Hello, fellow bookworms!<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got some exciting book news coming out of UCSB recently, particularly with the newly released 2025-2026 season of\u00a0Arts & Lectures<\/a>! Amid an incredible lineup of musicians and dance companies, this year\u2019s array of authors includes\u00a0Elizabeth Gilbert<\/a>\u00a0(Eat, Pray, Love),\u00a0Fareed Zakaria<\/a>\u00a0(Age of Revolutions),\u00a0Ezra Klein<\/a>\u00a0(Abundance),\u00a0Colm T\u00f3ib\u00edn<\/a>\u00a0(Brooklyn),\u00a0David Sedaris<\/a>\u00a0(Carnival of Snackery),\u00a0Miranda July\u00a0<\/a>(All Fours), and more! I encourage you to check out the\u00a0full season lineup<\/a>\u00a0and book ahead \u2014 I have a feeling tickets will go fast!<\/p>\n Also,\u00a0UCSB Reads<\/a>\u00a0has 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.\u00a0See the list here<\/a>, and\u00a0vote here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Today, I\u2019m bringing you two mystery novels and a beautifully honest memoir by a Santa Barbara author. I hope you\u2019ll add them to your reading list to enjoy these gorgeous summer days to the fullest. Happy reading!<\/p>\n Then the Phone Rang: My Journey from Hitchhiking Hippie to Hollywood High Life\u00a0by Sandy Pearl<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> 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 \u2014 and that I definitely wanted to read it!<\/p>\n Then the Phone Rang\u00a0takes the reader along for the ride of Sandy Pearl\u2019s life \u2014 from her difficult relationship with her family to coming of age in the early 1970s and leading to a freewheeling life of exploring Hawai\u2018i, 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\u2019s death, and producing commercials featuring the likes of Dinah Shore, Steven Tyler, and Betty White!<\/p>\n 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 \u2014 and that whether that change would be for better or worse, she could handle anything life sent her way.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s battle with mental illness, she doesn\u2019t sugarcoat the reality while still conveying that even when you feel like things can\u2019t 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\u2019s book is a reminder of the way life\u2019s twists and turns can bring you amazing things if you\u2019re willing to pay attention when opportunity knocks \u2014 or when the phone rings.<\/p>\n Sandy is also hosting an\u00a0author talk at Chaucer\u2019s Books<\/a>\u00a0on Wednesday, July 9, at 6 p.m. I definitely plan on attending; come join and pick up a copy of this wonderful book!<\/p>\n The God of the Woods\u00a0by Liz Moore<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> 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 \u2014 Barbara\u2019s counselor, Louise; Barbara\u2019s best friend, Tracy; camp director TJ and her ailing father; Bear and Barbara\u2019s mother and father, Alice and Peter Van Laar \u2014 has something to hide. Not to mention, there\u2019s 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 \u2026 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.<\/p>\n I know I\u2019m late to the party;\u00a0The God of the Woods\u00a0was 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\u2019t fall under that category.<\/p>\n The God of the Woods\u00a0is slow-paced, tangled, and elaborate, with just about every character\u2019s backstory and current circumstances weaving together around the mystery of these missing children \u2014 and it\u2019s 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\u2019s life. It\u2019s a book you can sink into, chapter by chapter, and patiently let the story unfold. If you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n Only the Guilty Survive\u00a0by Kate Robards<\/strong><\/a><\/strong> 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\u2019 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?<\/p>\n Told in two separate timelines during the last weeks of the cult and during Claire\u2019s life in the present,\u00a0Only the Guilty Survive\u00a0takes the reader through a twisted web of loyalty, trauma, and manipulation.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s choices \u2026 and may lead to deadly outcomes.<\/p>\n \u2014Tessa,\u00a0allbooked@independent.com<\/a><\/p>\n FROM OUR PAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve had some great author visits and interviews recently, so don\u2019t miss out. Here is some of our book-related coverage from the last two weeks! Read all this and more at Independent.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Designer Fifi O\u2019Neill Features Santa Barbara Homes in New Book,\u00a0French Flair: Creating a Home Inspired by French Style\u00a0by Tia Trinh<\/a><\/p>\n Capturing Santa Barbara\u2019s Culinary Connection Through Poetry by Leslie Dinaberg<\/a><\/p>\n Santa Barbara Poets Come Together to Celebrate\u00a0Women in a Golden State\u00a0by Leslie Dinaberg<\/a><\/p>\n Pride Page Turners Seeks to Spark Joy, Connection by Christina McDermott<\/a><\/p>\n Bloomsday Blooms with Literary Fun and Libations by Leslie Dinaberg<\/a><\/p>\n Could America Break Apart? UC Santa Barbara Expert Explores the Possibility by Tom Jacobs<\/a><\/p>\n UPCOMING BOOK EVENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n 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\u00a0events calendar<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fiction in Translation Book Club:\u00a0The Tokyo Suite\u00a0by Giovana Madalosso Book Party: Steve Oney and Todd S. Purdum Mesa Bookstore Readings and Author Q&A: Max Talley, Cameron Walker, Betsy J. Green Storytelling with Alan Salazar Blue Whale Reading Series with Pamela Davis and Amy Michelson Book Talk: Area Author Sandy Pearl,\u00a0Then the Phone Rang: My Journey from Hitchhiking Hippie to the Hollywood High Life S.B. SPOTLIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n We at the\u00a0Independent\u00a0get many books sent to us by area authors, sometimes too many! It\u2019s practically impossible for us to read and review them all, but just because we are busy bees does not mean that they aren\u2019t 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!<\/p>\n The following are the most recent titles that have been sent to us.<\/p>\n Red Summer\u00a0by Frances Pettey Davis<\/a><\/p>\n If you are a local author and would like us to feature your book in this section, please email\u00a0allbooked@independent.com<\/a>\u00a0with the subject line \u201cS.B. Spotlight.\u201d<\/p>\n Book Reviews Courtesy of CALIFORNIA REVIEW OF BOOKS*<\/strong><\/p>\n 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:<\/p>\n Sick and Dirty: Hollywood\u2019s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness\u00a0by Michael Koresky; review by Brian Tanguay<\/a><\/p>\n Mendell Station\u00a0by JB Hwang; review by Brian Tanguay<\/a><\/p>\n *At the present time, all of the\u00a0Independent\u2019s\u00a0book reviews are provided in collaboration with California Review of Books (calirb.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/unnamed.jpg\")
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<\/a>Wednesday, July 2, 5:30 p.m. | S.B. Central Library<\/p>\n
<\/a>Saturday, July 5, 3 p.m. | Tecolote Book Shop<\/p>\n
<\/a>Sunday, July 6, 1 p.m. | Mesa Bookstore<\/p>\n
<\/a>Tuesday, July 8, 1 p.m. | Eastside Library<\/p>\n
<\/a>Wednesday, July 9, 5:30 p.m. | Unity of S.B. Chapel<\/p>\n
<\/a>Wednesday, July 9, 6 p.m. | Chaucer\u2019s Books<\/p>\n
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