New titles with local themes or released by local writers, listed in alphabetical order by author names:
“Crossroads: A Memoir in Baseball and Life” by Dusty Baker
Crown, 416 pages, $32, June 9, 2026
Legendary player and manager Dusty Baker, 76, shares his long life in baseball in his new book. Baker, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ star slugger in the 1970s-80s who went on to manage with San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros, returned to the Giants in 2024 as senior adviser to baseball operations. Included in “Crossroads” is the story of his signing with the Atlanta Braves at 19 against his father’s wishes, his being mentored by Hank Aaron and Willie Mays; and, decades later, managing the Astros World Series win in 2022. The recipient of Baseball Digest’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, Baker is among the most celebrated players, coaches and managers in Major League Baseball history. He appears with Jon Miller at Book Passage in San Francisco’s Ferry Building on June 13 and with Amy G. at Copperfield’s in Larkspur on June 20.
“How to Rule the World: An Education in Power at Stanford University” by Theo Baker
Penguin Press, 336 pages, $32, May 19, 2026
Stanford University undergraduate Theo Baker’s exposé details how, as a freshman reporter for the student newspaper, his investigation into irregularities found in neuroscientist-biotech executive Marc Tessier-Lavigne’s research papers led to Tessier-Lavigne’s resignation from his post as Stanford’s president. Baker also reveals how the business-focused school has secret societies, offering access to select students identified as trillion-dollar startup founders. Baker, who is graduating this month, is the youngest winner of the George Polk Award, which recognizes excellence in investigative journalism. Bloomberg tech journalist Emily Chang calls “How to Rule the World” the “story of a young reporter unafraid to challenge Silicon Valley’s billionaires and the powerful institutions that enable them,” adding, “Baker proves journalism’s future is alive and fighting.” Baker speaks at Book Passage in Corte Madera on June 7.
“The Beatles by Jim Marshall: Live at Candlestick Park 1966” by Amelia Davis
Chronicle Books, 176 pages, $40, June 2, 2026
Amelia Davis, manager of Jim Marshall Photography and longtime personal assistant to the late great rock photographer, curates this collection featuring 150 onstage shots in a volume celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Beatles’ last concert in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. The book also includes pictures of secret backstage moments with friends and celebrities, previously unpublished photos and original proof sheets taken by Marshall, the event’s only official photographer. Former San Francisco Chronicle music journalist Joel Selvin wrote the introduction. Davis, also the author of photo documentary books about breast cancer survivors, living with multiple sclerosis and living with osteoporosis, appears with Selvin in a discussion with radio programmer Mindi Levine at Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma on June 5.
“Bitter Honey: Big Ag’s Threat to Bees and the Fight to Save Them” by Jennie Durant
Island Press, 248 pages, $30, May 26, 2026
Berkeley science writer, researcher and beekeeping expert Jennie Durant illustrates the human and ecological cost of industrial farming for bees, beekeepers and people who depend on them in her volume, released at a time when nearly three-quarters of the country’s food crops depend on bees and pollinators. Durant, who has worked with University of California and U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists and policymakers, reveals how multinational corporation practices magnify threats to bees, as well as shares struggles of beekeepers, who often lose half of their hives each year. But the book also highlights farmers’ inspiring efforts to introduce bee-friendly flowers to the land. “Replaceable You” science writer Mary Roach calls “Bitter Honey” an “ambitious, important, and utterly captivating book.”
“Contrapposto” by Dave Eggers
Knopf, 432 pages, $29, June 9, 2026
Bay Area literary fixture Dave Eggers follows his award-winning “The Circle,” “A Hologram for the King” and “The Eyes & the Impossible” with “Contrapposto,” a sweeping novel about love, friendship and the pursuit of art. The story, spanning continents, traces the 65-year connection between Cricket Dib, a boy who was born on the American prairie who has a talent for drawing, and Olympia Argyros, the more worldly girl who becomes his muse. Lily King, author of “Heart the Lover,” says “‘Contrapposto’ tells a big and big-hearted story that counter-positions exquisitely the pain and exhilarations of love and the creative impulse.” Eggers appears in ticketed talks at Calvary Presbyterian in San Francisco on June 16 and at Kepler’s in Menlo Park on June 17.
“Villa Coco: A Novel” by Andrew Sean Greer
Doubleday, 288 pages, $30, June 9, 2026
Bay Area treasure, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Less” Andrew Sean Greer takes readers to the Tuscan Hills in “Villa Coco,” named a most-anticipated book of the year by People, Time, Esquire, Oprah Daily, Lit Hub, Seattle Times and numerous readers. The book details the adventures of an aspiring archivist who becomes an assistant to a 92-year-old baroness and attempts to catalog her art and antiques as they disappear before his eyes. His task is complicated by his boss’ plan to reunite with her long-lost love. Humorist David Sedarist says, “No one writing in English is funnier or more charming than Andrew Greer. Every sentence in this novel sings.” Greer, who lives in San Francisco and Venice, appears at Booksmith in San Francisco on June 12; Book Passage in Corte Madera, with his twin brother, on June 13; and Rakestraw Books in Danville on June 13.
“Valet: A Novel” by J.P. Lacrampe
Simon & Shuster, 272 pages, $28, June 2, 2026
Bay Area short story writer J.P. Lacrampe’s debut novel is a comedy centering on a helper robot who, with his 35-year-old troubled ward, tries to save the family business from a tech conglomerate. The speculative fiction title by the Santa Clara University writing professor —whose fiction has been published in McSweeney’s and in “Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit” — questions what it means to be human. Kevin Wilson, author of “Run for the Hills,” says Lacrampe “goes beyond the initial premise by looking at the universal anxiety of family, of being tied to people with whom you will rise and fall, either toward a new update or into obsolescence.” Lacrampe appears at Book Passage in San Francisco’s Ferry Building on June 4.
“Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All” by Jeremy Lent
Melville House, 400 pages, $32.99, May 26, 2026
Berkeley author, activist and speaker Jeremy Lent presents an alternative to capitalism modeled on design principles that value humankind’s inclination toward dignity and justice in “Ecocivilization.” Lent, founder of the Deep Transformation Network, an online community whose members explore paths “toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth,” charts a world where people are empowered and in balance with nature. Booklist’s review says, “‘Ecocivilization’ offers an inspiring, thought-provoking road map for policymakers, environmental advocates and concerned citizens, encouraging them to imagine and actively participate in building a future based on the key principles of collaboration, solidarity, respect for the inherent dignity of others and reverence for the intrinsic value of life.”
“Portrait of a Mestiza: A Life Between Cultures” by Marianna Marlowe
She Writes Press, 272 pages, $17.99, May 26, 2026
Bay Area Latina writer Marianna Marlowe, following up “Portrait of a Feminist,” examines issues of identity and belonging and the effects of racism across three continents in “Portrait of a Mestiza,” her memoir-in-essays. Marlowe, who grew up with a Catholic Peruvian mother and an atheist American father in the Philippines, Ecuador, Brazil and the United States, discusses universal realities from unequal marriages and class structures to misogynist literature and patriarchal religion. She explores the idea of living “in between” spaces and dares readers to challenge inherited limitations. Kirkus Reviews says, “Marlowe’s voice cuts clean…the collection’s achievement lies in her willingness to dwell in contradictions, and the uncomfortable space of feeling perpetually in between.” Marlowe appears with writer and sexual ethics educator Natasha Singh at Book Passage in Corte Madera on June 13.
“Wineland: Celebrating the Heart of Sonoma” by Charlie Palmer with Matt Villano
Artisan, 224 pages, $40, June 16, 2026
Fabled chef Charlie Palmer, founder of the Michelin-acclaimed Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, pays tribute to growers and chefs who bring California’s wine country in life in “Wineland,” which profiles 20 extraordinary artisans — biodynamic farmers, winemakers overseeing 150-year-old vineyards, restaurateurs and more — making waves in the region. The stories, written with Matt Villano, are accompanied by vivid photographs by Emma Kruch and recipes including Sonoma Stone Fruit Panzanella, Green Mole from Casa del Mole, and Apple and Cucumber Mignonette with Pickled Red Onion from Hog Island Oyster Co. Palmer appears at Copperfield’s Books-sponsored ticketed ($95 and up) tasting event at Appellation Healdsburg on June 16.
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