BOOK CALENDAR

TODAY

ENCINO: Tracy Hogg discusses “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers,” Barnes & Noble, 16461 Ventura Blvd., 2 p.m. (818) 380-1636.

COSTA MESA: Alexander Avila signs “The Gift of Shyness,” Borders Books & Music, 3333 Bear St., 1 p.m. (714) 432-7854.

GARDEN GROVE: Sinclair Browning signs “Crack Shot,” Coffee, Tea & Mystery, 11931 Valley View St., 12:30 p.m. (714) 898-2583.

LOS ANGELES: William Kennedy (“Roscoe”) in conversation with Los Angeles Times Book Editor Steve Wasserman, $8, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., 2 PM, (213) 228-7025.

LOS ANGELES: Shelley Berger, Dinah Berland, Judith Rose, Leah Schweitzer and Judith Taylor read “Poetry of the Spirit,” Leo Baeck Temple, 1300 N. Sepulveda Blvd., 7:30 p.m. (310) 476-2861.

LOS ANGELES: Lillian Hammer Ross reads “Buba Leah and Her Paper Children,” $5 per child, Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., 2 p.m. Reservations: (310) 440-4636; www.skirball.org.

LOS FELIZ: Members of Hard Words Writing Group read their work, Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., 5 p.m., (323) 660-1175.

PASADENA: Barbara Wood (“Sacred Ground”) discusses her work, Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., 2 p.m. (800) 769-BOOK.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe sign “Hope’s Edge,” Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Ave., 7:30 p.m. (310) 659-1733.

MONDAY

BRENTWOOD: Barbara Wood reads “Sacred Ground,” Dutton’s, 11975 San Vicente Blvd., 7 p.m. (310) 476-2663.

ENCINO: Nik Colyer signs “Channeling Biker Bob,” Barnes & Noble, 16461 Ventura Blvd., 7:30 p.m. (818) 380-1636.

LA VERNE: Marshall Goldsmith discusses “Leading for Innovation and Organizing for Results,” President’s Dining Room, University of La Verne, 1950 3rd St., 6:30 p.m. (909) 593-3511, Ext. 4943.

LOS ANGELES: David Vise signs “The Bureau and the Mole,” Barnes & Noble, 10850 W. Pico Blvd., 7:30 p.m. (310) 475-4144.

NORTHRIDGE: Mark Zicree and Barbara Hambly sign “Magic Time,” Borders Books & Music, 9301 Tampa Ave., 7:30 p.m. (818) 886-5443.

SANTA BARBARA: An evening with Dave Eggers (“A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius”), UC Santa Barbara, Campbell Hall, 8 p.m., $12. Tickets: (805) 893-3535.

SANTA MONICA: Frances Moore Lappe and Anna Lappe discuss “Hope’s Edge,” Barnes & Noble, 1201 Third Street Promenade, 7:30 p.m. (310) 260-9110.

SANTA MONICA: John Stauber reads “Trust Us, We’re Experts,” Midnight Special, 1318 Third Street Promenade, 7:30 p.m. (310) 393-2923.

SHERMAN OAKS: Karen Winnick reads “A Year Goes Round,” Buckley School, 3900 Stansbury Ave., 8:30 a.m. (818) 783-1610, Ext. 403.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Susan Minot reads “Rapture,” Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., 8 p.m. (310) 659-3110.

TUESDAY

BRENTWOOD: Shusha Guppy reads “Three Journeys in the Levant,” Dutton’s, 11975 San Vicente Blvd., 7 p.m. (310) 476-6263.

GLENDALE: Nik Colyer discusses “Channeling Biker Bob,” Barnes & Noble, 245 N. Glendale Ave., 7:30 p.m. (818) 246-4677.

LONG BEACH: Gil Rosco discusses “Company of Thieves,” Barnes & Noble, 6326 E. Pacific Coast Highway, 7 p.m. (562) 431-2253.

NORTHRIDGE: Theresa Smythe signs “The Runaway Valentine,” Borders Books & Music, 9301 Tampa Ave., 10:30 a.m. (818) 886-5443.

PASADENA: Mem Fox signs “Reading Magic”, Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., 7 p.m. (800) 769-BOOK.

STUDIO CITY: Theresa Smythe reads “The Runaway Valentine” and conducts a valentine craft workshop. Studio City Library, 12511 Moorpark Ave., 4 p.m. (818) 755-7873.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Jacob Needleman signs “The American Soul,” Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Ave., 7:30 p.m. (310) 659-1733.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Stephen Raleigh Byler reads “Searching for Intruders,” Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., 8 p.m. (310) 659-3110.

WEDNESDAY

LA VERNE: Leah Komaiko signs “Annie Bananie,” Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, 1030 Bonita Ave., 10 a.m. (909) 599-4558.

LOS ANGELES: Ellis Cose signs “The Envy of the World,” Eso Won Books, 3655 S. La Brea Ave., 7 p.m. (323) 294-0324.

LOS ANGELES: Poet Willie Sims reads his work, the World Stage, 4344 Degnan Blvd., 8:30 p.m. (323) 293-2451.

MANHATTAN BEACH: Loraine Despres reads “The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc,” Barnes & Noble, 1800 W. Rosecrans Ave., 7:30 p.m. (310) 725-7027.

ORANGE: Neil Neimark discusses “Irritable Bowel Syndrome,” Borders Books & Music, 20 City Blvd., 7 p.m. (714) 385-1025.

PASADENA: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni signs “The Vine of Desire,” Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., 7 p.m. (800) 769-BOOK.

PASADENA: Kitty Felde interviews Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (“The Vine of Desire”), KPCC-FM (89.3), 2 p.m.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Stan Cornyn presents “Exploding,” Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., 8 p.m. (310) 659-3110.

WESTWOOD: Michael York discusses “Dispatches From Armageddon,” UCLA campus, Grand Salon in Kerckhoff Hall (northeast section of campus), 3 p.m. (310) 825-1958.

THURSDAY

BRENTWOOD: Jasper Fforde reads “The Eyre Affair,” Dutton’s, 11975 San Vicente Blvd., 7 p.m. (310) 476-6263.

IRVINE: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett interviews Sue Silverman, (“Lovesick”) on “Writers on Writing,” KUCI-FM (88.9) and www.kuci.org, 5 p.m. (949) 760-8086.

LOS ANGELES: Alexander Avila (“The Gift of Shyness”) conducts a workshop, Barnes & Noble, 10850 W. Pico Blvd., 7:30 p.m. (310) 475-4144.

LA VERNE: Theresa Smythe signs “The Runaway Valentine,” Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop, 1030 Bonita Ave., 10 a.m. (909) 599-4558.

NEWPORT BEACH: Valentine’s Love Poetry Contest, $4, Alta Coffee House, 506 31st St., 6:30 p.m. sign-ups, 8 p.m. (949) 675-0233.

PASADENA: Phil Pastras discusses “Dead Man Blues,” Borders Books & Music, 7 p.m. 475 S. Lake Ave. (626) 304-9773.

SANTA MONICA: Michael Silverblatt interviews Susan Sontag (“Where the Stress Falls: Essays”), 2:30 p.m., KCRW-FM (89.9).

STUDIO CITY: Paul Krupin discusses “How to Get the Media to Fall in Love With You,” Book Publicists of Southern California dinner meeting , Sportsmen’s Lodge, 12833 Ventura Blvd., 5:30 p.m., $22.50. Reservations: (323) 461-3921.

THOUSAND OAKS: Jasper Fforde signs “The Eyre Affair,” Mysteries To Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., 2 p.m., (805) 374-0084.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Gene Simmons signs “Kiss and Make-Up,” Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., 7 p.m. (310) 659-3110.

FRIDAY

BRENTWOOD: Stephen Raleigh Byer reads “Searching for Intruders,” Dutton’s, 11975 San Vicente Blvd., 7 p.m. (310) 476-6263.

GLENDALE: Alice Navasargian discusses “Armenian Women of the Stage,” Glendale Public Library, 222 E. Harvard St., 7 p.m. (818) 548-2042.

HUNTINGTON BEACH: Sherry Handel signs “Blue Jean,” Barnes & Noble, 7777 Edinger Ave., 7:30 p.m. (714) 897-8781.

PASADENA: Tracy Hogg signs “Secrets of the Baby Whisperer,” Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., 7 p.m. (800) 769-BOOK.

POMONA: Jim Natal and Jeanette Clough read their poetry, DA Center for the Arts, 252D S. Main St., 8 p.m. (909) 397-9716.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA: Susan Straight signs “Highwire Moon,” Barnes & Noble, 11090 Foothill Blvd., 7 p.m. (909) 980-5586.

SAN MARINO: Alice Coulombe reviews current bestsellers, $8, Assistance League of Pasadena benefit, San Marino Community Church, 1750 Virginia Road, 10:30 a.m. (626) 799-0480.

SHERMAN OAKS: Lee Wardlaw reads “The Chair Where Bear Sits,” Borders Books & Music, 14651 Ventura Blvd., 10:30 a.m. (818) 728-6593.

THOUSAND OAKS: Dick Wimmer signs “The Irish Wine Trilogy,” Borders Books & Music, 125 W. Thousand Oaks Blvd., 1 p.m. (805) 497-8159.

TORRANCE: Michael York discusses “Accidentally on Purpose,” Pacific Inn, 5481 W. Torrance Blvd., 7 p.m., $5. (310) 544-1278.

SATURDAY

BRENTWOOD: Benjamin Kilborne reads “Disappearing Persons,” Dutton’s, 11975 San Vicente Blvd., 2 p.m. (310) 476-6263.

BURBANK: Christina Starr signs “Sarah Glory,” Barnes & Noble, 731 N. San Fernando Blvd., 1 p.m. (818) 558-1155.

BURBANK: Richard Matheson (“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”), William Stout (“Abu and the Seven Marvels”), Michel Gagne (“Frenzied Fauna From A to Z”) and Dennis Etchison (“Death Artist”) sign their books, Dark Delicacies, 4213 W. Burbank Blvd., (818) 556-6660.

COSTA MESA: Richard Trackler signs “The Roll Call Vote,” Borders Books & Music, 3333 Bear St., 1 p.m. (714) 432-7854.

GOLETA: Karen Lee Stevens signs “All for Animals,” Borders Books & Music, 7000 Marketplace Ave., 2 p.m. (805) 968-1370.

INDUSTRY: Alexander Avila discusses “Love Types” (in English and Spanish), Borders Books & Music, 4 p.m. Puente Hills Mall, 1600 S. Azusa Ave. (626) 913-9344.

LONG BEACH: Jack Kates signs “Don’t You Know It’s 40 Below,” Barnes & Noble, 6326 E. Pacific Coast Highway, 2 p.m. (562) 431-2253.

LOS ANGELES: Tonya Bolden signs “Tell All the Children Our Story,” Eso Won Books, 3655 S. La Brea Ave., 12:30 p.m. (323) 294-0324.

LOS ANGELES: Kadir Nelson (“Just the Two of Us”), R. Gregory Christie (“Love to Langston”) read their books, Every Picture Tells a Story ..., 7525 Beverly Blvd., 4 p.m. (323) 932-6070.

MANHATTAN BEACH: Sherry S. Handel reads “Blue Jean: What Young Women Are Thinking, Saying and Doing,” Barnes & Noble, 1800 W. Rosecrans Ave., 1 p.m. (310) 725-7027.

MONTCLAIR: Michael Datcher (“Raising Fences”) and Jenoyne Adams (“Resurrecting Mingus”) discuss their books, Borders Books & Music, 5055 S. Plaza Lane, 11 a.m. (909) 625-0424.

NEWPORT BEACH: Stephen Raleigh Byler discusses “Searching for Intruders,” Newport Beach Central Library, Central Library’s Friends’ Meeting Room, 1000 Avocado Ave., 2 p.m. (714) 717-3801.

PASADENA: Eve Bunting reads “Gleam and Glow,” Barnes & Noble, 111 W. Colorado Blvd., 3 p.m. (626) 683-8551.

RANCHO MIRAGE: Fred Luskin signs “Forgiving for Good,” Borders Books & Music, 71800 Highway 111, 2 p.m. (760) 779-1314.

STUDIO CITY: Loraine Despres signs “The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc,” 1 p.m. Portrait of a Bookstore, 4360 Tujunga Ave., (818) 769-3853.

THOUSAND OAKS: Thomas Perry signs “Pursuit,” Mysteries to Die For, 2940 Thousand Oaks Blvd., 1 p.m. (805) 374-0084.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Mary T. Browne signs “The Power of Karma,” Bodhi Tree Bookstore, 8585 Melrose Ave., 2:30 p.m. (310) 659-1733.

WOODLAND HILLS: Kevin Fagan signs “Drabble: Who Wants to be a Fenderhead?,” Barnes & Noble, 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd., 7:30 p.m. (818) 704-3850.