It's going to be a great couple of months for book lovers in LA. In addition to the Festival of Books this weekend, it's just been announced that David Mamet, Chuck and Bret Easton Ellis will be taking the stage at Largo at the Coronet this May and June. These won't be your average book readings--they'll include special guests, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit PEN Center USA. more ›

It’s true…I’m such a fan of Chuck Palahniuk that even if he squatted over my open mouth and deposited a chocolate, cigar-shaped, sewer serpent into my open mouth, I’d exclaim, “Thank you sir, may I have another.” with a literal shit eating grin emblazoned across my face. more ›

From time to time, LAist will take a look at the many book-to-film projects underway in Hollywood. We'll explore the books we love and why we're over-the-moon excited or just plain worried about the film projects that bear their name. When it was announced a few weeks ago that Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson were teaming up to make a film out of Alice Sebold's outstanding The Lovely Bones, we wondered if they'd make it... more ›

Joan Didion discusses The Year of Magical Thinking 8pm @ Music Center more ›

If you see Jennifer Love Hewitt today, wish her a happy birthday; she turns 27. And she's not the only one celebrating. Charlotte Church, the little "voice of an angel" soprano, turns 20. Musician Mark Arm from Mudhoney turns 44 and Jerry Harrison of the Talking Heads will be (yikes) 57. This was Nina Simone's birthday too, but she's not around anymore for someone to put a little sugar in her bowl. more ›

• 7:30 pm : lecture on "Artist & the City as Social Imagination" at Villa Aurora more ›