SATURDAY 12/23

The Deschutes River Railroad War
The audience willing to drive to Tigard on the Saturday before Christmas to attend a reading from a book about Oregon's railway history seems like a pretty niche market, but all the same, that's what we've got here. Dr. Leon Speroff's new book "brings to life the fascinating true story of the race to expand railroad service from the Columbia River up the Deschutes River to Bend, Oregon." The event takes place at a fly fishing company, in keeping with the author's other life passion. So if everyone can form an orderly, single file line to Kauffman's Streamborn, I'm sure they'll be able to accommodate every Mercury reader. No shoving! Kauffman's Streamborn, 8861 SW Commercial, 639-7004, 11 am, free

WEDNESDAY 12/27

Classics Book Discussion Group
Considering that John Cheever's The Wapshot Chronicle is about the internal strife of a spiritually dead family, it might be the perfect book to discuss with strangers two days after Christmas. Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing, 3415 SW Cedar Hills, Beaverton, 228-4651, 7 pm, free