Best of Boston

It’s not exactly a shock that Harvard is able to reel in big names for its reading series. The pleasant surprise is the sheer variety, from political leaders (Ralph Nader) to literary-world sweethearts (Gary Shteyngart). Listen to discussions on the environment, the economy, or good old-fashioned plot analysis—and even take part in one yourself, with the book circle or the “Philosophy Café” Many events are free, and the ones that aren’t seldom cost more than $5.