Historical novels, memoirs, science fiction and fantasy by acclaimed and emerging California and visiting writers are on the agenda this month, as well as a few book festivals featuring dozens of authors. To submit an event to the calendar, email books@baycitynews.com.
May 1
Eric Goodman: The Santa Rosa writer speaks about his first historical novel, “Mother of Bourbon: The Greatest American Whiskey Story Never Told” (cowritten by Kaveh Zamanian), which details the life of Mary Dowling, who not only owned and ran a Kentucky distillery, but stayed in the liquor business in the 1920s, defying prohibition. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 775 Village Court, Santa Rosa]
May 2
Christine Walker: The Sonoma County visual artist, author of “A Painter’s Garden: Cultivating the Creative Life,” speaks about her debut historical novel “Tap Dancing at the Bluebird,” a decades-spanning coming-of-age adventure set in the Depression and a later-life tale celebrating dance. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s Books, 138 N. Main St., Sebastopol]
May 2-4
Sonoma Valley Authors Festival: The eighth annual festival, an exclusive three-day event, includes appearances by best-selling and esteemed authors Isabel Allende, Patrick T. Brown, Susan Casey, Eve J. Chung, Michael Connelly, Diane Carlson Evans, Percival Everett, Elizabeth Camarillo Gutierrez, Patrick Radden Keefe, Douglas Keene, Sal Khan, Daniel Levitin, Ada Limón, Alex Marson, Daniel Mendelsohn, Liza Mundy, Anna Quindlen, Ruth Reichl, Evan Thomas, Wright Thompson, Eric Topol and Pat Soldano and Mark Warren; passes start at $3,000 at svauthorsfest.org/sponsorship-packages. [1 p.m. May 2 through 1:30 p.m. May 4, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, 100 Boyes Blvd., Sonoma]
May 3
Authors on the Plaza: The free, family-friendly literary event presented by the Sonoma Valley Authors Festival and founded by husband-and-wife David and Ginny Freeman features appearances by crime fiction writer Michael Connelly; artificial intelligence innovator Sal Khan; ESPN journalist Wright Thompson; and cardiologist Eric Topol; registration requested at eventbrite.com. [11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sonoma Plaza, 405 First St. West, Sonoma]
May 3
Pat Murphy: The award-winning writer of science fiction, fantasy and science books for children, teens and audiences discusses her latest, “The Adventures of Mary Darling,” a “witty and adventurous romp drawing on histories of people indigenous to lands that Britain claimed, telling the stories of those who were ignored or misrepresented along the way,” with Ellen Klages; reservations required by calling (415) 355-2810, emailing bhemgr@sfpl.org or signing up at the library’s reference desk. [3 p.m., Bernal Heights Library Meeting Room, 500 Cortland Ave., San Francisco]
May 3
Robert Elias: The Mill Valley writer and scholar speaks about “Dangerous Danny Gardella: Baseball’s Neglected Trailblazer for Today’s Millionaire Athletes,” his detailed account of a little-known yet extraordinary ballplayer who came from humble beginnings to challenge Major League Baseball’s reserve clause in court. [4 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 4
Pamela Reitman: The writer and former public health professional discusses “Charlotte Salomon Paints Her Life,” her novel inspired by the German-Jewish artist who died during the Holocaust and is remembered for her autobiographical paintings created while she was hiding from the Nazis. [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 4
Pat Murphy: The award-winning California science fiction and fantasy writer launches “The Adventures of Mary Darling,” a “historic fantasy mashup of Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes with a feminist twist,” in a discussion with Karen Joy Fowler, author of “Booth.” [4 p.m., The Lost Church, 988 Columbus Ave., San Francisco]
May 4
Brian Copeland: The Bay Area actor, comedian, author, playwright and talk show host (best known for his long-running solo show “Not a Genuine Black Man”) launches “Shadows of Justice,” his second thriller featuring San Francisco investigative reporter Topher Davis, appearing in conversation with novelist-screenwriter James. Dalessandro. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 8
Nicole Terrizzi: The writer, fundraiser and social justice advocate, a former Bay Area resident, discusses “Learning in Free Fall: A Testimony of Mental Health, Poverty, and Race in American Education,” her memoir about her journey from a rural Iowa upbringing to teaching in an urban, failing Kansas City elementary school, including her reflections on failures of systems meant to empower students. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
May 10
Aimee Phan: The Berkeley author launches “The Lost Queen,” her young adult novel and the first in a series inspired by Vietnamese folk takes, magic, sisterhood and self-discovery, in conversation with Vaness Hua. [5 p.m., Mrs. Dalloway’s, 2904 College Ave., Berkeley]
May 10
Isabel Allende: The bestselling author of “A Long Petal of the Sea” and “The House of the Spirits” appears with Matthew Félix to promote “My Name Is Emilia del Valle,” her historical novel about a free-thinking young writer who defies convention, risks scandal and journeys to war-torn Chile in the 1880s; the ticketed ($40) event presented by Book Passage includes a copy of the book. [7 p.m., Angelico Hall, 20 Olive Ave., Dominican University of California, San Rafael]
May 11
Lynn Marie Jackson: The East Bay copywriter and advertising executive signs copies of her debut novel “Unexpected Detour: Courage and Intrigue in Wartime San Francisco,” a World War II-set story of a young Midwestern woman who becomes courier for a government intelligence agency and goes on assignment leading her into a “web of misogyny, deception and espionage.” [2 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 1192 Locust St., Unit D400-500, Walnut Creek]
May 12
Dave Barry: The son of Presbyterian minister and wildly popular Pulitzer Prize-winning humor columnist speaks about his new memoir “Class Clown” with Angie Coiro in a ticketed event ($62 includes book) presented by Kepler’s Books. [7 p.m., Theater, Cañada College, 4200 Farm Hill Blvd., Redwood City]
May 12
Susanna Kwan: The Bay Area launches her debur novel “Awake in the Floating City,” the story of an artist and the elderly woman she cares for, who are among the few remaining residents in futuristic San Francisco, which has flooded, in conversation with San Francisco novelist Shruti Swamy, author of “The Archer.” [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
May 12
Christopher Moore: The best-selling, prolific San Francisco horror-humor writer launches “Anima Rising,” described as “Poor Things” meets “Bride of Frankenstein” at a ticketed reading, Q&A and book-signing ($35 includes book) session. [7 p.m., Books Inc., 601 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco]
May 13
Susanna Kwan: The Bay Area writer discusses her first novel “Awake in the Floating City,” about an artist and the elderly woman she cares for, who live in a flooded San Francisco of the not too far future, with “Little Gods” author Meng Jin. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 13
Nura Maznavi: The Southern California attorney, editor and writer discusses her debut novel “Yours, Eventually, ” a second chance romance based on Jane Austen’s “Persuasion” set in a California Pakistani American community. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
May 13
Jemimah Wei: The award-winning story writer and former social influencer shares her debut novel “The Original Daughter,” a family saga the complex relationship between two sisters over two decades around the turn of the 21st century in Singapore with best-selling “The Incendiaries” novelist R. O. Kwon. [7 p.m., Green Apple Books, 1231 Ninth Ave., San Francisco]
May 14
Nura Maznavi: The Southern California attorney, editor and writer shares her debut novel “Yours, Eventually,” set in a tightly knit Pakistani American community where a young doctor gets an unexpected second chance with the first love she never got over at a ticketed ($28 includes book; $17 admission only) event. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
May 14
Jemimah Wei: The Singapore author and social influencer, a former Stegner Fellow and award-winning short story writer, speaks about her debut novel “The Original Daughter,” set in turn of the 21st century Singapore, describing the emotional, complex evolution of two sisters’ relationship over two decades, with fiction writer Zach Williams. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 15
Jemimah Wei: The Stegner Fellow discusses her anticipated debut novel “The Original Daughter,” an exploration sisterhood, family bonds and ambition set in in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore, with acclaimed novelist Jonathan Escoffery in a ticketed ($45 includes book; $17-$27 admission only) event. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
May 16
Anita Gail Jones: The Bay Area author of acclaimed novel “The Peach Seed” reads from and speaks about the book at a ticketed ($25) benefit presented by LitCrawl Sebastopol. [6 p.m., Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St., Sebastopol]
May 17
Thrill of the Short Story: Bay Area writers who released collections in 2024—Anita Felicelli, author of “How We Know Our Time Travelers,” Nina Schuyler, author of “In This Ravishing World,” and Zach Williams, author or “Beautiful Days “— explore the art of writing and reading the short story to observe International Short Story Month. [1 p.m., Half Moon Bay Library, 620 Correas St., Half Moon Bay]
May 18
Ricky Watters: The former professional football player speaks about “A Gift Called Shane,” his heartwarming picture book that recounts the story of adopting his son, told through the eyes of the big brother. [2 p.m., Books Inc., Pruneyard, 1875 S. Bascom Ave., #600, Campbell]
May 18
Aimee Phan: The Berkeley writer discusses “The Lost Queen,” the first in a young adult series inspired by Vietnamese lore, weaving magic, sisterhood and self-discovery, in conversation with YA writer Ama Ofosua Lieb. [2 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
May 21
Katie Hafner, Jon Hickey, Susanna Kwan, Danielle Teller: The Bay Area writers appear at a reception and read from their recent fiction titles: Hafner’s “The Boys”; Hickey’s “Big Chief”; Kwan’s “Awake in the Floating City”; and Teller’s “Forged.” [6 p.m., Kepler’s, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
May 22
Marcia Naomi Berger: The Marin therapist discusses her 2024 memoir “The Bipolar Therapist: A Journey from Madness to Love and Meaning” in which she describes her struggles with mental illness and insights that followed; the book is designed to increase understanding and decrease shame often associated with mental illness. [Noon, Marin Civic Center, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 427, San Rafael]
May 22
Aimee Phan: The East Bay author speaks about her young adult novel “The Lost Queen,” the first in a series inspired by Vietnamese lore, weaving magic, sisterhood and self-discovery, in conversation with Misa Sugiura. [6 p.m., Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real, #74, Town & Country Village, Palo Alto]
May 22
Jamie Loftus: The comedian-podcaster speaks about her book debut “Raw Dog”—part travelogue, part culinary history and all capitalist critique—that takes readers on a cross-country road trip in 2021 that reveals what hot dogs say about America. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma]
May 23
Christopher Moore: The best-selling, prolific San Francisco horror-humor writer launches “Anima Rising,” described as “Poor Things” meets “Bride of Frankenstein” at a ticketed reading, Q&A and book-signing ($33-$38 includes book) session. [7 p.m., Copperfield’s, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma]
May 24
Gary Holt: The Exodus guitarist and songwriter (and member of Slayer) speaks about “A Fabulous Disaster: From the Garage to Madison Square Garden, the Hard Way,” his memoir co-written by Adem Tepedelen, in which he details how his heavy metal peers became stars while his band failed due to bad management, luck and decisions; the ticketed ($35) event includes the cost of the book. [5:30 p.m., Book Passage, 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco]
May 27
Alka Joshi: The best-selling author of “The Henna House” speaks about “Six Days in Bombay: A Novel,” which takes readers from Bombay to Prague, Florence, Paris and London, to uncover the mystery behind a famous painter’s death and is inspired by the life of Amrita Sher-Gil, known as the “Frida Kahlo of India.” [5:30 p.m., San Carlos Library, 610 Elm St., San Carlos]
May 27
Chasten Buttigieg: The best-selling memoirist is on tour promoting the children’s book “Papa’s Coming Home,” with his husband, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg; he wrote it because he had not previously seen a family that looked like his own in the pages of a picture book. [7 p.m., Kepler’s Books, 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park]
May 28
Kirsten Mickelwait: The Bay Area copywriter, editor and memoirist (“The Ghost Marriage”) shares “The Ashtrays are Full and the Glasses are Empty,” about an American woman who breaks out of Gilded Age New York society to find community among luminaries (Cole Porter, Fernand Léger, John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald) in Jazz Age Paris, with novelist Nina Schuyler. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 31
Susan Lieu, Genevieve Kingston: The memoir writers (Lieu’s “The Manicurist’s Daughter” describes her journey searching for answers after her mother dies during plastic surgery; Kingston’s “Did I Ever Tell You?” details how, decades after her cancer-stricken mother dies, she unpacks boxes and messages her mother had prepared for significant points in her life) appear in conversation with Bay Area journalist Katia Savchuk. [11 a.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 31
Jamie Loftus: The comedian is on tour promoting “Raw Dog,” a travelogue, culinary history and capitalist critique that details her 2021 summer cross-country road trip and reveals what hot dogs say about America. [11 a.m., Copperfield’s Books, 2419 Larkspur Landing Circle, Larkspur]
May 31
Jordan Rosenfeld: The South Bay editor, writing coach and novelist (“Forged in Grace,” “Women in Red”) speaks about her new book, “Fallout,” an eco-thriller in which contemporary women realize their power, with Nina Schuyler, author of the short story collection “In This Ravishing World.” [1 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd, in Corte Madera]
May 31
Christopher Moore: The best-selling, prolific San Francisco novelist speaks about “Anima Rising,” a “hilariously deranged tale of a mad scientist, a famous painter and an undead woman’s electrifying journey of self-discovery” at a ticketed ($30-$35 includes book) event, [4 p.m., BookShop West Portal, 80 West Portal Ave., San Francisco]
May 31
Ocean Vuong: The poet and author of the best-selling novel “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is promoting his new novel ” The Emperor of Gladness,” about a suicidal 19-year-old who forms a transformative bond with an elderly widow who has dementia; the ticketed ($33) event includes a signed copy of the book. [6 p.m., Book Passage, 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera]
May 31-June 1
Bay Area Book Festival: The mostly free 11th annual event includes more than 250 authors, 11 stages featuring panelists and a new Bookworm Block Party; also, headliners Judith Butler, Roxane Gay, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Tara Dorabji and Greg Sarris in evening ticketed ($20) appearances; visit baybookfest.org/headliners. [11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley for headliners; other activities at multiple locations in and around Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park, Martin Luther King Jr. and Allston ways, Berkeley]
The post May 2025 author events: Isabel Allende, Dave Barry, Susanna Kwan, Kirsten Mickelwait, Christopher Moore, Pat Murphy, Aimee Phan, Jemimah Wei appeared first on Local News Matters.