Herein
Books of the Month
Book on the Park
New shirts and bags
Author Events
Quick Links

art by Roman Muradov

Summer reading is upon us, and if you are adrift or out of the reading habit, we basically exist to put books and readers together.  So drop by soon, or call, or browse our favorites.  We're open late and chomping at the bit to get you into your next favorite book.

In today's newsletter we offer: 
  • our June Book of the Month, guaranteed to please;
  • an update on the second store, coming soon to 9th Avenue in the Sunset; 
  • new bags and shirts designed by a neighbor in our recent contest; and
  • June author events.   

And remember: you can read digitally and shop locally.  Our partnership with Kobo allows you to read eBooks on any device (except Kindle).  Sign up here and Green Apple will forever get a cut of your eBook purchases.  

 

Read on!
Book of the Month 
Each month, we present THE book we are most passionate about.  This month's is a gem of insight, loss, and laughter: Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (Bloomsbury).  We have SIGNED copies for those who act fast!

Roz Chast's memoir is a deeply human look at her relationship with her aging parents. At turns angry and sad, but always filtered through Chast's trademark humor, Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? articulates the concerns that many of us are (or soon will be) experiencing with our own parents. This is the rare book that manages to successfully pull off what it risks. It's got the feel of a classic.

And the NY Times review gushed: "This is a beautiful book, deeply felt, both scorchingly honest about what it feels like to love and care for a mother who has never loved you back, at least never the way you had wanted, and achingly wistful about a gentle father who could never break free of his domineering wife and ride to his daughter's rescue. It veers between being laugh-out-loud funny and so devastating I had to take periodic timeouts."
an update on Green Apple Books on the Park

We're getting lots of questions about our coming second store on 9th Avenue at Lincoln, so we've put together an FAQ page.

Most importantly, we are NOT closing our Clement Street locations.  This is an additional store, a return to 9th Avenue after a roughly 15-year absence.

We have a logo (thanks to artist Roman Muradov); bookcases are on order; we're building an inventory, hiring booksellers, and choosing wood for the counters.  Follow our progress on Twitter and/or Facebook!
New shirts and bags

Our newest shirts are now available in men's and women's styles.  We also made some handsome canvas bags in black.  You can order them online here, or drop by to check them out. 

The design (approved by the Bradbury estate, of course) was created by our neighbor Carrie Niziolek.  She is a scientist by day and part-time artist; her Etsy shop is here.

The top two runners-up in our contest, who also received nifty prizes, are here. 
Events Galore
We have an intense slew of author events on the horizon, and we hope you'll feel inspired to put on some pants and get out of the house one evening, meet some other booklovers, and dip into a new book.  As always, if you can't make a particular event but want signed copies, just call us (415-387-2272) and pre-pay.  We'll hook you up.

Thursday, June 12:  Kevin Fisher-Paulson  

 

Please join Green Apple Books on Thursday, June 12th at 7:00 p.m. as we host Kevin Fisher-Paulson as he reads from his latest book A Song for Lost Angels: How Daddy and Papa Fought to Save Their Family. 

 

This book tells the intimate history of a family of two men plus triplets that came together suddenly one day, and thrived for a year before being torn apart by groundless prejudice. San Francisco author Kevin Fisher-Paulson tells this riveting story with grace, dignity, and a surprisingly generous dose of humor. "After a week of not sleeping, Papa and I got into the routine of baby care: feed the baby, burp the baby, change the baby, put the baby to bed, wash baby's clothes, rinse out baby's bottle, and make more formula, just about in time to start feeding the baby. Oh, and that process was in duplicate. In fact it was in duplicate with a third kid in the hospital, across the bay. I often found that I was still in my bathrobe at three o'clock in the afternoon. The witty gay couple with lots of time for canapés and cocktails had quickly turned into two sleep-deprived, middle-aged men." A Song for Lost Angels takes the discussion of gay marriage to the next level, where the rights and struggles of gay parents and their kids can be openly recognized. This family history will make you laugh, cry, and sometimes sputter with outrage, even as it redefines what Americans call "family values."

Friday, June 20: an evening of poetry 

 

Please join us in welcoming poets Corey Van Landingham, Rob Schlegal, Emily Kendal Frey, and Jeff Alessandrelli on Friday, June 20th at 6 p.m here at Green Apple. 

 

More details about each poet can be found here.  

 

Tuesday, June 24: Litquake's Epicenter with Katie Crouch and Glen David Gold (offsite)
 

Celebrating the launch of her newest novel, Abroad, Litquake's Epicenter is excited to present Katie Crouch in conversation with Glen David Gold (Carter Beats the Devil and Sunnyside). Book sales and signing to follow at the Hotel Rex; details. 

 

Inspired by real events, Crouch's Abroad is a beautiful and chilling narrative about the perils of youth, secrecy, and love. Taz, a British college student, is looking forward to her year abroad in Italy. Upon her arrival, Taz befriends a group of reckless young women who shift her in ways she never expected. Soon Taz's American roommate Claire grows concerned, especially when Taz and Claire fall in love with the same man, leading to an explosive climax.  

 

Katie Crouch is the New York Times bestselling author of Girls in Trucks and Men and Dogs, as well as the young adult novels  The Magnolia League and The White Glove War. She contributes to The Guardian, McSweeney's, Tin House, Slate, the Rumpus, The San Francisco Chronicle, Salon, and Glamour. A MacDowell Fellow and alumnae of the Columbia MFA program, Crouch lives in Bolinas, California.  

 

Glen David Gold is the author of the novels Carter Beats the Devil and Sunnyside. His essays, memoirs and short fiction have appeared in McSweeney's, The New York Times Magazine, and London's Independent. 

 

Thursday, June 26:  Peoplescapes: My Story From Purging to Paintings  

 

On Thursday, June 26, Green Apple Books will transform the second floor of the main store into a small scale art gallery as we feature some of the delightful paintings from the visual memoir Peoplescapes: My Story From Purging to Paintings by Nancy Calef with Jody Weiner.  

   

This transformational journey in words and 149 full color paintings and drawings, chronicles Nancy Calef's evolution from child model, suffering anorexia and bulimia, through recovery and maturation into a multi-disciplined artist renowned for her innovative "Peoplescapes": vibrant plein-air colors applied to exaggerated snapshots of the human condition.  Characters are often rendered in 3D, sculpted on the canvas, found objects, symbolism and commentary added, together producing a razor sharp narrative on issues facing society.

 

More here.  


Saturday, June 28:Noah Levine on Refuge Recovery

Please help us welcome author Noah Levine, as he reads from his latest book,  Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovery, on Saturday, June 28th at 5pm.

 

In Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovery, bestselling author and renowned Buddhist teacher Noah Levine delivers a much needed alternative to 12-step programs-offering a proven practice, a set of tools, a treatment, and a path to healing addiction and the suffering caused by addiction.

 

Based on the foundational practices of Buddhism and the traditional formulation of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Refuge Recovery does not ask anyone to believe anything. In fact, no previous experience or knowledge of Buddhism is required. By trusting the process and sincerely putting in the hard work, this systemic program will ensure a full recovery from addition and a lifelong sense of well-being and happiness.

 

Noah Levine is the founder of the Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society, with two centers in Los Angeles and over twenty affiliated groups in North America and Europe. He is the author of the national bestseller Dharma Punx and Against the Stream. He leads meditation groups and workshops nationally as well as in juvenile halls and prisons. Levine holds a master's degree in counseling psychology and has studied with many well-known and respected teachers in both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. Levine lives in Los Angeles.
Thanks for reading.
 
Sincerely,
 
Pete et al
Green Apple Books and Music
415-387-2272