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Howdy, fellow booklover.

Summer reading is upon us. If you're heading out of town, getting on a plane, or just lolling in the foggy park, we hope you'll stock up on books here. We're open late daily to make it easy to connect you with your next great read.

In today's newsletter we offer:

our June Book of the Month, guaranteed to please;
seven new books we think you may want; and
upcoming 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!

June's Book of the Month

Each month, we present THE book we are most passionate about.
Seriously; we guarantee it!
This month's pick is presented by Green Appler Ashley.

The Travels of Daniel Ascher by Deborah Levy-Bertherat (Other Press)

When I first picked up The Travels of Daniel Ascher, it felt heavy for such a small book, as if something invisible were weighing it down. I opened to the first page, and began a journey that I was not expecting. I found myself immersed in a love story, a mystery, a tragic retelling of horrors from the past, under the guise of a novel about a children's book author whose stories take place in remote and exotic locales. What begins as a curious investigation into where the ideas for his books come from, poetically transforms into an account of love and loss, of personal tragedy and redemption. Ultimately, it is a profound and moving story with sadness, reassurance and bits of humor sprinkled in for good measure. The beautiful heft of this book does not come from any physical attribute, but from the solid purpose and placement of each word on the page by an author who is truly magnificent in her craft. - Ashley

Buy it here; we'll ship it anywhere!

New Books You Will Enjoy
(if you get in here and buy them)

Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud (Other Press)

The Meursault Investigation is a complex and subtle reckoning with the legacy of colonialism and the silences it imposes. Although the novel was conceived in the shadow of Albert Camus' The Stranger, readers realize quickly that it haunts those shadows not because it lacks its own light, but because Daoud wants to plumb the depths of that darkness to tell a story that demands to be heard. A brilliant rejoinder to The Stranger -- one I hope becomes a classic. (It was also the front page of the New York Times Books Review on Sunday, so we're not the only ones who think this is worth your time). AND it's a paperback original!

The D

ivers Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida (Harper Collins)

Local author/co-founer of The Believer Vendela Vida takes us on quite a journey in this wry new novel--to Casablanca, but also in search of identity. All tinged with a wry hilarity and bursting with vibrant scenes, bad choices, a little mystery. Taut, unusual, and one you'll want to talk about with your book group.

Of Walking in Ice by Werner Herzog (Univ of Minnesota Press)

Thank heavens University of Minnesota Press brought this old Green Apple favorite back into print!

In November 1974, Werner Herzog received word of the imminent death of film historian Lotte Eisner. He resolved to walk from Munich to be at her side in Paris, in the faith that by essaying this trek, "our Eisner mustn't die, she will not die, I won't permit it"; furthermore, that "when I'm in Paris she will be alive. She must not die. Later, perhaps, when we allow it." The journal he kept of his peregrination through rain, sleet, hail, and snow is a dizzying document. Despite frequent reference to trains and cars, the feeling is that of a journey which may have been made at any time over the past 500 years, as Herzog alternates ecstatic visions (including the ending of Stroszek) with querelous complaints about the state of his feet, legs, and groin. - Spiros

The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson (Graywolf)

Here at Books on the Park, we passed around the advance reading copy of The Argonauts like the fine treasure that it is. You could tell who just finished reading it by the wide-eyed expression of delight and awe. Maggie Nelson is a master of unknotting: seemingly tangled concepts (about love, gender, motherhood) are unraveled and laid clear in her capable hands. - Amy

The Fly Trap by Fredrik Sjoberg (Pantheon)

This book is an unexpected delight. Sjoberg--a man with an unusual passion for hoverflies--is a witty raconteur who's aware of the humor of his singular past-time. His self-deprecation never gets in the way of a good story, though, making The Fly Trap a richly rewarding investigation into those small things (literally!) that capture our imagination. - Sparks (Pete, too, was delighted by The Fly Trap!)

The Life

and Death of Sophie Stark by Anna North (Blue Rider Press)

In this amazing novel Anna North explores the difficulties of human connection and the length some of us will go in order to relate. Each character is drawn so fully and contributes a different fascinating perspective on the enigmatic Sophie Stark. A beautiful exploration of what it means to truly know someone. - Emily

Counternarratives by John Keene (New Directions)

I can't shake the feeling that John Keene has bewitched me with Counternarratives. Through a series of thematically linked stories, told in an astonishing array of voices, Keene unveils a secret, untold history of the Americas. This is one of the most relevant and haunting books published this year. I can't shake it. - Sparks

Author Events

Please note which store is hosting which event! And if you can't make it but want a copy inscribed, just call us (415-387-2272) or order online.

THURSDAY, June 18 on Clement!

Alex Dolan's The Euthanist

a novel of psychological suspense

details

THURSDAY, June 18 at Books on the Park!

Asali Solomon's Disgruntled

an elegant, vibrant, startling coming-of-age novel

details

FRIDAY, June 19 on Clement!

Brenda Knight's Be a Good in the World

an inspiring guide to being kind

details

FRIDAY, June 19 at Books on the Park!

Sarai Walker's Dietland

a novel of the diet revolution

details

MONDAY, June 22 at Books on the Park!

Nicole Haroutuni's Speed Dreaming

(with Lucy Corin)

twelve piercing stories

details

TUESDAY, June 23 at Books on the Park!

Anne Garreta's Sphinx

Translator Emma Ramadan, Oulipo member Daniel Levin Becker, and the Center for the Art of Translation's Scott Esposito in conversation about Anne Garreta's

Sphinx, a landmark text in the feminist and LGBT literary canon appearing in English for the first time.

details