Cellar Door Books
5225 Canyon Crest Dr
Suite 30 A/B
951-787-7807
News and Events, September 2017
In This Issue
Upcoming Author Events

Carlos Cortes
Tuesday, September 12 at 6 pm

Please join us in welcoming local author and Professor Emeritus of History at UCR, Dr. Carlos E. Cortes, for a reading and signing

His newest book, Fourth Quarter: Reflections of a Cranky Old Man, is a poetic rumination on life as viewed from the perspective of a post-75-year-old who is traversing the fourth quarter of his life. Sometimes ironic, sometimes nostalgic, while continuously introspective, Fourth Quarter teases strands both from Cortes's personal experiences and from his responses to the always-surprising, occasionally baffling world. 

Dr. Cortes has lectured widely throughout the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Australia on the implications of diversity for education, government, business and media. Cortes has also served as Creative/Cultural Advisor for Nickelodeon's children's television series "Dora the Explorer" and its sequels; he received the 2009 NAACP Image Award for his contributions. In 2006, the City of Riverside established the annual Carlos E. Cortes Award for community service that fosters inclusivity and diversity.
Brian Rogers
Saturday, September 30 at 6 pm

Join us for a reading and signing with Brian Rogers, local author of The Whole of the Moon.

In this novel of crisscrossing narratives set along the old Route 66, from the Inland Empire to the terminus just off Sunset Boulevard, characters are bound a fact unknown to them: they have each checked out the same public library copy of The Great Gatsby. These stories span the years from the late 1950s to the present, depicting the determination and failure and life in Southern California away from the red carpet.

Rogers attended the graduate writing program at San Francisco State University. A former stand-up comedian, he has been a finalist for awards including the Bakeless Prize in Fiction and the Best Teleplay prize from the Austin Film Festival. Rogers has taught at many colleges and high schools over the years, and presently lives in Orange County, California.
Back to School Night
Friday, September 1 from 2-8 pm

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Summer has officially ended, and you know what that means... it's time to go back to school. (Go ahead - read that in a sad tone.) Let us make the transition back to the classroom a little easier: join us for a Back to School Night

From 2-8 pm only, students and teachers buy one get one (of equal or lesser value) 25% off!* At 3 pm, we'll have a game and giveaways for kids. Then, at 6 pm, teens can join in on our Teen Advisory Board. Get a sneak peak at some of the books coming out before they're published, and even take an advanced reader copy with you! 

But wait, there's more! Crafty U Too and Subs & Spuds are adding their own back-to-school discounts. At Crafty, get $2 off the studio fee; and at Subs & Spuds, get a free drink with your purchase. These deals last from 2-8 pm only, so be sure you don't miss out!

*in-store only; discounts do not apply to online orders
Cellar Door Think Tank: Sharia Law
Thursday, September 28 at 6 pm









Throughout the legal  history of the world, there have been different types of lawmaking, influenced and molded by beliefs that societies hold valuable - from the English common law system, to the modern constitutional legal system. Sharia law, based on the ethical and legal principles of Islamic morality, has held a great deal of talk in the news. There are rumors of its dangers, what it says about women, and how it affects Americans. But what do you know about Sharia law? 

Store Hours

Mon-Saturday 10-8

Sunday 10-6

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Storytime

Saturdays at 11 am

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We will be closing at 3pm on Mon., Sept. 4 for the Labor Day holiday.

August Bestsellers


1. The Stone Sky
N.K. Jemisin
Hachette |  9780316229241

2. The New Jim Crow
Michelle Alexander
Perseus |  9781595586438

3. The Sympathizer
Viet Thanh Nguyen
Perseus|9780802124944

4. Emma and the Blue Genie
Cornelia Funke
Penguin Random House |  9780385375412

5.  Before the Fall
Noah Hawley
Hachette | 9781455561797

6. Evicted
Matthew Desmond
Penguin Random House | 9780553447453 

7. The Fifth Season
N.K. Jemisin
Hachette| 9780316229296

8. In Defense of Food*
Michael Pollan
Penguin Random House | 9780143114963

9. Alias Grace
Margaret Atwood
Penguin Random House | 9780385490443

10. Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Agatha Christie
Harper Collins |   9780062074126

*Thank you to Mr. Sandoval and his students!

Friday, Sept. 1 at 6 pm
September  Staff Picks

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (out 9/12): " Once again, Ng navigates the delicate intricacies of human nature, presenting us with delicious characters and a plot like a woven tapestry." 
- Destenie 
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(Psst: watch for an exclusive interview with Ng in the October newsletter!)


One Came Home by Amy Timberlake"This is an outdoor adventure complete with a nod to the fate of the Passenger Pigeon as well as a wonderful coming of age story. Don't miss it!"
- Linda


The New Jim Crow
by Michelle Alexander: "Alexander argues that 'we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it.' Absolutely one of the most important books I've read, and it demands action." 
- Linda
For our first Think Tank presentation , Cellar Door Books welcomes Fauzia Rizvi and Yousuf Bhagani, the co-founders of For the People and leaders in the Muslim communities of the Inland Empire. They will be discussing Sharia law, what it is, from where it comes, and where we go from here. There will be time for a Q&A as well, so bring your open mind, your curiosity, and your concerns. 

Our next Think Tank presentation on October 26 at 6 pm by Tom Patterson is on the ABCs of Capitalism. Mark your calendars now!
Banned Books Week 2017: Our Right to Read
September 24-30

This year marks thirty-six years of celebrating - and protecting - the freedom to read from the fullest array of possibilities. This is a freedom that is firmly rooted in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the amendment that guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Though we enjoy a seemingly limitless and expanding amount of information, there is always a danger of would-be censors, who come from all quarters and all political persuasions, threatening our right to choose for ourselves. And books can play a huge role in starting conversations among people with opposing views, a resource that is ever-important now. 

Yes, books are still banned. And, yes, a disproportionate share of challenges come up against diverse authors and ideas. Challenges continue to target LGBTQ material, and there is a rise in "sexually explicit" as a challenge category. So here's how you can get involved and protect the right to read:
  • Stay informed. Subscribe to print and online news publications that cover censorship issues, ask librarians and teachers if there are any current attempts to challenge or ban books, or read a challenged or banned book.
  • Speak up. Share censorship related stories, action alerts, and issues, attend school/library board meetings, contact public school officials, or send a letter or op-ed to local news organizations.
  • Support local schools and libraries. Join your local Friends of the Library groups and PTAs, which rely on volunteers to advocate for libraries and schools.
  • Support Banned Books Week. 

Find a display of the most banned and challenged books of 2016 in-store during Banned Books Week. You can also take a look at the top ten challenged books of last year below: 

  1. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, ill. by Jillian Tamaki Challenged for LGBTQ characters, drug use, and profanity; considered sexually explicit with mature themes. This young adult graphic novel is winner of both a Printz and Caldecott Honor Award.
  2. Drama by Raina Telgemeier Challenged for LGBTQ characters, was deemed sexually explicit, and was considered to have an offensive political viewpoint. This graphic novel for young adults is winner of the Stonewall Honor Award.
  3. George by Alex Gino Challenged for including a transgender child, and the "sexuality was not appropriate at elementary levels." This book is a Stonewall Award and Lambda Literary Award-winner.
  4. I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, ill. by Shelagh McNicholas Challenged for portraying a transgender child and because of language, sex education, and offensive viewpoints.
  5. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan Challenged for its cover, which depicts two boys kissing; considered to include sexually explicit LGBTQ content. This young adult novel is included on the National Book Award longlist and designated a Stonewall Honor Book.
  6. Looking for Alaska by John Green Challenged for a sexually explicit scene that may lead students to "sexual experimentation." This popular young adult novel is a Printz Award-winner.
  7. Big Hard Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction, ill. by Chip Zdarsky Challenged because it was considered sexually explicit. This is a compilation of adult comics by two prolific award-winning artists.
  8. Make Something Up: Stories You Can't Unread by Chuck Palahniuk Challenged for profanity, sexual explicitness, and being "disgusting and all around offensive."
  9. Little Bill series by Bill Cosby, ill. Varnette P. Honeywood Challenged because of criminal sexual allegations against the author. This is the first time in top ten history that a book was challenged solely because of its author.
  10. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell Challenged for being "pornographic" and filled with "vile, vile, nasty language." This young adult novel is a New York Times Notable Children's Book and a Printz Honor recipient.
More Than Superheroes: Reading Graphic Novels

If you think that literature is reserved only for 100+ pages of prose bound by a plain-text book cover, we're here to tell you there's more to it than that. When you think of comics and graphic novels, the first thing that might come to mind is the armor-clad muscled heroes leaping from their pages into the summer movie scene; while we're not bashing traditional comics (they're an important form of visual literacy, too), we want to expand what readers think about graphic novels. They can cover multiple genres, teach us the same important lessons as our favorite novels, and just plain entertain us. And there's the added bonus of being filled with incredible art. So what are you waiting for? Check out some staff picks below and give graphic novels a try if you haven't already!
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by Kieron Gillen, ill. by Jamie McKelvie

Every ninety years, twelve gods are reincarnated into the bodies of average young folk, becoming instant pop culture phenomenons. The catch? They will die in two years. The pantheon consists of both good guys and bad, leading to as much infighting as only ancient civilizations could have imagined. But through the eyes of protagonist Laura, we follow Lucifer (know now as Luci, a lean blonde in a crisp white suit and cigarette dangling from her bottom lip) as she's being framed for murder. Only one of the other gods - Amaterasu, Baal, Morrigan, and Baphomet among them - could have done the deed, and it's up to Laura to figure out whodunit and clear Luci's name. An intriguing premise, fantastic art, and memorable characters make this a series you don't want to miss. - Destenie

by Brian Vaughan, ill. by Fiona Staples
   
Since its first issue in 2012, Saga has shaken up the comic book community.It is a winner of multiple Eisner and Harvey awards and even won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Sci-Fi Graphic Story. Alana and Marko are soldiers on opposite sides of a civil war that has pitted the high-tech planet Landfall against the magic-wielding denizens of its moon, Wreath. As the war spills over into an imaginative and wonderful universe around it, we watch Alana and Marko's story unfold as narrated by their daughter, a child whose mixed heritage is a threat to the order of the entire galaxy. To call the ongoing fantasy " Romeo and Juliet in space" barely scratches the surface of this tale that is a reflection on family, identity, childhood, and war. - Flip Tanedo, Assistant Professor at UCR

by Mike Carey, ill. by Peter Gross

You've heard the story of the boy wizard and his two friends that became a cultural sensation? Not this one. The Unwritten is a graphic novel about Wilson Taylor's two children: Tommy Taylor - the fictional wizard hero of Wilson's famous children's novels - and Tom Taylor, Wilson's real-life son who had to grow up in the public shadow of his literary counterpart. When Wilson mysteriously disappears, Tom's world is turned upside down as the line between fiction begins to blur around him. This graphic novel is a delight for literary enthusiasts and, well, anyone who remembers (or is still in) high school English class. The series explores the role of literature in human culture. It explores similar themes to Neil Gaiman's American Gods and The Sandman, and even Terry Pratchett's Small Gods and The Hogfather. This is great if you read Harry Potter as a child. It's great if you're getting a degree in English. It's great for anyone in between. But it's especially great for anyone who read Harry Potter as a child and went on to graduate with a 
degree in English. - Flip Tanedo

by Charles Soule, ill. by Ryan Browne

Wonderfully dumb and gloriously strange, Curse Words walks a fine line that simultaneously celebrates and satirizes the fantasy genre. Following a wizard who has transported himself into modern-day New York, this graphic novel takes many of the conventions of magical fantasy classics and turns them on their side. Poking fun at the Twilight Zone-esque Faustian bargains, unseen antagonist, and overpowered protagonist trope, this is a romping adventure that shouldn't be missed.  - Nick, Cellar Door customer

Other Top Picks

- The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui

- Rise of the Dungeon Master: Gary Gygax and the Creation of D&D by David Kushner, ill. by Koren Shadmi

- Black Panther: World of Wakanda by Roxane Gay & Ta-Nehisi Coates, ill. by Alitha E. Martinez & Roberto Poggi

- Monstress Vol. 1: Awakening by Margery Liu, ill. by Sana 

Takeda

- The Beauty by Jeremy Haun, ill. by Haun & Jason A. Hurley

- Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia Butler, adapted by Damian Duffy, ill. by John Jennings


 Top Picks for Kids

- Cosmic Commandos by Chris Eliopoulos

- Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill

- Snow White: A Graphic Novel by Matt Phelan

 

Top Picks for YA

Spill Zone  by Scott Westerfield, ill. by Alex Puvilland
In Real Life  by Cory Doctorow, ill. by Jen Wang
Book Clubs for Adults

Cellar Door Book Club (Meets the fourth Sunday of the month at 3 pm)
Sunday, September 24: The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion 
Sunday, October 22: The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

Mystery Book Club (Meets the third Thursday of the month at 6 pm)
Thursday, September 21: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
Thursday, October 19: Crossing Places by Elly Grffiths

Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club (Meets the second Saturday at 5 pm) 
Saturday, September 9: The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
Saturday, October 14: Who Fears Death? by Nnedi Okorafor

Memoir & Biography Book Club 
(Meets the second Wednesday at 6 pm)
Wednesday, September 13: In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri
Wednesday, October 11: The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevera

Latino Book Club (Meets the last Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm)
Tuesday, September 26: Cheech is Not My Real Name by Cheech Marin
Tuesday, October 31: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Historical Fiction Book Club (Meets the fourth Saturday of the month at 5 pm)
Saturday, September 23:  Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
*Saturday, October 29: Daughter's of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

Agatha Christie Book Club (Meets the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm)  
Tuesday, September 19: Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
Tuesday, October 17: A Talent For Murder by Andrew Wilson

Philosophical Horror Book Club  (Meets the third Wednesday of the month at 6 pm)
Wednesday, September 20: The Drawing of Three (Dark Tower II) by Stephen King
Wednesday, October 18: The Boy on the Bridge by M.R. Carey

Black Lit Book Club  
(Meets the final Friday of the month at 6:30 pm)
Friday, September 29: Grace by Natasha Deon
Friday, October 27: The Cutting Season by Attica Locke

Speculative Fiction Book Club  
(Meets the second Friday of the month at 6:30pm)
Friday, September 8: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Friday, October 13: The Fireman by Joe Hill

LGBTQ Book Club (Meets the third Friday of the month at 6 pm)
*Friday, September 22: A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood
Friday, October 20: Breakfast at Tiffany's & The Complete stories of Truman Capote by Truman Capote

Not Your Father's Teen Lit (Meets the first Saturday of the month at 6 pm)
Saturday, September 2:  Throne of Glass by Sara J. Maas
Saturday, October 7: A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Revolution or Revelation 
(Meets the first Sunday of the month at 12:30 pm)
Sunday, September 3:  Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick
Sunday, October 1: The Witches by Stacey Schiff

Bucket List Book Club (Meets the third Sunday of the month at 3pm)
Sunday, September 17: The Things The Carried by Tim O'Brien
Sunday, October 15: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

Phy-Sci Book Club (Meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 pm)
Wednesday, September 27: Sapiens (Ch. 1-3) by Yuval Noah Harari
Wednesday, October 25: Sapiens (Ch. 4) by Yuval Noah Harari

Current Affairs Book Club (Meets the second Sunday of the month at 4 pm)
Sunday, September 10: Evicted by Matthew Desmond
Sunday, October 8: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Feminist Book Club  (Meets the first Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm)
Tuesday, September 5: The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
Tuesday, October 3: Hunger by Roxanne Gay

His Dark Materials Book Club
Thursday, September 7 at 6 pm: The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman

NEW! Untethered Journey  (Meets the second Mon. of the month at 6 pm)
Monday, September 11: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer
Monday October 9: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Book Clubs for Kids and Youth

Early Readers Book Club (Meets the second Saturday of the month at 1 pm)
Saturday September 9: Emma and the Blue Genie by Cornelia Funke
Saturday, October 14: The School is Alive (Eerie Elementary #1) by Jack Chabert

Children's Book Club (Meets the second Thursday of the month at 4 pm)
Thursday, September 14: The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan
Thursday, October 12: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

Dumbledore's Army (Meets the first Monday of the month at 3 pm)
*Monday, September 11: Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Monday, October 2: My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, & Jodi Meadows

*starred meetings are not being held at their regular date/time

Please visit our  Events Calendar  or Facebook Events page  for updates or changes.