Okay, we all know Seattle Reads only picked The Namesake because it was being made into a movie. And the movie was not so great. But the novel, by Pulitzer Prize—winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, is the kind of unfussy, empathetic storytelling that you stay up all night to finish. This will be a fantastic reading (and not just because JhuLa—as I like to call her—is a total hottie). (Museum of History & Industry, 2700 24th Ave E, 324-1126. 7 pm, free. Additional events Tues, see www.spl.org for details.)

Annie Wagner is The Stranger's former film editor. She was born and raised in Capitol Hill, but has since lived in such far-flung locales as Phoenix, AZ, Charlottesville, VA, and Wedgwood. After graduating...