Popular novelist Michael Connelly will be making two area appearances in April as part of Metro Detroit's Everyone's Reading 2011, a one book/one community program. Royal Oak library cardholders will be able to enter a raffle to win a pair of tickets to attend one of the author talks.

Connelly, who penned the popular Harry Bosch detective series, will speak on Thursday, April 14 at 2:00 PM at the Community House, 380 South Bates Street, Birmingham. Eight pairs of tickets for that event will be raffled for Royal Oak library cardholders.

Connelly will also speak Thursday, April 14 at 7:30 PM at the Berman Theatre at the Jewish Community Center, 6600 W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield. Fourteen pairs of tickets will be raffled for that session.

Raffle entries must be in the boxes in the Library by Monday, March 28 at 5:00 PM. One entry per cardholder, please. Enter one of the raffles for the event you plan to attend.

Please note that there will be "overflow" seating available at the Berman Theatre as well. Getting a ticket for that session just "guarantees" a seat.

The Lincoln Lawyer is part of Connelly's Mickey Haller series and was published in 2005. It will open in movie theatres with actor Matthew McConaughey as Haller on March 18. Connelly's latest novel featuring Haller is Fifth Witness, which is due to be published in April.

At Royal Oak, the Everyone's Reading events include two book discussions of The Lincoln Lawyer: with the Salter Center Daytime Book Discussion Group on Monday, March 21 at 10:00 PM at the Jack and Patti Salter Community Center, 1545 East Lincoln; and with the Third-Thursday Book Discussion Group on Thursday, April 21 at 7:00 PM in Library Meeting Rooms C-D.

On Wednesday, March 23, the Library will host Tracking Down Detective Fiction at 7:00 PM in the Friends Auditorium. This librarian-led book talk will identify compelling detectives and dramatic noir thrillers in the tradition of Michael Connelly. This session will be perfect for novice or veteran crime readers. To register, contact the adult information desk at (248) 246-3727, or register at the Library's website.

For information about area events, visit www.everyonesreading.info.