Emily Gould
Housing Works Bookstore Café; 5/12 at 7 p.m.; 126 Crosby St., nr. Houston St., 212-334-3324
Gould’s throwing herself a full-on shindig for the release of her essay collection And The Heart Says Whatever. Friends including funny lady Julie Klausner, author Mike Albo (The Underminer) and musician Dan Fishback will be on hand to help her salute musicians like Stevie Nicks and Liz Phair in song. Also it’s a book party in a bookstore, so there’ll probably be a reading or two thrown in there as well.
Kate Rockland
Word; 5/13 at 7:30 p.m.; 126 Franklin St., at Milton St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn; 718-383-0096
Kate Rockland describes her novel Falling is Like This as “a love letter to New Jersey.” But lucky for us the party for the punk rock love story will be in Brooklyn, and will be a decidedly musical night with Rob Sheffield reading from his memoir Love Is a Mixtape and a performance by Franz Nicolay, formerly of The Hold Steady. Oh, there’ll also be free beer from Sixpoint Craft Ales which is very rock and roll.
Sara Marcus
3rd Ward; 5/14 at 8:30 p.m.; 573 Metropolitan Ave., nr. Lorimer St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sara Marcus will be reading from her Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution as part of the release party to celebrate the latest installment of the Williamsburg publication Birdsong. The evening will also feature a reading from Alexander Chee, author of Edinburgh, and musical entertainment from gritty folk duo PAPS.
Dominique Browning
McNally Jackson; 5/18 at 7 p.m.; 52 Prince St., nr. Mullberry St., 212-274-1160
In her new memoir Slow Love: How I Lost My Job, Put On My Pajamas & Found Happiness, the former editor-in-chief of House & Garden discusses the journey from having a desk job to the pleasures of having time. Browning will be speaking with Grace Bonney about the book, and possibly also discussing how women survived in male-dominated magazine offices in the 70s. Hint: bourbon and a gun.
Meghan Daum
Borders Books, Music and Movies, Time Warner Center; 5/19 at 7 p.m.; 10 Columbus Cir., 2nd fl., nr. 58th St., 212-823-9775
The Los Angeles Times columnist and author of the hilarious The Quality of Life Report reads from her new book, Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House, a reflection on the thrills and torments of real-estate obsession.