About this Event
These authors will recommend their favorite Holiday Book Picks and sign copies of their latest books!
This is your perfect chance to get ready for the Holiday’s and hear from local authors about books they love!
Learn more about these authors and their latest books below. See you at the store!
Tomas Moniz - King of Aloe Vera
An elderly man has just a month to leave his home. A young woman from his neighborhood is soon to be unhoused. Slowly but surely, the two form an unlikely yet transformational friendship in this warm and funny novel about love and community.
Seventy-five-year-old Rey has lived on the same block in San Francisco's Mission District for most of his life, watching his city transform. A widower for ten years, he spends most of his time volunteering at the library, but by the end of the month, Rey must move into a senior retirement and leave his neighborhood behind. It's at the library during one of his last shifts where he meets Q, on probation, post breakup with her girlfriend and dealing with a troubled family.
As Rey tries to decide what to do with the rest of his days, literally counting them off and cutting his remaining ties, Q begins to insert herself into his world in a way that he can't deny.
A story about Latinx identity, intergenerational friendship, and chosen family, Moniz's novel takes us on a journey through senior dance classes, illegal bike trips over the Bay Bridge, and fair housing rallies. And as the days tick down, Rey and Q find themselves leaning on each other for answers on how to find community and purpose, make amends, and process grief.
For readers of Steven Rowley and Claire Jimenez, equally funny and tender, The King of Aloe Vera delights in how we choose to live, and live out, our lives.
Tomas Moniz is a Latinx writer living in East Oakland, CA. His debut novel, Big Familia, was a finalist for the 2020 PEN/Hemingway and a Lambda Literary Award. His second novel, All Friends Are Necessary, won the 2024 California Golden Poppy Award. He teaches at Berkeley City College, the Antioch MFA program and St. Mary's College. He has stuff on the internet but loves penpals: PO Box 3555, Berkeley CA 94703. He promises to write back.
Vincent Chu – Nice Places
A Sunday Times must-read book of 2026 Starred review, Booklist Electric Lit's summer reads list Philosophical, tender, and hilariously observed, Nice Places subverts the “go find yourself” travel story, unpacking our shared desire for meaning, connection, and a true place in the world.
When Georgie quits his job at Oats Technologies to travel the world for one year, he hopes to escape the daily existential discomfort of corporate life. But after a meditation guru robs him on his way to the airport, he awakens in a guest house in the rundown yet vibrant Panhandle neighborhood of his own city.
Alone with his phone and a desperate urge to assure his friends and family all is well, Georgie shares a photo of “authentic” boat noodles.
To his surprise, everyone loves the post and believes he is overseas. Ant, a mixed media artist from Berlin, proposes a collaboration. With her vision and the help of a charming cast of guests and locals, Georgie’s unlikely adventures unravel in ways he never imagined.
Vincent Chu is author of the story collection Like a Champion (7.13 Books, 2018). His fiction has appeared in Muumuu House, STILL Magazine, Pithead Chapel, PANK Magazine, and elsewhere. Vincent is a Hambidge Fellow, former Headlands Center for the Arts Affiliate Artist, and Pushcart Prize nominee. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from UCLA. Vincent lives with his wife and son in Oakland, California.
Jerrold Connors – Stampede
Filled with hilarious, read-aloud moments and adorable cows, STAMPEDE! is a fun-filled, global adventure.
Jasper and Cleo are two little cows who should be taking a nap, but ... "It's hot and my legs are wiggly," said Jasper. "The grass is itchy and my tail is twitchy," said Cleo. When a bite from a hungry horsefly causes the other cows in their herd to stampede, Jasper and Cleo are more than happy to join in on the fun!
From scaring cowboys in the desert to causing chaos in the rainforest, the clever calves become true globetrotters. When their traveling goes from exciting to exhausting, will they be able to stop the herd in time to make it home for a much-needed nap?
Jerrold Connors is a children’s book author and illustrator. His recent works include Jim! Six True Stories About One Great Artist: James Marshall and Big Rhinoceros, Little Rhinoceros. Jerrold was born in the United States and raised in Indonesia and Canada. He has been an elementary school teacher, made games for websites like PBSkids.org and Noggin.com, and created interactive experiences for museums like The Lawrence Hall of Science and the Children’s Creativity Museum. He was a 2017 James Marshall Fellow, and his art has appeared in The New Yorker. Jerrold lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Event venue & nearby stays
Books Inc. Alameda, 1344 Park Street, Alameda, United States
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