Adult
Robert L. Allen - Berkeley professor of African American & Ethnic Studies and author of many books including The Port Chicago Mutiny, which discuss the July 1944 munitions explosions at the Port Chicago, California naval base, where more than 300 Naval enlistees were killed, most of them black. The event triggered an historic mutiny involving 50 men who refused to continue to work in these unsafe conditions. Learn more about this author.
Location: Bay Point Library on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Joey Altman and Jennie Schacht - authors of Without Reservations: How to Make Bold, Creative, Flavorful Food at Home. Altman is the host of Bay Café, a San Francisco Bay Area television show that has won two James Beard Awards. He was also the host of two FoodNetwork shows, Tasting Napa and Appetite for Adventure. Jennie Schacht is the coauthor of The Wine Lover's Dessert Cookbook and has written for many national and international publications. Learn more about this author.
Location: Orinda Library on Sunday, May 18 at 11:00 a.m.
Anita Amirrezvani - Iranian born Bay area author of the highly acclaimed book The Blood of Flowers, set in 17th-century Persia, which tells the story of a 14-year-old girl who masters the art of making and selling carpets. Booklist called this “ a sumptuous tale of female fortitude and ingenuity. Learn more about this author.
Location: El Sobrante Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Cara Black - San Francisco-based author of the popular Aimée Leduc Investigation mystery series set in Paris, San Francisco Chronicle bestsellers. Black is a frequent visitor to Paris; Murder in the Rue de Paradis is her eighth mystery set there. Of her latest mystery, Publishers Weekly says, “Aimée Leduc, smart, spirited and sassy, takes the reader on an action-packed ride fueled by the hidden secrets of her beloved Paris.” Learn more about this author.
Location: Crockett Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
David Corbett - author of political crime thrillers, including Blood of Paradise and Done for a Dime, Corbett spent 15 years as an operative with a San Francisco private investigation firm, an experience that informs his writing on the ubiquity of crime, corruption and violence in this world. Learn more about this author.
Location: El Cerrito Library on Saturday, May 17 at 12:00 p.m.
Kelly Corrigan - Piedmont-based newspaper columnist and debut author of the highly-acclaimed memoir, The Middle Place. Corrigan is a contributor to magazines including O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Glamour. She launched CircusofCancer.org, a website that teaches friends and family of cancer patients how to love someone through treatment. Learn more about this author.
Location: San Ramon Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Catherine Coulter - Coulter is the New York Times bestselling author of the action packed FBI thrillers, including TailSpin and Double Jeopardy, both of which are to be released in June 2008,as well as The Cove, The Maze, The Target, The Edge, Riptide, Hemlock Bay, Eleventh Hour, Blindside, Blowout, and Point Blank.She has written well over fifty books spanning multiple genres. Whether it's contemporary suspense or historical romance you prefer, you don't want to miss what promises to be an exciting time! Learn more about this author.
Location: Hercules Library on Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Drew Dellinger - a spoken word poet, teacher, and activist. He is founder of Poets for Global Justice, and author of the collection of poems, Love Letter to the Milky Way. Dellinger has presented and performed at hundreds of conferences, colleges, protests, and events across the country, speaking on justice, cosmology, ecology, and democracy. Learn more about this author.
Location: Lafayette Library on Saturday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Firoozeh Dumas - author of the best-selling memoir: Funny in Farsi; her new book, scheduled for publication in April 2008, is Laughing Without an Accent: Adventures of an Iranian American, at Home and Abroad. Readers of all ages will enjoy her stories. Jimmy Carter called Funny in Farsi, “A humorous and introspective chronicle of a life filled with love—of family, country and heritage.” Learn more about this author.
Location: Willow Pass Community Center, Concord, on Sunday, May 18th at 2:00 p.m.
Karen Joy Fowler - poet, novelist, and author of The Jane Austen Book Club, which inspired a Hollywood film adaptation last fall. Fowler is the author of other novels - including Sister Noon, Sarah Canary, and The Sweetheart Season - and several volumes of poetry. Her latest novel, Wit’s End, has been described by Publishers Weekly as a “quietly funny, slightly mysterious novel of discovering one's roots.” Learn more about this author.
Location: San Ramon Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Susan Griffin - author of many influential books, including A Chorus of Stones, which won the Bay Area Book Reviewers Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Critics Circle Award. Griffin’s latest book is Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy: On Being an American Citizen, a unique and timely exploration of American history, which demonstrates that ultimately democracy is not only a system of governance, but, in its fullest form, represents a revolution in consciousness—one that is still unfolding today. Learn more about this author.
Location: Online interview
Steven Hockensmith - author of the Western mysteries Holmes on the Range, On the Wrong Track, and the newly released The Black Dove: A Holmes on the Range Mystery, as well as numerous short stories. Holmes on the Range was a finalist for the Edgar, the Anthony, the Shamus and the Dilys Award. Learn more about this author.
Location: Antioch High School, Beede Auditorium, on Saturday, May 17th at 11:00 a.m.
John Hamamura - born in Japan the final year of WWII, his family living in both the US and Japan. His first novel, The Color of the Sea, winner of the 2007 Alex award, explores a generation of Japanese-Americans coming to terms with the events of the War and their loyalties.
Location: Moraga Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Dean Karnazes - named one of the Top 10 Ultimate Athletes by Outside magazine and president of EnergyWell Natural Foods in San Francisco, Karnazes is the author of Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner. He travels the county promoting the importance of physical exercise and good diet. Learn more about this author.
Location: San Pablo Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Joyce Maynard - CANCELLED We regret to announce that Ms. Maynard will not be available to speak at our upcoming Reading Festival. In her place, will be author John Hamamura.
Caille Millner - author of the recently published memoir The Golden Road: Notes on My Gentrification. Millner is on the editorial board of the San Francisco Chronicle. She has also written for Newsweek, Essence, The Washington Post, and The Fader. Learn more about this author.
Location: Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center, Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m. Hosted by the Brentwood Library.
Greg Mortenson 
- co-author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, winner of the 2007 Kiriyama Prize for nonfiction that tells the story of Mortensen’s campaign to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, following his failed climb of K2, the world’s second tallest mountain. Learn more about this author.
Location: Community Presbyterian Church, Danville on Saturday, May 17 at 8:00 p.m.
Peggy Orenstein - noted journalist and non-fiction author of Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self- Esteem, and the Confidence Gap and Flux: Women on Sex, Work, Love, Kids, and Life in a Half-Changed World. Her most recent book, Waiting for Daisy, is a memoir of her quest for parenthood. Learn more about this author.
Location: Oakley Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Barbara Quick - award-winning author of several books, including the recently published historical novel Vivaldi’s Virgins. Her 1990 novel Northern Edge, which was based on two field seasons the author spent with a group of bird biologists in arctic Alaska, has been optioned for film. Barbara’s reviews, essays and articles have appeared in the New York Times Book Review, Newsweek, Ms., the Los Angeles Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. Her first nonfiction book, Still Friends: Living Happily Ever After…Even If Your Marriage Falls Apart, was published in 2000. Learn more about this author.
Location: Kensington Library on Saturday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Cathryn Jakobson Ramin - a journalist for the past twenty-five years, Jakobson Ramin has been published in the New York Times Magazine; O, The Oprah Magazine; New York magazine; and the Los Angeles Times, among many other publications. She is the author of Carved in Sand: When Attention Fails and Memory Fades in Midlife, which Kirkus Reviews called “a wholly encouraging plan for mental fitness." Learn more about this author.
Location: Jewish Community Center, Walnut Creek, on Saturday, May 17th at 2:00 p.m.
Ethan Rarick - author of Desperate Passage: The Donner Party's Perilous Journey West. As a journalist, Rarick covered politics, crime, business and sports throughout the West. His writing has appeared in many publications, including the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. He is the director of the Center on Politics at UC Berkeley, and is the author of California Rising: The Life and Times of Pat Brown. Learn more about this author.
Location: Martinez Library on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Michelle Richmond - author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Year of Fog, the forthcoming novel No One You Know, and the award-winning story collection The Girl in the Fall-Away Dress. The Year of Fog, set in San Francisco, was a Kirkus Reviews Top Pick for Reading Groups and a San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book, and is currently in development with Newmarket Films. Learn more about this author.
Location: Ygnacio Valley Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Rosner - Poet and bestselling author, Rosner is the daughter of Jewish holocaust survivors. Her writing reflects her efforts to come to terms with the impact of her parents' experiences on her own life, the indelible imprints of their history on her language, her identity, and her imagination. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Harold U. Ribalow Prize and the Prix France Bleu Gironde, for her first novel, The Speed of Light. The San Francisco Chronicle named Rosner’s second novel, Blue Nude, a Best Book of 2006. Learn more about this author.
Location: Pittsburg Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Sheldon Siegel - a practicing attorney in San Francisco for over twenty-five years, is the author of six critically-acclaimed, best-selling courtroom dramas featuring San Francisco criminal defense lawyers Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez. His books include The Confession and Final Verdict and the yet to be released Judgement Day. Learn more about this author.
Location: Clayton Library on Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m.
Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace - Edited by Maxine Hong Kingston, Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace is an anthology of nonfiction, fiction, and poetry that speak of worlds torn apart then rebuilt. Contributors include combat veterans, medics, and others who served in war; gang members, drug users, and victims of domestic violence; draft resisters, deserters, and peace activists who participated in Maxine Hong Kingston’s writing-and-meditation workshops for veterans and their families. Winner of the 2007 Northern California Book Reviewers Special Award in Publishing, Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace has been described by the San Francisco Magazine as “a glowing result of a brave experiment.” Appearing at the Reading Festival will be contributors Sean Brown, Doug Zachary, Bonnie Bonner, and Robert Jost. Learn more about this author.
Location: Pleasant Hill Library on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Lolly Winston - CANCELLED We regret to announce that Ms. Winston will not be available to speak at our upcoming Reading Festival. In her place, will be local author Michelle Richmond.
Teen
Oliver Chin - critically-acclaimed writer and artist based in San Francisco, Oliver Chin is the author of the popular series about animals of the Chinese zodiac. His latest, Year of the Rat, tells the tale of Ralph, a baby rat seeking out mischief and adventure. Year of the Rat follows Chin’s previous Chinese zodiac-themed stories, Year of the Pig (2007) and Year of the Dog (2006). As an artist, Oliver Chin will be is doing a comic drawing program and speaking about how to create your own comics.
Location: San Pablo Library on Friday, May 16 at 5 p.m.
Pinole Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Paul Genesse - Author of the debut fantasy novel for young adults and adults, The Golden Cord, Book One in the Iron Dragon series. Genesse’s short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. His current project is Medusa's Daughter, a fantasy set in ancient Greece. In addition to writing, he enjoys crafting maps of fantastical realms. Learn more about this author.
Location: Antioch Library on Saturday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Rosemary Graham - Berkeley author of young adult books including Thou Shalt Not Dump the Skater Dude and My not-so-terrible time at the Hippie Hotel. Ms Graham teaches English and creative writing at St Mary’s College of California. The Contra Costa Times said, "It's a frontal-snogging, pant-traveling kind of book, with enough relationship drama and teenage humor to charm readers without mortifying their parents at book-report time." Learn more about this author.
Location: Bay Point Library on Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Frank Portman - (a.k.a. Dr. Frank) the singer/songwriter/guitarist of the influential East Bay punk band the Mr. T. Experience (MTX). MTX has released about a dozen albums since forming in the mid 1980s. Portman is the author of the big hit young adult novel King Dork, which the School Library Journal hailed as “original, heartfelt, and sparkling with wit and intelligence.” Portman’s second book for teen readers, Andromeda Klein, is scheduled for publication next year. Learn more about this author.
Location: Pinole Library on Friday, May 16 at 4:00 p.m.
Penny Warner - Contra Costa County resident, has published more than 40 books, including six mysteries in the award-winning Connor Westphal series. Her Mystery of the Haunted Caves (Meadowbrook Press/Simon & Schuster) won an Agatha Award and an Anthony Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.She is also the author of the popular Official Nancy Drew Handbook. Learn more about this author.
Location: Los Medanos College, Brentwood Center, 101 A Sand Creek Road on Saturday, May 17 at 12:00 p.m. Hosted by the Brentwood Library.
Children
Marsha Diane Arnold - author of exuberant and engaging children’s picture books, including Hugs on the Wind, Roar of a Snore and Heart of a Tiger. Marsha will be reading from and telling the story behind the writing of Prancing, Dancing Lily, which the San Francisco Chronicle called “…a wildly imaginative story that celebrates the iconoclast who's looking for her niche. The art is a crack-up.” Learn more about this author.
Location: Pleasant Hill Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Gary Bogue and Chuck Todd - author and illustrator of There's an Opossum in My Backyard. Bogue has been the daily newspaper columnist on pets, wildlife and environmental issues for Contra Costa Newspapers, Walnut Creek, CA, since January, 1970. His resume includes museum curator at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Executive Director of the Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) and book author. Chuck Todd is an illustrator, visual journalist and sequential artist. His work as appeared in newspapers, magazines, literary journals and annual reports over the past fifteen years. He is Presentation Editor at the Contra Costa Times and has taught drawing and storyboarding classes at the Academy of Art College. His work has been exhibited in the midwest and in the Bay Area.
Location: El Cerrito Library on Saturday, May 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Madeleine Dunphy - author of a series of children’s books that provide an introduction to the major ecosystems of our planet. Her titles include Here is the Coral Reef, Here is the Wetland, Here is the Southwestern Desert, and Here is the Tropical Rain Forest. In addition to her writing, Dunphy serves as an educational consultant who specializes in endangered environments. Learn more about this author.
Location: Pittsburg Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Matthew Gollub - multiple award-winning author of many children's books including The Jazz Fly:starring Jazz Bugs and Cool Melons--Turn to Frogs! A musician, Matthew Gollub celebrates creativity with engaging storytelling and drumming. Based in Northern California, Gollub speaks professionally at schools and education conferences around the US and abroad. Learn more about this author.
Location: Clayton Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Lynn E. Hazen - author of the middle-grade novel Mermaid Mary Margaret – called "a winner" by Kirkus Reviews – and two children’s picture books, including Buzz Bumble to the Rescue. Lynn draws inspiration from her own kids as well as the exuberant children she encounters in her job as a preschool director. Learn more about this author.
Location: San Pablo Library on Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Barbara Kerley - author of eight children’s books, including the 2005 Sibert Honor Book Walt Whitman: Words for America; A Cool Drink of Water, and The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins. Kerley’s most recent book is What To Do About Alice? How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!, a spirited biography that gives readers a peek of family life inside the White House at the turn of the twentieth century. Learn more about this author.
Location: Hercules Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Elisa Kleven - CANCELLED We regret to announce that Ms. Kleven will not be available to speak at our upcoming Reading Festival.
M. Sarah Klise - Local San Francsican illustrator, M. Sarah Klise, often collaborates with her sister, childrens author, Katie Klise. Titles include Why Do you Cry: Not a Sob Story, Letters from Camp, and Imagine Harry. She also teaches drawing to children, which has been exhibited throughout the bay area and won many awards. Learn more about this author.
Location: San Ramon Library on Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m.
Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff - author of numerous children’s books including John Muir and Stickeen: An Alaskan Adventure and Louise, the One and Only, she is also the author of The ABC's of Writing for Children. More than 300 of her articles have been published in Writer's Digest, Instructor, Parent's Magazine, and the San Francisco Examiner, among other publications. Learn more about this author.
Location: Crockett Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Yuyi Morales - Yuyi Morales is an author & award-winning illustrator of many beloved children’s books, including the celebrated picture book, Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull, and most recently, Little Night/Nochecita, a beautiful picture book both written and illustrated by Morales. Learn more about this author.
Location: Orinda Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Wallace J. Nichols - Marine biologist and co-author of the beautifully illustrated children’s book, Chelonia: Return of the Sea Turtle. Dr. Nichols works in different capacities with several universities and organizations to advance ocean protection. He is also spearheading the Ocean Revolution, a program that inspires, involves and mentors the next generation of ocean conservation leaders. Learn more about this author.
Location: Moraga Library on Saturday, May 17 at 2:00 p.m.
Deborah Lee Rose - Internationally published author of Into the A, B, Sea (N.Y. Public Library 's annual "100 Children's Books to Read and Share") and its companion book, One Nighttime Se. Her whimsical The Twelve Days of Kindergarten and The Twelve Days of Winter, inspired by her children's experiences in Walnut Creek schools, both won the National Parenting Publications (NAPPA) top Gold Award. Learn more about this author.
Location: Ygnacio Valley Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Robert San Souci - perennially favorite author whose award-winning retellings of legends and folktales for children include The Reluctant Dragon: Retold from the Classic Tale by Kenneth Grahame; Fa Mulan, based on the nearly 2,000-year-old "Ballad of Mulan"; Sister Tricksters: Rollicking Tales of Clever Females; and Triple-Dare to Be Scared: Thirteen Further Freaky Tales. Learn more about this author.
Location: Concord Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Daniel San Souci - author and illustrator, San Souci has published nearly fifty children’s books, including thirteen with his brother, Robert. San Souci’s wildlife books are his favorites and he considers Antelope, Bison, Cougar, A National Park Wildlife Alphabet Book the achievement of a lifelong dream of using his art to demonstrate the beauty and importance of wildlife in our country’s national parks. Learn more about this author.
Location: Concord Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
David M. Schwartz - most known as the author of science books and dynamically illustrated children’s mathematical concept books, including How Much Is a Million; On Beyond a Million: An Amazing Math Journey; If You Made a Million, and most recently, Millions to Measure. Schwartz enjoys finding unusual, whimsical ways to make math and science come alive for kids and teachers. Learn more about this author.
Location: Martinez Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Zilpha Keatley Snyder - prolific author of more than 40 books, including The Egypt Game; Black and Blue Magic; The Witches of Worm, and many other classics, Zilpha Keatley Snyder is the recipient of three Newbery Honor Book awards. She will be discussing her newest title is The Bronze Pen. Learn more about this author.
Location: El Sobrante Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Mike Stroud - Northern California magician and author of the popular Klutz Book of Magic. Learn more about this author.
Location: Dougherty Station Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Pamela S. Turner - author of Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog, Gorilla Doctors: Saving Endangered Great Apes (an ALA Notable book), and most recently, Life on Earth - and Beyond: An Astrobiologist's Quest. Learn more about this author.
Location: Lefty Gomez Rec Center, Rodeo, on Saturday, May 17th at 12:00 p.m.
Ginger Wadsworth - author of numerous historical biographies for children, including Cesar Chavez, Rachel Carson, and the On My Own Science series, including Woolly Mammoths. Learn more about this author.
Location: Danville Library on Sunday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m.
Vivian Walsh - Animal lover and author of nine books for children, including Olive, the Other Reindeer, Penguin Dreams, Gluey: a snail tale, and the Mr. Lunch books.Vivian walsh gathers her inspiration from her family pets. Learn more about this author.
Location: Kensington Library on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m.
Jane Wattenberg - Jane Wattenberg is author and illustrator of such books as the popular Henny-Penny and Never Cry Woof!: A Dog-u-Drama. When she is not writing she is an urban farmer; raising chickens, bees and goats. She is also a bay area photographer. Learn more about this author.
Location: Lafayette Library on Saturday, May 17 at 1:00 p.m.
Photo Credits: Elizabeth Rosner – Marion Ettlinger; Lolly Winston – Lisa Pongrace.