One open mic and two readings tonight: perhaps everyone is hung over from Emerald City Comicon?

At Elliott Bay Book Company tonight, we have Taras Grescoe reading from Bottomfeeder, which is about the aquaculture industry and exactly where our seafood comes from. This month seems to be food-book month, and I know that food industry books can be hard to read at times (and you have to give me credit for not saying “hard to swallow,” and then take that credit away because I inserted it in parentheses), but these books—like Fast Food Nation and Omnivore’s Dilemma—are important. Think of it as the book equivalent of eating your spinach; you’ll thank me in the long run.

And at Town Hall, Rick Perlstein reads from Nixonland, which is about the lasting impact of Nixon on America, including the presidency of George W. Bush. It looks good and interesting and, in my opinion, you can never have too many books about Richard Nixon. I know that I am in the minority here.

If Nixon and seafood aren’t your things, you should consult the full readings calendar, which includes the next week or so.