Author Events March 12-18

Authors David Joy and Michael Farris Smith appear March 13 at the Wrecking Bar.

Authors David Joy and Michael Farris Smith appear March 13 at the Wrecking Bar.

Colleen Oakley, “Close Enough to Touch”

2 p.m. March 12. Tea, talk, signing. Free. RSVP. Bookmiser-Roswell, 4651 Sandy Plains Road, Roswell, 770-993-1555, bookmiser.net/

Changes in her circumstances force a reclusive young woman allergic to other humans to leave home and face the world she’s been hiding from.

Also appearing: 7:15 p.m. March 13. Talk, signing. Free. Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur, 404-370-3070, Ext. 2285, georgiacenterforthebook.org/Events/show.php?id=936

Lauren Fern Watt, “Gizelle’s Bucket List: My Life with a Very Large Dog”

2 p.m. Mar 12. Reading, discussion, Q&A, signing. Free. A Cappella Books, 208 Haralson Ave. N.E., Atlanta, 404-681-5128, acappellabooks.com/pages/events/98/lauren-fern-watt-gizelles-bucket-list

The playful, epic adventure of a 160-pound English Mastiff and the 20-something girl who grew up alongside her —“Marley & Me” for a whole new generation—and the bucket list they embarked on when their time together came to an end.

Venita Blakely, “Managing Up: Doing it God’s Way: Becoming a Spirit-Led Assistant”

3 p.m. March 12. Talk, signing. Free. Tall Tales Book Shop, Toco Hill Shopping Center, 2105 LaVista Rd. N.E., Atlanta, 404-636-2498, talltalesatlanta.com/events.html

In seeking ways to improve her work performance, Blakely’s research and private study time resulted in this book, which emphasizes how a strong Christian faith can and will influence your work performance — from the inside out, not the outside inward.

Writers @ the Wrecking Bar: David Joy, “The Weight of This World” and Michael Farris Smith, “Desperation Road”

7 p.m. March 13. Talk, signing. Free. The Wrecking Bar, 292 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta, 404-221-2600, acappellabooks.com/pages/events/109/writers-the-wrecking-bar-david-joy-michael

Southern storytellers Joy and Smith talk about their brand new novels with Chuck Reece, editor-in-chief of The Bitter Southerner.

Sean Connolly, “The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science: 54 All-Star Experiments”

6 p.m. March 15. Talk, signing. Free. Little Shop of Stories, 133A East Court Square, Decatur, 404-373-6300, atlantasciencefestival.org/events/event/133519

Why does a knuckleball flutter? Why do belly flops hurt so much? A new book from the author of “The Book of Perfectly Perilous Math” explains the science behind more than two dozen sports and includes experiments that use common household objects and include step-by-step instructions.

A Book Affair: Judge Penny Brown Reynolds

6:30 p.m. March 16. Talk, signing. $5. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, 980 Briarcliff Road NE, Atlanta, 404-872-5338 ext. 228, callanwolde.freshtix.com/events/a-book-affair-featuring-judge-penny-brown-reynolds

In her latest book, Judge Reynolds (of “Family Court with Judge Penny”) shares practical and thoughtful life lessons.

Benjamin Reiss, “Wild Nights: How Taming Sleep Created Our Restless World”

7 p.m. March 17. Lecture, signing. Free. Carter Presidential Library & Museum Theater, 441 Freedom Parkway, Atlanta, 404-865-7100, jimmycarterlibrary.gov/events/

In his new book, Reiss asks questions about why we obsess over sleep, and finds answers in its hidden history — one that leads to our present, sleep-obsessed society, its tacitly accepted rules, and their troubling consequences.