Books Inc. Berkeley

“Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” — Isaac Asimov

With book censorship increasing year by year, booksellers know the importance of championing the titles that readers gravitate towards time & time again: books which allow their readers to see themselves within the diversity of characters & rich tapestry of story. Books which often excite, inspire & uplift those who peruse their ink drenched, dog eared pages.

To celebrate our love for the wild diversity found within literature, here are a few of our favorite challenged & banned books:

📚 Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King

📚Goosebumps (series) by R.L. Stine

📚The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton

📚The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

📚The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger

What books are you celebrating this week, and every day beyond?

Is your voracious middle reader clamoring for a fantastic new weekend read? Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell has booksellers across the Bay Area singing its praises as one of the best fantasy adventures of the year!

https://booksinc.net/book/9780593809860

Come on by to grab your own copy, and maybe a 2nd one for a friend, too!

Grab all of your parenting friends and head on into the shop tonight at 7:00pm to welcome author Jo-Ann Finkelstein for a discussion of her timely, well-written parenting guide Sexism & Sensibility!

Jo-Ann will be in conversation with local author Ruth Whippman!

JO-ANN FINKELSTEIN at Books Inc. Berkeley Welcome to our new website! We're excited to see you. *** RETURNING USERS WILL NEED TO RESET THEIR PASSWORD FOR THIS NEW SITE. CLICK HERE TO RESET YOUR PASSWORD.*** Close this alert

Oh, what a Friday!

Author Scott Westerfeld introduced teen readers to the dazzling yet darkly revolutionary world of Tally Youngblood over 10 years ago with Uglies, the 1st volume in his wildly popular debut dystopian series.

Today, Netflix has just released the long awaited streaming movie in the US, available to watch right now!

Plus, you can preorder the special edition movie-tie in adaptation today, too!

https://booksinc.net/book/9781665940658

Let the revolution begin ✊🏻

While August is nearly over, there’s still a few more hours to stay up through the night reading an alluring new book or two!

Here are a few of our favorite bookseller picks of the month!

📚💕 The Bookshop
Explore the profound impact of bookstores on readers, writers, and communities. Evan Evan Friss crafts a heartfelt tribute to these cherished institutions, making it a must-read for everyone who loves to browse our shelves!

⚔️👑 Lady Macbeth
From longtime Bay Area resident and now NYC sensation, Ava Reid reimagines Shakespeare's iconic villainess. Step into a world of witchcraft, fate, and the eerie echoes of tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow...

🌈💘The Palace of Eros
Oakland's own Caro De Robertis delivers a bold feminist retelling of Psyche and Eros. Perfect for fans of Circe, this enchanting novel explores q***r joy and love in the face of sacrifice.

🎶🥁 Bird of Four Hundred Voices
Bay Area resident Eugene Rodriguez's new memoir traces his journey reviving mariachi traditions and collaborating with legends like Linda Ronstadt. A heartfelt celebration of music's transformative power! Don't miss it.

Head on over bright & early tomorrow to snag one of our August favorites!

Happy Bookstore Romance Day! ❤️💋

While you’re out & about partaking in all of our shop’s festive activities, you can also indulge in our carefully curated audiobook selection of favorite swoon-worthy titles, too!

https://libro.fm/playlists/BookstoreRomanceDay2024?bookstore=booksinc

Celebrate a summer well read with our FANTASTIC Book Bingo Party to end a wonderful summer of bingo reads! 🎉

Prizes! Treats! Games!

Right here tomorrow at 5:00pm!

https://booksinc.net/event/2024-08-09/bingo-party-books-inc-berkeley-0

Need a new read to kick off a lovely Saturday morning?

Deborah Harkness has a new novel in her All Souls series now out, The Black Bird Oracle that multiple store booksellers are positively raving about!

Plus, we cannot stop eyeing this gorgeous cover!

https://booksinc.net/book/9780593724774

You might not be able to get through the evening without throughly immersing yourself within this dazzling volume, either.

Happy August, friends!

Discover some of our favorite new releases of the month-find them in our stores with handy stickers or purchase any or all of these wonderful titles on our website!

🍇The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce: Old flames, wedding drama, and the stunning Napa Valley backdrop from one of our favorite local authors. What's not to love?

⚔️ The Bright Sword by Levi Grossman: Dive into an Arthurian epic reimagined for a new era. This sweeping novel invites all who have dreamed of sitting at the Round Table!

🌤️ Into the Clear Blue Sky by Rob Jackson: A hopeful and actionable vision for restoring our atmosphere and tackling the climate crisis, from a leading Stanford professor. Big-hearted and extensively researched!

💍 The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas: Fake engagements, second chances, newfound family members, and swoon-worthy romance! Don't miss our event with Elena and Tara DeWitt this Sunday at Books Inc. in the Marina. Tickets available online!

Join us tonight at 7:00pm in welcoming local author J.R. Rice for a reading and book discussion of his novel Broken Pencils.

"Rice weaves together moments of heartache, triumph, and introspection with such vividness that it feels like peering into real lives rather than fictional characters. This authenticity deepens the emotional impact felt by the reader and truly makes this book a must read." — Literary Global

https://booksinc.net/event/2024-07-31/jr-rice-books-inc-berkeley

The final days of summer are upon us, and though the new school year is right around the corner, we’ve been reading through this July stack of favorite titles with wild enthusiasm.

Here’s what’s in our Kids stack for Middle Grade & Teen readers:

😎Faker by Gordon Korman
🦜Duet by Elise Broach
🧜🏻‍♀️Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
🖊️Timid by Jonathan Todd
🪟Brownstone by Samuel Teer
🐘There is a Door in this Darkness by Kristin Cashore
❤️The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag
⚔️Children of Anguish and Anarchy by Tomi Adeyemi

What have you been reading & loving this month?

Did someone say DOUBLE POINTS EVERY FRIDAY? 💫

Yup, we did. Earn extra rewards on your summer book hauls during Frequent Reader Fridays. Get double points on all purchases of $50 or more.

With this heat wave in California it's the perfect time to say inside and read. Or take your books to a spot with water you can jump in and out of during chapter breaks!

See you at the bookstore! 📚

Happy 4th of July, friends! 💫

What are your celebrations for the 4th?

No matter how festive your plans are for the night, our favorite way to celebrate our freedom to read is bringing along a new graphic novel or two to bury our nose into.

Might we recommend a few new graphic novels perfect for your middle grade & tween reader?

🎻Camp Prodigy by Caroline Palmer

🏠Brownstone by Samuel Teer

🧜🏻‍♀️Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol

We’re wishing each & every one of you a festive 4th!

Our bookseller picks of June are in! 💫

Check out some of our favorite new releases from this month, find them in store with our handy dandy stickers, and in our Picks of the Month catalog online!

🐍 The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Ostertag: A gorgeous graphic novel that addresses challenging subjects with care and depth.

☀️ All Friends are Necessary by Tomas Moniz: A riveting novel from Oakland author that is big hearted, vibrant, and honest. Don’t miss our event with Tomas at Books Inc. Alameda on July 23!

🍄 Moonbound by Robin Sloan. Hopeful contemporary science fiction that you won’t be able to put down! Visit our website or your local Books Inc. to snag some signed copies.

🌲 Becoming Earth by Ferris Jabr: An illuminating work of non fiction that vividly explores our planet, including the California coasts, and paints the earth not as a big rock but a living breathing life force in itself!

Head on by this weekend to fill up that book bag with a few new reads, beloved by our bookstore team.

Happy New Release Tuesday!

Our tables are filled to bursting with a lovely assortment of new titles today, including highly anticipated picture book The Yellow Bus by wildly bestselling author Loren Long!

This memorable, deftly emotional story might become one of our favorite children’s books of the year, and we can’t wait for you to experience it, too!

https://www.booksinc.net/book/9781250903136

How is your summer book stack looking? 📚

If you’re in need of a refresh for your must-read wishlist, Indie Next has a list featuring wildly loved new reads from indie booksellers near & far!

Including When Among Crows by bestselling author Veronica Roth.

"Roth's Chicago is one of outcasts, immigrants, secrets, family, and above all, hope. Only an author who knew the soul of the city could write this book."—J.R. Dawson, author of The First Bright Thing

https://www.booksinc.net/book/9781250855480

Head on over today to browse through our heavily laden new release tables, the perfect opportunity to load up a book bag with new summer reads! ☀️

Hooray for summer! ☀️📚

Have you picked up a Book Bingo playing card for your voracious young reader? Not only can our store team recommend the best new reads of the season to fill up that Bingo card, but you can also listen to a suggested audiobook while you’re out & about, too! Which is the perfect way to stamp that bingo square: A book you listened to as an audiobook.

Hop on over to Libro.fm to listen to a new audiobook or two!

https://libro.fm/playlists/6907?bookstore=booksinc

Bestselling Middle Grade author Chris Colfer has just released a brand new series, Roswell Johnson Saves the World!, perfect for the start of summer break!

https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780316515047

“From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chris Colfer comes a funny, heartfelt, action-packed “Guardians of the Galaxy meets The Land of Stories” adventure series that will take readers on an epic journey across the galaxy to save Earth!”

Come on by to grab a copy of this wildly anticipated first volume, and fill up that book bag with the best new reads of the season.

70’s children unite! Whether you grew up reading the legendary tales of Frog & Toad in the 1970’s, or have recently introduced your own children to this beloved pair of adventurers, we are ecstatic about the new Frog and Toad streaming series on AppleTV+!

Come on by to pluck up this iconic beginning reader collection of titles, too!

https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780060580865

Summer is almost here, which means it's time for fun, sun, and Book Bingo! 📖

Pick up a bingo card at your local Books Inc. or print one from home to join the fun! 🎉

https://www.booksinc.net/summer-book-bingo

Simply fill 4 spaces in a row (horizontally, diagonally, or vertically) or if you're feeling ambitious go for a blackout and fill out EVERY square on your bingo card with a book you read that fits the prompt! ✨

Then return to the bookstore with bragging rights about how many great books you've read and get your card stamped, plus receive an invite to the party of the summer, our Book Bingo Summer Party, for prizes and yummy treats.

Happy Reading, friends!

One of our favorite local authors Maggie Tokuda-Hall has joined forces with illustrator Faith Schaffer with a new graphic novel, The Worst Ronin, landing on shelves tomorrow!

https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780358464938

Who’s going to be here bright & early to grab a coveted copy?

Happy Friday, friends!

How are you celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month?

We love nothing more than adventuring into a new story featuring a diverse range of characters & inspiring culture, particularly within this curated catalog for kids of all ages!

https://www.booksinc.net/store/catalog/asian-american-native-hawaiian-pacific-islander-heritage-month-kids-catalog

Plus, check out our new Libro playlist featuring a few of our favorite titles, too!

https://libro.fm/playlists/6942?bookstore=booksinc

Happy Friday, neighbors!

Books Inc. Berkeley proudly welcomes writers Jordan Elgrably and Sarah AlKahly-Mills to the shop for a reading and signing of the book Stories From the Center of the World: New middle Eastern Fiction!

We’ll see you tonight at 6:00pm!

What a beautiful Thursday it is to welcome Lenore Weiss to the shop for a celebration of her book Pulp Into Paper!

In the close-knit community of Hentsbury, racism and the local paper mill's oppressive control over the town collide in a gripping tale set in the 1990s in southern Arkansas along the fictional Mud River.

See you tonight at 7:00pm, friends!

https://www.booksinc.net/event/lenore-weiss-books-inc-berkeley