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Nancy Becker Kennedy performs her autobiographical one-woman show, “I Had to Break My Neck to Get Here,” at 8 tonight at Exile Books and Music, 14925 Magnolia Blvd., Sherman Oaks. At age 20, Kennedy suffered a spinal cord injury that made her a quadriplegic.

Two years ago she was about to become the first person in a wheelchair to be a regular on a CBS-TV sitcom when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Kennedy says she wrote this show to let others know what it’s like to experience such dramatic shifts in life agendas. Singer-songwriters Jennifer Hardaway and Tom Winslow perform at 8 p.m. Saturday. $5 cover both nights.

East Coast singer-songwriter Cosy Sheridan makes her only L.A. appearance at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The store has Elena the Tarot Lady plying her trade Saturdays from noon-4 p.m. The Sunday Open Mike is for performers with original material. Songwriters may perform two songs, and spoken word artists get eight minutes on stage. Sign-ups at 6 p.m. (818) 986-6409.

Hugo Award-winning science fiction author Harry Turtledove visits Barnes & Noble, 8800 Tampa Ave., Northridge, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. His books include “Guns of the South,” “The Great War: American Front” and the hit series “World War.” Author Joyce Morris will discuss and sign her book, “Reiki: Hands That Heal,” at 7 tonight. (818) 773-0821.

John Shirley signs “Really, Really, Really, Really Weird Stories” and Jan Alan Henderson signs “Speeding Bullet: The Life and Bizarre Death of George Reeves” at 2 p.m. Saturday at Dark Delicacies, 3725 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. (818) 556-6660.

Latin jazz singer Marisol Saens and her band perform at 2 p.m. Saturday at Borders Books & Music, 6510 Canoga Ave., Canoga Park, (818) 887-1999.

Borders Books & Music, 9301 Tampa Ave., Northridge, will have author Robin Maxwell signing her historical novel about Queen Elizabeth I, “The Queen’s Bastard,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. (818) 886-5443.

Friends of the Burbank Central Library, 110 Glenoaks Blvd., will hold a used book sale all next week. Hours are Monday 6-8:30 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. (818) 238-5600.

Friends of the Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library, 16244 Nordhoff St., North Hills, holds a used book sale Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (818) 895-3650.