FRIDAY 10/6
The Boy Detective Fails
Described as a children's book for adults, Joe Meno's latest novel tracks the adulthood of a one-time boy detective who "discovers that the mysteries of adult life are not easily solved." That sounds cheesy, but the book really isn't. It's pretty sweet and insightful, actually. Reading Frenzy, 921 SW Oak, 274-1449, 7 pm, free
SATURDAY 10/7
Friends of the MulÂtÂÂÂnomah County LibÂrary's Fall Book Sale
Over 100,000 donated books, CDs, and DVDs, starting at 50 cents! Gotta love the library! Friends of the Library Book Sale, 1635 NE Sandy, 224-9176, Fri 6-9 pm (members only), Sat 9 am-6 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm, Mon 9 am-3 pm, free
MONDAY 10/9
City of Readers
It's pretty tough not to be impressed at a city whose citizens read big hardback books in the movie theater while they wait for the movie to start. Or whose primary tourist destination is an enormous bookstore, for that matter. Gabriel Boehmer is similarly impressed, and has written a book about books and Stumptownâparticularly the 25 best reading spots in town. Powell's Books on Hawthorne, 3723 SE Hawthorne, 238-1668, 7:30 pm, free
TUESDAY 10/10
Calvin Trillin
Calvin Trillin is an amazingly prolific writer: He's written more than 20 books on nearly as many topics, with a particular emphasis on lively, engaging food writing and in the genre of memoir. (A recent posthumous love letter to his wife in The New Yorker ranked among the most devastating pieces the magazine has ever run.) He's far from a glum guy, though. In every issue of The Nation he writes a satirical, rhyming poem about politics and the contemporary world that rank him as America's premier deadline poet. Smart, full of life, and always workingâCalvin Trillin is hard not to love. Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 227-2583, 7:30 pm, $5-26
City of Readers: The Booklover's Guide to Portland
See Monday's listing. Broadway Books, 1714 NE Broadway, 284-1726, 7 pm, free
The Areas of My Expertise
You know John Hodgman from those Mac vs. PC ads (he's the dorky guy in the suit who plays the PC) and The Daily Show. Which is well and good. But you should know him from his fake almanac, The Areas of My Expertise, which is hands down the funniest book I've ever read. I have no reason to believe this reading will be any less hilarious. (EH) Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
WEDNESDAY 10/11
Michael Lewis in conversation with Rob Neyer
With 2004's Moneyball, Michael Lewis wrote one of the most fascinating books ever penned on the sport of baseballâhe deconstructed the game through the use of numbers and statistics, using the scrappy Oakland A's as the prism for his research. His new book, The Blind Side, follows the ascension of a teen football prodigy to the NFL. Lewis will be joined tonight by ESPN's Rob Neyer, reminding us that sports and critical thinking are not mutually exclusive. Powell's City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 228-4651, 7:30 pm, free
