Independent Bookstore Day Celebrations
Featuring special virtual events, limited edition merch, and more! Check this page for updates on the exciting happenings.
Virtual Events!
Saturday, April 24 @ 10:00 AM (PST) - Rachel Sarah will be signing all copies of Girl Warriors sold for this event! Click the RSVP link above to order your copy today.
Writer, journalist, and founding member of Literary Mama, Rachel Sarah shares her inspirational work, Girl Warriors: How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth. (Ages 9+)
"A powerful collection of hopeful, diverse, and fearless voices that ignites readers to dream loud, think big, take action, and make change." --Mae Respicio, award-winning author of The House That Lou Built
Rachel will be joined by two activists featured in the book:
-- Hannah Testa, founder of Hannah4Change in Cumming, Georgia. She has been an environmentalist activist most of her life — all 18 years of it. Since the age of four, Hannah has made it her mission to fight for the planet and its future. Her passion is protecting people, animals, and the planet through education, awareness, and policy work. Hannah is also the author of Taking on the Plastics Crisis.
-- Selina N. Leem, age 23, is from from the Marshall Islands, and she's currently living in Seattle, WA. Selina grew experiencing the effects of climate change on the Marshall Islands, where the sea levels have been rising every year, causing the islands to slowly disappear. She's determined to tell people in wealthier nations about how the poorest island nations are bearing the brunt of emissions from the richer countries. Selina addressed the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris to speak about the Marshall Islands.
Saturday, April 24 @ 2:00 PM (PST)
Bay Area author & illustrator (and legend!) Judd Winick joins us on this special day for a talk about the latest in his bestselling HiLo series, Gina--The Girl Who Broke the World.
An action-packed page turner with heart!--Dav Pilkey, author of DOGMAN
Hilo's back! Introducing an exciting, BRAND NEW epic story arc starring GINA in the New York Times BESTSELLING GRAPHIC NOVEL SERIES that kids and critics love!
Hundreds of years ago, MAGIC disappeared from Earth. At least...UNTIL NOW. Because suddenly, giant magical beings are appearing and only GINA can see them. Not to mention, Gina can somehow do magic herself. Magic is powerful. But it can also be DANGEROUS. With DJ and HILO's help, can Gina figure out how to protect the magical beings from the creatures who are after them? AND how to use her magic to become who she was always meant to be? And can she do it WITHOUT putting the entire PLANET in JEOPARDY?! Find out in Hilo 7--a laugh-out-loud, action packed adventure filled with epic battles! friendship! annoying older brothers! annoying older sisters! good guys! bad guys! inappropriate jokes! mangoes! magic! and much, much more!
Here's what people (and robots!) are saying about Hilo!
Every kid would love a pal like Hilo, and every kid will LOVE this book! --Lincoln Peirce, author of Big Nate series
A story that can be enjoyed by the entire family. --New York Times
Saturday, April 24 @ 5:00 PM (PST)
California Writers’ Club board member Carole Bumpus shares Book Three in her engaging Savoring the Old Way series, A September to Remember: Searching for Culinary Pleasures at the Italian Table - Lombardy, Tuscany, Compania, Apulia, and Lazio. Carole will be in conversation with creativity coach, artist, and memoirist Darlene Frank.
"Do you want to visit Italy, or do you want to experience Italy?" Those enticing words were the lure that emboldened Carole Bumpus and her husband to take a month-long trip to Italy one memorable September--a trip during which they discovered a land of unforgettable characters, sumptuous traditional foods, and sublime beauty.
Join Carole Bumpus and her husband in Book Three of the Savoring the Olde Ways series as they take you on their first culinary trek through Italy, including regions of Lombardy, Tuscany, Compania, Apulia, and Lazio. Embrace unforgettable characters such as lovely guides Lisa and Margarita, who introduce you to the "true Italian experience." Sup on traditional foods ( cucina povera) including local tortelli, pappardelle al cinghiale (wild boar), bistecca all Fiorentina, pasta alla vongole (clams), or saltimbocca alla Romana. Sip regional wines, along with memorable digestivos like limoncello and grappa. Find yourself dancing at harvest festivals, climbing through Etruscan tombs, traipsing among Roman ruins, or bathing in ancient Roman termés (hot springs). Climb to the heights in elegant Capri on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast, or to the top of the "holiest of holies" at St. Peter's Basilica. Soak up ancient and cultural history in Milan, Firenze (Florence), Amalfi, Pompeii, Lecce, and Rome. Bask in the sun and opalescent waters along the rugged coasts of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas. And, best of all, capture a rare glimpse into the secrets of the Mediterranean psyche while sharing a good meal with new friends. It is truly the trip of a lifetime.
In-Store Meet & Greets! No RSVPs required. Join us!
Saturday, April 24 -- From 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (PST) @ Books Inc. CampbellLocal author and illustrator Casey Jane Satterlund will be stopping by Books Inc. Campbell for a meet-and-greet signing of her whimsical debut book, Harvest.
About the author:
My name is Casey Jane Satterlund, and in a way I’ve been working toward these stories my whole life.
My career working with children began when I was eleven years old. I volunteered at a summer camp at our local children’s museum, where I was free to play with preschool children, introducing innovative games and early art projects.
I was hired on as regular staff the minute I could get my work permit. From then, my job was helping middle school students produce a biweekly Zine that was filled with their stories, articles, and artwork.
Saturday, April 24 -- From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PST) @ Books Inc. Campbell
Campbell writer Johnny DePalma will be stopping by Books Inc. Campbell for a meet-and-greet signing of his beautfiul book, 52 - A Tale of Loneliness.
Spark conversations of empathy, joy, and self-acceptance, in what critics are calling; “Poignant,” “Original,” “A beautiful tale for all ages.” and “A joy to read!”
Far beneath the beautiful sea, a unique whale sings a song that is all his own. Inspired by the incredible true story of the 52 Hz whale, this lyrical tale of loneliness and individuality will delight readers of all ages.
Told in short, poetic passages, this whale, simply known as 52, celebrates the joy of life he's found beneath the ocean waves. But, there is just one small problem… no other whale can hear him sing!
Yet, despite this hardship, 52 remains optimistic, introducing us to the magic and the beauty of his own invisible world.
Saturday, April 24 -- From 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM (PST) @ Books Inc. Campbell
Bay Area educator and writer Hayley Diep will be stopping by Books Inc. Campbell for a meet-and-greet signing of her empowering and fun book, If You Give a Girl a Bike. (Ages 0-8)
If you give a girl a bike, she will ride and ride and ride. She may also ask for a skateboard, climbing shoes, and a surfboard!
Follow these adventurous girls as they learn new sports. They may fall every now and then, but they aren't afraid of a few scrapes or bruises!
Saturday, April 24 -- From 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM (PST) @ Books Inc. CampbellSan Jose-based communications consultant, urban planner, and explorer Cassie Kifer will be stopping by Books Inc. Campbell meet-and-greet signing of her essential guide, Secret San Jose: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.
Which scientific landmark in San Jose moonlights as a mausoleum? Where can you find sacred street-food that will bring you closer to enlightenment? What's the real story behind Sarah Winchester's mysterious house? Find the answers to these and other questions you didn't know you had in Secret San Jose: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure. From player pianos to disappearing lakes, ghost towns, and buried limbs, this unconventional guidebook will take you through bizarre and fascinating stories that define San Jose's history and shaped this one-of-a-kind city. Whether you are a life-long San Jose resident, new transplant, or first-time visitor, local travel writer Cassie Kifer will introduce you to quirky and beautiful places and share stories about the city that never get told. Part tour and part scavenger hunt, this guide will take you to some of the weirdest and most wonderful places in Northern California's biggest and most misunderstood city.
Saturday, April 24 -- From 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (PST) @ Books Inc. Mountain ViewDebut novelist Allison Saft will be stopping by Books Inc. Mountain View for a meet-and-greet signing of her captivating work, Down Comes the Night.
A YA fantasy classic in the making. - Christine Lynn Herman, author of The Devouring Gray
Fans of Leigh Bardugo's "Grisha Trilogy" and Marie Rutkoski's "Winner's Trilogy" have been waiting for this Darkling-esque romance... - School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Allison Saft's Down Comes the Night is a snow-drenched romantic fantasy that keeps you racing through the pages long into the night.
He saw the darkness in her magic. She saw the magic in his darkness.
Wren Southerland's reckless use of magic has cost her everything: she's been dismissed from the Queen's Guard and separated from her best friend--the girl she loves. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate, Colwick Hall, to cure his servant from a mysterious illness, she seizes her chance to redeem herself.
The mansion is crumbling, icy winds haunt the caved-in halls, and her eccentric host forbids her from leaving her room after dark. Worse, Wren's patient isn't a servant at all but Hal Cavendish, the infamous Reaper of Vesria and her kingdom's sworn enemy. Hal also came to Colwick Hall for redemption, but the secrets in the estate may lead to both of their deaths.
With sinister forces at work, Wren and Hal realize they'll have to join together if they have any hope of saving their kingdoms. But as Wren circles closer to the nefarious truth behind Hal's illness, they realize they have no escape from the monsters within the mansion. All they have is each other, and a startling desire that could be their downfall.
Love makes monsters of us all
Saturday, April 24 -- From 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PST) @ Books Inc. Chestnut, San Francisco
Former noted criminal defense attorney and USA Today, ABC, and ESPN legal analyst Mark Shaw will be stopping by Books Inc. in the Marina for a meet-and-greet signing of his latest investigative work, Collateral Damage.
If there had been no cover-up of Robert Kennedy’s complicity in the murder of Marilyn Monroe in 1962 and he had been prosecuted based on compelling evidence at the time, the assassination of JFK by Bobby’s enemies would not have happened—changing the course of history and preventing the murder of media icon Dorothy Kilgallen. In "Collateral Damage," a breakthrough book that is sure to be relevant for years to come, bestselling author (The Reporter Who Knew Too Much) and distinguished historian Mark Shaw investigates the connection between the mysterious deaths of motion picture screen siren Marilyn Monroe, President John F. Kennedy, and What’s My Line? TV star and crack investigative reporter Dorothy Kilgallen. A former noted criminal defense attorney and network legal analyst, Shaw provides an illuminating perspective as to how Robert Kennedy’s abuse of power during the early 1960s resulted in the murders of Marilyn, JFK, and Dorothy. More about Mark at www.markshawbooks.com.
All day at Books Inc. Opera Plaza, San Francisco -- Sealed snack packs with yummy treats to thank you for your continued support, and limited edition items for sale. Stop by and say hi!
All day at Books Inc. Palo Alto -- Local authors have been stopping by all week to sign copies of their books, stop by to see the selection. Plus, groovy book swag, play with magnetic poetry, get a free advanced reader copy of a book in exchange for writing a book review, and more!
All day at Books Inc. Alameda -- Play with magnetic poetry and have the change to win a free Kitty Unicorn headband with purchase. Come on by!
All day at Books Inc. Berkeley -- Join the no-contact scavenger hunt for a chance to win free advanced reader copies of books and swag bags!
Independent Bookstore Day Exclusive Items. Click here.
Libro.fm Special!
How It Works
1. Spend $15 or more at your local bookstore (in-person or online) between April 24 and April 26.
2. Submit your receipt to libro.fm/ibd no later than 9:00AM (ET) Tuesday, April 27
3. Check your inbox. Libro.fm will email out codes to redeem your free audiobook no later than Thursday, April 28.
