Bay Area authors have been springing up new books everywhere.
Get new sci-fi works from visionary Annalee Newitz, a cultural depth across time from best-selling author Jenny Odell, and a cookbook from Hog Island Oyster Co. so we can be self-sufficient at home.
Here’s our selection of current and upcoming books by Bay Area authors.
The Chinese Groove by Kathryn Ma
(Courtesy of @ktlee.writes)
The latest article by San Francisco author Kathryn Ma tells the story of 18-year-old Shelley, born into a despised branch of the Zheng family in Yunnan Province, who lives in the shadow of his widowed father’s grief and dreams of greater things. Fueled by an overflowing heart and his cousin Deng’s great stories about the United States, Shelley makes his way to SF to claim his destiny, confident that all hurdles will be overcome by the awe-inspiring powers of the “Chinese groove,” a belief of the unspoken bonds, easily transcended between compatriots who transcend time and borders.
Kirkus Reviews says, “Ma knows how to twist a storyline in unexpected, deeply satisfying directions by writing with compassion, humor, and insight.”
Ma is the author of the widely acclaimed novel The Year She Left Us, which was named Editors’ Choice and NPR’s Great Read of the Year by the New York Times.
// $27; counterpointpress.com
The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz
(Courtesy of @thespineofmotherhood)
From Bay Area sci-fi visionary Annalee Newitz comes The Terraformers, an immersive, uplifting and insightful exploration of the future. The Washington Post says: “The reader … will surely walk away stunned and blinded … [Newitz] has given us a vivid, whimsical vision of endless potential earned through heroism, love, and wit.”
Destry’s life is dedicated to terraforming Sask-E. As part of the environmental rescue team, she cares for the planet and its burgeoning ecosystems as her parents and their parents did before her. But the bright, clean future they are building is jeopardized when Destry discovers a city full of people who shouldn’t exist, hidden inside a massive volcano. As she learns more about her past, Destry begins to question the mission she has dedicated her life to and must make a decision that will resonate with Sask-E’s future for generations to come.
In addition to writing novels, Newitz is a co-host of the Hugo Award-winning podcast Our Opinions Are Correct, a freelance science writer, a contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, and a columnist at New Scientist.
// $29; us.macmillan.com
Sorry Bro by Taleen Voskuni
(Courtesy of @booksbookseverwhere)
San Francisco author Taleen Voskuni’s debut novel is a heartfelt queer rom-com about an Armenian-American woman rediscovering her roots and embracing who she really is.
When Nareh Bedrossian’s non-Armenian boyfriend gets on his knees in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys and proposes to her, she realizes it’s time to find someone who shares her idea of romance. Enter Her Mom: Armed with plenty of mother guilt and a chart of Armenian men who are followed by Facebook, she persuades Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it’s not the mother-sworn playboy doctor or wealthy engineer that catches Nar’s attention — it’s Erebuni, a woman as absorbed in witchcraft as she is in preserving Armenian identity. With Erebuni as her wingwoman, events suddenly feel less like a chore and much more like an adventure. Who would have thought that cooking Kufte together could be so sexy?
Bookriot says, “Arguably one of the best book titles of this year, ‘Sorry Bro’ is equal parts funny, serious and full of Armenian culture with romance to flourish.”
// $17; penguinrandomhouse.com
Saving Time: Discovering Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell
(Courtesy of @jennitaur)
Oakland artist and author Jenny Odell, the New York Times bestselling author of How to Do Nothing, believes we’re living on the wrong clock and that it’s destroying us. Her new book offers us multiple ways to experience time in this dazzling, subversive, and deeply hopeful book.
In her first book, Odell wrote about the importance of breaking away from the “attention economy” to spend time in quiet contemplation. But what if you don’t have time? To answer this seemingly simple question, Odell delved deep into the basic fabric of our society and discovered that the clock we live by was built for profit, not people. For this reason, even in our free time, our life seems like a series of moments to be bought, sold and processed more and more efficiently. Odell shows us how our painful relationship to time is inextricably linked not only to ongoing social injustices, but also to the climate crisis, existential anxiety and a deadly fatalism.
Rebecca Solnit says: “Inviting us to leave the superhighways and explore the scenic detours, back roads, rebel camps and other visions of who we can be, this immensely generous new book reminds us that there is more to slowness than being Speed.”
// $29, falls in March 2023; penguinrandomhouse.com
The Hog Island Book of Fish and Seafood by John Ash and Ashley Lima
(Courtesy of @hoislandoysterco)
It’s always the right time for oysters. Featuring favorites from the kitchens of Hog Island Oyster Bars and other talented chefs committed to the company’s sustainability ethos, this cookbook showcases more than 250 dishes from cuisines around the world, including regional favorites like SF Cioppino, Southern Crayfish étouffée and New England Clam Soup.
Presenting a variety of cooking methods – such as steaming, roasting, grilling, pan frying, salting – along with illustrated techniques such as shucking oysters, opening clams and filleting fish, this authoritative cookbook guides you through the basics of seafood preparation. And the extensive list of sauces, butters and condiments will help transform your seafood selection into a standout dish. The Hog Island Book of Fish & Seafood is a master class from award-winning chef John Ash, teaching home cooks and professional chefs how to bring culinary gifts from the water to the table with the utmost perfection.
// $40, falls in May 2023; abramsbooks.com
Eddie Muller’s Noir Bar: Cocktails inspired by the world of Eddie Muller’s Film Noir
(Courtesy Running Press)
Eddie Muller, second-generation San Francisco and host of TCM’s Noir Alley, is one of the world’s foremost authorities on film noir and a cocktail connoisseur. In his new book, cineastes and drinks enthusiasts alike experience a spirited tour through the “dark city” of film noir.
The Noir Bar combines carefully curated classic cocktails and modern noir-inspired drinks with behind-the-scenes anecdotes and insights into 50 film noir favorites. Some of the cocktails are straight out of the movies: if you’ve seen In a Lonely Place and wondered what’s in a horse’s neck, now you know. If you watch Pickup on South Street, you’ll find out what its director, Sam Fuller, actually drank off-screen. Didn’t you know that Nightmare Alley’s Joan Blondell inspired a cocktail? It could become a new favorite.
Featuring dozens of film stills, poster art, behind-the-scenes pictures and stunning cocktail photography, Noir Bar is both a stylish and exciting journey through classic cinema’s most popular genre.
// $26, drop May 2023; runningpress.com
