1. The biggest event of the night is a free party at Hugo House. The magazine Spartan, which you can find online at spartanlit.com, bills itself with the tagline “Minimalist Prose. No Strays.” It’s about as straightforward a literary magazine as you’ll find: a few good pieces of writing, carefully chosen. This is a party to celebrate the online magazine in meatspace, as well as the launch of the brand-new first issue of the print edition of Spartan magazine. Togas are reportedly encouraged for this party.

2. Meanwhile, at the Central Library downtown, Roberta Winter will explain our fucked-up health care system in an appearance in support of her book Unraveling U.S. Healthcare. I cannot guarantee that you'll leave this event whistling a happy tune, but it's always heartening to talk to an expert when you're in the middle of a crisis.

3. And if you're a sci-fi fan, you should think about heading to the Wilde Rover, out in Kirkland. Local sci-fi master Greg Bear will be doing a reading with two lesser-known sci-fi talents. Peter Orullian is a Seattle-based author whose new fantasy book, The Unremembered, is the first book in the Vault of Heaven trilogy. There's a map for the trilogy online for you to enjoy, if you're a fantasy-novel-map-nerd. The last writer at the event tonight, Brent Weeks, is an Oregonian author who has written quite a few books, including the Night Angel Trilogy and the new Lightbringer Series. All three authors will be, presumably, reading and taking your questions, in a comfortable, Irish-bar-like setting.

4. As always, visit the readings calendar for more.