Toronto reading series are a good way to make good on the common New Year's resolution to get a little more literature into one's life. Despite the ease and pleasure of reading in solitude, watching a live reading or engaging in directed group reading are a gratifying way to experience the written word. Even if they don't culminate in the all-out exchange of ideas and interpretations that one finds in some reading groups, there's nevertheless a participatory element that enriches the whole process. Here are some of Toronto's most notable reading series, with links to their respective websites.

The Toronto Public Library added volumes to its collection on Saturday, but these special books didn't have covers or appendices. And, they can talk. The Human Library, a special program piloted at five TPL branches this weekend, connected library card-holders with "human books" - real folks with unique life stories.

Literary Death Match, a comedic reading series in its fourth year, hosted its 2nd-ever North-of-the-border episode in Toronto on Tuesday. The Drake Underground welcomed a full house of raucous, bookish guests and a who's-who of local lit. Best described on LDM's website, the event "marries the literary and performative aspects of Def Poetry Jam, rapier-witted quips of American Idol's judging (without any meanness), and the ridiculousness and hilarity of Double Dare."

This year's IFOA - the International Festival of Authors - takes place in Toronto from October 20 to 30th at the Harbourfront Centre. The 2010 festival includes authors such as Jonathan Franzen (The Corrections, Freedom), David Mitchell (Cloud Atlas, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob Zoet), and William Gibson (Neuromancer, Spook Country).

Now in its 31st year, the festival provides a great forum to discover new and buzzed-about Canadian fiction. Highlights from the schedule include Etobicoke-raised Dave Bidini who will read from his recent novel Home and Away: In Search of Dreams at the Homeless World Cup of Soccer. It's a story about a ragtag group of individuals who overcome the odds of poverty and addiction through sport.

Word On The Street warms my heart. Every year, same feeling. Books. Magazines. Bespectacled authors. Readings. Giant city park (Queen's Park.) And as a contributor to various Toronto-based publications, I'm always dumbfounded by the sheer mass of people who turn out for Word on the Street on the last weekend of September. I mean, us bookish types aren't big fans of the daylight or large groupings of strangers. But then again, Yann Martel was signing Life of Pi. Oh goody.

But seriously, an entire, blossoming festival for "celebrating reading and advocating literacy" just warms the ol' ticker. And no exceptions for this year's 21st annual edition.

After facing a financial crisis in December, then some management shuffles a few months ago, the Toronto Women's Bookstore has finally re-opened its doors.