Thursday     July 15    11:30am Social; 12:00 Lunch
Read It and Eat with Allegra Goodman
author of The Cookbook Collector
Location:   Towne Center Books

Author Alelgra Goodman will be at Towne Center Books for our Read It and Eat event for July, presenting her newest book, The Cookbook Collector. Heralded as 'a modern day Jane Austen' by USA Today, National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman has compelled and delighted hundreds of thousands of readers. Now, in her most ambitious work yet, Goodman weaves together the worlds of Silicon Valley and rare book collecting in a delicious novel about appetite, temptation, and fulfillment..

Social will begin at 11:30, with lunch served at 12 noon. The cost is $30.00 book and lunch; $15.00 for lunch alone. Remember, reservations are required for the Read It and Eat. Call and make yours now: 925-846-8826.

Thursday July 15, 2010    
Pleasanton's Summer Wine Stroll
Location:   Main Street Pleasanton

This event is our opportunity to showcase in a unique way the diverse businesses and services we have to offer here in downtown Pleasanton. Sip a variety of delicious local wines in a variety of downtown locations. Murieta's Well is pouring at Towne Center Books. The Summer Wine Stroll is sponsored by the Pleasanton Downtown Association.

Get your tickets NOW......they will sell out fast! They're just $25, and are available at Towne Center Books.

Monday-Friday    July 12-16/July 19-23/August 9-13    
9:30-11:00am
Mystery-Writing Camp
with Keely Parrack
Location:   Towne Center Books

Freelance writer and educator Keely Parrack returns once again to present a series of summer mystery-writing camps for kids through the TOWNE CENTER DETECTIVE AGENCY. Discover clues, crack codes, develop your own mystery stories and have a heap of fun! All kids aged 8-12 who love to read, write and solve mysteries are welcome!

Advanced reservation required: $25 per day, or $125 per week - includes creative writing tuition, supplies and snack! Please....No drop-ins, as space is limited! Reserve your place now by calliing the store at 925-846-8826

Wednesday     July 28    10:00am
Fancy Nancy Party!
Location:   Towne Center Books

Kids aged 3 and up are invited to put on their fancy clothes and join us for fun and activities at our Fancy Nancy Party! Please make a RESERVATION for your child by calling 925-846-8826 or drop us an email at: orders@townecenterbooks.com. Cost is $5, or free with book purchase.

Thursday     July 29   11:00am
Eat Dessert First!
with Jennie Schacht
author of Farmer's Market Desserts
Location:   Towne Center Books

Dessert expert Jennie Schacht's new book Farmer's Market Desserts focuses on seasonal fruit found at local and regional farmers' markets across the nation. She has included a useful guide that shows the growing season for the produce used in her recipes, and, for those who want to learn more about their food sources, she also has a bunch of Farm Journal entries that feature everything from tips on picking berries to profiles of her favorite food producers.

Come down and taste some yummy desserts and learn some tips for the market as well as the kitchen. Jennie is the founder of Schacht Consulting, a food and helthcare consulting firm.

Check out Jennie's Website

Pre-Order and Save! Below are some forthcoming books that we're excited about. Pre-order and pay for any of these titles and you'll receive a Towne Center gift certificate for 15% of its retail price to use on your next purchase. Pick up the book on its "on sale" date.

On sale August 24    $17.99
Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

If you have a teenager, you no doubt know the Hunger Games series. The saga concludes in this haunting installment. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the Hunger Games are an annual televised fight to the death competition. Yes, it sounds dark. It is dark, but not quite like it sounds. It's very compelling.

Receive a Towne Center Gift Card with your paid pre-order.

Back to Top

Our own Pleasanton Library has a great series called Books into Film. Read the book, see the movie, then come to the library and discuss which version was better! Mention the film series when buying the book and receive the 15% bookclub discount.

Livermore Library continues many great programs for their all-city reads…. Get the next book, Travels with Charlie, at Towne Center and receive the bookclub discount of 15%.

Back to Top

Back to Top

Remember!
Convenient parking behind the store. We're open 6 nights (Sunday 6:00 closing). Save $10.00 on every 10th visit with our Free Loyalty Program. Special orders are usually received in the store within 24-48 hours.

Back to Top

Lucy Cousins, the creator or Maisy, is one of today's most acclaimed author-illustrators of children's books. Her unique titles instantly engage babies, toddlers, and preschoolers with their childlike simplicity and crayon-bright colors. And the winsome exploits of characters like Maisy--star of her own animated television program on Nick Jr.--reflect the adventures that young children have every day.

Lucy admits that illustration comes more easily to her than writing, which tends to work around the drawings. "I draw by heart," she says. "I think of what children would like by going back to my own childlike instincts." And what instincts! Lucy Cousins now has more than 4 million books in print, from cloth and picture books to irresistible pull-the-tab and lift-the-flap books to Maisy's Pop-Up Playhouse.

Working at home in Hampshire, England, Lucy is the mother of four young children, including, most recently, twins. Her daughter, Josie, who was 7 months old during the creation of the My Cloth Books, has been a helpful critic: "Josie looked at them and chewed them and did all the right things." The author's plans include even more books for the under-5 age group. Wendy Boase--Lucy's former editor and one of the founders of Walker Books, Candlewick's parent company in the U.K.--said of Lucy, "It's wonderful to help someone develop into one of the greats. And Lucy will be one of the greats." Fans of Maisy and other brilliant creations by Cousins seem to agree!