Sunday, July 20, 1pm and 3pm, Spectacle Island Visitor Center Christopher Klein, Discovering the Boston Harbor Islands Monday, July 21, 7pm, Brookline Booksmith @ The Coolidge Corner Theatre Susan Quinn with an introduction by Howard Zinn Furious Improvisations: How the WPA and a Cast of Thousands Made High Art Out of Desperate Times *Tuesday, July 22, 7pm, Porter Square Books Steve Almond Not That You Asked David Blair, Ascension Days Tuesday, July 22, 7pm, Harvard......

It's bibliomania this week, with tons of book events ranging from bigshot Salman Rushdie reading from his latest tomorrow to small press folks visiting Brookline Booksmith on Saturday. Whether you like your authors established or up-and-coming, this week is a great time to head out for a reading. Monday, July 14, 7pm, Memorial Church (1 Harvard Yard, Cambridge), $5 Salman Rushdie, The Enchantress of Florence *Monday, July 14, 7pm, Porter Square Books Perri Klass, The......

Monday, July 7, 7pm, Porter Square Books Zoe Ferraris, Finding Nouf Tuesday, July 8, 7pm, Porter Square Books Robin Messing and Joan Silber Wednesday, July 9, 7pm, Porter Square Books Jennifer Haigh, The Condition Wednesday, July 9, 7pm, Brookline Booksmith The Daily Candy Lexicon: Words That Don't Exist But Should Thursday, July 10, 7pm, Porter Square Books Laurie Edwards, Life Disrupted *Thursday, July 10, 7pm, Harvard Book Store Christian Lander, Stuff White People Like: A......

July is upon us. This month, you can celebrate stuff white people like, as we did recently, or try to comfort Salman in the wake of his divorce from Padma. There's also a new Harvard Square Book Circle book discussion group at Harvard Book Store and a wonderful small press night (sponsored by Rose Metal Press) at Brookline Booksmith, plus Andre Dubus III comes to Porter Square Books. Be sure to get your reading glasses......

This week brings us a lot of interesting book events. From Roxana Robinson's chronicle of heroin addiction to Ellen Sussman's Encyclopedia of Sex to Toby Barlow's poetic paean to werewolves, your debauchery bases are covered. If you're looking for something a little more intellectual, Sarah LeVine examines the roles of religion around the world, and good ol' Barbara Ehrenreich reminds us again of the incredible class disparities in our country. Monday, June 23rd, 7:00pm, Harvard......

Apparently book events only happen Tuesday through Thursday these days. Clear up your calendar for a little literary love or nonfiction knowledge. We recommend Alison Bass' indictment of Paxil and Prozac, as well as Gary Marcus' exploration of why our brains are so cobbled-together and inefficient. We may have an interview with Marcus later this week, so be on the lookout. Tuesday, June 17th, 7:00pm, Brookline Booksmith Michael Holley, Red Sox Rule Tuesday, June 17th,......

It's hot outside. Cool off your body and rev up your mind with a book reading this week. Superstar Andrew Dubus (III) will be here, and up-and-coming novelist Jonathan Miles will dis everyone's favorite hatred target: airlines. You can also learn about expensive wine and ponder why we all own so much stuff. Monday, June 9th, 6:00pm, Brattle Theatre, $5 Andre Dubus III, Garden of Last Days: A Novel Monday, June 9th, 7pm, Brookline Booksmith......

The weather's finally warm and the days are perfect for chilling outside with a book. Check our list of June book events around town to see what you might want to pick up for either frivolous or fierce reading experiences. This week, both Lewis Black and David Sedaris are in town to tickle your funnybones, so get tickets for the titillation while you still can. Later this month readers will tackle topics ranging from pirates......

May winds down with some excellent book events addressing issues from economics to politics to the art of writing. There's even a double-whammy of Wrights reading poetry tomorrow night. Monday, May 26th, 7pm, Brookline Booksmith Franz Wright, God’s Silence C.D. Wright, Rising, Falling, Hovering Tuesday, May 27th, 6pm, Brattle Theatre, $5 sponsored by Harvard Book Store Ted Sorensen, Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History Tuesday, May 27, 7pm, Porter Square Books Leif Enger,......

Book your calendar this week with book events involving history, politics, wine, falconing, and poetry. And don't forget that everyone's favorite anchor, Barbara Walters, signs her new book Audition: A Memoir Thursday evening at Brookline Booksmith. We bet it'll be as popular as that Apple Store opening! Maybe? Monday, May 19th, 7pm, Pandemonium Books & Games Daily Show writer Rob Kutner, Apocalypse How: Making the End Times The Best of Times (book signing) *Monday, May......

Deborah Weisgall The World Before Her 7pm tonight, Porter Square Books, free! Massachusetts resident and New Yorker writer Deborah Weisgall recently released a book, The World Before Her, which examines author Marian Evans' (you might know her better as George Eliot) unusual marriage following the death of her long-time lover. The book juxtaposes Eliot's story with the tale of a modern-day marriage's impending demise. Focused on themes of love and longing, The World Before Her......

It's Bike Week here in the Bay State, so strap on your helmet, jump on your bike, and pedal to one of these book events this week. Make sure to bring a bag so you can cart your signed book home. Bostonist recommends starred events. *Sunday, May 11, 5:30pm, Porter Square Books Henry Winkler, The Life of Me: Enter, Your Own Risk Monday, May 12th, 7pm, Brookline Booksmith Elizabeth George, Careless in Red *Monday, May......

National Poetry Month may be over, but that doesn't mean it's time for you to put away the books. It's dreary out right now, but warmer weather should be just around the corner, enabling you to crack a book in the great outdoors. Our lovely local bookstores are bringing us bunches of great readings in May. Big names like Fareed Zakaria, Mike Gravel, and Howard Zinn will discuss politics, while Brookline native BabaWawa returns to......

National Poetry Month is almost over, but fortunately we've got one of America's best poets visiting us tonight. Jorie Graham will read from her new work Sea Change at Brookline Booksmith this evening. If you can't make that, check on Brookline High School's poetry night at the Booksmith on Wednesday, or attend Cantab Lounge's weekly poetry slam in honor of NaPoMo. Jorie Graham, Sea Change Monday, April 28th, 7:00 p.m., Brookline Booksmith Elizabeth Strout, Olive......

Yesterday was Earth Day, a great time to get outside and appreciate nature. Today is World Book and Copyright Day, and thanks to the gorgeous weather, you can still get out and enjoy nature--with book in hand. Apparently World Book Day was also on March 6, but there's no reason you can't read a book more than once a year (but at least do it once a year, please). UNESCO's focus on copyright today comes......

Get your think on this week with readings about sex, war, and politics. A couple of big names come to town to discuss these big concepts. Cokie Roberts will talk about ladies of liberty on Wednesday and Howard Zinn presents a graphic adaptation of People's History at the Brattle on Thursday. The Zinn event is sold out, sadly, but maybe you can flash your red star tattoos to gain admittance? Mary Roach, Bonk: The Curious......

Henry David Thoreau Photographs by Scot Miller Illustrating Thoreau's Cape Cod: A Photographer's Story Video Presentation & Lecture 6:00 pm Harvard Museum of Natural History Free and open to the public Details Henry David Thoreau is often considered Concord's curmudgeon, but he also conceded, "Cape Cod's cool..." Readers love his meditations on life and nature while living as an ascetic near Walden Pond, but Thoreau also traveled around New England and loosened up a......

We know you just can't get enough of books and book events. Here's a summary of what's going on this week, reading-wise. This week's heavy on the poetry, so it's a good opportunity to get your National Poetry Month groove on! We hope you don't "dislike it" too much. As always, asterisked events are Bostonist recommendations. Poetry Night Mary Jo Firth Gillett and Betsey Houghton Monday, April 14th, 7:00 p.m., Harvard Book Store More Details......

Mark Vonnegut Armageddon in Retrospect Presentation & Discussion Brattle Theatre 6 p.m. $5 Full Details If we have to explain who Kurt Vonnegut is, you’re probably not interested in attending this event, or maybe you’ve just beamed down from Tralfamadore or something like that. Whatever your situation may be, the late legend Kurt Vonnegut is obviously best known for a little war book called Slaughterhouse-Five, but the rest of his works deserve even more attention......

Jorie Graham Sea Change Wednesday, April 2nd, 7:00 p.m., Harvard Book Store More Details Poet and Harvard prof Jorie Graham has just come out with a new book of poems, Sea Change, which she'll read from tonight at Harvard Book Store to help launch National Poetry Month. If you miss Graham's smart, refined verse this time around, be sure to catch the Pulitzer winner at Brookline Booksmith on April 28th instead.......

Amy Marcus Jerusalem 1913: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict 7:00 p.m., Brookline Booksmith Israel and Palestine have been in conflict for as long as most of us can remember, but Amy Marcus takes us back to a time before Israel's founding to reveal the roots of this bitter and enduring conflict. Former Wall Street Journal correspondent Marcus shows how Muslims and Jews moved from working together to battling one another, highlighting the roles of......