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Work of art

Brookline native and Harvard grad Sara Houghteling’s debut novel, Pictures at an Exhibition (Knopf, 2009, $24.95), hit shelves last week, and she’s riding the momentum, returning to the Crimson from her current home in Cali. The stirring story of a man’s quest to recover his family’s collection of Matisses and Picassos looted in World War II Paris seems worlds away from the nonfiction she contributed as a freelance writer for the Boston Phoenix, Harvard Magazine, and during a stint interning at Vogue — in the best possible way. Looks like this young talent put her Fulbright scholarship to Paris to incredible use. To get a taste of her beautifully detailed and evocative first book, head to the Harvard Book Store (1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.661.1515) on February 25; Houghteling reads at 7 p.m.

Monday, December 8: Malcolm Gladwell Reading

Malcolm Gladwell had us at The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. We love staying on top of the latest trends, but he took the sport of trend-spotting to a level of social science that makes more sense than the revival of neon. When he wrote Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, the New Yorker scribe secured his reputation as someone who’s equal parts intellectual Young Turk and screwball wit. Fast Company put it best when the magazine proclaimed him “a rock star, a spiritual leader, a stud.” Now the Harvard Book Store is bringing him to town to discuss his latest volume, Outliers: The Story of Success. He’ll speak at the First Parish Church (3 Church Street,  Cambridge) tonight at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 and available in person or by phone at the Harvard Book Store (1256 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.661.1515). Blink and you’ll miss it. 

Saturday, June 7: Lewis Black

Dumped chumps