The original version of this newsletter was sent out on Tuesday, July 1.
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Hello, fellow bookworms!
We’ve got some exciting book news coming out of UCSB recently, particularly with the newly released 2025-2026 season of Arts & Lectures! Amid an incredible lineup of musicians and dance companies, this year’s array of authors includes Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love), Fareed Zakaria (Age of Revolutions), Ezra Klein (Abundance), Colm Tóibín (Brooklyn), David Sedaris (Carnival of Snackery), Miranda July (All Fours), and more! I encourage you to check out the full season lineup and book ahead — I have a feeling tickets will go fast!
Also, UCSB Reads has also announced their shortlist of titles under consideration for UCSB Reads 2026! The Santa Barbara community is asked to vote on which book they think should get the honor, and all survey participants will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of the book that is selected. See the list here, and vote here.
Today, I’m bringing you two mystery novels and a beautifully honest memoir by a Santa Barbara author. I hope you’ll add them to your reading list to enjoy these gorgeous summer days to the fullest. Happy reading!
Then the Phone Rang: My Journey from Hitchhiking Hippie to Hollywood High Life by Sandy Pearl
When I met Sandy Resnick (pen name Sandy Pearl) at an AWC Santa Barbara mixer earlier this year, and she told me she had a book about to be published, I was immediately interested. As she told me that it was about her life and gave me a description, I could see by the way she spoke about it that she had quite the story to tell — and that I definitely wanted to read it!
Then the Phone Rang takes the reader along for the ride of Sandy Pearl’s life — from her difficult relationship with her family to coming of age in the early 1970s and leading to a freewheeling life of exploring Hawai‘i, France, Greece, and more, as well as the funny, chaotic, and even dangerous situations she and her friends found themselves in. From there, she takes us back to California and through her career starting as an assistant at a record label and culminating in Grammys after-parties, working on the first film production allowed into Graceland after Elvis’s death, and producing commercials featuring the likes of Dinah Shore, Steven Tyler, and Betty White!
Among it all, she describes her long-term relationships, dealing with a stalker, and the friends and family that come and go as life goes on and things get complicated. To Sandy, the sound of a ringing phone became a sign that something was about to happen — and that whether that change would be for better or worse, she could handle anything life sent her way.
If we could all look back at our younger selves with the same grace, wisdom, and, most of all, good humor that Sandy Pearl does, I think the world would be a much better place. From the highest highs to the lowest lows, she navigated it all as best as she could and now is able to look back at it, realize the lessons she learned, and even spare a word of advice for the younger generation (particularly women!) going through similar things. Her honesty is incredibly refreshing, and even as she describes situations such as her strained relationship with her mother and her ex-husband’s battle with mental illness, she doesn’t sugarcoat the reality while still conveying that even when you feel like things can’t get worse, they can always get better. Here is the story of a woman who has lived her life with a can-do spirit, a willingness to work hard, and a beautifully open heart. Sandy Pearl’s book is a reminder of the way life’s twists and turns can bring you amazing things if you’re willing to pay attention when opportunity knocks — or when the phone rings.
Sandy is also hosting an author talk at Chaucer’s Books on Wednesday, July 9, at 6 p.m. I definitely plan on attending; come join and pick up a copy of this wonderful book!
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
In August 1975, a counselor at Camp Emerson in upstate New York discovers a camper, Barbara Van Laar, missing from her bed. Not only is Barbara the daughter of the very rich, influential family who owns the camp, but her older brother, Bear Van Laar, also vanished 14 years ago and was never found. The search begins, but it seems that just about everyone at Camp Emerson — Barbara’s counselor, Louise; Barbara’s best friend, Tracy; camp director TJ and her ailing father; Bear and Barbara’s mother and father, Alice and Peter Van Laar — has something to hide. Not to mention, there’s been a string of serial murders in the area perpetrated by a man who has now broken out of prison and is on the loose. The disappearances of Barbara and Bear before her have to be linked … but with Bear never found and the clock ticking for Barbara, everyone involved must figure out what they know, and decide who they want to protect.
I know I’m late to the party; The God of the Woods was a book everyone seemed to be talking about in 2024. But now I definitely see why! However, a quick disclaimer: If you like a fast-paced, twisty, exciting mystery, just know that this one doesn’t fall under that category.
The God of the Woods is slow-paced, tangled, and elaborate, with just about every character’s backstory and current circumstances weaving together around the mystery of these missing children — and it’s beautifully done. I found myself enjoying the pace, taking in all the details, and savoring the images of the setting and the descriptions of each character’s life. It’s a book you can sink into, chapter by chapter, and patiently let the story unfold. If you’re looking for a book to languish with during the long, hot days of summer, let Liz Moore take you for a trip into the woods.
Only the Guilty Survive by Kate Robards
When 14 members of the reclusive cult the Flock are found dead in an apparent suicide, only two people are left alive. Their charismatic leader, Dominic Bragg, has not been seen in the decade since, and Claire Hollis, who discovered her friends and was unaware of their plans to die, is the sole surviving member of the cult. Claire has tried to move on with her life in the 10 years since the suicide, repairing her mental health and trying to settle into life with her husband, but the lack of answers about her friends’ deaths plague her. When a podcaster comes to town and starts trying to uncover the truth, Claire realizes that this may be her only chance to get the answers. What really happened to the Flock? What happened to Laurel Tai, a Flock member whose murder may have set off this chain of events? Where is their leader, Dominic? And why was she, Claire, the only one left alive?
Told in two separate timelines during the last weeks of the cult and during Claire’s life in the present, Only the Guilty Survive takes the reader through a twisted web of loyalty, trauma, and manipulation.
The mystery is compelling, but the characters are where the story really shines; I found the culture of the Flock fascinating and each of the main characters realistically complicated. Claire’s struggle between the young, naive girl she was in her past and the mature woman she is trying to be now, though amplified by the trauma she has been through, is still very relatable. There are a myriad of reasons why someone would join (or start) a cult, and while it’s impossible to demonstrate them all in a relatively short novel, I think the author did a great job capturing the complex circumstances that may color people’s choices … and may lead to deadly outcomes.
—Tessa, allbooked@independent.com
FROM OUR PAGES
We’ve had some great author visits and interviews recently, so don’t miss out. Here is some of our book-related coverage from the last two weeks! Read all this and more at Independent.com.
Capturing Santa Barbara’s Culinary Connection Through Poetry by Leslie Dinaberg
Santa Barbara Poets Come Together to Celebrate Women in a Golden State by Leslie Dinaberg
Pride Page Turners Seeks to Spark Joy, Connection by Christina McDermott
Bloomsday Blooms with Literary Fun and Libations by Leslie Dinaberg
Could America Break Apart? UC Santa Barbara Expert Explores the Possibility by Tom Jacobs
UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS
Below, you will find a few bookish events coming up in Santa Barbara. If you are hosting a bookish event in Santa Barbara, be sure to submit the event to our online events calendar.
Fiction in Translation Book Club: The Tokyo Suite by Giovana Madalosso
Wednesday, July 2, 5:30 p.m. | S.B. Central Library
Book Party: Steve Oney and Todd S. Purdum
Saturday, July 5, 3 p.m. | Tecolote Book Shop
Mesa Bookstore Readings and Author Q&A: Max Talley, Cameron Walker, Betsy J. Green
Sunday, July 6, 1 p.m. | Mesa Bookstore
Storytelling with Alan Salazar
Tuesday, July 8, 1 p.m. | Eastside Library
Blue Whale Reading Series with Pamela Davis and Amy Michelson
Wednesday, July 9, 5:30 p.m. | Unity of S.B. Chapel
Book Talk: Area Author Sandy Pearl, Then the Phone Rang: My Journey from Hitchhiking Hippie to the Hollywood High Life
Wednesday, July 9, 6 p.m. | Chaucer’s Books
S.B. SPOTLIGHT
We at the Independent get many books sent to us by area authors, sometimes too many! It’s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren’t worth the attention. In an attempt to not completely drop the ball, we have compiled a list of books here that are either written by a Santa Barbara author, feature someone in our community, or have another tie to Santa Barbara. I urge you to look through this list. Perhaps you will find your new favorite read!
The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us.
Red Summer by Frances Pettey Davis
If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email allbooked@independent.com with the subject line “S.B. Spotlight.”
Book Reviews Courtesy of CALIFORNIA REVIEW OF BOOKS*
Thanks to the generous contributions of David Starkey, Brian Tanguay and their team of reviewers at California Review of Books, we are able to provide a steady stream of book reviews via our content partnership. Recent reviews at Independent.com include:
Mendell Station by JB Hwang; review by Brian Tanguay
*At the present time, all of the Independent’s book reviews are provided in collaboration with California Review of Books (calirb.com).
