We are so excited to host Deji Olajide on Saturday September 12th at 5:00PM as he discusses his new book, Your Next Play.

For many athletes, the transition out of sports is one of the most overlooked and emotionally complex seasons of life. Through eight practical plays, Deji walks you through the mindset shifts, habits, faith foundations, and principles necessary to win in life.

We look forward to seeing you at the shop.

Deborah Santana is an author, business manager, and activist for peace and social justice. Her non-profit, Do A Little, serves women and girls in the areas of health, education, and happiness. With a passion to provide educational opportunities for girls and women, Ms. Santana collaborates with organizations that work to prevent and heal relationship and sexual violence, improve the lives of America's abused and neglected children, and a worldwide community of artists and allies who work for empowerment, opportunity, and visibility for women artists.  

We are honored to welcome her to Octavia’s Bookshelf for a moderated conversation with Meilan Carter and book signing of her latest book, Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom. Loving the Fire: Choosing Me, Finding Freedom, Deborah Santana shares her journey of spiritual awakening shaped by a rich life of family, partnership, and purpose. Born to pioneering interracial couple Jo Frances and Saunders King, Deborah learned early the strength of identity, resilience, and love. Later married to legendary musician Carlos Santana, she embraced many meaningful roles—daughter, wife, mother, and supporter—before recognizing that it was time to fully step into her own voice and calling.

Across stories of motherhood, heritage, faith, and spiritual growth, Deborah takes readers on a deeply human journey of resilience and renewal. From her work with Daraja Academy to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, she reveals how a life devoted to service can evolve into one rooted in truth, wholeness, and fulfillment.

Equal parts inspirational memoir, spiritual reflection, and women’s empowerment, Loving the Fire is for anyone standing at a crossroads—ready to honor who they’ve been and step into who they are becoming.

Join us on Saturday June 6 as we welcome Désirée Zamorano who lived in Altadena for 26 years until January 7, 2025 when the Eaton Fire took her neighborhood. We will be celebrating the release of her book, Amarisa’s Cooking Pot: Tales of Life in All Its Wonders. Désirée will be joined by her writing group, Bonnie S. Kaplan, Daria E. Topousis, and Lisa Eve Cheby (two of whom lost their homes in Altadena). She will do a brief reading, discuss the importance of their support, the threads of Altadena/Pasadena in the collection of stories, and the importance of magical realism in these uncertain times followed by an audience Q & A and book signing.

Join us as we welcome Susana M. Morris. Susana M. Morris is a Black feminist Afrofuturist writer, scholar, and cultural critic who explores contemporary Black women's stories and experiences. As an Associate Professor of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech and co-founder of the Crunk Feminist Collective, she brings fresh perspectives to conversations about feminism, race, and culture. Susana will spend the evening discussing and reading from her latest book, Positive Obsession, a magnificent cultural biography that charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. We can’t wait to see you there!

We are delighted to host Tisa Bryant on Saturday evening, May 2 to discuss her latest book, RESIDUAL. RESIDUAL is about the home as archive and the aftermath of her mother's death on her sense of home and self. RESIDUAL explores security and precarity, sister friends, genealogy as well as literary and cinematic connections to Black women's interiority, and is dedicated to the many women whose homes and peace were broken by domestic and state violence, including Tisa’s mother. Octavia E. Butler figures in the work, as the self-mothering of her characters fascinates Tisa, among many other things. Tisa will be joined in conversation with Lynell George.