Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes discusses her book 'Elwha: A River Reborn' and offers a compelling exploration of one of the largest dam removal projects in the world, and the efforts to save a stunning Northwest ecosystem. -- 'Elwha: A River Reborn' reveals the challenging re-vegetation effort to restore 700 acres of mudflats resulting from the Elwha dam removal. It features interviews, field work, copious historical research and rare period images, and photography conducted over 16 years and continuing today. -- Mapes and photographer Steve Ringman made trip after trip into the back country of the Olympics with scientists to learn how the Elwha River Valley ticks. -- Mapes is a journalist and author who focuses on natural history, regional environmental issues, and environmental stories related to Pacific Northwest indigenous cultures for The Seattle Times. Her books include "Breaking Ground: The Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen Village." -- Ringman is a staff photographer at The Seattle Times where he has cultivated a focus on environmental issues, including climate change, fisheries and forestry.

Enjoy scenes from Ruth Ozeki's new novel, "A Tale for the Time Being" and Karen Joy Fowler's new novel, "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves," brought to life by local actors. After the readings, join us for a question and answer session facilitated by Hedgebrook's executive director, Amy Wheeler. -- Ozeki is a filmmaker-turned-novelist-turned-Zen-Buddhist-priest. Her first novels, "My Year of Meats" and "All Over Creation," were both New York Times Notable Books and garnered critical acclaim for their ability to integrate science, technology, environmental politics and global popular culture into unique hybrid narrative forms. A long-time meditator, Ozeki was ordained as a Soto Zen Buddhist priest in 2010. -- Fowler is the author of six novels and three short story collections. "Sarah Canary" won the Commonwealth medal for best first novel by a Californian; "Sister Noon" was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner; and "The Jane Austen Book Club" was a New York Times bestseller. Her collection, "What I Didn’t See," recently won the 2010 World Fantasy Award. A frequent teacher at the Squaw Valley and Clarion Workshops, Fowler has taught Hedgebrook Master Classes on Fiction and storytelling. -- Hedgebrook is a literary nonprofit that supports the work of visionary women writers whose stories and ideas shape our culture now and for generations to come. Founded in 1988, Hedgebrook hosts a global community of writers at their Whidbey Island retreat.

Khaled Hosseini tells a multi-generational family story about how people love, how they take care of one another, and how choices resonate through generations. 'And the Mountains Echoed' follows the characters' lives, choices and loves around the globe -- from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos. -- Hosseini is the internationally bestselling author of "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns." He is a Goodwill Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Refugee Agency, and founder of The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

Never fear: the great Hemlock Jones is on the case, and the solution is Elementary! Very. A classic parody from the heyday of Sherlock Holmes.

Josh Hanagarne discusses his book, "The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family," with Seattle writer and blogger Diane Mapes. -- While in high school, Hanagarne was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome; he is now a 6'7" librarian at The Salt Lake City Public Library who competes in strongman contests. This debut memoir illuminates the mysteries of Tourette Syndrome, as well as the very different worlds of strongman training and modern libraries. -- Mapes specializes in writing about health, humor, lifestyle and singles issues. She also writes about history, natural history, pop culture, television and film.

The Washington Center for the Book at The Seattle Public Library invites everyone to take part in Seattle Reads "Stories for Boys," a project designed to deepen engagement in literature through reading and discussion. -- Martin’s quirky, heart-wrenching memoir looks at family secrets, truth and reconciliation, acceptance and forgiveness. As Martin struggles to come to terms with revelations of his father’s homosexuality following an attempted suicide, he relates humorous stories about parenting two young sons mixed with memories of his own happy childhood with the father he thought he knew.

Book-It Repertory Theatre presents staged readings from "Stories for Boys," adapted and directed by Laura Ferri. Author Gregory Martin joins Ferri and cast for a post-performance discussion. -- Martin's quirky, heart-wrenching memoir looks at family secrets, truth and reconciliation, acceptance and forgiveness. As Martin struggles to come to terms with revelations of his father's homosexuality following an attempted suicide, he relates humorous stories about parenting two young sons mixed with memories of his own happy childhood with the father he thought he knew.

Hear the tale of Kate DiCamillo's journey to becoming an acclaimed children’s author. She will answer questions about her books and writing style, and tell you what it's like when your books become movies. -- DiCamillo is an award-winning author of children's books, including "Because of Winn-Dixie," "The Tiger Rising," "The Tale of Despereaux" and "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane." She has recently completed a series of early chapter books about a pig named Mercy Watson, including the Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book "Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride." DiCamillo lives and writes in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Isabel Allende tells a coming-of-age story about teenager Maya Vidal, abandoned as an infant, who turns to drugs, alcohol and petty crime when her beloved Popi dies. -- As Maya's grandmother Nidia sends her into protective custody on Chiloé, an island off Chile's southern coast, she hands her a notebook in which to record her story. Maya's diary relates a journey into self-destruction. Fair and tall, Maya does not resemble her Chilean side -- neither her absentee pilot father nor tough-love Berkeley activist grandmother -- but her Danish flight-attendant mother, who left her newborn with her in-laws. Maya’s guiding light had been her grandmother’s second husband, a wise and loving African-American astronomer. -- Allende is the internationally bestselling, award-winning author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction and a trilogy for young adults. Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages and have sold more than 57 million copies. Allende was featured in The Seattle Public Library’s 2004 Seattle Reads series.

Join Granta editor John Freeman for a reading and discussion with some of Britain’s best writers, including a judge of the 2013 series and this year’s newly announced novelists. -- In 1983, Granta devoted an issue to new fiction by 20 of the 'Best of Young British Novelists' and has released a new issue every 10 years since. From Martin Amis, Salman Rushdie and Kazuo Ishiguro to Zadie Smith, these lists offer a revealing snapshot of a generation of writers about to come into their own. -- Freeman is the editor of Granta magazine and author of two books, 'The Tyranny of E-mail' and 'How to Read A Novelist' (forthcoming). Freeman is also a poet and critic, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, the Paris Review, Zyzzyva and The Believer, as well as a former president of the National Book Critics Circle. He currently teaches at Columbia University and City University of New York.