Orinda Books

Orinda Books Your community bookstore in Village Square! Serving Lamorinda and beyond since 1976.

Orinda Books turns 50 this month! Woohoo! 🥳 We're having a celebration on Saturday, August 22, and we invite all of you ...
08/07/2026

Orinda Books turns 50 this month! Woohoo! 🥳

We're having a celebration on Saturday, August 22, and we invite all of you to join us! There will a scavenger hunt, treats, a prize wheel, a raffle, and a 20% discount on in-store purchases all day long!

Head over to our website (orindabooks.com) to learn more about our Orinda Books birthday celebration!

Ever see a book and feel like you're experiencing déjà vu? Don't worry, similar covers happen more often than you think....
08/05/2026

Ever see a book and feel like you're experiencing déjà vu? Don't worry, similar covers happen more often than you think. Here are two books that unexpectedly became Book Cover Twins by both coming out around the same time.😉 😉

Murder Over Easy, our local mystery book club, will read and discuss Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests by KJ Wh...
08/03/2026

Murder Over Easy, our local mystery book club, will read and discuss Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests by KJ Whittle on Thursday, 8/27, at 10:30 AM.

Seven guests, one mysterious dinner party, and a chilling prediction with deadly implications.

Though we might not want to admit it, summer vacation is coming to a close. 😔 That's right, school will be picking back ...
07/31/2026

Though we might not want to admit it, summer vacation is coming to a close. 😔

That's right, school will be picking back up in a couple of weeks. But it's not all bad! That means new books for the new school year! 🥳

We've arranged some back to school books near the kids section for your perusal. Be sure to stop on by and stock up on your silent reading books.

What better medium can one relate the trials and tribulations of high school girls than Shoujo Manga? Granted, these thr...
07/29/2026

What better medium can one relate the trials and tribulations of high school girls than Shoujo Manga? Granted, these three manga series have their own distinct story lines but they all also portray the joys and dramas of everyday life for teenagers, especially teenage girls. Here are three I recommend:

My Dress-Up Darling by Shinichi Fukuda
A popular girl teams up with shy boy who knows how to sew to create cosplay outfits in this romantic comedy.

Skip & Loafer by Misaki Takamatsu
A slice-of-life comedy manga where a country girl moves to the city with the dream of living the popular girl high school life.

Ruri Dragon by Masaoki Shindo
A girl wakes up with horns one morning as her dragon heritage comes to light. A slice-of-life manga leaning more into magical realism than fantasy.

Gather round for some good ol' campfire stories! We have some suggestions to bring with you on your next camping trip to...
07/27/2026

Gather round for some good ol' campfire stories! We have some suggestions to bring with you on your next camping trip to get the ball rolling on stories to tell around the fire.

No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson
You may recognize him for his history nonfiction but Larson's first fiction story is a riveting fireside tale. Only available in audiobook, you can buy it through our friends Libro.fm and have the proceeds go to us at Orinda Books!

Mysteries of the National Parks by Mike Bezemek
A collection of strange but true disappearances and happenings in America's National Parks.

Campfire Stories Deck for Kids!
A game deck to inspire silly and imaginative outdoor tales around the campfire with kids.

Here are some recent Indigenous Sci-Fi/Fantasy works to enjoy as we approach what is called the Buck Moon, named for the...
07/24/2026

Here are some recent Indigenous Sci-Fi/Fantasy works to enjoy as we approach what is called the Buck Moon, named for the time when bucks get their new antlers. Also known as the Salmon Moon for when the salmon begin their trips upstream.

Door on the Sea by Caskey Russell
An epic fantasy quest story base in Tlingit folklore. I do love a talking raven.

Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson
Indigenous first-contact story thriller by the author of How to Survive a Robot Uprising.

Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Chronicle of a vampire's life as he seeks justice. Winner of the Bram Stoker award, Locus award for Horror, and Kirkus Reviews Best Historical Fiction.

Pat's Book Club will meet on Thursday, August 6, at 11 AM to discuss Ian McEwan's What We Can Know. A genre-bending nove...
07/22/2026

Pat's Book Club will meet on Thursday, August 6, at 11 AM to discuss Ian McEwan's What We Can Know.

A genre-bending novel full of secrets and surprises, and an immersive exploration, across time and history, of what can ever be truly known. The Kirkus Review calls it "A philosophically charged tour de force by one of the best living novelists in English."

All are welcome to join the book club discussion.

Sometimes, I feel like a bit of an outlier. See, I like historical fiction, just not the time period everyone else is ha...
07/20/2026

Sometimes, I feel like a bit of an outlier. See, I like historical fiction, just not the time period everyone else is ham for (i.e. WWII-era). I like a medieval setting. It's just so different from our own era and experiences that even the descriptions of mundane acts are fascinating to me. And some publishers are increasing their output for this specific era of historical fiction.

Here are a few titles set in the Middle Ages.

The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling (https://buff.ly/4giCk7y )
Historical Horror. The residents of a besieged castle are on the brink of starvation. A divine visitation may be their salvation... or damnation.

The Secrets of Saint Olaf's Church by Indrek Hargla (https://buff.ly/WoPYT5g )
Historical Mystery. A chemist battles ignorance and superstition as he tries to solve a murder.

Confessions of a Pagan Nun by Katie Horsley (https://buff.ly/R6w23te )
Regular Historical Fiction. A former druid-turned-nun recounts her pagan youth.

Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey is out now! If you want to read a little more into the original epic before you tackle...
07/17/2026

Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey is out now! If you want to read a little more into the original epic before you tackle this 3 hour film (and yes, it is that long), we have some suggestions.

The Odyssey, trans. by Emily Wilson
This is the text that Nolan based his film on. Wilson used a meter more natural for the English language for her translation so you might find it more approachable than what you read in high school.

The Wisdom of the Odyssey by Phil Cousineau
A companion to the Odyssey, connecting the lessons of the epic to our everyday lives.

The Odyssey, Puffin Classic edition
An accessible adaptation of The Odyssey for middle readers.

The Odyssey by Liv Albert
A fully illustrated and explanatory book for kids, explaining the Greek pantheon and the ancient Greek world where the epic is set.

Address

276 Village Square
Orinda, CA
94563

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 6pm
Tuesday 10am - 6pm
Wednesday 10am - 6pm
Thursday 10am - 5:30pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+19252547606

Website

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