Bill Bradley discusses We Can All Do Better ($24.99). In response to the financial meltdown and intensifying political gridlock which have overtaken the country, a widely admired former United States Senator, Presidential candidate and NBA athlete offers his own concise, personal review of the state of the nation. We can do better. Here’s how.

Bill Bradley served in the U.S. Senate from 1979-1997 representing the state of New Jersey. In 2000, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Before serving in the Senate, he was an Olympic gold medalist in 1964 and a professional basketball player with the New York Knicks from 1967-1977 during which time they won two NBA championships. Bradley is also the author of six books on American politics and culture.

Tickets $55 (includes lunch & a signed book)
Call (415) 927-0960, ext. 1 to reserve

Join Marcia Clark for lunch as she reads from and talks about Guilt by Degrees ($25.99). Harrowing, smart, and entertaining, Guilt by Degrees is a thrilling ride through the LA courts with an unforgettable character, Rachel Knight. "It's no big surprise that Marcia Clark knows her way around a courtroom, and a murder mystery — but she's also a terrific writer and storyteller." — James Patterson

Marcia Clark is a former prosecutor for the State of California, County of Los Angeles, in the O.J. Simpson murder case. She has written a bestselling nonfiction book, Without a Doubt, about the case, and is a frequent media commentator on legal issues. Now a Special Correspondent for Entertainment Tonight, Clark provides coverage of high profile trials and contributes a column for The Daily Beast.

Book Passage hosts literary luncheons with celebrated authors at our Marin store. These events are catered by the outstanding Insalata’s Restaurant of San Anselmo. 

Two-time Booker Prize winner Peter Carey reads from The Chemistry of Tears ($26.00), a story of secret grief assuaged, an automaton, a man and woman who can never meet, an affair, and the fate of the warming world brought to incandescent life in a haunting new novel from one of the most admired writers of our time. Carey’s books include the bestselling Oscar and Lucinda.

Peter Carey is the author of eleven previous novels and has twice received the Booker Prize. His other honors include the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and the Miles Franklin Literary Award, which he has won 5 times. Born in Australia, he has lived in New York City for twenty years.

Admission $115 per person/ $185 per couple

Call (415) 927-0960, ext. 1 to reserve

Join Cindy Pawlcyn, one of America's leading chef's, for what we know will be a very special event! Twice nominated as the James Beard Best Chef in California, Pawlcyn is rocking the food world with her new cookbook, Cindy's Supper Club.

It's no secret that legions of fans flock to Pawlcyn's restaurants for her globally influenced signature dishes. What is not so well known is that Cindy has turned her passions for cooking and travel into a popular supper club, where she creates an adventurous menu celebrating a different international cuisine each week. Cindy's Supper Club has become a destination event, presenting a world tasting tour on a plate. Pawlcyn's new book, drawn from the weekly menus of her supper clubs, is a collection of 125 complete recipes and menus from around the globe - as well as a delicious delight.

Pawlcyn helped make the Napa Valley a destination for food and wine in Northern California. Today, her trio of restaurants -  Mustard’s Grill, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, and Brassica - are as much loved among locals as they are popular with visitors. Besides owning three of region's popular restaurants, Pawlcyn is also the author of four award-winning cookbooks including Mustard's Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, Big Small Plates, and Cindy Pawlcyn's Appetizers. She received a James Beard award for Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook and is the author of Fog City Diner Cookbook.

Don't miss this event! Tickets are $115 per person / or $185 per couple. Price includes meal, wine, coffee, tax, tip, & a signed copy of the book. 

Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Ford reads from Canada ($26.99), a deeply affecting new novel of boundaries traversed, of innocence lost and reconciled, and of the mysterious and consoling bonds of family. Told in spare, elegant prose both resonant and luminous, Canada is a masterwork of haunting, even spectacular vision from one of our great writers.

Richard Ford is the acclaimed author of the Bascombe novels, which include The Sportswriter and its sequels, Independence Day — the first novel to win the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award — and The Lay of the Land, as well as the short story collections Rock Springs and A Multitude of Sins, which contain many widely anthologized stories.

Renowned author Francine Du Plessix Gray presents The Queen's Lover ($25.95), a work of historical fiction which tells the story of a love affair between Marie Antoinette and a Swedish aristocrat. Expertly researched and deeply imagined, this new novel offers a fresh view of the French Revolution and French royal family, as told through the love story that was at its center.

Francine du Plessix Gray has been a regular contributor to The New Yorker and is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction, including Simone Weil, At Home with the Marquis de Sade: A Life, and Soviet Women. She is most recently the author of the memoir Them: A Memoir of Parents.

Join us for lunch with Belva Davis as she discusses her memoir Never in My Wildest Dreams — the story of a journalist who helped change the face of television news, a history-maker, an award-winning reporter, and a pioneering feminist. Born to a 15-year old Louisiana laundress during the Great Depression and raised in the projects of Oakland, Davis overcame abuse, racism, and sexism to become the first black female news anchor on the West Coast. Davis reported on some of the most explosive stories of the past decades, including the rise and fall of the Black Panthers, the Jonestown massacre, the Moscone/Milk murders, and the onset of the AIDS epidemic. She recounts her interviews with world leaders, including Fidel Castro and three U.S. presidents.

Davis has traveled the world reporting on politics, terrorism, racial and gender issues, and the role of art and culture in increasing human understanding. She has anchored at three major network affiliates, and currently hosts a highly respected political affairs program on KQED-TV in San Francisco.

Book Passage hosts literary luncheons with celebrated authors at our Marin store. These events are catered by the outstanding Insalata’s Restaurant of San Anselmo.