80 West Portal, San Francisco, CA 94127
415-564-8080
www.bookshopwestportal.com
Open 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM, Every Day

Dear Friends,

A very large and sincere Happy Holiday to you all! Seeing so many of you these last few days has been very gratifying, and frankly, it's fun for us.

We still have many, many wonderful books and gift items for your family and friends. While we might be out of Squirrel Underwear very soon, we have lots of Bucky Balls, and a full selection of children's books.

For that last-minute item, we have mugs with dogs and cat images, candles, lovely soaps, jig-saw puzzles for all ages, reading lights for you night owls, children's card games, several lines of handbags, and a huge selection of books.

There is a gift-wrapper stationed at the rear of the store most of the day - no-charge, of course - and we can still order lots of titles to arrive on Friday if you order before 11 a.m. Thursday.

We will be open until 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve, then we turn into elves and dash home.

Thanks for all your support!

Anna, Neal, Kevin and all the Staff at BookShop West Portal.

A few gift ideas at 20% off:

Cleopatra: A Life
by Stacy Schiff

Schiff, a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, masterfully brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Though her life spanned fewer than 40 years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. A New York Times Top 10 Books of 2010.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand

In her long-awaited new book, Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. She examines the life of Louis Zamperini, an American airman who, after his bomber crashed in the Pacific during World War II, survived 47 days on a life raft only to be captured by Japanese soldiers and subjected to inhuman treatment for the next two years at a series of POW camps. Eventually repatriated, he had a spiritual rebirth and returned to Japan to promote forgiveness and healing.

Room
by Emma Donahue

This is an astonishing book, unlike anything we've ever read. Five-year-old Jack has never known anything of life beyond Room, the 11-square-foot space he shares with his mother. Gradually it is revealed that they are being held captive and that they will need to plan an escape to survive. Although the premise of this novel is terrifying, the fierce love between parent and child is so beautifully evoked that, ultimately, this is a powerful love story. Nominated for the Booker prize and selected as one of the Top 10 Books of 2010 by the New York Times. Highly recommended.

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean
by Susan Casey

From the bestselling author of The Devil's Teeth comes an astonishing book about colossal, ship-swallowing rogue waves and the surfers who seek them out. For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100-feet high or taller. Until recently, scientists dismissed these stories: waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a startling number of ships vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something scary was brewing in the planet's waters.

Apollo's Angels: A History of Ballet
by Jennifer Homans

This groundbreaking work is the first cultural history of ballet ever written, lavishly illustrated and beautifully told. For more than 400 years, the art of ballet has stood at the center of Western civilization. This lovely book was selected as one of the New York Times Top 10 Books of 2010.

Great Migrations
by Karen Kostyal

With more than 250 color photographs, at turns arresting and gorgeous, this stunning companion includes all of the epic animal dramas that were featured in the groundbreaking seven-hour TV mini-series focusing on animal journeys. Ages 5-9.

Please visit our website for the full list!

80 West Portal, San Francisco, CA 94127  |  (415) 564-8080

www.bookshopwestportal.com