• If possible, please hold large donations until after our Saturday and Sunday Sale Days.
• Books brought in a day or two before the sale may not make it onto the shelves that month. (If you wish to see them on display, plan accordingly)
• We're crowded. Please limit your Sale Day donations to a bag or two of books.

If you cannot attend the book sale, please drop by the Friends Bookstore located inside the Mitchell Park Library, Downtown Library, and Rinconada Library, and open during library hours. They are restocked regularly with a unique selection of books for all ages and interests.

 
Suggestions?

What's Special for February

The rainy weather kept the donation volume down for a little bit this month, but our donors took advantage of breaks in the weather and came through big-time to bring us great books as usual.... There is a lot happening this holiday weekend and we hope you'll find some time to spend at our sale. As we celebrate President's Day and Valentine's Day, we also have the first days of Black History Month, and for Children's Room fans, we just happen to have a special being offered this month. Look for titles like: I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Runaway Slave: the story of Harriet Tubman, Jackie Robinson: Bravest Man in Baseball and, Carver: a life in poems. Each title mentioned prices $1 to $2. You can find these in the Children's Room special bay across from the activities shelves.... Books on matters of sex and relationships can be found in our Psychology and Self-Help section, which is once again brimming with great stuff.... We received a huge donation of professional psychology books from a local retired psychologist. (Look for these books on the Psychology shelves in the March sale also!) History buffs can find books on Winston Churchill, located in the Specials end cap next to the checkout tables.... There were many items left from last month's featured books on Japan so, we added more titles and increased this special space to two bays by adding books on Japanese Art as well. They can be found in the other Specials bay as you enter the Main Room on your right.... Speaking of Art, check out the Studio Art section in Art for books donated by Town & Country Village's now closed, Lyons Ltd. Antique Prints & Custom Framing. The Bargain Room is once again fully stocked thanks to the generous donations coming in especially in the area of Groovy Media/LPs. If you come early remember we have a Tent Sale right outside the Main Room entrance. It opens at 9 am and everything there is only $1.00 each!

 
Self-Help for February

"This month on the top shelf you will see some new groupings of books. There are Workbooks on topics like Anger, Self Esteem, and Journal Writing. There are books that have been featured on TED talks, like Daring Greatly, Drunk Tank Pink, and The Happiness Hypothesis. Lastly, I've put some books that include CDs above the Inspiration/Spiritual shelves. By the way, this section is a good place to look for books to give your loved ones on Valentine's Day! As usual, most books are priced $3 and under, so stop by and browse. You may find just the right book to help you move ahead with changes you'd like to make in your life this year." -Marnie Shuey

 
February History Specials

"Our Japan special has been extended and expanded. In addition to many vintage History books which contain wonderful illustrations and fold-out maps the books are more clearly divided by topic. To me, one of the most interesting areas is the opening of Japan by the United States and the impact not only on Japan but the West as well. The special is much more multi-disciplinary this month. We have an excellent selection of Art books. Additionally, Home and Crafts books show the Japanese influence on Western decor, gardens, etc. Our collection of Japanese literature occupies a full shelf. We also have fiction about Japan written by Westerners. Sociology and Travel Narratives have contributed books which expand one's understanding of the Japanese culture, psyche and geography. There is a nice collection of books on Samurai and the tradition of Bushido. If the display makes you want to travel to Japan the Travel Guides are on the bottom shelf to help you plan your trip. Please enjoy this collection. I think it is a very special Special! You will find it located on your right as you enter the Main Room. Enjoy!

History also has an interesting collection of books about Winston Churchill. It includes some of his writings as well as some books about other Churchill family members. You will find it on the special display case as you approach the check-out lines." -Suzanne & Irina, History Mavens

 
Art for February

"Spring is in the air and nature is blooming on the art shelves, a big selection of books on flora and fauna illustrations in books and prints during the 18th and 19th century is featured. If sports or artists who feature sports are more your style you will find those also. On the other end of the spectrum is a big selection of fantasy art from warlocks to pixies." -Mary Ahrens

 
February Favorites from Nature

"February is one of our favorite months in the Nature section -- so many free outdoor activities, and we have books to match! Pick up an Audubon, Sibley, Nat Geo or Peterson bird guide and then visit birdcount.org, the website for the 19th annual Great Backyard Bird Count Feb. 12-15th. Celebrate Valentine's Day with a romantic walk -- our Local Hiking section will provide suggestions for all ages and ability levels. This weekend only, Muttville in San Francisco is waiving their $200 adoption fee for senior dogs. Our books on the joys of "rescuing" a loving shelter pet will warm your heart, and you will find contact info on Muttville posted in our section." -Karen D.

 
Health for February

"It would perhaps be too lighthearted to mention that the Health section has a year-round concern about Hearts, but now that it's February we feature lots of other Valentine-appropriate books. A recent and charming book: "Reflexology Bible," by Louise Keet, on our Alternative Medicine shelf, is a definitive guide to pressure-point healing: Gentle massage of hands and feet relaxes and stimulates healing processes throughout the body. Simple, elegant charts and excellent photography make this an attractive and practical book in itself, and the technique, administered by loving hands, can be comforting and romantic. We have other new books on massage and acupressure as well. A special collection of aromatherapy books describes the use of natural oils to enhance psychological and physical well-being. Rather than an expensive bottle of perfume (JOY by Jean Patou: $800 an ounce?), how about a book on do-it-yourself fragrances? And even though it's winter, we have a bumper crop of brand new books scattered through all of our shelves." -Verne Rice

 
Philosophy for February 2016

"We have an abundance of new arrivals in Philosophy this month and they are to be found both on the top three shelves of the right hand bookcase and within the subject area of specific philosophers in the left hand bookcase. This month's new arrivals include two very good books from Routledge, Stroud's Hume and Ayers's Locke. Other new arrivals include Washburn's Philosophical Dilemmas, Hughes's Hemlock Cup, Solomon's Short History of Philosophy, Einstein's Ideas and Opinions, Segal's Graceful Simplicity and two by Umberto Eco, Semiotics and Serendipities.

"Holding over from January we still have a very good selection of books by Santayana and Thoreau, and a very interesting novel, The Spinoza Quartet. Don't forget the Bargain Room which will have a very large selection of Philosophy books at seriously bargain prices." -Nigel Jones

 
2016 February Judaica

"Browse the Judaica section for books on the Jewish religion, Jewish history, the Holocaust, Israel, Jewish Women, the Jewish American Experience and other related subjects. New this month: 1948: A History of the First Arab-Israeli War; In the Sewers of Lvov: A Heroic Story of Survival from the Holocaust; Why the Germans? Why the Jews?: Envy, Race Hatred, and the Prehistory of the Holocaust; The Peace Puzzle: America's Quest for Arab-Israeli Peace, 1989-2011; Under Crescent and Cross: The Jews in the Middle Ages; Buried by the Times: The Holocaust and America's Most Important Newspaper.

"Check the appropriate fiction section if you are interested in literature with a Jewish or Israeli theme." -Charlotte Epstein

 
2016 February - Music Books and Sheet Music

"Visit the Music section for books on a wide variety of musical topics such as classical, rock, jazz, world music, and dance. New this month - Lili Marlene: The Soldiers' Song of World War II; Music of Another World; The NDM Principal of Relative Music; Rolling Stones: Rip This Joint: The Stories Behind Every Song; Anna Halprin: Experience as Dance; Backstage Passes: Life on the Wild Side with David Bowie; The Motown Album: The Sound of Young America; The Nearest Faraway Place: Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys, and the Southern California Experience; Can You Feel the Silence?: Van Morrison: A New Biography

"Also browse our wide selection of sheet music neatly sorted by instruments including violin, piano, trumpet and guitar." -Charlotte Epstein

 
2016 February Humor

"For the first time we have two books on the art of cartooning, Cartoons and Cartooning and The Humongous Book of Cartooning. If your New Year's resolution is to be a cartoonist these are must haves. You will able to compete with some of the cartoonists we have on the shelves this month which include at least three geniuses, Charles Addams, Charles Schulz, Edward Gorey, Charles Bragg, Leo Cullum and Geoffrey Moss. Or maybe you will get into the New Yorker and can take some inspiration from the four anthologies we have this month, as well as the beautiful edition of The Complete New Yorker which includes 8 DVDs.

Women feature highly in Humor this month. We have an excellent overview The Rise of Women in American Humor, also Women in Wodehouse, and books from Tina Fey, Chelsea Handler, Mindy Kaling and the inimitable Dorothy Parker. Make sure to check out the Bargain Room and look through the large collections of cartoons and magazines." -Nigel Jones

 
European Languages

"We received several volumes of Proust in large print (large trade paperbacks, in French)." -Susan Strain

 
Games & Puzzles

"Puzzle lovers! This month we have 3D puzzles, Mystery party puzzles and jigsaws from 100 - 6,000 pieces. Many are new." -Karin

 
Teen Recommendations by Tristan Wang

Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo

An emotive novel that pits an innocent adolescent against the horrid rancor of the Great War. Hunkered down in a trench, Private Thomas Peaceful minds the steady ticking of his pocket watch as the battles his fatigue in the dead of night. Mud and rats, gas and shells, comrades dead and wounded -- all these he has witnessed, and somehow, survived. But tonight is a night for remembering. To relive the precious childhood years before the horrid crucible, because time is war's most ruthless agent, and at dawn it will bring about an unthinkable consequence that will scar him forever.

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher

Hannah Baker had taken her own life. But her voice, bitter and haunting, persists on lingering, sealed in a modest package of pre-recorded cassette tapes. High-schooler Clay Jensen is unsuspecting when the tapes show up at his front porch -- until he pops it into his Walkman and discovers its contents. What is there to be gained from listening to the eerie raves of a dead classmate he barely knew? Because of guilt, because somehow, Clay's name is on the list of 13 people that drove Hannah to commit her final, fatalistic act. And he has to find out why.

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick

In Spaz's world, the past is a hazy mush. And the future, well, when was that ever worth thinking about? Food is scarce, the sky rains acid, and "mind probes", virtual-reality brain implants, are the only means of relief -- except for Spaz, that is, as he's epileptic. The "Bully Banger" gang is family to Spaz, so when his boss Billy Bizmo sends him to "rip off" Ryter, he eagerly obeys. The goony old man had it coming anyways, constantly scribbling away in tattered books and never bothering to help himself. But when Spaz's beloved sister Bean contracts a fatal blood sickness, Ryter's counsel may be his best -- and only -- shot at a solution.