Here at the Shop

Meet the Greens

 

NEW OWNERS FOR MRS. DALLOWAY’S

Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary & Garden Arts Bookstore has been purchased by Eric and Jessica Green, who will assume ownership November 1, 2021.

Eric started his thirty-plus year career in the book industry managing an independent bookstore in Westwood, California. Since 1992 he’s held diverse positions, mostly in the Sales group, at Publishers Group West and through their integration with Perseus Books Group and later Ingram Publisher Services.

Jessica brings twelve-plus years of buying and merchandising experience from positions held at prominent national retailers in the home decor and art supply industries.

“We are so excited to have the opportunity to continue the legacy built by Ann (Leyhe) and Marion (Abbott) in Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary and Garden Arts,” said Eric. “We’ve dreamt of this chance in our lives when we’d be able to take such a momentous step and can’t wait to start working with the seasoned team at Mrs. Dalloway’s to move the business forward into its new chapter.”

“It’s clear that Marion and Ann have built a special and well-loved place,” said Jessica. “We will do our very best to continue and enhance what they’ve started. We are looking forward to joining the Elmwood neighborhood and greater bookseller community.”

NEW ARRIVALS

HARDCOVER

    

    

PAPERBACK

   

      

    

CHILDREN

   

   

PLANNING FOR A NEW YEAR

Make a date to check out our new table display of 2022 wall calendars, engagement calendars, page-a-day calendars, mini calendars, and more. From Ansel Adams to the Year of Zen, we've got selections for almost every taste. But don't wait too long - supplies are limited and when they're gone, they're gone!

STAFF PICKS

The Magician by Colm Toibin. A masterful work of the imagination in which Toibin envisions the life and loves of the great German writer Thomas Mann. Those that read and loved The Master (about Henry James) will delight in the attention to detail, scenes of family, and perspectives on travels in exile all over Europe and here in the U.S. in Washington, Princeton, and California. Thoroughly engrossing. - Marion

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead. The two-time Pulitzer winner lightens things up with a rollicking crime story set in early 1960s Harlem. Ray Carney runs his own furniture store business and has managed to rise above his lineage, notably his crooked father. But Ray has never been able to shake his relationship with bad news cousin Freddie, which leads to ongoing tests of character between Ray the striver and Ray the crook. His tribulations make for a dandy story, which Whitehead enriches with an array of colorful characters.  - Hut
 
Afterparties: Stories by Anthony Veasna So. A superb collection from the late, very talented So. The stories explore the families, loves, traumas, and traditions of Cambodian Americans in (presumably) Stockton, CA. They're also linked with recurring characters, places, and at least one possible reincarnation (it's called Afterparties, after all). Read together, they're as impactful as as a richly imagined multi generational novel. Highly recommended! - Nick
 
All In by Billie Jean King. Tennis anyone? If you’re not a fan, this isn’t the book for you, but for all others, it’s a grand slam. King is a true women’s champion - on and off the court - and a lifelong fighter for equality across all lines. The chapters chronicling her game-changing Battle of the Sexes match with Bobby Riggs are worth the price of the book alone. I confess she’s one of my heroes, so don’t fault me for this glowing recommendation. - Hut
 
Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney. With this novel, Rooney has reached a new level of maturity in her writing. Themes of friendship and intimacy form the backdrop to concern over the precarious state of the world. Crackling dialogue, as ever, from this bright Irish writer. - Marion
 
The Guest List by Lucy Foley. Wedding guests gather on a remote island off the coast of Ireland to celebrate the nuptials of a wealthy young couple. The groom is handsome and charming, the bride smart and ambitious. Every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed - until a prominent member of the wedding party is unceremoniously murdered.  Foley delivers a slick mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. - Hut
 
This Is Happiness by Niall Williams (now in paperback). This novel made me so happy. It's set in a small Irish village just before electricity arrives. Here you'll find beautiful writing and wonderful characters in a story full of meaningful friendships and fabulous descriptions of nature. It's almost as good as a trip to Ireland. - Ann
 
 
AUTHORS VISITING MRS. DALLOWAY'S
 

Children's author Maggie Tokuda-Hall came by to sign copies of her new YA graphic novel Squad, which features themes dealing with rape culture and sexual assault and whose movie rights have just been sold. When Becca transfers to a high school in an elite San Francisco suburb, she's worried she's not going to fit in. To her surprise, she's immediately adopted by the most popular girls in school. At first glance, Marley, Arianna, and Mandy are perfect. But at a party under a full moon, Becca learns that they also have a big secret - her new friends are werewolves with their sights (and fangs) set on sexually aggressive boys.

   
We're pleased to be partnering with local  YA author Jesse Andrews to be offering signed copies of his novels Me and Earl and the Dying Girl and The Haters. Me and Earl is about an awkward high-school senior and a gravely ill classmate who surprise themselves by becoming inseparable friends. The book was made into an award-winning movie in 2015 (86% on Rotten Tomatoes) and has been published with both the original cover and a movie tie-in editon. His second book, The Haters, is a coming-of-age road trip adventure about a trio of jazz-camp escapees who, against every realistic expectation, become a band.
 
    
Pamela Valois has written a fascinating memoir, Blooming in Winter: The Story of a Remarkable Twentieth-Century Woman, and we have signed copies. Jacomena Maybeck, a legendary Berkeley potter, was one of the 32 women Pam Valois profiled in her best-selling book Gifts of Age. Now in her seventh decade herself, Pam returns to tell the whole story of Jackie's life, inviting us to reflect on how one may bring life to a rich and loving conclusion.
 
Courtney Martin dropped by the store recently with her daughters and was kind enough to sign our copies of her important and much-discussed new book, Learning in Public: Lessons for a Racially Divided America from My Daughter's School. It's Courtney's story of enrolling her daughter in Emerson Elementary - a majority-Black and poorly-rated public school largely avoided by White parents in her gentrifying Oakland neighborhood - and the lessons she learned with her neighbors.

WELL ORGANIZED PREORDER OFFER

We’re delighted to be collaborating with home organizing expert and local author Shira Gill to offer signed and personalized copies of  her visionary new lifestyle and home organization book  Minimalista: Your Step-By-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe, and Life, which will be published on November 2. Simply preorder the book online now and include how you’d like your book personalized by Shira in the "comments" field of the order page.  As you can see by the two page spreads we've included below, it's a gorgeous volume!

    

  

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Shira Gill is founder of the #15minwin productivity hack.Her online makeover programs, popular lifestyle blog, and Instagram feed have inspired a global audience (even one lady in Antarctica!) to get rid of the excess and focus on what really matters. Shira’s work and home have been featured in The New York Times, Apartment Therapy, Domino, Forbes, Goop, Harper's Bazaar, HGTV, InStyle, Parents, Real Simple, Rue, and Remodelista.

LISTEN UP - Audiobooks from Libro.fm

We're delighted to be offering our customers an independent source for audiobooks, offered through our partnership with Libro.fm. Here's a little about the company, in its own words: 

"By choosing Libro.fm over other audiobook services, you support your local bookstore and invest in your local community. We offer over 125,000 audiobooks via our premium platform (which we built with love from scratch) and give you bookseller recommendations for great audiobooks. And when you contact us, you'll hear directly from one of our team members who will ensure your listening experience is unmatched."

Interested? Sign up and get your first selection for free!

Next Event

Twitter