Last night Mary Pols, our former movie critic, came to Town Hall Theatre in Lafayette to talk about her new memoir, “Accidentally on Purpose:  A One-Night Stand, My Unplanned Parenthood, and Loving the Best Mistake I Ever Made”(Ecco/HarperCollins, $24.95, 288 pages). It doesn’t get much more fun than this. She’s so comfortable on stage … I didn’t realize we’d been chatting up there for more than an hour! It felt like five minutes.

First she talked about the dress she was wearing.  Apparently Anita Amirrezvani (”The Blood of Flowers”), who also used to sit next to me here at the paper, had told Mary she needed about four great outfits for her book tour. So, Mary went to Margaret O’Leary’s boutique on Berkeley’s Fourth Street, and the fabulous Margaret herself, along with her assistant (Peaches) helped her find the outfits. So, just as Mary was feeling great in one of her new outfits recently, a woman asked her when she was due. HUGE groans from the audience, probably because we’ve all been there. (Right?) It’s all about the empire waist, these days. Mary was funny about it, though. And, it makes a great story. She’s going to be fabulous on her book tour.

She read the first chapter (entitled “The condom on the floor”), to huge bursts of laughter from the audience of about 90 people. Mary and I chatted for a bit, then she took questions from the audience, thoughtfully and gracefully answering each one.

There probably won’t be a movie, because “Knocked Up” pretty much took care of that subject for a while. But there is talk of a TV series. Mary Louise Parker or Brooke Shields would be great to star as Mary herself (even though she said her friends suggested Janine Garofalo, much to her dismay), and she likes Michael Vartan (”Alias”) or Justin Chambers (”Grey’s Anatomy”) to play the baby-daddy, Matt.

If you get a chance, make sure you see Mary at an event, and definitely buy the book. As I’ve said, it’s terrific. She is one of the most honest writers I know.

My friend Marilyn here at work said a great story for the newspaper would be to have everyone write in what they are reading. In a way, we can kind of tell what people are reading just by a glance at the bestseller lists, or by what’s being sold at Target or Costco.

But, it’s a good idea. I tend to ask that of people as a matter of course, especially if I don’t know them. It’s a good conversation enhancer. For instance, if someone tells me they are reading a mystery, I ask them if they like Elizabeth George (because I still need to discuss her new one with someone!); if they are reading a romance, I ask for details; if they are reading “Guns, Germs and Steel,” I walk away. (Now you know how to get me to stop annoying you.)

I’m almost done reading a book that is mildly entertaining, and I can’t remember the name of it or the author, which says something, I guess. I’m almost done with it, and will need to choose a next book. The most intriguing books on my desk today are the paperbacks of: “New England White” by Stephen L. Carter (he wrote “The Emperor of Ocean Park” which got huge buzz and I never read); “Black and White” by Dani Shapiro (also buzzed about); “On Chesil Beach” by Ian McEwan, HUGE buzz, I’ve wanted to read it but never got around to it. (That’s a picture of Chesil Beach in England, left) I liked “Atonement” and “Enduring Love” by IM but not “Saturday” so much.

The two books on my desk I know nothing about but am intrigued despite myself are: “The Fidelity Files: A Novel” by Jessica Brody. The main character is a woman who works undercover as a “fidelity inspector,” exposing hundreds of unfaithful husbands, fiances and boyfriends. She doesn’t engage in actual hanky panky, she just tests them for an intention to cheat (and never initiates). I like the concept of this one, and hope there is some good revenge in it. I love revenge novels.

And the other one has a bright yellow cover and orange writing and is called “Murder at the Bad Girl’s Bar & Grill” by N.M. Kelby. Great title. The fly-leaf says “Take a slasher-movie actress, a Scottish circus clown, an FBI school dropout, a blind heiress, a junk-food-loving millionaire developer,  and a Buddha-quoting bluesman, add a couple of murders in a normally sedate retirement community in south Florida, and you get an irresistible tale that’s part Carl Hiaasen and part Gabriel Garcia Marquez.”

I am SO there.

In the meantime, let’s talk about what YOU are reading! Anyone?