Brookline Booksmith has anchored Coolidge Corner for more than six decades, and its events calendar is a heavyweight: hundreds of author talks, readings, and panel conversations a year, ranging from debut novelists to household names. Most happen right in the rambling Harvard Street shop; the biggest draws move up the block to the Coolidge Corner Theatre for ticketed evenings.

The programming runs wide — fiction, memoir, politics, and poetry, including a monthly poetry night, plus the store’s acclaimed Transnational Literature Series spotlighting works in translation. Expect a reading or conversation followed by audience questions and a signing line, with staff-pick energy throughout. It’s a reliable weeknight out for Brookline and Boston readers alike; check the calendar, since many events are free while marquee names require tickets that can go quickly.