This Thursday at the Hugo House at 5:30 pm, I'll be hosting a combination swap meet/happy hour for book-lovers titled Two Books Enter, One Book Leaves. Here's the deal: The admission price is two books. Bring a couple of novels you loved, but you know you're never going to read again. Once you're in, get yourself a drink from the Hugo House's full bar (there'll be drink specials) and wander around the tables of books we've set up in the cabaret space. Chat with some fellow book lovers. At the end of the night, pick one new-to-you book to bring home with you. All the remaining books will be donated to Friends of the Library; they'll sell them at their next book sale to raise money for Seattle Public Library. If you show up early, you'll even be able to chug a couple drinks, grab a bus downtown, and still make it in time for our Police Accountability Forum at City Hall. Everyone wins!

I'll be bringing a lot of books to the event to prime the pump, so I can guarantee there'll be some neat stuff there. The next Slog Happy won't be until March—we've got some plans for that one—which makes Two Books Enter, One Book Leaves your best opportunity in February to hang out with fellow literate, Slog-minded folks over drinks. Books and booze make the perfect conversation starter, and that means this should be a fun, laid-back mixer for a good cause. I hope to see you there.