Books: Joshua Mohr and Grace Krilanovich at Skylight Books

There are echoes of various canonical novels in the new works by Joshua Mohr and Grace Krilanovich (a Times staff writer). Mohr’s “Termite Parade” is rooted in the psychological drama of “Crime and Punishment” that springs from a single, defining act of desperation. Krilanovich’s “The Orange Eats Creeps” is a brooding, brash tale of vampires set in the Pacific Northwest — ask any teenager to find a corollary there in pop culture. But each is imbued with raw nerves, kinetic prose and cutting glimpses of the human heart that could make each a reference point of its own. They’ll read from each here. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. Thurs. 7:30. Free. https://www.skylightbooks.com.