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Books

Stories, reading lists, library finds and literary events worth getting into.

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Poet Anne Carson at the 75th National Book Awards in 2024.
Andy Kropa/Andy Kropa/Invision/AP
/
Invision
Arts & Culture
Poet and essayist Anne Carson wins 2026 Nobel Prize in literature
Andrew Limbong
Chloee Weiner
Aldo Cervantes
Space 4 Art
Arts & Culture
Top 5 weekend arts events in San Diego: 'Ripcord,' jazz and art at the human scale
Julia Dixon Evans
"If you don't see yourself represented, go out and represent yourself," Murray Hill says. His new memoir is Showbiz! My Life as a Middle-Aged Man.
Don Spiro
/
Simon & Schuster
Arts & Culture
'Here I am, my full, authentic self': Murray Hill charts his own course in 'Showbiz!'
Terry Gross
NPR
Arts & Culture
Here are the finalists for the 2026 National Book Awards
Andrew Limbong
Summit Books
Arts & Culture
Ayad Akhtar's 'The Radiance' addresses provocative subjects head-on
Heller McAlpin
Robert Prevost is seen in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square as he attends the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26, 2025. The next month, Prevost would be elected the first American pope, becoming Pope Leo.
Franco Origlia
/
Getty Images
Arts & Culture
No one expected Leo to be pope — except everyone who knew him as 'Bob'
Scott Detrow
Daniel Burke
NPR
Arts & Culture
10 books we are looking forward to this fall
Andrew Limbong
Julieta Venegas
Arts & Culture
Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Mail art, Julieta Venegas and cross-border jazz
Julia Dixon Evans
Mahmoud Khalil, accompanied by his wife Noor Abdalla, raises his hands as he arrives for a press conference in New York City on June 22, 2025, two days after his release from U.S. custody.
Kena Betancur
/
AFP via Getty Images
Arts & Culture
Mahmoud Khalil on his detention by ICE: 'It is a stain on the U.S. consciousness'
Tonya Mosley
Penguin Random House/Lindsay Owens/NPR
Economy
How to hide your spending habits from retailers (so you don't get ripped off)
Malaka Gharib
Marielle Segarra
Clare Marie Schneider
"Ultimately, I was the audience's guide into a very scary place," Kyle MacLachlan says of his roles in Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks. He's shown above in London on Dec. 3, 2025.
Scott A. Garfitt
/
Invision/AP
Arts & Culture
Kyle MacLachlan says he was David Lynch's 'submersible' into dark places
Terry Gross
Cardinal
Arts & Culture
I didn't think 'Pachinko' could be topped. Then I read 'American Hagwon'
Maureen Corrigan

KPBS Midday Edition Segments

The image shows photographs of the authors of the book "American Pope" Daniel Burke and Scott Detrow, alonside the book's cover.
Courtesy of NPR
KPBS Midday Edition
Exploring origins of first 'American Pope,' Hispanic Heritage Month with Chicano Park co-founder
Jade Hindmon
Andrew Bracken
Ashley Rusch
Julianna Domingo
Magos Herrera and the Hausmann String Quartet are seen in Avenida Revolucion, Tijuana, in this undated photo.
San Diego Tijuana International Jazz Festival
KPBS Midday Edition
Binational jazz festival celebrates music on both sides of the border
Jade Hindmon
Andrew Bracken
Julianna Domingo
Ana Hernández, executive director of Centro Cultural de la Raza, joined KPBS Midday Edition on Wednesday, Sept. 30th.
Ashley Rusch
KPBS Midday Edition
Hispanic Heritage Month 2026: Ana Hernández of Centro Cultural de la Raza
Jade Hindmon
Ashley Rusch
The sign above One of Us, a women's sports bar in North Park, San Diego, is shown on July 22, 2026.
Brenden Tuccinardi
/
KPBS
Local
How one North Park bar became a hub for women's sports
Jade Hindmon
Julianna Domingo
Jesi Gutierrez and Celi Hernandez pictured inside Libélula Books & Co. in this undated photo.
Delana Delgado
KPBS Midday Edition
Hispanic Heritage Month 2026: Jesi Gutierrez, co-owner of Libélula Books & Co.
Jade Hindmon
Ashley Rusch
Adrian García Márquez joins KPBS Midday Edition on Monday, September 28, 2026.
Ashley Rusch / KPBS
KPBS Midday Edition
Hispanic Heritage Month 2026: Adrian García Márquez, play-by-play broadcaster
Jade Hindmon
Ashley Rusch
Women hold flags during the national anthem in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month before an NFL game on Sept. 18. The NFL has launched its Por La Cultura campaign.
Ron Jenkins
/
AP
KPBS Midday Edition
Hispanic Heritage identity; Bilingual singer-songwriter; SD Italian Film Festival
Jade Hindmon
Ashley Rusch
Julianna Domingo
Central Union High School students Santiago Valdez, Benny Lopez, Isaac Garcia, Kenyon Thomas, and Margarita Guillen are pictured in front of Salvation Mountain in Slab City in the Imperial Valley from January 24, 2026.
Thomas Tacke, Centrial Union High School, El Centro, California
KPBS Midday Edition
Second season of podcast explores growing up in the Imperial Valley
Jade Hindmon
Andrew Bracken
Four actors dance onstage for the play, "Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center" in this undated photo.
TuYo Theatre
KPBS Midday Edition
New play tells story of youth care workers, migrant girls sheltered in San Diego Convention Center
Jade Hindmon
Julianna Domingo
The cover of the graphic memoir, "Mexikid Dreams" is seen side-by-side with a headshot of author Pedro Martín in this undated graphic.
Penguin Random House
KPBS Midday Edition
'Mexikid Dreams' looks at coming of age in California's strawberry fields
Andrew Bracken
Julianna Domingo

Related Stories

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A yellow Star of David bearing the German word for "Jew" is shown sewed onto a black jacket, one of the artifacts at the RUTH exhibit at downtown San Diego's Central Library on September 8, 2026.
Matthew Bowler
/
KPBS
Racial Justice and Social Equity
Central Library exhibit urges viewers to 'Remember Us'
John Carroll
A view of the San Diego Public Library, Sept. 9, 2016.
KPBS Staff
Education
SD library system to offer Google certificate program
City News Service
Rebecca Webb photograph Sept. 17-20 San Diego Weekend Arts Top Picks
Arts & Culture
Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Queer nightlife, desert landscapes and new romantasy
Julia Dixon Evans
The interior of North Park's Verbatim Books is shown on Sept. 3, 2025. The space will be transformed to a dance floor for Desire, Calling, a queer reading series and dance party, on Saturday.
Julia Dixon Evans
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
Independent bookstores are all over San Diego County — here's a list
Audy McAfee
Bryan Ali Sanchez
Arts & Culture
San Diego weekend arts picks: Chicano Skatepark, a dance party and Indigenous art
Julia Dixon Evans
Poet Sofía Favela Magro stands for a portrait inside the Tijuana bookstore, Libros Cafe y Jazz, on Aug. ‎21, ‎2026,
Matthew Bowler
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
City of Poetry: Tijuana's 28th Annual National Poetry Prize open for submissions
Matthew Bowler
Ingrid Hernandez
Arts & Culture
Top 10 San Diego weekend arts picks: 'Soft Power,' West African surf culture and toy pianos
Julia Dixon Evans
The San Diego Public Library interim deputy director of customer experience, Ady Huertas, holds library cards on Aug. 24, 2026, at the San Diego Central Library.
Matthew Bowler
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
Why a San Diego library card is worth having and easy to get
Audy McAfee
Diana Benavides
Julia Dixon Evans
Arts & Culture
Top 10 San Diego weekend arts picks: Mammogram sculpture, dance film and free musicals
Julia Dixon Evans
Attendees browse books at the 2026 KPBS San Diego Book Festival at the University of San Diego on Aug. 22, 2026.
Natalie Dudas-Thomas
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
KPBS San Diego Book Festival brings readers together as 2026 One Book, One San Diego selections are announced
Julia Dixon Evans
Arts & Culture
Top 5 weekend arts picks in San Diego: Book festival, Filipino folk dance, punk music and more
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Arts & Culture
Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Queen Califia's Magical Circle at night, 'Lovers in a Park' and more
Julia Dixon Evans

Upcoming Events

See all
Free for everyone

The Power of Stories: Latin Author Book Fair

Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 6 PM to 8 PM
Southwestern College
Free
Free for everyone
'Barking at Dogs'

'Barking at Dogs' — Book Launch with Leon Lazarus

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 2 PM
Encinitas Library
Free
Free for everyone
The Zoo Lady Book Cover - Depiction of Belle Benchley holding a koala with a giraffe and gorilla behind her

Author Talk: 'The Zoo Lady: How Belle Benchley Built the San Diego Zoo' by Sandra Bonura

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Knox Branch Library
Free
Reading to Dogs

San Diego Humane Society: Reading to Dogs

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
Multiple locations
The Book of Alchemy: Building A Writing Practice in Community

The Book of Alchemy: Building A Writing Practice in Community

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 12 PM
Ongoing until October 24, 2026
Virtual
$215-$252
An Evening with John Green

An Evening with John Green

Sunday, October 11, 2026 from 7 PM to 9 PM
California Center for the Arts: Escondido
$45.00
The CEO Within

The CEO Within: For Fiction Authors Wanting To Make Money From Their Work

Monday, October 12, 2026 from 10 AM to 12 PM
Virtual
$36-$42

The Canary Code

Monday, October 12, 2026 from 6 PM to 8 PM
CSUSM USU Ball Room
$0-$10
Free for everyone
A special live virtual event with Theresa Howell, author of our 2026 One Book, One San Diego kids' selection, "Books on Bikes"

One Book Kids' Author Virtual Event with Theresa Howell

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 from 10 AM to 11 AM
Virtual
Free
Free for everyone
Two kids smiling looking at a book together

Mission Valley Kids Book and Craft Club

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 from 4 PM to 5:15 PM
Mission Valley Branch Library
Free
Free for everyone
50 Years of 'Even the Rat Was White'

50 Years of 'Even the Rat Was White'

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 from 6:30 PM to 8 PM
San Diego Central Public Library
Free
Free for everyone
Miriam Pawel: 'California Dreams'

Pulitzer Prize Winner Miriam Pawel: 'California Dreams' with Maria Anguiano

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Warwick's
Free
Introduction to Writing for Television: Creating and Writing Your First TV Pilot

Introduction to Writing for Television: Creating & Writing Your First TV Pilot

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6 PM
Ongoing until October 20, 2026
Virtual
$288-$336
Free for everyone
Community Book Club: 'The Serviceberry' by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Community Book Club: 'The Serviceberry' by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6 PM
WorldBeat Cultural Center
Free
Free for everyone
'The Zoo Lady': A Book Launch Adventure With Sandra Bonura

'The Zoo Lady': A Book Launch Adventure With Award-Winning San Diego Author Sandra Bonura

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM
Carlsbad City Library
Free
Free for everyone
Windows, Mirrors, and Wine Book Talk

Windows, Mirrors, and Wine Book Talk

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Through the Fold
Free
Free for everyone
Toddler and Preschool Storytime

Toddler and Preschool Storytime

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Ongoing until October 22, 2026
Mission Valley Branch Library
Free
PoeFest

PoeFest

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 6 PM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
Villa Montezuma Museum
$35
Everything Happens Somewhere: How Place Shapes Story, Character, and Memory

Everything Happens Somewhere: How Place Shapes Story, Character, and Memory

Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 2 PM to 4 PM
San Diego Writers, Ink
$36-$42
Free for everyone
Metal and Myth

Metal and Myth: Celebrate 20 Years of One Book, One San Diego! Kick-off Event.

Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 2 PM to 3:30 PM
San Diego Central Public Library
Free

Discover More Stories

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Film
Graphic icon of Musieum icon with a painting on wall and a rope in front protecting it
Museum a Month
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Music
Graphic icon of Pop Culture icon
Pop Culture
Graphic icon of Theater icon
Theater
visual arts icon
Visual Arts

FOMO

See all
Check out can't-miss local events
Boo Bash Escondido Activities

Boo Bash Escondido: San Diego’s New 100,000-Square-Foot Pumpkin Patch

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Ongoing until November 1, 2026
Mershops North County Mall
$5
Top of the Hyatt Presents: A Season of Masquerade

Top of the Hyatt Presents: A Season of Masquerade

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until January 2, 2027
Top of the Hyatt, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
The Touchdown

Watch Football at Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until January 14, 2027
Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park Logo

The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park 2026

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Ongoing until November 1, 2026
The Haunted Trail Of Balboa Park
Timed General Admission Starting at $34.99
OB2k Oktoberfest Flyer "throwing it back for 20+ years"

OB Oktoberfest 2026

Friday, October 9, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until October 10, 2026
OB Pier Parking Lot
GA Tickets Available at the Door: $20 | VIP:$75
Oktoberfest Flyer

Oktoberfest at PB AleHouse

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 12 PM to 6 PM
PB AleHouse
BlacktoberFest

BlacktoberFest

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 1 PM to 8 PM
S&S Friendly Ranch
General Admission: $45
Free for everyone
Little Saigon’s Night Market

Little Saigon’s Night Market

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 6 PM to 10 PM
Sin Lee Food
Free
Lost Temple Tavern Pop-Up

Lost Temple Tavern Pop-Up at Margaritaville Hotel San Diego

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 7 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
Landshark Bar and Grill
Free Entry
San Diego Coffee Festival

San Diego Coffee Festival

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 9 AM
Ongoing until October 11, 2026
Broadway Pier
From $25.15; varies by session
Beachside Fall Festival

Belmont Park's Annual Beachside Fall Fest

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
Belmont Park
Free for everyone
Trivia Night at The Crack Shack Pacific Beach

Trivia Night at The Crack Shack Pacific Beach

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Ongoing until December 29, 2026
The Crack Shack - Pacific Beach
Free
Taste of East Village

Taste of East Village

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until October 15, 2026
East Village
Free for everyone
Sunset Savasana: Yoga on the Cliffs

Sunset Savasana: Yoga on the Cliffs

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 6 PM
Ongoing until October 29, 2026
Osprey Point
Free
Mission Bayfest 2026

Mission Bayfest 2026

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 3 PM
Ongoing until October 18, 2026
Mariner's Point Park
Single Day Tickets From $140 | 3 Day Tickets From $280
Sammy Virji

Sammy Virji

Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 5 PM to 11 PM
Gallagher Square at Petco Park
$70-$75
Free for everyone
Treats in the Suites: Trick-or-Treating at Frontwave Arena

Treats in the Suites: Trick-or-Treating at Frontwave Arena

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 4 PM to 7 PM
Frontwave Arena
Free
One Small Step Experience event

One Small Step Experience

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 5 PM to 8 PM
KPBS Conrad Prebys Media Complex at Copley Center
Foster The People: 'Good Mourning Sunshine Tour'

Foster The People: 'Good Mourning Sunshine Tour'

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7 PM
PETCO Park
$74.35
Candlelight® Sets the Mood for Halloween in San Diego With a Haunting Live-Music Program

Candlelight Open Air: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics

Friday, October 23, 2026 at 8 PM
Ongoing until October 24, 2026
Mt. Helix Park and Amphitheatre
From: $55.00
13th Annual Howl-O-Ween Mutt Run/Walk

13th Annual Howl-O-Ween Mutt Run/Walk

Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Road Runner Sports
$60 — 5K registration
Art After Dark: Costume Contest and Party

Art After Dark: Costume Contest & Party

Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 7 PM to 11 PM
Oceanside Museum of Art
Free for everyone
Trick-or-Treat on India Street

Trick-or-Treat on India Street

Sunday, October 25, 2026 from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Little Italy
Free
Tour Ma Vie World Tour

Doja Cat is Coming to San Diego with Latto!

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Viejas Arena
$125.00-$792.40
Howl-O-Ween Yappy Hour at Monkeybar

Howl-O-Ween Yappy Hour at Monkeybar

Wednesday, October 28, 2026 from 4 PM to 7 PM
Monkeybar at Town and Country Resort
Menu items pricing varies

Lila Downs: Día de Muertos

Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Balboa Theatre
$70-$112
Hard Rock Halloween: Haunted Manor

Haunted Manor at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

Saturday, October 31, 2026 from 9 PM to 2 AM
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
Free for everyone
Free Trivia Wednesday Nights at Le Charcuterie Bar

Free Trivia Wednesday Nights at Le Charcuterie Bar

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 7 PM
Ongoing until March 24, 2027
Le Charcuterie Bar
Free
PRAYERS

PRAYERS – San Diego Music Box Show

Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Music Box
'Wild 'N Out' The Next Generation coming to Viejas Arena

Nick Cannon Brings: 'Wild 'N Out' The Next Generation coming to Viejas Arena

Sunday, November 15, 2026 from 6:30 PM to 8 PM
Viejas Arena
$128-$1206
Em Beihold

Em Beihold

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 8 PM
Music Box
$39.59-$117.61
San Diego Made Holiday Market

San Diego Made Holiday Market

Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until November 29, 2026
NTC Park at Liberty Station
$5
Jo Koy: Koy Meets World Tour

Jo Koy Is Coming To San Diego!

Thursday, December 10, 2026 at 8 PM
San Diego Civic Theatre
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