San Francisco Book Review

Free locally printed book review newspaper, for San Franciso, California 95814

7.30.10: Smartphone > eReader?

One of my earliest columns quoted a review that Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal wrote about eReading devices, like the Kindle, especially pointing out that while he liked reading on his Kindle at home, he most often resorted to using his iPhone to read eBooks; he simply did not [...]
7:29:10: The Passage Leads Justin Cronin to San Francisco

By Kaye Cloutman
Books Inc. is a locally owned and operated independent bookseller with 10 locations in California. Books Inc.’s origin dates back to the Gold Rush Days of 1851, when Anton Roman struck it rich in Shasta City, California, and set himself up in the business selling books. Since 1946, that small bookstore was moved, [...]
7.28.10: Do Your Own Publicity

For several weeks, you have heard what publicists do, how to find one, how to best work with one, etc. In my 6.9.10 column, I mentioned a few criteria for those who might want to do your own publicity. This week I want to expand on that.
Many authors do a great job [...]
Download the only kids book review iPhone app on the market!

Have you ever gone shopping for a gift book for a child or teen and wondered if the book was appropriate? Getting a hold of an independent review can be tough, because newspaper print editions with book reviews are becoming scarcer, and several of the remaining book reviews don’t review many [...]
7.27.10: The Reviewer’s Voice by Joseph Arellano

I have people who say to me that writing book reviews is hard. I would generally agree. After you’ve spent hours, days, maybe even a week or two reading someone else’s words, organized in their own fashion, it can feel difficult to organize one’s own thoughts and reactions. Plus, there’s always [...]
7.27.10: A good story + tempting recipes = win!

Is there a specific genre for stories with related recipes? Because there should be. I just finished Starting From Scratch by Susan Gilbert-Collins, which is subtitled “A Novel with Recipes,” and my inevitable conclusion is that many books would be better if they included recipes for foods mentioned throughout the story.
Maybe not all [...]

Featured Fiction Books

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Knit in Comfort: A Novel
By Isabel Sharpe Avon A, $13.99, 300 pages Megan’s life is a carefully controlled mess; her marriage remains intact only because of her desire to do what’s best for her kids, and her friendships are all superficial at best. But this

Jul 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
The Faculty Club: A Thriller
By Danny Tobey Atria, $25.00, 320 pages Jeremy Davis comes from a small city in Texas and graduates – first in his class – from a small college we’ve never heard about. Then to his surprise, he is accepted at the

Jul 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Recovering Apollo 8: And Other Stories
By Kristine Kathryn Rusch Golden Gryphon Press, $24.95, 316 pages Recovering Apollo 8 and Other Stories collects nine tales by award winning author Kristine Kathryn Rusch. Perhaps best known for her novella of space-faring treasure archaeologists and treasure hunters, “Diving into

Jul 22, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Featured Non-Fiction Books

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The Photoshop CS3/CS4 Wow! Book (8th Edition)
By Linnea Dayton, Cristen Gillespie Peachpit Press, $59.99, 792 pages The Photoshop CS3/CS4 Wow! Book, (8th Edition) is more than WOW! Anyone who is currently working with or just switched to Photoshop CS3 or CS4, this book is an investment in

Jul 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (Revised Edition): Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing
By Christiane Northrup M.D. Bantam, $20.00, 931 pages Have you ever had a question that you were too self-conscious to ask, or had a friend that was so honest and knowledgeable that you clung to every word she offered? That is

Jul 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America
By Erika Lee and Judy Yung Oxford University Press, $27.95, 386 pages In 1910, Angel Island opened its doors in order to process the endless streams of immigrants getting off boats in San Francisco harbor. Americans were crying for the doors

Jul 23, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post

Viewpoints Weekly Columns

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7.30.10: Smartphone > eReader?
One of my earliest columns quoted a review that Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal wrote about eReading devices, like the Kindle, especially pointing out that while he liked reading on his Kindle at home, he

Jul 30, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
7:29:10: The Passage Leads Justin Cronin to San Francisco
By Kaye Cloutman Books Inc. is a locally owned and operated independent bookseller with 10 locations in California. Books Inc.’s origin dates back to the Gold Rush Days of 1851, when Anton Roman struck it rich in Shasta City, California, and

Jul 29, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post
7.28.10: Do Your Own Publicity
For several weeks, you have heard what publicists do, how to find one, how to best work with one, etc. In my 6.9.10 column, I mentioned a few criteria for those who might want to do your own

Jul 28, 2010 | 0 comments | View Post