Book Drives San Francisco

May · Cuba · The Tyranny of Flies

For May, we're reading the novel The Tyranny of Flies by Elaine Vilar Madruga (Cuba). Please see the Goodreads link for the complete description: [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199865473-the-tyranny-of-flies?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_13](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199865473-the-tyranny-of-flies?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_13). 256 pages, audiobook and e-book available.

The Swapping of the Books📚

Let’s swap some books and hang out with fellow book lovers! Maybe have a beer or two. Bring at least one book to swap, and make sure to take any books back with you that don’t get taken. We look forward to seeing you all there!

East Bay Women's Book Club May Meetup: Best Offer Wins

Hello, fellow female readers -- The book for the May Meetup is 'Best Offer Wins,' by Marisa Kashino, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick and An ELLE Best Mystery/Thriller. For those of you who are new, I will send out the address to my house by Monday, May 18. Looking forward to gathering together and discussing the book. Bonnie

Book, Coffee, Chit Chat, etc. (Tuesday Edition)

ATTENTION: We are now meeting in person again! Please follow current recommendations around mask usage to keep everyone safe. Masks are always welcome and accepted, no matter the current regulations. If you'd like to meet online check out our meeting on the first Wednesday of every month. It's that time again! Let's chit chat about the books we exchanged last time and welcome newcomers bringing their first book. If you've been before you know the deal, otherwise just bring a book to share and expect to say both a few words about it and why you want to share it.

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Discuss Neuromancer by William Gibson

Captivating Book Club & Yummy Lunch

Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang

Our book for May is Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang **Note this will be on the 1st Sunday in May due to Mother's Day on the 10th.** For those who are interested, here is the [link](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dsmQaExL52aoYVqVn-Mn3--loh5k8M7Ieeej3JJjRyc/edit?gid=1204962740#gid=1204962740) to the detailed results from the voting. Here is a summary of the book (from Gemini): In *Breakneck*, technology analyst Dan Wang draws on nearly a decade of firsthand reporting to offer a provocative new framework for understanding the mounting rivalry between the US and China. Wang argues that China operates as an "engineering state," ruthlessly focused on physical building and rapid economic progress—resulting in gleaming megaprojects and unparalleled manufacturing capabilities. In stark contrast, he characterizes the United States as a "lawyerly society" bogged down by red tape and a vetocracy that reflexively blocks development. However, Wang doesn't shy away from the immense human cost of China's model. He powerfully details how treating citizens like mere building materials has led to disastrous social engineering, from the traumas of the one-child policy to the heavy-handed enforcement of zero-COVID and the surveillance of ethnic minorities. Equal parts gripping and sobering, *Breakneck* is much more than a book about foreign policy—it's a mirror reflecting America's own domestic struggles with progress and stagnation. For our group, Wang's deep dive offers jumping-off points to debate the "abundance" movement, the ethics of tech-driven governance, and what the US and China might actually learn from each other's deepest flaws. Whether you're interested in technology, economics, or global politics, this blend of immersive storytelling and sharp analysis should make for a good meeting! This event will be hybrid. I will host the meeting in person at my house in Berkeley which is near the intersection of College Ave and Woolsey St. I will email people the address the Saturday before the meeting. Here are the Google Meet details: Google Meet link: [https://meet.google.com/zem-xnbw-tuh](https://meet.google.com/zem-xnbw-tuh) Or dial: ‪(US) +1 641-854-0146‬ PIN: ‪637 012 874‬#

May Meeting: Octavia Butler - Bloodchild and Other Stories

**Recommended Stories:** * Bloodchild * The Evening and the Morning and the Night * Speech Sounds Octavia Butler -- need we say more? Super excited for this one! **For First-Timers:** We recommend reading at least one story, but feel free to read as little or as much as you'd like! Discussion is open, informal, and we try to focus on the recommended stories listed above. **About Butler:** Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006) was a visionary "Grand Dame of Science Fiction" who broke barriers as the first sci-fi writer to receive a MacArthur "Genius" Grant. Rising from a working-class background in California, she became a master of "speculative fiction," using alien worlds and dystopian futures to explore visceral themes of power, racial hierarchy, and human survival. Her work is celebrated for its unflinching realism and its focus on marginalized protagonists who must make complex, often uncomfortable sacrifices to endure in a changing world.

Books Not Bans presents No Homework Book Club

At the No Homework Book Club we read a story together, and talk about it. The story is available online for free. We will have discussion questions prepared. Book people are the best people. All welcome! We will be reading The City Born Great by N. K. Jemisin. Link: https://reactormag.com/the-city-born-great//

(4th Saturday Richmond District Edition). Books, Coffee, Chit Chat

Bring what you’re reading and we’ll have an interesting group conversation (novels, non-fiction, essays, poetry, romance, cookbooks, science fiction & fantasy, etc.) This “4th Saturday Richmond District Edition” is designed to accommodate the overflow from Emily’s 2nd Saturday Richmond District Book Chat. If you are not able to attend Emily’s Group, then please feel free to join this 4th Saturday version. We meet in the back patio of Bazaar Café (lovely place). If it rains, we’ll meet inside the Café.

Bonus Discussion: Sunrise on the Reaping

Let's finish off the series and read the next prequel -- Sunrise on the Reaping! These meetings will happen in addition to our regular book club discussions, so don't worry if you are not into the series. We will still meet regularly for our monthly discussions. ***Book Summary***: When you've been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for? As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight... and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.

Calling all book lovers!

Calling all book lovers! Unplug and join us on the beach with a book you would like to read. Don't forget your book, beach chair/towel, mask, and a bottle of water. While we love to watch children run and play, it's an adults only kind of day. We will be on Alameda Beach (Shore Line Drive between Fair Haven Road and Sand Beach Road). Directions From Oakland: https://goo.gl/maps/77XFVvLqJa72 From San Francisco: https://goo.gl/maps/9fYAbGc7ozo From San Jose: https://goo.gl/maps/6wdEuX8K9xA2