MONDAY:

Gorky Park author Martin Cruz Smith will be at the Penn Quarter Olsson’s to read from his latest, Stalin’s Ghost. In the book, Moscow subway riders see the ghost of Joseph Stalin on the platform of the Chistye Prudy Metro station. Here in Washington, we settle for George Stephanopoulos. What a country! 7 p.m.

Susan L. Shirk will be at Politics and Prose to discuss her book China: Fragile Superpower. Of course in China the book is simply referred to as China: Superpower and the pages are blank. 7 p.m.

Matthew Rothschild will be at Busboys and Poets to discuss and sign copies of his book You Have No Rights: Stories of America in an Age of Repression. 6:30 p.m.

TUESDAY:

Political journalist Michael Barone will speak about his book Our First Revolution, which is actually a reference to Britain’s Glorious Revolution of 1688, not the American Revolutionary War. Sound familiar? This event was originally scheduled for May 29. Politics and Prose. 7 p.m.

Though it will be a couple of years before we finally get to visit Hogwarts, the Harry Potter Knight Bus will be visiting students at Petworth Neighborhood Library. OK, it’s not an author event, but we love geeky stuff like this. Unfortunately, we aren’t in 4th grade. But we’re pretty sure our parents will sign the permission slip. 9:30 a.m.