Art, Music & Recreation Books With The Most Holds (October 2024)

Books about performing artists and entertainers usually dominate our most popular books lists. Memoirs by Al Pacino (Sonny Boy) and Lisa Marie Presley (From Here to The Great Unknown) rose to the top of today's list. Other related memoirs include Kelly Bishop's The Third Gilmore Girl, Earth To Moon by Moon Unit Zappa, director Jon Chu's Viewfinder. 

Drawn Testimony offers Jane Rosenberg's unique perspective as a 40 year courtroom sketch artist. What's Next, Melissa Fitzgerald and Marcy McCormack's memoir of The West Wing, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the television show. Emily Nussbaum's Cue The Sun looks at the popular phenomenon of reality TV.

William Finnegan's surfing memoir Barbarian Days has been circulating consistently over the past decade that we have offered the title. Danny Lyon's photo documentation of motorcycle culture, The Bikeriders, first published in 1968 and reprinted in 2014 remains a hot title.

Craft books often figure among our most popular titles, this time including Making Things, 15 Minute Art Watercolour, and Knitting for Olive. Works discussing the creative process like The Long Run and Assembling Tomorrow are also perennially popular.

Daniel Levitin's I Heard There Was a Special Chord explores the global looking at the relationship between music and healing. Paris In Ruins by Sebastian Smee ties the birth of French impression to its larger historical context. Memories of Home by decorator Heidi Caillier is a welcome addition to our interior decoration shelves.

Sonny Boy: A Memoir by Al Pacino (Penguin Press, 2024).

From Here to The Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough (Random House, 2024).

What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing, Its Cast and Crew, and Its Enduring Legacy of Service by Melissa Fitzgerald & Mary McCormack (Dutton, 2024).

The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop, with Lindsay Harrison (Gallery Books 2024).

I Heard There Was A Secret Chord: Music as Medicine by Daniel J. Levitin (W.W. Norton & Company, 2024).

The Bikeriders by Danny Lyon (Aperture, 2014).

Paris In Ruins: Love, War, and The Birth of Impressionism by Sebastian Smee (W.W. Norton & Company, 2024)

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan (Penguin Press, 2015).

Making Things: Finding Use, Meaning & Satisfaction in Crafting Everyday Objects by Erin Boyle & Rose Pearlman (Hardie Grant North America, 2024).

15 Minute Art Watercolour: Learn to Paint in Six Steps or Less by Jola Sopek (Hardie Grant Books, 2024).

Earth to Moon: A Memoir by Moon Unit Zappa (Dey St., 2024).

The Long Run: A Creative Inquiry by Stacey D'Erasmo (Graywolf Press, 2024).

Drawn Testimony: My Four Decades as A Courtroom Sketch Artist by Jane Rosenberg (Hanover Square Press, 2024).

Cue The Sun: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum (Random House, 2024).

Memories of Home: Interiors by Heidi Caillier (Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2023).

Viewfinder: A Memoir of Seeing and Being Seen by Jon M. Chu and Jeremy McCarter (Random House, 2024).

Knitting for Olive: Classic, Timeless Knitting Patterns (Interweave, 2023)

The Selby Comes Home by Todd Selby (Abrams, 2024).

Assembling Tomorrow: A Guide to Designing a Thriving Future by Carissa Carter and Scott Doorley (Ten Speed Press, 2024).

Previous lists:

Most requested Art, Music & Recreation Center books (Dewey 700s) - March 2023

The Top Fifteen Most Requested Books in the Art, Music and Recreation Center, March 2022

The Most Requested Art, Music and Recreation Center books in November 2017

The Most Requested Art, Music & Recreation Center Books in January 2017

The Most Requested Art, Music & Recreation Center Books - December 2015

The 25 Art, Music and Recreation Center Books with the Most Hold in April 2015

The Most Requested Art, Music and Recreation Center books in 2013

The Most Requested Art, Music and Recreation Center books in May 2013

The 25 Art, Music and Recreation Center Books with the Most Holds in April 2015

The most requested books in the Art, Music and Recreation Center (the Dewey Decimal 700's) include a few bestsellers.  Celebrity bios are always popular -- memoirs of actors and actresses, alternative rock musicians make up most of this list.

One unexpected title near the top of list is Minecraft, a two year old title, about the creator and creation of a very popular online game.

Knitting books always do well and two recent titles, Magpies, Homebodies, and Nomads and Twigg Stitch, are among our most requested.

Art Before Breakfast, a book for artists on the run, is about how to meaningfully squeeze personal creativity into a harried life.

Tiny House Living is natural title for the Main Library's neighborhood where more and more "micro-dwellings" are being built.

Sonic Boom looks at how music and sound affect us (and can be used to manipulate us).

Balancing Acts is a written and visual documentary of three San Francisco Ballet ballerinas who balance their demanding art with motherhood.

Most of these titles are also available in an ebook format.  All in all, there are many excellent choices here for the San Francisco reader.  Happy reading.


1. Girl in a Band by Kim Gordon (Dey St., an imprint of William Morrow Publishers, 2015)

2. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Viking, 2013).

3. A Fine Romance by Candice Bergen (Simon & Schuster, 2015).

4. Yes Please by Amy Poehler (Dey St, 2014?).

5. Born with Teeth: A Memoir by Kate Mulgrew (Little, Brown and Co., 2015).

6. Clothes, Clothes, Clothes: Music, Music, Music: Boys, Boys, Boys: A Memoir by Viv Albertine (Thomas Dunne Books, 2014).

7. Minecraft: The Unlikely Tale of Markus Notch Persson and the Game that Changed Everything by Daniel Goldberg & Linus Larsson, translation by Jennifer Hawkins (Seven Stories Press, 2013).

8. I Was a Child by Bruce Eric Kaplan (Blue Rider Press, 2015).

9. The Rainman's Third Cure: An Irregular Education by Peter Coyote (Counterpoint, 2015)

10. There was a Little Girl: The Real Story of My Mother and Me by Brooke Shields (Dutton, 2014).
 
11. Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller by Chloé Griffin (b_books Verlag, 2014).

12. Magpies, Homebodies, and Nomads: A Modern Knitter's Guide to Discovering and Exploring Style by Cirilia Rose (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2014).

13. Twigg Stitch: A New Twist on Reversible Knitting by Vicki Twigg (Interweave, 2014).

14. Art Before Breakfast: A Zillion Ways to be More Creative, No Matter How Busy You Are by Danny Gregory (Chronicle Books, 2015).

15. The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History by Robin Givhan (Flatiron Books, 2015).

16. The Sonic Boom: How Sound Transforms the Way We Think, Feel, and Buy by Joel Beckerman   with Tyler Gray (Mifflin Harcourt, 2014).

17. Tiny House Living: Ideas for Building and Living Well in Less than 400 Square Feet by Ryan Mitchell (Betterway Home, 2014).

18. The B-Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song by Ben Yagoda (Riverhead Books, 2015).

19. So That Happened by Jon Cryer (New American Library, 2015).

20. Breakfast at Sotheby's: An A-Z of the Art World by Philip Hook (The Overlook Press, 2014).

21. Balancing Acts: Three Prima Ballerinas Becoming Mothers by Lucy Gray (Princeton Architectural Press, 2015).

22. Shibori: The Inventive Art of Japanese Shaped Resist Dyeing: Tradition, Techniques, Innovation by Yoshiko Iwamoto Wada, Mary Kellogg Rice, and Jane Barton (Kodansha USA, 2011).

23. Schubert's Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession by Ian Bostridge (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015).

24. Out came the Sun: Overcoming the Legacy of Mental Illness, Addiction, and Suicide in My Family by Mariel Hemingway (Regan Arts, 2015).

25. The Grand Budapest Hotel, screenplay by Wes Anderson (Opus Books, 2014).

Highest Circulating Art, Music and Recreation Center books 2013-4

Memoirs, biographies and interviews make up the vast majority of the top 20 circulating books in the subjects of Art, Music and Recreation this fiscal year.  Three titles are holdovers from the top circulating titles of 2012-2013 - Bossypants (number 1 last year), Waging Heavy Peace (number 7 last year) and Rita Moreno (number 22 last year).

There are only two titles without a biographical component.  Difficult Men is behind the scenes survey of the changes in television dramas since the 1990s.  One title that has defied the trend toward celebrity worship on this list is Knitting Yarns, a collection of writing about knitting and the community of knitters.

The top twenty highest circulating books of the past year:


Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir by Linda Ronstadt (Simon & Schuster, 2013).

Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations by Peter Evans and Ava Gardner (Simon & Schuster, 2013).

Bossypants by Tina Fey (Little, Brown and Co., 2011).

Unsinkable: A Memoir by Debbie Reynolds (William Morrow, 2013).

Rita Moreno: A Memoir (Celebra, 2013).

Wild Tales : A Rock & Roll Life by Graham Nash (Crown Archetype, 2013).

Still Foolin' 'Em: Where I've Been, Where I'm Going, and Where the Hell are My Keys? by Billy Crystal (Henry Holt and Company, 2013)

Mo' Meta Blues: The World According to Questlove by Ahmir Questlove Thompson and Ben Greenman (Grand Central Publishing, 2013).

Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution: From the Sopranos and the Wire to Mad Men and Breaking Bad by Brett Martin (The Penguin Press, 2013).

Shirley Jones: A Memoir by Shirley Jones with Wendy Leigh (Gallery Books, 2013).

I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp: An Autobiography by Richard Hell (Ecco, 2013).

Knitting Yarns: Writers on Knitting, edited and with an introduction by Ann Hood (W.W. Norton & Company, 2014).

Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream by Neil Young (Blue Rider Press, 2012).

A Story Lately Told: Coming of Age in Ireland, London, and New York by Anjelica Huston (Scribner, 2013).

Light & Shade: Conversations with Jimmy Page by Brad Tolinski (Crown, 2012).

Nothin' to Lose: The Making of KISS (1972-1975) by Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, & Ken Sharp (It Books, 2013).

Mozart by Paul Johnson (Viking, 2013).

What If...: A Lifetime of Questions, Speculations, Reasonable Guesses, and a Few Things I Know For Sure by Shirley MacLaine (Atria Books, 2013).

Johnny Carson by Henry Bushkin (An Eamon Dolan Book, 2013).

Jim Henson: The Biography by Brian Jay Jones (Ballantine Books, 2013).

The Highest Circulating Art, Music & Recreation Books From July 2012 Through the End of June 2013

We measure our collection's circulation according to the City's July-June fiscal year. The list of thirty titles below reflect the most popular books in the Art, Music & Recreation Center collection during those twelve months. 

The majority of the titles are celebrity memoirs, the most popular being those of comediennes and rockers.  There are also a few knitting and photography titles.  Books on fashion and distance running continue to be popular.

Here's a snapshot of what has been popular in the subjects of arts and recreation at the San Francisco Public Library.

Bossypants by Tina Fey (Little, Brown and Co., 2011).

Girl Walks Into A Bar--: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, And A Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch (Gotham Books, 2012).

The Truth About Style by Stacy London (Viking Adult, 2012).

Rod: The Autobiography by Rod Stewart (Crown Archetype, 2012).

My Mother Was Nuts: A Memoir by Penny Marshall (New Harvest/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012).

The Digital Photography Book: The Step-By-Step Secrets For How To Make Your Photos Look Like The Pro's!. Part 4 by Scott Kelby (Peachpit, 2012).

Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream by Neil Young (Blue Rider Press, 2012).

We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy by Yael Kohen (Sarah Crichton Books, 2012).

I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen by Sylvie Simmons (Ecco, 2012).

Twitch Upon A Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery by Herbie J. Pilato (Taylor Trade Pub., 2012).

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, And The Greatest Race The World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall (Alfred A. Knopf, 2009).

Who I Am: A Memoir by Pete Townshend (Harper, 2012).

Kicking and Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul, and Rock and Roll by Ann and Nancy Wilson (It Books, 2012).

Tough Sh*t: Life Advice From a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good by Kevin Smith (Gotham Books, 2012).

Seriously-- I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres (Grand Central Pub., 2011).

The Longest Way Home: One Man's Quest For The Courage to Settle Down by Andrew McCarthy (Free Press, 2012).

Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them by Frank Langella (Harper, 2012).

Life by Keith Richards (Little, Brown and Co., 2010).

The Entertainer: Movies, Magic, And My Father's Twentieth Century by Margaret Talbot (Riverhead Books, 2012).

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From The Sidewalk To The Catwalk, edited by Thierry-Maxime Loriot (Museum of Fine Arts in association with Abrams, New York, 2011).

Just Kids by Patti Smith (Ecco, 2010).

Lucky Me: My Life With--And Without--My Mom, Shirley MacLaine by Sachi Parker, Frederick Stroppel (Gotham Books, 2013).

Rita Moreno: A Memoir by Rita Moreno (Celebra, 2013).

Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter: Scaling Back In The 21st Century by Lloyd Kahn (Shelter Publications, 2012).

Drawing On The Right Side Of The Brain by Betty Edwards (Tarcher/Penguin, 2012).

Knitting In Circles: 100 Circular Patterns For Sweaters, Bags, Hats, Afghans, and More by Nicky Epstein (Potter Craft, 2012).

Aran Knits: 23 Contemporary Designs Using Classic Cable Patterns by Martin Storey (St. Martin's Griffin, 2012).

Understanding Exposure: How To Shoot Great Photographs With Any Camera by Bryan Peterson (Amphoto Books, 2010).

The Soundtrack of My Life by Clive Davis (Simon and Schuster, 2013).

Eat and Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2012).

Knit Happens 2013 - Knitting and Crochet Club at the S.F. Main Library

image source: janrocrochet Flickr page

Want to hang out with other knitters and crocheters? Knit Happens is a big, all ages (9 to 103) knit and crochet gathering! The library has supplies to practice on but bring your own yarn and needles or hooks if you have a special project in mind. In general, we meet the third Saturday of each month from 2-4pm in the Latino Hispanic Meeting Room B on the Lower Level.

Our first meeting of the new year is this Saturday, January 19, 2013.

For information call the Art, Music & Recreation Center at 415-557-4525.


Here are some hot new knitting and crocheting titles to check out:

Knit In a Day for Baby: 20 Quick and Easy Projects by Candi Jensen (Leisure Arts 2012).

Knitting The Perfect Fit: Essential Fully Fashioned Shaping Techniques For Designer Results by Melissa Leapman (Potter Craft 2012).

75 Seashells, Fish, Coral and Colorful Marine Life to Knit And Crochet by Jessica Polk (St. Martin’s Griffin 2012).

Circular Knitting Workshop: Essential Techniques To Master Knitting In The Round by Margaret Radcliffe (Storey Pub 2012).

Crochet Saved My Life: The Mental and Physical Health Benefits of Crochet by Kathryn Vercillo (Createspace 2012).

DIY Holiday Magic!

(image from the Art, Music & Recreation Center picture file)

Just when we think it’s safe to kick back, shed our costumes and put away the pumpkin carving tools, it suddenly dawns on us that more major holidays are right around the corner. For many, this can be a stressful time of year, especially for those who have been hit hard by the recession. Some are wondering how they can share in spreading holiday cheer in this bad economy.
The good news is that the library has books to address this dilemma. Making your own gifts and decorations is a good way to save money and gain a sense of satisfaction from the creative process. Handmade items have a way of saying: “I care enough about you to invest my heart, hands and time in making something one of a kind.”

The following titles are just a tiny example of what the Art and Music department has to check out and take home. Combine the ideas in these books with books on holiday meals and treats (located in the Business, Science and Technology Center on our floor) and you’ll be on your way to having the happiest holidays every.

300 Ways to Make the Best Christmas Ever!: Decorations, Carols, Crafts & Recipes for Every Kind of Christmas Tradition edited by Mimi Tribble (Sterling Pub., 2004).

Christmas Craft Sourcebook by Gail Lawther (Trafalgar Square Pub., 1995).

Christmas Doughcrafts by Elisabeth Bang (Cassell, 1996).

Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick (STC Craft, 2005).

Holiday Knits by Sara Lucas and Allison Isaacs (Chronicle Books, 2005).

How to Make Christmas Tree Decorations by Petra Boniberger, et al. (Search Press, 1997).

Merry & Bright: 301 Festive Ideas for Celebrating Christmas (Hearst Books, 2007).

Old-Fashioned Christmas Crafts (Better Homes and Gardens Books, 1995).

Papercrafts for Christmas by Judy Balchin and Polly Pinder (Search Press, 2008)

Get Your Knit Together at Knit Happens: Knitting & Crochet Club

Want to learn how to knit or crochet or hang out with others knitters and crocheters? Starting this month Get Your Knit Together (for adults) and Knit Happens (for teens) have combined into one big all ages (9 and up) knit and crochet gathering! The library will provide supplies to practice on but bring your own yarn and needles or hooks to start your own unique project. We will usually meet on the third Saturday of each month from 2-4 pm. This afternoon affair will be held at the Main Library in the Children’s Creative Center on the 2nd Floor. Our next meetings will be February 21, March 21 and April 18.

For information contact the Art, Music and Recreation Center at (415) 557-4525.

Here is a new selection of knitting books:


Knitting On Top Of The World: The Global Guide To Traditions, Techniques And Design by Nicky Epstein (Nicky Epstein Books, c2008). 746.432 Ep857kt



Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside The Lines: Patterns, Stories, Pictures, True Confessions, Tricky Bits by Kay Gardiner And Ann Shayne; Photography By Gale Zucker. (Potter Craft, 2008). 746.432 G168mo


Knitalong: Celebrating The Tradition Of Knitting Together by Larissa Brown and Martin John Brown; Photography By Michael Crouser. (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008). 746.432 B8138k


Knitting For Dummies by Pam Allen, Tracy L. Barr, Shannon Okey. (Wiley Pub., 2008). 746.432 AL542k 2008




Knits For Men: 20 Sweaters, Vests, And Accessories by Margaret Hubert. (Creative Pub. International, 2008). 746.432 H8634k




Knitting: 200 Q & A: Questions Answered On Everything From Casting On To Decorative Effects by Rita Taylor. (Barron's, 2008). 746.432 T2176k

Get Your Knit Together - Still Growing!

GET YOUR KNIT TOGETHER! is growing and still going strong. Every month at least one-third of the attendees are brand new to knitting. By the end of their first two hour class, they have learned how to cast on, are knitting quite well and already dreaming about their next project. In January, we had 36 people attend, our largest turnout ever. A librarian who is also a photographer captured some of the fun.

Our next meeting will be Saturday, February 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the lower level of the Main Library in the Latino / Hispanic Meeting Room A. We will continue to meet once a month on the 3rd Saturday of each month (excluding April) until the end of this year.

Just like the class, the library’s collection of knitting books is growing. Here is a sampling of some of our newest books:

Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter by Alison Hansel (746.432 H1981c) – Harry Potter aficionados and those who knit for them will love these 28 knitwear designs.



Couture Knits by Jean Moss (746.432 M8553c) – Shows how anyone can achieve a professional-looking garment using the basic knit and purl stitches.



Fitted Knits: 25 Designs for the Fashionable Knitter by Stefanie Japel (746.432 J2719f) – Features 25 projects and explains the necessary skills for creating a well-fitted garment.



The Knitted Teddy Bear: Make Your Own Heirloom Toys with Dozens of Patterns for Unique Clothing and Accessories by Sandra Polley (745.5924 P763k 2004) – A skein of yarn, a few small needles and this book is all that’s needed to start making beautiful toys.

The Natural Knitter: How to Choose, Use and Knit Natural Fibers From Alpaca to Yak by Barbara Albright (746.432 Al153n) – A collection of more than 20 knitted projects using the fibers from llamas, sheep, cashmere goats, and angora rabbits.


Pretty in Punk: 25 Punk, Rock and Goth Knitting Projects by Alyce Benevides (746.432 B4358p) – Contains patterns and step-by step instructions for 25 pieces of clothing and accessories.

Get Your Knit Together! Second Session

The summer session of Get Your Knit Together! is ending this month on Saturday, September 15. The Art, Music and Recreation Center will present another session on the third Saturday of each month beginning November 17, 2007 through May 17, 2008.

Get Your Knit Together! is a free 2 hour program that has been meeting once a month since July and has provided basic knitting instruction and supplies to use during class. In addition to new students, this program has also been attended by knitters wanting a place to work on their own projects and share ideas. Many people have brought their own knitting needles so that they could work on their samples between classes.

There will be no class in October. Beginning November 17, the class will move to Latino/Hispanic Room A on the lower level of the Main Library to accommodate more people who want to explore the joys of knitting. Every participant receives a handout which lists knitting websites, library books on knitting and local knitting stores.

Sign up for the next session at the Art & Music Reference desk on the 4th floor. For more information, please check under “Classes” on the Library’s home page.

Check out some of the new library books on knitting:

Wendy Knits: My Never-Ending Adventures in Yarn by Wendy D. Johnson (746.432 J6394w) – A perfect book for every knitter, offering tips for avoiding errors, thoughts for knitting gifts for others, and so much more.


Knitting for Peace by Betty Christiansen (746.432 C4629k) – Read about knitters who knit for the needy worldwide. Includes 15 patterns for socks, hats, afghans and more.


Speed Knitting: 24 Quick and Easy Projects by Kris Percival (746.432 P4123s) – Speed knit your way through any of these projects in a few hours or a weekend.

Get Your Knit Together!

On Saturday July 21 at 10:00 am the Art, Music and Recreation Center will launch a free 2 hour program called “Get your knit together!” The purpose of this program is to provide knitting instruction and offer a place for knitters work on projects and share ideas.

Thanks to a gift from the Friends of the Library and generous yarn donations from Sonoma Yarn and members of the Redwood Empire Handweaver’s Guild, there will be plenty of yarn and knitting needles to use during class. People who wish to take their projects home should bring their own knitting needles.

A wonderful volunteer and expert knitter who has been teaching the Teen Knitting Club at the library will teach this new class as well. Library books will be on display during class and available for check out, so attendees should be sure to have their library cards.

For more information check the Main Library’s classes and programs at our website or stop by the Art and Music Reference desk on the 4^th floor. Class size limited to 15.

Here are a few good knitting books that capture the joys of knitting:

Hip to Knit: 18 Contemporary Projects for Today's Knitter by Judith L. Swartz (746.432 Sw26h) – Many good and easy patterns, including a stylish purse and the world’s greatest hat.


How to Knit by Debbie Bliss (746.432 B619s) – One of the best how to knit books ever written, with very clear instructions and great illustrations.


Yummy Yarns: Learn to Knit in 20+ Easy Projects Featuring Fun Novelty Yarns by Kathleen & Nick Greco (746.432 G799y) – Reader beware! The colors and textures of the yarns in these projects are very tempting!