The Seattle Public Library is holding three community meetings in January about improving library services. The meetings will focus on how to enhance its collection of books and materials, increase operating hours, upgrade computers and online services and improve building maintenance. Funding will also be on the agenda.

The first two meetings are downtown at the Central Library and at the Beacon Hill Branch. The third meeting is nearby, from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at the Ballard Branch, 5614 22nd Ave. N.W. (206-684-4089).

“With the 1998 Libraries for All building renewal program, we made sure our Library facilities were up-to-date and able to support Library programs and users,” Library Board President Marie McCaffrey said in a press release. “Now we are entering the next phase of bringing the Libraries for All vision to life – extending our reach through improved operating hours, books and materials available in different formats and expanded digital access.”

You can also comment online.

Greenwood’s nationally-recognized youth writing and tutoring center, 826 Seattle, is throwing a party on Sunday to celebrate its recent award from the White House and its just-released anthology, “What to Read in the Rain.”

The community celebration is from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co., 8414 Greenwood Ave. N.

The anthology is a collection of writings from well-known Northwest authors and the best of 826’s student’s work. Dave Eggers, Barbara Thomas and David Lasky will read their work, along with several student authors. Of course, the books will be available for purchase, and featured authors will be happy to autograph them for you.

Two weeks ago, 826 Seattle was awarded the 2011 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. 826 Seattle Executive Director Teri Hein and student mentor Meron Kasahun traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the award from First Lady Michelle Obama.

Update: Santoro’s Books in Phinney Ridge now has a few copies in the store.

Neighborhood author Mike Attebery’s latest novel, “Seattle on Ice,” was released yesterday. You can find it in paperback on Amazon, as well as for the Kindle. (But, don’t forget that independent bookstores, including our own Santoro’s Books, can also special order books for you.)

Attebery sent us a note to say that anyone who remembers the big storm about five years ago will appreciate the setting. The book is a sequel to his 2009 novel “Billionaires, Bullets, Exploding Monkeys.”

Here’s Attebery’s synopsis of “Seattle on Ice”:

Like the secret love child of Dirty Harry and Martha Stewart, Brick Ransom is a rookie cop with a taste for fine dining and zero patience for slovenly deadbeats and criminal scum.

In the middle of a rare Northwest blizzard, Brick is forced to cut his dinner short in order to protect three key witnesses – a bookkeeper, a stripper, and a deadly assassin – all of whom are set to testify against Seattle crime boss Frank Mason the next morning. When a gunman ambushes the first witness en route to his downtown hotel, and Brick’s partner is killed in the crossfire, it’s quickly apparent that moles within the police force are leaking the whereabouts of each witness back to Mason in a last-ditch effort to keep the criminal kingpin from ever standing trial.

As the storm worsens, and the city freezes to a standstill, it’s up to Brick Ransom to protect the last two witnesses, outwit Frank Mason’s team of killers and crooked cops, and do his best to ignore his growling stomach, all while struggling to contain his growing fascination with Witness #2.

The co-authors of the new book “The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair and its Legacy” will give a talk and slide show at the Broadview Library at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17. The free event is sponsored by the Broadview Historical Society.

Co-authors Paula Becker and Alan J. Stein collaborated on the book.

Astronauts, Elvis, sky rides, royalty, the Kennedys, religion, topless showgirls, the Canadian tattoo, the Cold War and futurist speculation ‒ the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair had it all. The era and its people come to life in The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair and Its Legacy ‒ a new, coffee-table-style book filled with fascinating history, stories and pictures to celebrate the fair’s upcoming 50th anniversary.

Browse this 300-page, image-rich hardcover and learn how the space race lit the fire under Seattle’s movers, shakers and dreamers, and how they turned their little-known, geographically isolated city into the place that “invented the future” and gave us the remarkable legacy of a fondly remembered six months of learning and fun in 1962.

The Broadview Library is at 12755 Greenwood Ave. N.

Santoro’s Books and Seattle 7 Writers are hosting a full afternoon of book readings and signings by 22 local authors from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

Santoro’s will sell the books at the event, and donate 15 percent of the proceeds to Greenwood non-profit writing and tutoring center 826 Seattle, and the Phinney Neighborhood Center. The authors are providing free baked goods.

Come enjoy author-baked goods while getting personally inscribed books as gifts for everyone on your shopping list!

The authors: Erik Larson, Garth Stein, Elizabeth George, Erica Bauermeister, Stephanie Kallos, Kevin O’Brien, Jennie Shortridge, Carol Cassella, Randy Sue Coburn, Laurie Frankel, Maria Dahvana Headley, Bob Dugoni, Thea Cooper, Sean Beaudoin, Dave Boling, Lynn Brunelle, Suzanne Selfors, Deb Caleti, Boyd Morrison, Kathleen Alcala, Peter Mountford and Clare Meeker.

And Santoro’s, as well as all of the Phinney-Greenwood businesses we talk to on a daily basis, are encouraging everyone to shop local, especially for the holidays. Carol Santoro even had a friend design a special poster.

Balderdash Books & Art, 8536 Greenwood Ave. N., will close at the end of May 2012.

Owner Vanessa Ormiston tells us the used bookstore is for sale, and she hopes someone will buy it before she closes.

A number of factors have contributed to my decision to close, some business related and some personal, but I do believe that Greenwood can support Balderdash Books if a new owner steps in. I will start closure sales in the early spring and I encourage my customers to invite family and friends to help them spend down their credit. I will also have the annual Buy 1 get 1 FREE Cookbook sale in November and the 25% OFF Holiday sale in December. I will be updating my stock until I close. I will also be taking books in for credit (you can use your credit towards 50% of a purchase) until early spring but I am advising customers to not bring in more than they can spend in the last 3 months. At the end of May it will be the 7th year Balderdash Books has been in business and I believe the 25th year in total for the bookstore. Thank you Greenwood!

Santoro’s Books at 7405 Greenwood Ave. N. is participating in the Books for Kids Book Drive, sponsored by Page Ahead Children’s Literacy Program and Northwest Book Lovers.

More than two dozen independent bookstores across the state are collecting new children’s books that will be distributed to children in need through Head Start programs, elementary schools, libraries, and social service programs.

Besides Santoro’s, three other independent bookstores near our neighborhood are participating: Mockingbird Books, 7220 Woodlawn Ave. NE in Green Lake, University Book Store, 4326 University Way NE, and Queen Anne Books, 1811 Queen Anne Ave. N.

Santoro’s will give you 20 percent off if you purchase the donation book from them. The book drive runs through July 31.

The Seattle Public Library just launched a new service to provide personalized reading lists for patrons, called “Next 5 Books.”

From the press release:

To get your list, go to http://www.spl.org/yournext5. Fill out a brief form on what you like to read, including favorite genres, preferred format (book on CD, e-book, large print, etc.) and books that you haven’t liked.

In a day or two you will receive a list of five recommended books just for you.

This service is made possible in part by a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation with help from The Seattle Public Library Foundation.

Santoro’s Books at 7405 Greenwood Ave. N., is celebrating its sixth anniversary from 6-9 p.m. Thursday. Join owner Carol Santoro and her staff as they share food and wine and good book picks. Enter a drawing to win a $60 gift certificate, receive a $6 refund on purchases more than $25, and get a free bag of Chukar cherries with every purchase more than $60.

Carol also wanted to share the good news that the store has renewed its lease for another year.

Santoro’s also just began its Summer Reading Program.

From June 21st until September 21st we are offering a special frequent buyer account for our young readers. Buy 8 books from our middle readers and/or young adult sections and you will receive the average price of what you purchased as a store credit. Start turning pages!

Greenwood resident Tiberio Simone’s new book, “La Figa: Visions of Food and Form” features pictures of food artfully placed on naked human bodies. Known as the “sensual chef,” Simone and photographer Matt Freedman will be featured at the Seattle Erotic Art Festival in Fremont from Friday through Sunday. The festival is at Fremont Studios, 155 N. 35th St.

No, that’s not a bodysuit she’s wearing.

Simone grew up in poverty in rural Italy, but went on to become an elite paratrooper in the Italian Special Forces, and then a 1995 James Beard Award winner for pastry.

The book’s lush and occasionally risqué images are accompanied by text of a similar flavor ‒ including advice on how to blend food and seduction. Simone also shares powerful food memories from his childhood in rural Italy; 20 favorite recipes; behind the scenes photos; and how his love of food and form evolved into art. As for why: “I want to share my passion for what I believe are the basics of life ‒ food and touch. In trying to figure out how to make that my job, I found a new way to love food and a new title for myself – ‘pleasure activist’.”

Half Price Books is having its big annual clearance sale at its Greenwood warehouse this weekend. Located at 9241 Greenwood Ave. N., the warehouse will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, everything is $3 or less, and on Sunday prices drop to $1 or less, and we have end of sale specials (fill a tote bag for $20) starting at 2pm on Sunday. We have books, CDs, DVDs, VHS, software, lots of kid’s books, and comics. Cash, checks or charge ($20 minimum purchase is using a charge card).

Get there early. Here’s a picture of the line outside of last year’s event.

Santoro’s Books, 7405 Greenwood Ave. N., is hosting a Book Fair from 12-6 p.m. Saturday, to benefit the Ballard Preschool Co-op, a program of the Phinney Neighborhood Association. Twenty percent of the book fair’s total sales will be donated to the co-op for future book purchases. Teachers will have story times at 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

You do not need to be a co-op family to participate, just mention the co-op when making your purchase so they get the credit.