November 2024 author events: Celia Imrie, W. Bruce Cameron, L. John Harris, Nikole Hannah-Jones and more

East Bay author, illustrator and publisher John L. Harris’ new memoir “Portrait in Red” details his adventures in Paris trying to discover the origin of a haunting painting of a girl with a red head covering and foreboding gaze that he found in the street. He speaks about it at Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley on Nov. 7. (Author photo courtesy Dillon Vado/Cover courtesy Heyday)

Debut novels, historical fiction, mysteries and memoirs are some of the new titles featured in book talks around the region this month. (To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.) 

Nov. 1 

Casey Zabala: The editor of “A Confluence of Witches: A Modern Witches Anthology,” and writers and witches Amanda Yates Garcia, Jessie Susannah Karnatz (aka Money Witch) and Sanyu Estelle speak about the intersections of magic, spirituality, personal development and social justice. [7 p.m., Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco] 

Nov. 2 

Local Author Showcase: East Bay writers Rev Valdez (author of “Bunso” picture book series exploring monsters of his Filipino heritage); Hayley Dennings (author of “This Ravenous Fate,” a fantasy set in Jazz Age Harlem); Margaret Lucke (mystery and paranormal suspense novelist);  Phelicia Lang (author of Tay and Friends series for young readers); and Ana Galván (author of “Meet Me at Chicote” and “One Spanish Night”) share details about their work. [1 p.m., Hercules Library, 109 Civic Drive, Hercules] 

Nov. 2 

Southeast Asian Solidarity: The Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network and San Francisco Public Library cohost a poetry and fiction reading featuring Filipina poets and writers Barbara Jane Reyes, Beverly Parayno and Karen Llagas and Lao-American writer Krysada Phounsiri; RSVP requested. [7 p.m., Booksmith, 1727 Haight St., San Francisco] 

Nov. 3 

 

(Courtesy Bloomsbury Publishing) 

Celia Imrie: The award-winning British actress and writer is promoting her historical novel “Meet Me at Rainbow Corner,” a World War II-set story about a social club in London for U.S troops, appearing in conversation with her collaborator Fidelis Morgan, a historical researcher. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera] 

 

(Courtesy Forge Books)  

Nov. 3 

W. Bruce Cameron: The best-selling author of “A Dog’s Purpose” speaks about his newest canine-themed heartfelt offering, “My Three Dogs.” [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera] 

Nov. 7 

 

(Courtesy Heyday) 

L. John Harris: The Berkeley publisher, foodie, author and artist shares his new memoir “Portrait In Red: A Paris Obsession,” described as “an existential detective story set among world tragedies, art-historical epiphanies and comic high jinks” in conversation with freelance editor, book critic and longtime independent bookseller Marion Abbott; RSVP requested. [7 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley] 

Nov. 7 

 

(Courtesy Amazon)  

Suzanne Maggio: The Sonoma State professor shares “Estrellas: Moments of Illumination Along El Camino de Santiago,” her memoir about her 500-mile solo trek along El Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain at 60 years old. [6 p.m., Napa Library, 580 Coombs St., Napa]  

 

(Courtesy Amazon)  

Nov. 8  

Evie Blum: The Bay Area romance novelist launches her new title “Light It Up,” a spicy friends-to-lovers tale with Jewish main characters, Gabby and Ben. [7 p.m., Books Inc., The Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., #600. Campbell] 

Nov. 8 

 

(Courtesy Soho Crime)  

Jacqueline Winspear: The best-selling, award-winning novelist speaks about and signs copies of “The Comfort of Ghosts,” the final installment of her series featuring psychologist-investigator Maisie Dobbs. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma]    

 

(Courtesy Simon & Schuster)

Nov. 9 

Elba Iris Pérez:  The inaugural winner of Simon & Schuster’s Books Like Us contest discusses her cross-cultural coming-of-age debut novel “The Things We Didn’t Know,” which explores a young girl’s childhood between 1950s Puerto Rico and a small Massachusetts factory town. [11 a.m., Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Ave., Pleasant Hill] 

 

(Courtesy Random House)  

Nov. 9 

Tu David Phu and Soleil Ho: The authors of “The Memory of Taste: Vietnamese American Recipes from Phú Quoc, Oakland, and the Spaces Between” do a 30-minute Foodwise demonstration, followed by a book signing. [11 a.m., Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, The Embarcadero at Market Street, San Francisco] 

Nov. 9 

Tu David Phu: The Oakland Public Library co-hosts the acclaimed chef in a celebration of “The Memory of Taste,” with a panel discussion about diasporic communities and their food, featuring co-author Soleil Ho and other distinguished speakers. [2 p.m., Oakland Asian Cultural Center, 388 Ninth St., #290, Oakland] 

 

(Courtesy Prometheus Books)

Nov. 9 

Phil Witte, Rex Hesner: Copperfield’s Books presents cartoonist Witte and cartoon critic Hesner in a multimedia presentation based on “Funny Stuff: How Great Cartoonists Make Great Cartoons,” which examines the single-panel gag cartoon, the creative process, illustration styles, types of humor, with dozens of cartoons and interviews. [1 p.m., Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa] 

Nov. 12 

 

(Courtesy Astrophil Press)

Dino Enrique Piacentini: The former Bay Area resident and arts administrator speaks about his debut novel “Invasion of the Daffodils,” a multi-generational tale of Mexican-American family living in a shanty on an island off the coast of Southern California, with “Lucky Boy” author Shanthi Sekaran. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley] 

Nov. 13 

 

(Courtesy New World Library)

Rachel Kaplan: The psychotherapist and hit podcaster speaks about “Feel, Heal, and Let That Sh*t Go: Your Guide to Emotional Resilience and Lasting Self-Love,” described as a “radical reimagining of the self-help genre.” [6:30 p.m., Oakland Library, Rockridge Branch, 5366 College Ave., Oakland] 

 

(Courtesy She Writes Press) 

Nov. 14 

Carole Bumpus: The local food and travel writer shares “Adventures on Land and Sea: Searching for Culinary Pleasures in Provence and Along the Cote d’Azur,” the fourth book in her best-selling series. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real, #74, Palo Alto] 

 

(Courtesy Beacon Press)

Nov. 15 

Dana Frank: The professor emerita of history at University of California, Santa Cruz speaks about “What Can We Learn from the Great Depression?: Stories of Ordinary People & Collective Action in Hard Times,” a collection of stories of resilience, mutual aid and rebellion that shed new light on understanding the Great Depression. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View] 

 

(Courtesy Syracuse University Press) 

Nov. 14 

Michael Doyle: The reporter discusses “Radical Chapters: Pacifist Bookseller Roy Kepler and the Paperback Revolution” in which he shares details on bookstore proprietor Roy Kepler, who in the 1950s popularized the idea of selling affordable books in an intellectually stimulating coffeehouse atmosphere and made remarkable contributions to pacifism and social change. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park] 

 

(Courtesy Crooked Lane Books)

 Nov. 16 

D.M. Rowell: The former Silicon Valley entrepreneur and author of Mud Sawpole mysteries featuring a Silicon Valley professional Kiowa woman solving murders in Kiowa country discusses the second in the series, “Silent Are the Dead.” [2 p.m., Belmont Library, 1110 Alameda de las Pulgas, Belmont] 

Nov. 16  

 

(Courtesy Earth Aware Editions) 

Terry Garcia and Chris Rainier: Garica, former National Geographic executive and chief science officer, and Rainier, a National Geographic nature and cultural photographer, speak about “The Future of Exploration: Discovering the Uncharted Frontiers of Science, Technology, and Human Potential,” a collection of encounters with renowned explorers, scientists, astronauts, visionaries, thinkers and authors. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera] 

 

(Courtesy Princeton University Press)  

Nov. 18 

Sayash Kapoor: Appearing in conversation with Mozilla president Mark Surman, the former software engineer at Facebook and computer science scholar discusses current concerns covered in “AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference,” which he wrote with Arvind Narayanan. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco] 

Nov. 19  

 

(Courtesy Little, Brown & Company)  

Youngmi Mayer: The Korean American stand-up comedian, activist, podcast host and social media influencer discusses her new memoir “I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying”; RSVP required. [5 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco] 

Youngmi Mayer: Appearing in conversation with comedian Natasha Vinik, the Korean American comedian, activist and “Hairy Butthole” podcast host speaks about her memoir “I’m Laughing Because I’m Crying” in a ticketed ($26-$35) event. [8 p.m., Swedish American Hall, 2174 Market St., San Francisco] 

 

(Courtesy Fiction Collective)  

Nov. 20 

Vanessa Saunders: The Bay Area-bred writer, an English professor at Loyola Marymount in Louisiana, speaks about her experimental feminist novel “The Flat Woman,” which is set in a world where women are blamed for the climate crisis. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 1491 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley] 

 

(Courtesy Greenleaf Book Group) 

 Nov. 21 

Barak Engel: The Bay Area cybersecurity and Dungeons and Dragons expert launches his new fantasy “The Crack in the Crystal,” about five strangers who are recruited by a mysterious organization to uncover a centuries-old secret in a volcanic city called Kyber. [7 p.m., A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave., Oakland] 

 

(Courtesy St. Martin’s Griffin) 

Nov. 21 

Tarah Dewitt: The fun romance writer discusses her Santa Cruz-set novel “The Co-op,” a “steamy second chance romance about restoration and renovation.” [7 p.m., Books Inc., 317 Castro St., Mountain View] 

 

(Courtesy Lanternfish Press) 

Nov. 21 

M.M. Olivas: The trans, first-generation Chicana horror writer, recipient of the 2022 George R. R. Martin Sense of Wonder Scholarship, launches “Sundown in San Ojuela,” a Gothic spaghetti western that follows Aztec Vampires in California’s Inland Empire. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda] 

 

(Courtesy Clarkson Potter) 

Nov. 22  

Nikole Hannah-Jones: The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, an investigative reporter covering civil rights and racial injustice and creator of the landmark 1619 Project, speaks with Key Jo Lee, chief of curatorial affairs at the Museum of the African Diaspora, in a ticketed ($54) City Arts & Lectures event. [7:30 p.m., Sydney Goldstein Theater, 275 Hayes St., San Francisco] 

 

(Courtesy Amazon) 

Nov. 23 

Ben Tucker: The author shares “A Good Run,” his coming-of-age memoir detailing his experiences as an African American middle-distance runner during the civil rights era and member of San Jose State NCAA cross country championship teams in 1962 and 1963. [2 p.m., Books Inc., 1344 Park St., Alameda] 

The post November 2024 author events: Celia Imrie, W. Bruce Cameron, L. John Harris, Suzanne Maggio, Evie Blum, Elba Iris Pérez, Dino Enrique Piacentini, Michael Doyle, Nikole Hannah-Jones  appeared first on Local News Matters.

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