wrote this fabulous book. Part crime story, part family saga, but all of Whitehead’s beautiful prose, this is ultimately a love letter to Harlem of the 1960s. And if you already miss Carney before you even finish the book, do not fear. Whitehead is already at work on the sequel, set in 1970s Harlem. Angela K.

Bewilderment
Richard Powers

A heartrending new novel from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Overstory. An astrobiologist and widower is on his own raising his nine-year-old son, Robin. Robin is a warm and kind but unusual boy who is also emotionally troubled. A possible solution is an experimental neurofeedback treatment program that involves recorded patterns of his mother’s brain. The natural world, visions of life beyond and a fierce love between father and son frame this intimate and powerful tale which begs the question, how can we tell our children the truth about our beautiful, imperiled planet? Cheryl P.

Misery
Stephen King

The story of a kidnapped author forced to write to appease the unstable superfan holding him captive. This classic psychological thriller is still one of my all-time favorites of the genre. Misery puts Stephen King's talent for suspense on full display. The novel also has an interesting focus on the idea of finding hope and conviction through literature. If you have yet to experience this story for yourself, this Halloween is the perfect time to take it on. Matthew K.

Craft in the Real World
Matthew Salessess

An excellent tool for both students and teachers of creative writing. Salesses reevaluates the American writing workshop and illustrates how the traditional model is structured to promote values of the cultural hegemony rather than individual creativity. The book presents keen solutions to the issues discussed, with a focus on intention, context, and the restoration of agency to the individual. Matthew K.

Eggs Marks The Spot
Amy Timberlake

In this second young reader book, Badger is looking for the stolen Spider Eye Agate he found years ago, while Skunk’s treasure is always the New York Times Book Review. Skunk decides that he will help Badger solve the mystery of the missing agate. Together they set out to Endless Lake, where they find some unusual visitors to the campsite. What is going on? (Some signed first editions available.) Angela K.

Change Sings
Amanda Gorman

Amanda Gorman set the world on fire with her inaugural poem for President Biden. In this highly anticipated and lushly illustrated picture book, Ms. Gorman brings all of her talent to bring a beautiful poem for children, calling for each to use their abilities to bring about change in today’s world. Would make a lovely holiday gift for the younger set in your life. Angela K.

Reader Reviews

This is a new feature we are including in our monthly newsletter. If you would like to submit a review for consideration, please email at  cheryl@sausalitobooksbythebay.com. Our inaugural review is by Sausalito resident Peter Van Meter.

Prisoner: My 544 Days in an Iranian Prison

By Jason Rezaian (HarperCollins/2019)

This is a very interesting story on many levels, starting with the local angle as a Marin County resident. Jason grew up in Marin. He is the son of long-time Persian rug merchant Taghi Rezaian, former owner of the iconic store at Tam Junction.

The Rezaians had family and connections in Iran, and as a dual citizen, Jason relocated there. His messages home evolved into a relationship with the Washington Post, and ultimately him being the only US resident correspondent in Iran. Ironically, his dispatches about the good life in Iran, its people, food and culture became the basis for his arrest and allegations as an espionage agent.

We learn the details of prison life, unending interrogation (without overt torture), and the unavoidable long-term relationships built between adversaries – the prisoner and his guards. Throughout this ordeal Jason remains steadfast in his position that reporting public information is not a crime, and refuses to confess to false accusations.

His family and friends in America, including management of the Post, maintained an incessant campaign for his release, ultimately engaging our highest government officials including President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. This brings in another dimension of the story, as the deal to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief was being finalized at the same time.

Jason met and married Yeganeh (Yegi) in Iran, and they were arrested together and imprisoned. She was later released, and worked tirelessly for his freedom between her infrequent visits with Jason.

Finally, after more than a year in captivity, Jason’s trial began. This is a fascinating story of a completely farcical process with an obviously predetermined outcome. It extends over several sessions for weeks, and ultimately no verdict is published.

When the release of Jason and two others has finally been negotiated, it reads like a suspense thriller with uncertainty up to the very end. The jubilation upon coming home and some surprises make for a wonderful conclusion.

I found it to be a great story of personal fortitude as well as being very informative on the positive aspects of Iranian culture offset by an oppressive regime since the 1970s revolution. All of this occurring in the context of high stakes international diplomacy adds more intrigue.

Peter Van Meter

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