22 notable L.A. literary events in September

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Readers, start your calendars: September is full of author events and literary-ish shenanigans. If you like cheese, there is a new cheese book -- and its reading includes a cheese-tasting. Remember ‘The Official Preppy Handbook’? You can get its follow-up signed by the author at the oh-so-appropriate Brooks Brothers in Beverly Hills. Or maybe you want to catch a big author on stage -- YA star Cornelia Funke, noir icon James Ellroy and novelist of the season Jonathan Franzen are all doing big-ticket events. There are lots of bookstore signings, of course, and a whole day of book stuff at the West Hollywood Book Fair. This list isn’t comprehensive, but it should be enough to get you going. All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m.: Neal Pollack celebrates the release of his new memoir ‘Stretch: The Unlikely Making of a Yoga Dude’ with a reading at Skylight Books in Los Feliz..

Sept. 7, 8 p.m.: James Ellroy reads from and discusses his latest, ‘The Hilliker Curse,’ at Largo at the Coronet Theater; tickets are $25, or $40 with book. Ellroy will also appear at Vroman’s on Sept. 9, the Mystery Bookstore on Sept. 10 and at Skylight Books on the Sept. 24.

Sept. 10, 7 p.m.: The book ‘Take Me Off the Guest List’ combines photography from Nick Zinner (the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) with essays by Zackary Lipez. The two, with book designer Stacey Wakefield, appear at Book Soup.

Sept. 12: Two signings by William Gibson, whose new novel is ‘Zero History.’ At 12 p.m. he’ll read at Book Soup in Hollywood and 5 p.m., Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.

Sept. 16, 7 p.m.: Sue Monk Kidd, author of ‘The Secret Life of Bees,’ with her daughter Ann Kidd Taylor and their co-written book ‘Traveling With Pomegranates’ at All Saint’s Church in Pasadena.

Sept. 16, 8 p.m.: Jonathan Franzen, author of ‘Freedom,’ interviewed by Meghan Daum at ALOUD at the Aratani/Japan America Theater. Tickets are $25 and benefit the Library Foundation Los Angeles.

Sept. 17, 7 p.m.: Actress and comedian Kristen Schaal reads and signs ‘The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex’ at Book Soup.

Sept. 18, 5 p.m.: Gordon Edgar reads from and signs ‘Cheesemonger: Life on the Wedge’ at Skylight Books, complete with cheese tasting.

Sept. 18, 6:30 p.m.: YA author Cornelia Funke reads from and discusses ‘Reckless’ at the Brentwood Theater. Purchase tickets through Diesel Bookstore in Brentwood.

Sept. 19, 4 p.m.: Tom McCarthy, author of the Booker-longlisted ‘C,’ reception and book signing at LACMA’s bookstore.

Sept. 20, 5 p.m.: Evgenia Citkowitz, author of the short story collection ‘Ether,’ reception and conversation with actress Annette Bening at LACMA’s bookstore.

Sept. 23, 6 p.m.: Lisa Birnbach, author of ‘True Prep,’ the 2010 update to her ‘80s classic ‘The Official Preppy Handbook,’ signs at Brooks Brothers in Beverly Hills.

Sept. 23, 7 p.m.: Lewis Hyde, author of ‘Revolution, Art, and Ownership’ in conversation with Peter Sellars at the L.A. Public Library.

Sept. 23, 7 p.m.: Nicholas Sparks with his latest, ‘Safe Haven,’ at All Saints Church in Pasadena. Tickets are $25.99 and include a free copy of the book.

Sept. 23, 7 p.m.: Will Fellows reads from ‘Gay Bar: The Fabulous, True Story of a Daring Woman and Her Boys in the 1950s’ at Book Soup.

Sept. 25, 5 p.m.: Filmmaker Alex Cox and Danbert Nobacon of the band Chumbawumba sign their co-written fairy tale for adults, ‘3 Dead Princes’ at Skylight Books.

Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: The West Hollywood Book Fair includes appearances by Molly Ringwald, Paul Provenza, Joshua Dysart, Hope Larson, Mark Doty, Meghan Daum, Francesca Lia Block, Aimee Bender, Michael Jaime-Becerra and more.

Sept. 26, 8 p.m.: The Chinatown reading series Vermin on the Mount features Joshua Mohr, Steve De Jarnatt, Grace Krilanovich and Matt Stewart.

Sept. 28 at 5:30 p.m.: Loyola-Marymount’s William H. Hannon Library kicks off its fall noir reading series, which is open to the public, with Denise Hamilton, editor of the new collection ‘Los Angeles Noir 2: The Classics.’

Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.: Terry McMillan signs ‘Getting to Happy,’ sequel to her smash hit ‘Waiting to Exhale,’ at Eso Won Books in Leimert Park. She’ll also be at Vroman’s on the September 29.

Sept. 29, 7:30 p.m.: Sebastian Mallaby, author of ‘More Money Than God: Hedge Funds and the Making of a New Elite,’ at Zócalo, held at MOCA.

Sept. 30, 7 p.m.: Actress Marianne Leone, author of the memoir ‘Knowing Jesse: A Mother’s Story of Grief, Grace and Everyday Bliss,’ reads and signs at Book Soup.

-- Carolyn Kellogg

Left photo: William Gibson in 2007. Credit: Kevin P. Casey / For The L.A. Times.

Right photo: Terry McMillan in 2005. Credit: Darien Davis