Welcome to Red Hill Books!
An Armful of Awesome Remainders at Red Hill
March 25, 2011, 11:00 pm

We have a bumper crop of remainders coming in at Red Hill! Here's a sampling of my favorites:
1.The City of Saints and Madmen, by Jeff Vandermeer ($4.98): Phantasmagoric and wildly inventive, this novel will forever change the way you think about squid, fungi, and the life and death of cities.
2.Birds of America, by Lorrie Moore ($5.98): This collection of hilarious, poignant short stories is the perfect antidote to rainy-day ennui.

Great paperback releases March 8th
March 4, 2011, 12:00 am

On Tuesday, March 8th, a brace of the best-selling hardcover books of 2010 are releasing to paperback, and we've got copies!

Among the titles being released on Tuesday are:

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, the latest novel from David Mitchell;

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot; and

Solar by Ian McEwan.

We'll be well-stocked on all three titles!

Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day
November 19, 2010, 12:00 am


We love this idea! Follow this link to download your very own poster and read more about this lovely happening. Take Your Child to a Bookstore

Happy Halloween from Red Hill BOO....ks!
August 9, 2010, 11:00 pm


In honor of our favorite holiday, Red Hill will be closing at 5:30 pm on Halloween, then handing out candy to little ghosts, ghoulies, cowpokes, royalty and other wee creatures of the night. We'll be on the front steps until our candy supply runs out, so come by for some treats!

Summer of Great Remainders
July 20, 2010, 11:00 pm

Red Hill has been able to snag some fabulous books by famous authors at recessionary prices. We're salivating as we unpack those boxes blocking the aisles -- hey, we love books, and really love these deals. We're Gaga for Gogol. Nuts over Nabokov. Dotty for Don Quixote. Rabid about Rushdie. The quality and selection is amazing. Don't think it's all Serious Literature -- we have history, psychology, lots of fun titles, and children's books too.

The End of an Era: Goodbye to Patrick & His Wonderful Storytime!
April 13, 2010, 11:00 pm


We at Red Hill are very sad to report that Patrick will no longer be doing his beloved children's storytime at the store. Patrick has been a part of the Red Hill family for four years; it has been a joy to work with him and watch his amazing development as an educator and entertainer of young children.
We wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors, and are so glad to have hosted such a great run!

New Titles For The Week Of March 1
March 2, 2010, 12:00 am


The Changeling by Kenaburo Oe

The Nobel Prize-winning Japanese author is back with another dazzlingly epic novel. In pure Oe style he doesn't limit himself to single idioms or genres and his new novel is a deft mingling of humor, intellect, absurdity, and the hectic vertigo of modern life. It might remind you of a gorgeous train wreck between Maurice Sendak and Saul Bellow, with Arthur Rimbaud at the helm.

Silk Parachute by John McPhee

The prolific and boundless essayist John McPhee is back with what might be his most personal collection of essays in nearly four decades. With his signature probing levity McPhee spans everything from lacrosse to the sea cliffs of England, from the U.S. Open to the French Champagne country. In a slightly different turn, he explains throughout why each subject interested him the first place, thus informing the variety of subjects with a charming personal touch.

Confession Of A Buddhist Atheist by Stephen Batchelor

With a praising blurb from notorious atheist Christopher Hitchens, this book is sure to stir the pot of controversy surrounding religion and rationality. Batchelor, a former Tibetan Buddhist monk, reexamines the words of the historical Buddha in an attempt to rescue them from overzealous focus on karma, religiosity and the afterlife. Buddhism, he eventually argues, is more about how to live in the here and now and to accept all the joys and tribulations of mortal life.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

New Releases at Red Hill for the Week of January 25th!
January 26, 2010, 12:00 am


The Lost City Of Z by David Grann
Now in paperback, this is the irresistible true story of the English adventurer Percy Fawcett's attempt to track down the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. Pitted against the unfathomable obstacles of the Amazon jungle, Fawcett's tale, as beautifully told by Grann, is about the essential confrontation between humans and the natural world, between wild desire and fatal destiny.

New Releases at Red Hill for the Week of January 11th!
January 11, 2010, 12:00 am

Tuesday, January 12th:
The Godfather of Kathmandu, by John Burdett
This fourth installment of Burdett's gritty series featuring corrupt detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is a vivid and fascinating portrait of modern Thailand. Recommended for fans of hard-boiled mysteries with a liberal dose of informative local color.

New Releases at Red Hill for the week of December 28th!
December 27, 2009, 12:00 am

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink
Pink, the author of the perennially best-selling A Whole New Mind is back with a new book that looks at the disconnect between what science tells us about human motivation and what actually happens in business, and how that disconnect informs every aspect of our lives.

Jul
13
Ten Years That Shook San Francisco Wednesday
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 - 6:00pm

On July 13th at 6pm, Red Hill is hosting editor Chris Carlsson and the Bernal History Project to present Ten Years That Shook the City: San Francisco 1968-1978, a collection of first-person and historical essays spanning the tumultuous decade from 1968, the year of the San Francisco State University strike, to 1978 and the twin traumas of the Jonestown massacre and the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. This volume provides a broad look at the diverse ways those ten years shook the City and shaped the world we live in today. From community gardening to environmental justice, gay rights and other identity-based social movements, anti-gentrification efforts, neighborhood arts programs and more, many of the initiatives whose origins are described here have taken root and spread far beyond San Francisco.

Jun
12
Marcia Lieberman's Being Still
Sunday, June 12, 2011 - 5:30pm

With Being Still, Bernal Heights author Marcia Lieberman has created a beautiful book of photos and lore documenting the mysterious and awe-inspiring standing stones of Wales. Believed to be built by Bronze Age stonemasons, they are among the oldest archaeological monuments in the world. Each stone has its own share of lore and mystery attached to it. In this book, Marcia shares some of the tales associated with the stones, all of which she matches with glorious black and white photos of the stones themselves.

So come by Red Hill on Sunday June 12th at 5:30!

Don't miss this opportunity to hear Marcia describe her walks through the Welsh countryside in search of these austere and storied stones.

Jun
5
Sharon Beals' NESTS
Sunday, June 5, 2011 - 4:00pm

Bird’s nests are fascinatingly intricate and beautiful objects, and local photographer Sharon Beals has just come out with an extraordinarily beautiful book documenting fifty distinctive nests, drawn from the collections of several institutions, including the California Academy of Sciences. It’s safe to say that the rich beauty of these photos does ample justice to the exquisite wonder of the nests themselves, and each image is accompanied by an essay about the bird that built it, along with an illustration of the bird by local artist Laurie Wigham. It’s a one-of-a-kind book that would make an amazing gift for anybody, and once you see it you’ll definitely want to have a copy for yourself as well! If you're not convinced yet, you can see some examples of the nest photos here.

Sharon and Laurie are going to drop by Red Hill on Sunday June 5th at 4 o’clock, to talk about Nests and sign copies. Come join us!

Jan
27
Walking San Francisco: A Brand New Edition!
Thursday, January 27, 2011 - 6:30pm

Everyone had a lot of love for the first edition of Tom Downs' Walking San Francisco: 33 Savvy Tours Exploring Steep Streets, Grand Hotels, Dive Bars, and Waterfront Parks, so we at Red Hill are really happy to be hosting him in celebration of the release of a brand spanking new edition!
Each of these treks is specially designed to get you moving and exploring San Francisco's architecture, culture, and neighborhood history. Each walk description also includes tips about where to dine, drink and shop, so you can collapse after you've hiked all over and learned important stuff (which we all know is an essential part of all adventures).
Walking SF is also very user-friendly: each tour includes important public transportation and parking information, clear neighborhood maps, route summaries, and a "Points of Interest" section that makes it easy to ensure that you haven't missed anything big in your meanderings.
Great for visitors and residents alike, Walking SF covers famous attractions and lesser-known city delights alike. Please join us for Tom's presentation on his wonderful new guide- you won't be disappointed!

Jan
25
At the Library: Local Ingredients: An Evening with Bernal Locavores
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 - 6:30pm

Come explore Bernal's vibrant local food culture! This panel discussion with Tia Harrison (Avedano's Meats), Josh Donald (Bernal Cutlery), and Jane Wattenberg (fabulous children's book author, beekeeper, chicken owner and egg farmer) is bound to be a delicious experience- we hope to see you there (Bernal Heights Branch Library, 500 Cortland Ave., 415-355-2810 for more information)!

Jan
20
Stairway Walks of San Francisco: A Brand New Edition!
Thursday, January 20, 2011 - 6:30pm

For over 25 years, visitors and residents alike have used veteran guide Adah Bakalinsky's Stairway Walks of San Francisco to explore the well-known and secret public stairways that traverse San Francisco's 42 hills. Being located near the very top of one of these hills, Red Hill is very excited to host Adah in celebration of the release of the fully updated and expanded seventh edition of her seminal guide.
The featured walks cover San Francisco's rolling geography from Land's End to our beloved Bernal Heights, and each entry is packed with architectural, historical, pop cultural and horticultural information about the vistas and neighborhoods it traverses. The seventh edition also includes two new walks, new maps, and new beautiful color photographs, as well as an index of all of the city's 600-plus public stairways.
With her decades of experience traversing the city, Adah is a fount of local lore and geniune San Francisco love, and an amazing resource in her own right. We hope you'll join us for her presentation and get inspired to do some climbing of your own!

Jan
12
At the Library: Dear Bob, Dear Betty
Wednesday, January 12, 2011 - 6:30pm

We hope you'll join us at the Bernal Library for this reading by Elizabeth Wright, who transcribed, edited and annotated her parents' love letters to give us Dear Bob, Dear Betty: Love and Marriage During the Great Depression. This intimate portrait of the burgeoning love between Robert Llewellyn Wright, Frank Lloyd Wright's youngest son, and Elizabeth Kehler, is a fascinating look at passion, love, and the search for stability in a tumultuous time. Whether you're a romantic (closet or otherwise), a history buff, or a fan of Nancy Horan's novel Loving Frank and other FLW-related literature, you'll find something to be fascinated by in this slim yet moving volume of correspondence.

Dec
9
Holiday Evening Stroll: Keeping it Local in Bernal
Thursday, December 9, 2010 - 6:00pm

As part of this awesome neighborhood-wide event, Red Hill is pleased to offer free cocktails (and non-alcoholic alternatives) for the duration of the Stroll! Our resident mixologist and book maven Kate will be pouring drinks from 6 to 9 pm. The partnership of beverages and literature is a long and storied one; we at Red Hill are proud to continue this venerable tradition in celebration of local spirit(s). Come on down, get a drink, read a book and say hello!

Nov
7
NEW DATE! Blinkybug Workshop with Inventor/Author Ken Murphy!
Sunday, November 7, 2010 - 1:00pm

Electro-whizzes ages 9-ish and up will thrill to this free workshop with Blinkybug creator Ken Murphy, held to celebrate the release of the Blinkybugs book! Ken provides some basic Blinky parts and instruction, and your imagination does the rest.
Blinkybugs are fuzzy, brightly colored, illuminated "insects" that respond to movement by blinking their eyes, teaching kids about electricity and circuitry. Blinkybugs the book is actually a kit containing all the parts for 3 Blinkybugs, plus accessible instructions in a kid-friendly comic book format.
Ken is a San Francisco programmer, artist, musician and tinkerer who has presented Blinkybugs workshops at the Maker Faire, Zeum and the Exploratorium. Come join us for an afternoon of creative play with Ken, your local booksellers, and some blinky bugs!
For more information on the book, the bugs, and Ken in general, please visit blinkybug.com.

Oct
17
Sidewalk Sale (9 am to 5 pm)!
Sunday, October 17, 2010 - 9:00am

Joining in the street-festival spirit of Fiesta on the Hill, Red Hill is holding another $1-per-pound of books sidewalk sale! That's right: all the books outside (and they will be many, of all sorts) for only $1 a pound! This might be the best deal on the planet, folks- drop by to indulge your literary passions for pocket change and say hello to your friendly neighborhood booksellers. We look forward to seeing you!

Stoner by John Edward Williams
October 21, 2011, 10:24 pm

Ever wonder why the most eccentric teachers were precisely the ones who inspired you the most?

I have to admit that when a friend first recommended this "novel from the sixties about a teacher in a university English department," with the title "Stoner," I had an image of Elliot Gould in sideburns and army camo jacket lighting up a joint with dazed, anti-war students and/or hippies.

Irresistable Spring Picks At Red Hill
March 21, 2011, 8:12 pm

Despite the harsh rains of March, and the lingering colds of February, warm and languorous days are right around the corner when the fever for companionable books will be overwhelming.
To assist you with your impending spring fever, I'd like to recommend some invigorating spring titles that are for sale to the epicurious at Red Hill.

1. Little, Big by John Crowley

Curl Up with a Great Read this Winter
December 21, 2010, 8:26 pm

Winter is my favorite time of the year, not least because all that rainy cold weather provides the perfect excuse to curl up under the covers all evening long, reading and listening to the rain -- and at times like that, nothing is better than a book with lots of pages or lots to digest, so you feel like it will never end (in a good way). Here’s a selection of seven great books for the winter: some are new releases, and others are on sale at unbeatable prices.

1. The Instructions by Adam Levin ($29.00)

Summer Is for Short Stories
July 21, 2010, 9:00 pm

The Bounty Of Spring At Red Hill
April 21, 2010, 9:02 pm

Despite the rains and high winds, Spring has been sunny and bountiful at Red Hill Books. A few weeks back we got a visit from the Remainder Elf! What does that mean, you ask?!

It means that we have tons of virtually new books, i.e. remainders that are discounted by as much as three times their cover prices. In the industry, these are called "remainders" and everyone loves them.

Top Ten Books I've Read On Long Winter Trips
December 21, 2009, 9:04 pm

1. The Bell by Iris Murdoch.

A Distant Episode by Paul Bowles
November 21, 2009, 9:14 pm

Long before wide-eyed liberal arts majors like myself planned their summers around expensive two month trips to third-world countries, Paul Bowles was living like a local in Morocco, studying the music, translating the local authors and writing some of the most haunting prose of the mid twentieth century.

Book Advice from Haruki Murakami
April 21, 2009, 10:22 pm

Wisconsin Blog II
November 11, 2008, 12:00 am
On the way here, via Minneapolis, where I was delayed because I missed my flight by one minute (!), because I re-set my watch incorrectly, I had the pleasure of catching some CNN in the waiting area of Northwest Airlines (also known as NWA, which has a very different connotation to me and many others, I expect). Now, I've heard about CNN, and generally do my best to avoid it, but as I was trying not to miss my flight again and it was fifty feet from my gate, I was being made aware of it. This in itself generally makes me crabby, as I hate being subjected to TV when I am going about my daily business. I start to think unkind thoughts about people in general. I had just splurged for a coffee, and was happily reading my copy of "Change We Can Believe In," when I noticed that Sarah Palin's voice was being broadcast over my shoulder. Once, then twice, then, oh crap, what is she saying: "Obama is a socialist, wanting to spread the wealth around. Now is not the time to try new things." What? So I mutter, "What an idiot," in what I think is a perfectly reasonable tone, and then proceed to spill my hot coffee all over the crotch of my jeans. I ask the woman sitting next to me if she'll watch my things, then race to the bathroom to try to mop up and dry off. "Well," I say to myself in the bathroom, "you are in the Midwest now- must try to pay attention and control myself- when in Rome and all that."
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
July 21, 2008, 10:28 pm