February 10, Hollis: For a murder mystery book discussion series, the library will feature Bellows Falls, 7:30 p.m. at Hollis Social Library (603-465-2411; www.hollis.nh.us/library).

February 11, Hampstead:  Poet Meg Kearney is featured reader at the Frost Farm’s Hyla Brook Reading Series.  The Series continues at BeanTowne Coffee House (www.beantownecoffee.com), 201 Rte 111, Hampstead.  The program opens with a reading by Hyla Brook poet Melinda Driscoll, beginning at 6:30pm and concludes with an Open Mic from 7:30-8:30pm. Free and open to the public.  For further information, email Robert Crawford at bobik9@aol.com.

February 16,  Merrimack: Yankee columnist Edie Clark will share the history of New England’s regional foods and more-famous foodies, including Julia Child, Fannie Farmer, and Hayden Pearson. Clark will also analyze how the changing times of New England have affected the way we eat. At 7 p.m. at Merrimack Public Library (603-424-5084; www.merrimack.lib.nh.us).

February 26, Newburyport, Mass.: Author Richard Nocera will read and sign copies of his new book, Women Own All the Vaginas: Why Men Do What they Do at the Jabberwocky Bookshop, 50 Water Street, Newburyport, on Friday, February 26, at 7:00 pm. Drawing on 40 years’ experience as a hairdresser and confidant to men and women clients, Richard Nocera offers profound insight and advice about male sexuality in his book, Women Own All the Vaginas. Nocera’s provocative book, a consciousness-raising memoir, is a wise, caring, razor-sharp response to the question he hears daily throughout his career: ‘Why do men do what they do?’ Call 978-465-9359 for more information. To learn more about Richard’s book,
visit www.womenownallthevaginas.com.

March 3, Portsmouth: Poets C. S. Leaf and S Stephanie will be the featured readers at this month’s Poetry Hoot, sponsored by the Portsmouth Poet Laureate Program, 7 p.m. at Café Espresso (www.pplp.org)

March 4, Durham: Victor LaValle, PEN / Faulkner Award finalist for his novel The Ecstatic, will read from his work. Free and open to the public. At 5 p.m., MUB Theater 1, University of New Hampshire (603-862-1313; www.unh.edu).

March 31, Portsmouth: As part of the Writers on a New England Stage series, best-selling author Jodi Picoult will discuss her latest work of fiction, House Rules. Tickets are $13. At 7:30 p.m. at the Music Hall (603-436-2400; www.themusichall.org).

RIVERRUN BOOKSTORE

20 Congress St., Portsmouth, 431-2100, www.riverrunbookstore.com. All events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted:

• Monday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.: Chuck Hogan reads from his new novel, "Devils in Exile." His new book is the story of a struggling Iraq war veteran who falls in with a crew of fellow veterans ripping off Boston-area drug dealers for profit. Hogan is the author of several acclaimed novels, including "The Standoff" and "Prince of Thieves," which won the 2005 Hammett Award and was called one of the 10 best novels of the year by Stephen King; and, with Guillermo del Toro, "The Strain." "Prince of Thieves" will soon be a major motion picture.
• Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.: Philipp Meyer reads from his acclaimed novel, "American Rust," a Washington Post Top Ten Book of 2009, an Economist "Book of the Year," and a New York Times Notable Book. Meyer's brilliant debut "American Rust" is a novel of the lost American dream and the desperation that arises from its loss.
• Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m.: Phillip Hoare reads from his nonfiction book, "The Whale." "The Whale" is an enthralling and eye-opening literary leviathan swimming in similar bestselling waters as "Cod" and "The Secret Life of Lobsters." Winner of the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction, "The Whale" is a lively travelogue through the history, literature, and lore of the king of the sea — the remarkable mammals that we human beings have long been fascinated with, from Moby Dick to Free Willy.
• Friday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m.: RiverRun Bookstore and the Seacoast African American Cultural Center present nonfiction author Rebecca Skloot, author of "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." This event will take place at RiverRun Bookstore. Skloot's book has been getting a lot of pre-publication buzz, and she was recently on the cover of Publishers Weekly.
• Monday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m.: Scrabble Night at SecondRun Bookstore, located at 7 Commercial Alley in downtown Portsmouth. Bring a board, a friend, or just yourself and test your Scrabble skills.
• Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m.: Bestselling author Joe Hill launches his book tour for his new novel, "Horns," at RiverRun Bookstore. Joe Hill's critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling, Bram Stoker Award-winning debut chiller, "Heart-Shaped Box," heralded the arrival of new royalty onto the dark fantasy scene. With "Horns," he polishes his well-deserved crown.
• Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7p.m.: RiverRun Bookstore and the University Office of Sustainability at the University of New Hampshire present John Aber and Tom Kelly, co-editors of "The Sustainable Learning Community: One University's Journey To The Future." This event will be at RiverRun Bookstore.
• Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.: Marilyn Johnson talks about her new nonfiction book, "This Book is Overdue!," a book about librarians. "This Book Is Overdue!" is a romp through the ranks of information professionals and a revelation for readers burned out on the clichés and stereotyping of librarians. Blunt and obscenely funny bloggers spill their stories in these pages, as do a tattooed, hard-partying children's librarian; a fresh-scrubbed Catholic couple who teach missionaries to use computers; a blue-haired radical who uses her smartphone to help guide street protesters; a plethora of voluptuous avatars and cybrarians; the quiet, law-abiding librarians gagged by the FBI; and a boxing archivist. These are just a few of the visionaries Johnson captures here.
• Sunday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.: The three-part series "A Winter's Tale," featuring autobiographical tales told without notes before a live audience, comes to The Red Door Lounge and Martini Bar, 107 State St., on three nights this winter: Jan. 24, Feb. 21, and March 14, 7-9 p.m. each evening. Eight local performers and writers present unscripted true-life stories. The $5 admission fee goes towards Seacoast Local's (H)EAT campaign, which provides heating and food assistance to local people in need. Event co-sponsored by RiverRun Bookstore and The Wire.
• Monday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.: The Socrates Exchange meets the fourth monday of the month at RiverRun Bookstore to discuss a philosophical question.
• Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.: Dwayne Raymond talks about his new book, "Mornings with Mailer." In the spring of 2003, Norman Mailer, who was then 80 years old, invited an improbable companion into his life: Dwayne Raymond, a young writer who was waiting tables at a restaurant in Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, where Mailer spent most of his final years. Raymond became Mailer's aide in all matters professional and private, assisting the Pulitzer Prize—winning author on the four books he published during this time, including his last novel, "The Castle in the Forest." As Raymond's responsibilities grew, so too did his closeness to Mailer, who in turn taught him how to navigate his own personal challenges. In this touching memoir, Raymond presents a loving portrait of Norman Mailer in his twilight years, depicting a quirky and complex but achingly human man so unlike the Mailer of disquieting legend. Beautifully written and honestly portrayed, "Mornings with Mailer" is a personal and revealing story of a great writer, his man Friday, and their unlikely but enduring friendship.
• Friday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.: Jami Attenberg reads from her new novel, "The Melting Season." A tender, provocative story about the power of friendship, the thrill of self-discovery, and the strength it takes to escape the past. Catherine Madison is headed West with a suitcase full of cash that isn't hers. She's just left the only home she's ever known, a small town in Nebraska, after the only man she had ever known, her husband, Thomas, deserted her. She's also left behind her deepest, most shameful secrets — among them a dysfunctional family she's never quite been able to escape and a marriage whose most intimate moments have plagued her with self-doubt. On the road, she was going to become a new person. Or so she thought. But running away from the past isn't as easy as she had hoped. Deeply compassionate and unflinchingly bold, "The Melting Season" is the story of an indelible character's journey from isolation to belonging, as well as an honest look at the things we feel we deserve from our lives — and how far we will go to find them.