Spring has sprung, and that means new book babies to adopt and love! See some of your favorite authors up close and get to know some debut ones, too.

April 14, 7:30pm, @ Kepler’s
Are you one of the many students who read Francisco Jiménez’s fascinating memoir The Circuit? He has more stories to tell. He will visit the bookstore to present his fourth memoir, Taking Hold. Learn what happened as he left California to go to college.

April 20, 5pm, @ Kepler’s
We know you love the Unwind series. Its author, Neal Shusterman, is back with a new book called Challenger Deep, illustrated by his own son. This is not to be missed!

April 20, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Palo Alto
Anybody who loves music and realistic fiction will want to check out author Leila Sales, who will present her latest book, This Song Will Save Your Life, and celebrate its paperback release.

April 21, 7:30pm, @ Kepler’s
Shame on you! Shame on you? Author Jennifer Jacquet will talk about the concept of shaming and guilt and present her new book on the subject, titled Is Shame Necessary? New Uses for an Old Tool.

April 21, 7pm, through A Great Good Place for Books
Superstar YA authors Gayle Forman (If I Stay) and Jay Asher (13 Reasons Why) will host an important awareness event and fund-raiser on suicide and mental illness.

April 21, 7:30pm, @ Booksmith
Passionate about banned books and censorship? Come to this event, featuring Daniel Handler/Lemony Snicket, Mariko Tamaki, and more.

April 24, 6:30pm, @ Book Passage – Corte Madera
John Stephens, author of the popular series starting with The Emerald Atlas, is releasing the final book in the series! It’s called The Black Reckoning. Come celebrate the finale with the author at this event.

April 28, 7pm, @ Kepler’s
Alternate history meets futuristic dystopia in Sabaa Tahir’s new book, An Ember in the Ashes. If you like adventure, strong female heroines, and secrecy, you’ll have to try this book. Meet the author at the bookstore!

Amber Tamblyn

April 28, 7pm, @ City Lights
You know Amber Tamblyn from The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, but did you know she’s also a poet? Her new book of poems explores the lives – tragic, inspiring, and creative – of 25 well-known actresses, like Marilyn Monroe and Brittany Murphy.

April 29, 7pm, @ A Great Good Place for Books
A whole panel of YA authors will appear to get you excited about their latest books! Susane Colasanti has a new romance trilogy, beginning with City Love. Maria Dahvana Headley’s debut novel is called Magonia. And Katie Cotugno presents a romantic novel called 99 Days. Do you love love stories? Then be here.

May 2, all day, everywhere
It’s California Bookstore Day! Visit your favorite independent bookstore and support local business by buying a new book for yourself or a friend.

May 9, 11am, @ Book Passage – Corte Madera
Women’s history has never been this rad. Meet authors Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl, whose new book, Rad American Women A-Z, is a colorful, vibrant collection of inspiring ladies’ lives.

May 9, 4pm, @ Books Inc – Opera Plaza
This amazing YA event has more than 15 authors on the docket. Meet them, learn about their books, get your own books signed, take selfies…it’ll be a blast!

Sophia Rossi and Zooey Deschanel

May 14, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Opera Plaza
Romance stories abound at this event – which will also include cupcakes and a raffle! Meet Sandy Hall (A Little Something Different), Katie Van Ark (The Boy Next Door), Temple West (Velvet), and Kimberly Karalius (Love, Fortune and Other Disasters).

May 18, 7pm, @ A Great Good Place for Books
If your eyes light up when you hear someone talk about HelloGiggles, you’ll want to read A Tale of Two Besties, written by HelloGiggles co-founder (and Zooey Deschanel bestie) Sophia Rossi.

May 22, 6pm, @ Book Passage – Corte Madera
Did you know bestselling author Jodi Picoult also writes YA? Her co-writer, Samantha Van Leer, is her daughter! Their newest book is called Off the Page, and they’ll appear at the bookstore to tell you more about it. (This is a ticketed event starting at $25.)

June 2, 7pm, @ Books Inc – The Castro
Local author Michelle Tea will celebrate the release of Girl at the Bottom of the Sea. It is the sequel to The Mermaid in Chelsea Creek.

June 4, 7pm, @ Kepler’s
Described as Graceling meets A Game of Thrones, The Witch Hunter is the debut novel from a local author. Come to this event to meet Virginia Boecker!

June 5, 6pm, @ The Reading Bug
If you love historical fiction, you’ve probably heard of Jennifer L. Holm. Or maybe if your favorite comic book series is Babymouse, you’ve heard of her. Either way, she’ll be appearing to tell you all about her upcoming projects, give you behind the scenes info on her characters, and more!

June 6, 11am, @ Book Passage – San Francisco
If you love literary-inspired adventures like Story Thieves or A Tale Dark and Grimm, you’ll want to know debut author Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and her new novel, Book Scavenger.

June 13, 7:30pm, @ Mrs. Dalloway’s
Attend the launch party for Delicate Monsters, the newest book by Stephanie Kuehn! This Bay Area writer is also the author of Charm & Strange and Complicit.

June 18, 7:30pm, @ Booksmith
Lev Grossman’s The Magicians series recently came to a close, and with the paperback release of the final novel, Grossman will appear to talk about the whole series and maybe even give you a sneak peek into the TV series, premiering on SyFy in 2016!

July 1, 7pm, @ A Great Good Place for Books
The Anne of Green Gables of this generation may just be Ana of California, the debut novel from Andi Teran. Ana leaves southern California for northern in search of a better life.

Have you gone to one of these events? Tell us about it!

And now we present Four to Read More, mini collections of four books that share some common theme, whether it’s the name of a character, a cover design quirk, or something else. Inspired by Kelly Jensen’s “Three on a YA Theme” series at Book Riot (take a look – we’ll wait!), this series will highlight some books you may have missed on the shelves.

This time, our theme is stories about girls disguised as boys – whether that’s because it allows them to go on adventures, get an education, or pass through society unnoticed.

Alanna series by Tamora Pierce This beloved book series stars a girl who switches places with her twin brother in order to go into knight training. As she grows up, she finds it harder and harder to keep her secret from her friends. (available in print)	The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg This true story is about young women in Afghanistan who, in a sort of open secret, present as boys in order to act as a family’s older brother if there are no sons. (available in print)
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen This series starter is a retelling of the legend of Robin Hood. Remember his sidekick, Will Scarlet? What if Will was actually a Merry Woman instead of a Merry Man? (available in print and on Overdrive ebooks)	Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee After her father tragically dies, Samantha joins forces with a runaway slave and the two join a band of cowboys heading west to gold rush California. (available in print and on Overdrive ebooks)

Do you have an idea for a Four to Read More theme? Email us and let us know!

Springtime means the flowers are blooming, the leaves are reappearing on the trees, and new books are coming out! Check out some of these great authors making appearances near you.

February 28, 7pm, @ Kepler’s
Are you a fan of thrilling, spine-tingling stories? Meet authors C.J. Omololu (Transcendence), Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Kimberly Derting (The Taking) and Kelley Armstrong, who are all presenting their latest suspenseful novels.

March 8, 4pm, @ Mrs. Dalloway’s
Body positivity and acceptance are things we could all be reminded of. Author Connie Sobczak will talk about her new book, Embody, which strives to give everyone strategies, tools, and inspiration to love their body.

March 9, 7pm, @ A Great Good Place for Books
This is a star-packed event for YA lit fans! Seth Fishman, Maggie Hall, Jessica Khoury, Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall, Rebel Belle), and Morgan Rhodes (The Conspiracy of Us), all authors of popular books of all genres, will appear and give you the scoop on their latest titles.

March 11, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Palo Alto
Andrew Smith sure is prolific! The author of Winger and 100 Sideways Miles has another new book already, The Alex Crow. Meet this unabashedly weird author and learn what he’s cooked up in this novel.

March 12, 7:30pm, @ Kepler’s
If you read The Kite Runner and found it utterly engrossing and fascinating, you’ll want to come to this event. Debut author Elliott Ackerman will present his novel, Green On Blue, which Khaled Hosseini, the author of The Kite Runner, has reviewed, and which everyone is raving about! This intense, mature novel is told from the point of view of an Afghan orphan.

March 17, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Palo Alto
Don’t you love being in on all the new books before they hit it big? Come to this event celebrating the release of the debut novel by Stacey Lee, Under a Painted Sky. If you like historical fiction, you’ll want to read this book.

March 20, 3pm, @ Hicklebee’s
Your abs will be hurting after this event. Jon Scieszka, the hilarious author of numerous books of funny poems, fractured fairy tales, and more, will present his latest book of humor, Frank Einstein. Don’t miss it!

March 24, 7pm, @ Kepler’s
You loved The False Prince trilogy. Now Jennifer Nielsen has a new book series, starting with The Mark of the Thief, about a slave boy in ancient Rome. Get your copy of the book and meet the author!

March 24, 7:30pm, @ Mrs. Dalloway’s
Whether you like speculative fiction or historical fiction, three YA authors are here to make sure you know about their latest books. Stacey Lee will talk about her historical novel Under a Painted Sky. Whitney Miller has a sequel to her adventure book The Violet Hour called The Crimson Gate. And Susan Adrian is releasing Tunnel Vision, a paranormal thriller.

March 25, 7:30pm, @ Kepler’s
Acclaimed writer Joyce Carol Oates has a thought-provoking and controversial new novel out. The Sacrifice is about the aftermath of a racially motivated crime against a teenage girl. (This is a ticketed event starting at $10.)

March 26, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Palo Alto
Did you love The Sparrow? Its author, Mary Doria Russell, has a new novel: Epitaph: A Novel of the O.K. Corral. Come out and hear her speak, then pick up her new book and get it signed!

April 9, 7:30pm, @ Nourse Theater
Like weird science? Quirky people? Unknown histories? You have to meet Jon Ronson. The author of The Psychopath Test has a new book coming out, So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, and he’ll appear in conversation with Jon Mooallem. (This is a ticketed event starting at $27.)

Let us know if you’ve attended an author event and want to write about it for the library website!

And now we present Four to Read More, mini collections of four books that share some common theme, whether it’s the name of a character, a cover design quirk, or something else. Inspired by Kelly Jensen’s “Three on a YA Theme” series at Book Riot (take a look – we’ll wait!), this series will highlight some books you may have missed on the shelves.

If you’re not a Valentine’s Day kind of person, have no fear! Here are some decidedly unromantic but totally engaging reads for this weekend.

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein The only boys in this book are Nazis. But what a brilliant and inspiring read about girl power, female pilots, poetry, perseverance, and hope! (available in print)	The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer This futuristic story takes place in a new nation between the US and Mexico and is about Matt, a clone struggling to be his own person. (available in print)
Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo In the first two pages of this book, a woman vacuums her lawn and accidentally catches a squirrel in it. When he is released from the vacuum, he has superpowers. (available in print and Overdrive ebooks)	The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick Four stories spanning the times of the cavemen to the future all focus around the image and idea of the spiral, in nature and human design. (available in print)

Do you have an idea for a Four to Read More theme? Email us and let us know!

Do you remember Blind Date With a Book from last year? By popular demand, it’s back again – but with a twist. This time, your secret brown bags continue not one, but two books, linked together by a common theme, historical moment, genre, inspiration, character….who knows? Just like Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers, these books never knew they were meant to be until we found them and put them together.

The rules of the game are the same as last year: even though these books may look uninteresting to you or have absolutely terrible covers, you have to give them a try anyway. Read at least 30 pages to see if you like the book after all. They may surprise you. This is a chance to get to know the library collection even deeper and to find out that you may have an interest in a totally new genre that you never thought about before!

Look below to watch a video, made by Devon M. ’16, and then come into the library to check out your pair of star-crossed books!

Happy new year! Make 2015 the one where you meet your favorite author in person. Here’s where he or she may be appearing in the next few months.

January 6, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Opera Plaza
One of the most hotly anticipated new books of 2015, Vivan Apple at the End of the World, is as imminent as the apocalypse it depicts! Meet author Katie Coyle and learn all about her funny and heartwarming novel about a girl fighting the apocalypse at all costs.

January 9, 4pm, @ Linden Tree
What’s the latest book to be compared to The Fault in Our Stars? Jennifer Niven’s new book All the Bright Places. Learn why at this event.

January 12, 7pm, @ A Great Good Place for Books
Before the movie comes out, meet the author of Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, And The Battle For The American Dream, an inspirational true story about an unlikely group of teenagers who formed a robotics team and overcame the odds to go to a national competition. Joshua Davis will be on hand to tell you more about the book and answer your questions.

January 15, 7:30pm, @ Kepler’s
Popular author Anita Diamant will visit to promote her latest novel, The Boston Girl, a historical fiction about a young girl growing up in a working-class family in Boston at the turn of the twentieth century.

January 28, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Opera Plaza
Dystopian fiction fanatics should get to this event to see Joelle Charbonneau, author of the popular The Testing trilogy. Did you know it’s in development to become a movie?

January 29, 6pm, at Book Passage – San Francisco
Do you love Laura Ingalls Wilder? Do you love nostalgia? Do you love mysteries? If so, you’ll want to learn about Bich Minh Nguyen’s Pioneer Girl, a mystery about the origins of the Little House series. Nguyen will appear alongside Yiyun Li, promoting her latest book Kinder Than Solitude.

February 3, 7pm, @ Kepler’s
You know you are excited for the next book in the Lunar Chronicles. What started with Cinder has continued on with retellings of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. The fourth book in the series, Fairest, is a prequel starring Queen Levana. Don’t miss this chance to meet author Marissa Meyer! (This is a ticketed event starting at $15.)

February 9, 7pm, @ Books Inc – Opera Plaza
Aspiring graphic novelists, whether artists or writers, cannot miss the chance to meet Scott McCloud, popular author and comics expert.

February 10, 7:30pm, @ Nourse Theater
Popular funnyman Daniel Handler (otherwise known as Lemony Snicket) will appear in the City Arts and Lectures series to talk about his life, career, and probably his recent scandal at the National Book Awards. (This is a ticketed event benefiting 826 Valencia. Tickets start at $27.)

Nick Hornby

February 11, 7:30pm, @ Nourse Theater
If you love the witty, pop culture-infused fiction or essays of Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, A Long Way Down, The Polysyllabic Spree, Fever Pitch), you won’t want to miss his appearance at City Arts and Lectures. (This is a ticketed event starting at $27.)

February 12, 7pm, @ A Great Good Place for Books
So why do you love to read? Wendy Lesser will tell you why. Her book, Why I Read: The Serious Pleasure of Books, was released last year, and she’ll appear at the bookstore to read from it and answer questions.

Maureen Johnson

February 15, 6pm, @ Books Inc – Opera Plaza
Whether you like snarky realistic fiction or chilling supernatural mysteries, you’ve probably heard of Maureen Johnson. She’ll be visiting the Bay Area to celebrate the release of The Shadow Cabinet, the final installment in her Shades of London series.

February 19, 7:30, @ The Booksmith
If you like the supernatural and literary short stories of Kelly Link (Magic for Beginners), you’ll have to get to this event to celebrate the release of her latest book, Get in Trouble, another short story collection.

February 26, 7pm, @ Kepler’s
Popular author Pam Muñoz Ryan (Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi Leon) finally has a new book coming out! She will visit the bookstore to celebrate the release of Echo, a story of an epic quest.

If you attend a local literary event, let us know about it! We’d love to publish your writeup of the event on the library website!