Atomic Books, 3260 Falls Road, (410) 662-4444, atomicbooks.com. At this book launch party, New York Times essayist Tim Kreider will discuss his latest essay collection, “I Wrote This Book Because I Love You”; Feb. 9, 7 p.m. To celebrate the release of the expanded edition of her classic book, “Deviant Desires: A Tour of the Erotic Edge,” author Katharine Gates will be presenting a slideshow about deviant desires; Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
Bird in Hand, 11 E. 33rd Street, (410) 814-0373, birdinhandcharlesvillage.com. Bird in Hand presents Baltimore-based author Timmy Reed in conversation with Jane Delury, chair of the Johns Hopkins School of Communication Design. The two will discuss Reed’s new novel, “Kill Me Now”; Feb. 8, 7 p.m. John Darnielle, frontman of The Mountain Goats and New York Times bestselling author, reads from and discusses his second novel, “Universal Harvester”; Feb. 10, 7 p.m.
The Children’s Bookstore, 737 Deepdene Road, (410)532-2000, thecbstore.com. Weekly storytime for children ages 4 and under; Feb. 9, 9:30 a.m.
Enoch Pratt Central Library – African American Department, 400 Cathedral St., (410)-361-9287, calendar.prattlibrary.org. Award-winning illustrator Floyd Cooper discusses his work in “Ira’s Shakespeare Dream,” a biography of African-American Shakespearean actor Ira Aldridge. Ages 7-12; Feb. 7, 6:30 p.m.
The Ivy Bookshop, 6080 Falls Road, (410) 377-2966, theivybookshop.com. Acclaimed journalist and veteran Elliot Ackerman discusses his latest novel, “Dark At The Crossing,” which was a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award; Feb. 7, 7 p.m. Raúl The Third, illustrator of the children’s graphic novel “Lowriders To The Center Of The Earth,” reads and leads a discussion for children aged 9-12; Feb. 12, 7 p.m.
The Red Canoe, 4337 Harford Road, (410) 444-4440, redcanoecafe.virb.com. Local artist and maker, Berber Poplin, owner of the Colorful Berry, will be hosting a Valentine’s workshop for kids aged 5-9. $5 per child; Feb. 11, 1-2 p.m. Tiny Dog Press will lead kids through a Valentine’s Day Card making workshop. Paper, stickers, markers, and stamps will be provided. In addition, The Red Canoe’s small letterpress will be made available for printing special love notes; Feb. 12, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Red Emma’s, 30 W. North Ave., (443) 602-7585, redemmas.org. Joined by the co-directors of Popular Resistance in leading a discussion on organizing strategies, author and activist Nick Licata will speak about how the organizing principles that are illustrated in his book “Becoming A Citizen Activist” can assist citizens in stopping Trumpism; Feb 7, 5 p.m. Jerry Z. Muller presents his latest book, “The Tyranny of Metrics,” which uncovers the damage our obsession with metrics is causing—and points to how we can begin to fix the problem; Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m. Matthew R.Pembleton gives a talk on his new book “Containing Addiction: The Federal Bureau of Narcotics and the Origins of America’s Global Drug War”; Feb. 10, 6 p.m.