Glenn T. Eskew, "Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World." 7:15 p.m. Dec. 9. Talk and signing. Free. Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. 404-370-8450, Ext. 2225; www.georgiacenterforthebook.org/Events/show.php?id=641. Savannah native Johnny Mercer, who co-wrote "Moon River" and "Days of Wine and Roses," is the subject of Georgia State University history professor Eskew's new biography.
Mary Kay Andrews, "Christmas Bliss." 6:30 p.m. Dec. 10. Open house and signing. $20 includes copy of the book. Reservations required. Christine's Creations, 8494 Main St., Woodstock. 770-516-9989, www.foxtalebookshoppe.com/events. Andrews' new novella celebrates the holidays with a story about a Savannah antique dealer about to marry her longtime love.
Edward Austin Hall and Bill Campbell, "Mothership: Tales from Afrofuturism and Beyond." 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Reading and signing. Suggested donation: $5. Charis Books & More, 1189 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-0304, www.charisbooksandmore.com/event/mothership-tales-afrofuturism-and-beyond. Editors Campbell ("Koontown Killing Kaper") and Hall ("Chimera Island") bring together 40 authors — including Junot Diaz, Lauren Beukes and Victor LaVallex — in a collection that aims to showcase multiculturalism, diversity and characters of color in genre fiction.
Temple Grandin, "The Autistic Brain." 4 p.m. Dec. 12. Conference. $59. Registration required. For tickets and more information, go to http://fhautism.com/attend-a-conference/atlanta-ga-december-12-autism-and-aspergers-conference. The Loudermilk Center — Atlanta Conference Center, 40 Courtland St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-507-1690, www.loudermilkcenter.com. Best-selling author Grandin teams up with her mother, Eustacia Cutler, to talk about Grandin's new book. Cutler will discuss Grandin's early years, when children with autism were institutionalized or considered mentally deficient.
Andrea Feeser, "Red, White, & Black Make Blue." 7:15 p.m. Dec. 12. Talk and signing. Free. Decatur Library Auditorium, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. 404-370-8450, Ext. 2225; www.georgiacenterforthebook.org/Events/show.php?id=642. When blue became the most popular color for Britain's 18th-century textile industry, indigo turned into a vitally important cash crop for South Carolina. Feeser ("Waikiki: A History of Forgetting & Remembering") uses the history of indigo cultivation to explore the complex relationships then among white colonists, African slaves and Native Americans.
Grace Lin, "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon." 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13. Storytelling, performances, reading and signing. Free. 404-373-6300, http://littleshopofstories.com/events.php. Doors open 6 p.m. Presser Hall, Agnes Scott College, 141 E. College Ave., Decatur. 404 471-6000, http://calendar.agnesscott.edu. Lin's Newberry Honor -winning book tells the story of a little girl whose father's wondrous stories inspire her to set out on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon.
Jessica Handler, "Braving the Fire." 7 p.m. Dec. 14. Talk and signing. First Existentialist Church, 470 Candler Park Drive, Atlanta. 404-378-5570, www.firstexistentialist.org/calendar. Created for writers who have experienced illness, loss or the death of a loved one, Handler's book explores the challenges and rewards of becoming the memory keeper.
Kemba Mchawi, "Growing Up Yoruba: A Teen Guide Book for Practicing the Yoruba Lucumi Tradition." 3 p.m. Dec. 14. Talk and signing. Free. Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-730-4001, Ext. 100; www.afpls.org/aarl. Mchawi takes a down-to-earth approach in teaching teenagers how to practice the religion she grew up with. Both memoir and teaching tool, it covers everything from must-haves for spiritual rituals to summoning your inner Yoruba warrior.
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