Book Reading

Rebecca Clarren reads from her debut novel, Kickdown, a taut and moving novel of a family's struggle to sustain their land when fracking comes to the contemporary American West. "Deep, true, achingly pure, as stripped of glamour and pretense as the beautiful desolation it describes. With an unflinching eye for the unsettling political and environmental issues of […]

Rachel Neumann and Teen Subjects present I Am Home: Portraits of Immigrant Teenagers. To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of I Am Home by speaking to a bookseller or ordering via our website. Meet the faces and voices behind the conversations around immigration. These portraits and stories of teenagers who are recent immigrants to the US […]

Eighteen-year-old Vera, eager to start college and escape the celebrity her family has endured since her twin's disappearance twelve years earlier, finds her world turned upside-down again when Ava returns. Ava's disappearance was the crack in the Rivers family glacier. I wish I could explain to you how we were before, but I can't, because […]

Daniel Mason reads from his magnificent new novel, The Winter Soldier, a sweeping, unforgettable love story of a young doctor and nurse at a remote field hospital in the First World War. Vienna, 1914. Lucius is a twenty-two-year-old medical student when World War I explodes across Europe. Enraptured by romantic tales of battlefield surgery, he enlists, expecting […]

Featuring queer librarians reading from their works: Gr Keer, CSU East Bay Andrew Demcak, Oakland Public Library Rebekah Eppley, Oakland Public Library

The spirited, heart-driven people who populate these stories find surprising pockets of hope as they scrabble for ways to believe in themselves and the world. A woman returns to the Alaskan cabin of her survivalist childhood, full of misgivings and memories. A trip to Yellowstone sparks a crisis for a man who feels kinship with […]

Come celebrate the release of Aaron Southerland’s third graphic novel, SolForce: Alpha Kale! All ages welcome. Aaron Southerland, from Brooklyn, NY, currently works as a freelance art teacher & cartoonist in the Bay Area! He is the creator of the graphic novels Strawberry Dough & SolForce. More at www.baomerch.com.

Christopher Woods presents Gardenlust: A Botanical Tour of the World's Best New Gardens, a sumptuously illustrated survey and the perfect armchair travel guide to 50 of the most innovative modern gardens from around the world. In Gardenlust, adventurous biophiliac Christopher Woods takes readers on a worldwide tour that goes beyond the palace grounds of centuries past to transport you […]

Launch for You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P!, a novel that carries a strong social message as twelve-year-old Jilly learns how to support the marginalized people in her life when her sister is born Deaf and Jilly makes friends with Profound, a black, Deaf boy she meets online. Gino tackles powerful issues with grace and thoughfulness. […]

Juan Gabriel Vasquez reads from The Shape of the Ruins, his highly anticipated, deeply personal masterpiece that is being heralded as the most ambitious novel of his career. "A highly sophisticated, fast-moving political thriller set in Colombia and an excellent read."--Alan Furst "One of the great novels of recent years."--Mario Vargas Llosa To reserve your seat, purchase […]

Miriam Pawel in Conversation with T.J. Stiles discussing The Browns of California: The Family Dynasty That Transformed a State and Shaped a Nation. "A remarkable book--a generational biography of a political dynasty, ranging from the California Gold Rush to the presidency of Donald Trump. She recounts the pivotal governorship of Pat Brown and the even more significant […]

Georgia Freedman Come meet the author of Cooking South of the Clouds: Recipes and Stories from China's Yunnan Province. "More than a cookbook, it's an intimate journey through culinary traditions almost unknown in the West. Josh Wand's photos of the region's countryside, villages, markets, and dishes paint a stunning portrait of Yunnanese cuisine and life. . […]

Jaap Robben in Conversation with Jeroen Dewulf reads from his award-winning novel, You Have Me to Love, an unforgettable story about lost childhood innocence, isolation, guilt and mother-son relationships. "An intense and dramatic novel filled with meticulous use of detail and a forensic psychological accuracy. Its power comes from the fierce energy of the narrative structure, the […]

Jeffrey Meyers presents Resurrections: Authors, Heroes--and a Spy, portraits of writers and artists including Ian Watt, Paul Theroux, James Salter, and Anthony Blunt. " Intellectually stimulating . . . a portrait of the artist in portraits of other artists."--Kirkus Reviews To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of Resurrections by speaking to a bookseller or ordering via our website. In […]

Fox Butterfield presents In My Father's House: A New View of How Crime Runs in the Family, a pathbreaking examination of our huge crime and incarceration problem that looks at the influence of the family--specifically one Oregon family with a generations-long legacy of lawlessness. "A spellbinding book, brilliant and bone-chilling. In My Father's House will change the […]

Leif Enger OFFSITE @ Rialto Cinemas Elmwood celebrating the publication of his wonderful new novel, Virgil Wander, much of which takes place in and around a beloved old movie theater not unlike our own here in the Elmwood. There will be a special screening of Cinema Paradiso in connection with the reading and signing. Buy your tickets, with or without […]

Roshi Joan Halifax OFFSITE discusses Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet, with Gaetano Maida, sponsored by KPFA, St. John's Presbyterian Church, and Mindful Schools. Advance tickets: $12 : brownpapertickets.com :: T: 800-838-3006 Books Inc/Berkeley, Pegasus (3 sites), Moe’s, Walden Pond Bookstore, Mrs. Dalloway’s. East Bay Books, $15 door, Wheelchair Access Standing at the Edge is an evocative […]

Vijaya Nagarajan presents Feeding a Thousand Souls: Women, Ritual and Ecology in India--An Exploration of the Kolam, the first comprehensive book in English on the kolam, a ritual rice flour drawing created by Tamil women. To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of Feeding a Thousand Souls by speaking to a bookseller or ordering via our website. Every day millions […]

Launch party for his terrific new novel The Dakota Winters, an evocative and wildly absorbing story about the Winters, a family living in New York City's famed Dakota apartment building in the year leading up to John Lennon's assassination. "Deft, funny, touching, and sharply observed, a marvel of tone, and a skillful evocation of a dark passage in […]

"Perceptive, finely wrought....Hadley is a writer of the first order, and this novel gives her the opportunity to explore, with profound incisiveness and depth, the inevitable changes inherent to long-lasting marriages."-- Publishers Weekly To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of Late in the Day by speaking to a bookseller or ordering from our website. The lives of two […]

"a thrilling hybrid of a novel about the intricacies of family life and the inevitable handing down from one generation to the next of our deepest passions and pathologies. . . . both marvelously inventive and deeply humane."--Ann Packer To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of Hungry Ghost Theater by speaking to a bookseller. An inventive, […]

You've read all the expert advice, but despite countless efforts to help your child cope better and stay on track, you're still struggling with everyday issues like homework, chores, getting to soccer practice on time, and simply getting along without pushback and power struggles. What if you could work with your child, motivating and engaging them in […]

Vandana Shiva and Vijaya Nagarajan OFFSITE In conversation on Women, Rituals, Ecology in India. Vandana Shiva is an Indian scholar, environmental activist, food sovereignty advocate, and alter-globalization author. Currently based in Delhi, she has authored more than twenty books, including Who Really Feeds the World? Water Wars, and Biopiracy. She is one of the leaders and board members of the […]

"Identity is frail business, and in her searing story, Dani Shapiro makes the most disquieting discovery: that everything, from her lineage, to her father, down to her very own sense of self is an astounding error. How do we live with ourselves after finding we are not who we thought we were? The answer is […]

Alan Brennert reads from Daughter of Moloka'i, the sequel to his bestselling Moloka'i. Wednesday, February 20, 2019 - 7:30pm

Katie Peterson in Conversation with Louise Gluck discussing her new book of poems A Piece of Good News. Dense, rich, and challenging, Katie Peterson's A Piece of Good News explores interior and exterior landscapes, exposure, and shelter. Imbued with a hallucinatory poetic logic where desire, anger, and sorrow supplant intelligence and reason, these poems are powerful meditations of […]

Elinor Lipman returns to Mrs. Dalloway's to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, Good Riddance, in which one woman's trash becomes another woman's treasure, with deliriously entertaining results. A pitch-perfect, whip-smart new novel from an "enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist" (Washington Post). In this delightful new romantic comedy, Daphne Maritch […]

The Retirement Center and Ashby Village are pleased to host Ashton Applewhite, activist and author of This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism,  a rousing manifesto against discrimination and prejudice on the basis of age. Applewhite takes readers and audiences on a journey, examining the historical roots of ageism and how it divides and diminishes us. She examines […]

Launch party for her picture book The Yellow Suitcase, a touching story that celebrates grandparental love. "A thoughtful story that artfully addresses the loss of a grandparent from an immigrant perspective.” --Kirkus To reserve your seat please purchase a copy of The Yellow Suitcase by speaking to a bookseller or ordering from our website. Bring your kids to listen to Meera […]

Joyce Carol Oates reads from her latest novel The Hazards of Time Travel, an ingenious, dystopian novel of one young woman's resistance against the constraints of an oppressive society. To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of The Hazards of Time Travel by speaking to a bookseller or ordering from our website. "Time travel"--and its hazards--are made literal in […]

Kurt Eichenwald presents A Mind Unraveled: A Memoir, the compelling story of an acclaimed journalist and New York Times bestselling author's ongoing struggle with epilepsy-- his torturous decision to keep his condition a secret to avoid discrimination, and his ensuing decades-long battle to not only survive, but to thrive. "Inspirational in the true sense of the word....It is written with […]

“The Orchid and the Dandelion is based on groundbreaking research that has the power to change the lives of countless children–and the adults who love them.”–Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts From one of the world’s foremost researchers and pioneers of pediatric health–a book that offers hope and a pathway to success for parents, […]

"An irresistible, irrepressible comic saga. I utterly loved every page."--Anthony Marra To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of Oksana, Behave! by speaking to one of our booksellers or ordering on our website. When Oksana's family begins their new American life in Florida after emigrating from Ukraine, her physicist father delivers pizza at night to make ends meet, […]

Carolyn Burke presents Foursome: Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O'Keeffe, Paul Strand, Rebecca Salsbury, A captivating, spirited account of the intense relationship among four artists whose strong personalities, passionate feelings, and aesthetic ideals drew them together, pulled them apart, and profoundly influenced the very shape of twentieth-century art. “Intimate and exhaustively researched…offers detailed insight into one of the most important […]

Namwali Serpell in Conversation with Yael Goldstein Love discussing Serpell's new novel The Old Drift, an electrifying debut that has already garnered three starred advance reviews and accolades from multiple writers. "Recalling the work of Toni Morrison and Gabriel García Márquez as a sometimes magical, sometimes horrifically real portrait of a place, Serpell's novel goes into the […]

Lori Gottlieb presents Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, currently being adapted for television with Eva Longoria and ABC. "If you have even an ounce of interest in the therapeutic process, or in the conundrum of being human, you must read this book. It is wise, warm, smart […]

Timothy Hampton presents Bob Dylan's Poetics: How the Songs Work, a close examination of Bob Dylan's songs that locates his transgressive style within a long history of modern (and modernist) art. "A truly powerful book written by one of the leading scholars of the history of poetry today. The writing is clear and intellectually most exciting: Dylan's idiosyncratic […]

Jacqueline Winspear returns to read from her fifteenth Maisie Dobbs novel, The American Agent, in which our beloved heroine investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a page-turning tale of love and war, terror and survival. "Excellent....In Winspear's capable hands, Maisie has evolved into a deeply sympathetic character. Readers will eagerly await […]

Sloane Tanen reads from her novel, There's a Word for That, a hilarious and moving chronicle of a wildly flawed family that comes together--in rehab, of all places--even as each member is on the verge of falling apart. "Full of intelligence and charm."--Kirkus Reviews (starred) To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of There's a Word for That by […]

"This is no mere comics adaptation of an ancient classic. Through his intricately illustrated panels, Gareth Hinds brings us The Iliad's depth, brutality, and power. A Herculean effort worthy of the original."--Gene Luen Yang, Michael L. Printz Award winner for American Born Chinese To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of The Iliad in advance by speaking to […]

Ages 7 up! Jane Solomon and Tyler Schnoebelen in Conversation launching The Dictionary of Difficult Words: With More Than 400 Perplexing Words to Test Your Wits!  To reserve your seat, purchase a copy of The Dictionary of Difficult Words by speaking to a bookseller or ordering from our website. What is a bumbershoot? Or a moonbow? And what does […]

Kids 8-12/ Susan Adrian in Conversation with Anne Nesbet discussing Adrian's new book, Forever Neverland, a contemporary sequel to J. M. Barrie's timeless classic Peter Pan. "A magical ode to childhood that updates the classic while keeping its flavor."--Kirkus Reviews  "One of the best representations of autism in middle grade literature. A must purchase for all children who love […]

Louise Aranson presents Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life, an essential, empathetic look at a vital but little respected stage of life. "In the latter years there are possibilities for joy, transcendence, and meaning, but also for just the opposite. Aronson writes like a memoirist while giving us scientific insight, philosophical wisdom, and wise counsel for a […]

Bloomsday with Thomas Lynch reading from Chapter Ten of James Joyce's Ulysses recalling Dublin on June 16, 1904. Join us for Guinness, Irish soda bread and cheer! Bring Dad! Sunday, June 16, 2019 - 3:00pm

Brandon Brown presents The Apollo Chronicles: Engineering America's First Moon Missions, a uniquely earthbound story of space travel that follows a handful of surviving engineers from the time through their longest days, tightest deadlines, and most confounding challenges.  has captured the soul of what was arguably the most challenging and significant engineering accomplishment of the 20th century…a great read […]

Tucker Malarkey returns to present Stronghold: One Man's Quest to Save the World's Wild Salmon, the story of Guido Rahr, a passionate and eccentric environmentalist who has single-mindedly dedicated his life to saving the environment, working to preserve the world's last pristine stronghold for salmon in Russia's Far East--a landscape of ecological richness and diversity that is rapidly […]

J. Ryan Stradal reads from his much-anticipated The Lager Queen of Minnesota, a novel of family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate, and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest. "Warm, whimsical, incredibly well-written and infused with Stradal's signature sympathy for his characters--those everyday heroes we all know and love. […]

Alexander Tilney in Conversation with Katharine Dion discussing Tilney's new novel, The Expectations, "a deeply resonant, brilliantly nuanced meditation on privilege, social ambition, and the folly (and cruelty) of youth."--Kate Walbert "Alexander Tilney applies supple, panoramic prose to the deep interior of an exclusive Northeastern prep school, with arresting results: at once anthropological and visceral, […]

Neil Shister in Conversation with Harley Dubois discussing Radical Ritual: How Burning Man Changed the World. "An all-in history of, and love letter to, this one-of-a-kind event. If you've been there, or want to go, you couldn't possibly find better companions than Neil Shister and his engaging book."--Daniel Okrent, author of Last Call and The Guarded Gate To […]

Kids 12 up! Elizabeth Lim reads from Spin the Dawn, a sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars. "Pure magic. Romance, artistry, and deep […]

Meg Waite Clayton returns to launch The Last Train to London, a beautifully rendered novel centering on the Kindertransports that carried thousands of children out of Nazi-occupied Europe--and one brave woman who helped them escape to safety. "Painful and beautiful, absorbing and unforgettable. A wonderful tribute to courage, to a remarkable woman, to the ones she saved, and the ones […]

To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of Running Wild by speaking to a bookseller or clicking on the cover below. Twelve-year-old Willa and her twin brothers have survived with their father in the Alaskan wilderness for five years. But Willa knows this can't go on--they must escape.Since their mother died five years ago, Willa, her […]

Kids 4-8! Mac Barnett & Greg Pizzoli launch their new books Hi, Jack! and Jack Blasts Off, a funny early reader series about a mischievous rabbit, a cranky old lady, and a lovable dog sure to delight fans of Elephant & Piggie. The always entertaining author/illustrator duo will hold forth at Mrs. Dalloway's for this special Saturday morning family event. […]

NaNoWriMo's Grant Faulkner, Rebecca Stern and Laura Bradley launch Brave the Page, the official NaNoWriMo handbook that inspires young people to tackle audacious goals and complete their creative projects. To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of Brave the Page by speaking to a bookseller or clicking on the cover below. National Novel Writing Month (aka NaNoWriMo) […]

Bonnie Tsui & other Writers Grotto members host an interactive party/workshop inaugurating a new series for writers: LIT STARTS. Writing Action is the focus of this evening, with Foreword author Bonnie Tsui reading and guiding a prompt-and-response session. To reserve your seat, please purchase any of the four LIT STARTS books listed below by speaking to […]

Peter Dale Scott and Freeman Ng present Poetry and Terror: Politics and Poetics in Coming to Jakarta, a study at many levels of Scott's long poem Coming to Jakarta. To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of Poetry and Terror ($34.99 paperback) in advance by speaking to a bookseller. Coming to Jakarta is Scott's response to a midlife crisis […]

E.R. Razmipoor OFFSITE presenting The Ventriloquists, her much-anticipated debut novel inspired by true events, about a ragtag gang of journalists and resistance fighters risking everything for an elaborate scheme to undermine the Reich. "Magnetic... Sprawling and ambitious, with crisp pacing and fully realized characters, this will fascinate anyone looking for an unusual, enthralling war story." -- Publishers Weekly […]

Jean Fruth & Jeff Idelson present Grassroots Baseball: Where Legends Begin. The evening includes a presentation by photographer Jean Fruth and retiring National Baseball Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson, on some of the legends in the book and the places they come from. Followed by a book signing.  A matching donation of the book price ($60) will be donated to […]

L. John Harris launches his delightful new book, Café French: A Flâneur’s Guide to the Language, Lore and Food of the Paris Café.  "L. John Harris's amusing and instructive book distills Parisian flânerie—that unique blend of urban strolling and conversing that fuses literary, spatial and historical life—with playful images, witty narrative and memorable quotations by and […]

Matt Maiocco, Brad Mangin & Brian Murphy present Letters to 87: Fans Remember the Legacy of Dwight Clark, a coffee table book featuring heartfelt letters from fans of the San Francisco 49ers hero, with essays by Edward J. DeBartolo Jr., Ronnie Lott, Joe Montana, Brian Murphy, and Kelly Clark. Letters to 87 also offers rare photos from Michael […]

Prerna Lal launching Unsung America: Immigrant Trailblazers and Our Fight for Freedom. Please join us for a most timely discussion. "Deeply insightful and intentionally detailed--Prerna Lal has conceived a text that breaks down the inner workings of the United States immigration system and the impact it has had on the lives of countless immigrants and […]

Lawrence Weschler presents And How Are You, Dr. Sacks? A Biographical Memoir of Oliver Sacks, the untold story of the famous neurologist, his own most singular patient. "The story of Lawrence Weschler's faithful four-decade friendship with the amazing Oliver Sacks offers pleasures and amazements on every page. This loving but unblinking portrait will delight fans of Dr. Sacks […]

To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of Without Her in advance by speaking to a bookseller or clicking on the cover below. When her old friend Hannah doesn't show up at her house in the south of France, everyone assumes that Claudia, who has known Hannah since their shared years at boarding school, will […]

Raina Telgemeier OFFSITE TICKETED EVENT presents Guts, a true story from the bestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts. Telgemeier once again brings a thoughtful, charming, and funny tale about growing up and gathering the courage to face--and conquer--her fears. Stay tuned for further details about how to sign up to attend. Tuesday, November 5, 2019 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm Event address: […]

Saturday, November 9, 2019 - 10:00am to Monday, November 11, 2019 - 6:00pm Once again, Mrs. Dalloway's will reimburse all partnership schools for 17% of total pre-tax purchases made by the school community from Saturday, November 9 through Monday, November 11. This is a great opportunity to stock up on holiday gift items such as children's books, cookbooks, adult fiction and […]

Peter Jan Honigsberg launches his new book A Place Outside the Law: Forgotten Voices of Guantánamo, containing firsthand testimonies from Guantánamo Bay, inspiring future generations to never repeat the human rights violations of the detention center. "The definitive account of what happened at Guantánamo in all of its chilling and horrifying detail. What makes this book […]

Elaine Sciolino in Conversation with Thad Carhart (and introduced by L. John Harris) discussing Sciolino's new book The Seine: The River that Made Paris. A soulful, transformative voyage along the body of water that defines the City of Light. Elaine Sciolino is the perfect guide to the world's most romantic river."--Lauren Collins To reserve your […]

Tickets $12 advance at Mrs. Dalloway's or through brownpapertickets.com. Wednesday, January 22, 2020 - 7:30pm In 2014, Ian Haney López in Dog Whistle Politics named and explained the coded racial appeals exploited by right-wing politicians over the last half century--and thereby anticipated the 2016 presidential election. Now the country is heading into what will surely be one […]

George Lakey Workshop with Kazu Haga OFFSITE conducts a workshop based on his most recent book, How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning, with Kazu Haga, founder of the East Point Peace Academy and author of the forthcoming Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. Register at eastpointpeace.org/howwewin or call 510.500.7853. Sliding scale $20-$80. Wheelchair accessible. […]

Joan Frank Doubleheader! Joan Frank launches two prize-winning new books: Where You're All Going, a quartet of novellas, winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction, and Try to Get Lost: Essays on Travel and Place (winner of the River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize). To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of either book in […]

Elizabeth Tallent launches Scratched: A Memoir of Perfectionism, her bold and brilliant exploration of the ferocious desire for perfection which has shaped her writing life as well as her rich, dramatic, and constantly surprising personal life.  "One of the finest explorations I know of what it means to be a woman and an artist."--Sigrid Nunez To […]

In this beautiful and empowering book, Jennifer Jewell—host of public radio’s award-winning program and podcast Cultivating Place—introduces 75 inspiring women. Working in wide-reaching fields that include botany, floral design, landscape architecture, farming, herbalism, and food justice, these influencers are creating change from the ground up. To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of The Earth in […]

The astonishing but forgotten story of an immigrant sweatshop worker who married an heir to a great American fortune and became one of the most charismatic radical leaders of her time. "Through the lens of a remarkable marriage, Adam Hochschild draws a vivid portrait of the Gilded Age--of immigrants, sweatshops, tenements, strikes, enclaves of patrician […]

Jane Hirshfield reads from her new volume of poetry Ledger, a book of personal, ecological, and political reckoning from the internationally renowned poet named "among the modern masters" (Washington Post). From one of our most celebrated contemporary poets--long-listed for the National Book Award and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and England's T.S. Eliot Prize--comes […]

Bonnie Tsui presents Why We Swim, "a beautifully written love letter to water and a fascinating story" (Rebecca Skloot). To reserve your seat, please purchase a copy of Why We Swim by speaking to a bookseller or clicking on the cover below. Humans, unlike other animals that are drawn to water, are not natural-born swimmers. We must be […]

Elizabeth Wetmore in Conversation with Sylvia Brownriggdiscussing Wetmore's marvelous debut novel, Valentine. Friday, April 17, 2020 - 7:30pm

On January 21st Vintage Berkeley is hosting Jonathan Lethem, one of America's greatest writers (Motherless Brooklyn, et many al) to discuss his book The Arrest while we drink wines paired to the book! (You can get a white, a red, or both!)