July 15, 2018, Sunday afternoon -- Reading Cintra Wilson

At Sunday Streets, an event where the streets are closed off to cars and people do all sorts of stuff in the street, like hula hoop, show their art, roller skate, or read

He is reading Fear and Clothing: Unbuckling American Style, by California writer/actress Cintra Wilson. He just got the book from the public library's book mobile that was parked not far from where he was sitting.

Something good he read recently was a book about Motown in Chicago, but he can't remember the title and author. 

He likes to get books at flea markets, and goes early to get the best selection.

July 14, 2018, Saturday afternoon -- Reading Janine M. Benyus

At Dolores Park, reading among San Franciscans, like Phillip Ruise, who was striking poses while dressed in silver and mirrors.

She is reading Biomimicry, by Janine M. Benyus because her minor is biology and she's interested in biomimicry. I looked up the definition on the website for the Biomimicry Institute, of which the author is a co-founder. Biomimicry is "an approach to innovation that seeks sustainable solutions to human challenges by emulating nature's time-tested patterns and strategies." 

Her major is chemical engineering, but she reads all sorts of books, usually what people recommend to her. The last good book she read was Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett, about an opera singer under house arrest.

July 14, 2018, Saturday afternoon -- Reading Q. Hayashida

At Dolores Park

He is reading the first volume from the manga series Dorohedoro, by Q. Hayashida. His friend gave him Prison Pit, by Johnny Ryan, in which there's an ongoing battle, filled with disgustingness, and monsters, fighting in a desolate landscape. He hadn’t read mangas for a while, but really liked it, so went to bookstore and asked for something similar, and they suggested Dorohedoro, also a gritty post-apocalyptic manga.

When he's not reading mangas, what he reads depends. He mostly likes Lovecraftian horror, but gravitates toward no specific authors. He just likes scary books. A good short story he liked was

I Have No mouth and Must Scream, by Harlan Ellison, about a super computer who tortured humans.

July 7, 2018, Saturday evening -- Reading Neil Gaiman

In the Mission District

He is reading Anasi Boys, by Neil Gaiman. American Gods is his favorite Neil Gaiman book. His favorite authors right now are Neil Gaiman, Philip K. Dick, and authors of the classics, like Dostoyevsky. He said he goes through phases. Right now he's reading a lot of Philip K. Dick. He described the writing as cryptic, macabre, and mystical visionary. He also told me how it's no secret that Philip K. Dick did a lot of speed biker meth to improve his productivity to write. Throughout his career he wrote 44 novels, as well as short stories, and struggled for most of his life to make enough money.

June 30, 2018, Saturday afternoon -- Reading Andrew Shaffer

In Truckee, California (where I'm on vacation)
She is taking a break from working at a bookstore

and reading an advance copy of Hope Never Dies, by Andrew Shaffer. It's an old school mystery and the main character is Joe Biden.
I asked her what her favorite books are and she said, Like ever? I said yes and she said East of Eden, by Steinbeck, commented that she has so many, said she'd just been talking about Of Wolves and Men, by Barry Lopez, and also mentioned Flight Behavior, by Barbara Kingsolver.
I asked her if she could recommend any local authors and she said that if you're looking for an interesting, fun mystery that takes place in the area, she recommends Todd Borg. He writes the Tahoe Mystery series, which is about a homicide inspector from San Francisco who moves up to Tahoe to become a private investigator.

The bookstore she works at is called Word After Word. On Thursday night I spotted their book bike at Truckee's weekly street fair. Here's a picture.