Author Gretchen Rubin discusses her new book The Happiness Project: Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun on Wednesday, January 20, at 6:30 p.m. at the Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

Raised in Kansas City, Rubin was on a crowded bus on a rainy afternoon when she realized how quickly time was passing and how little of it she had spent doing things that made her happy. She resolved that day to dedicate a year to living a happier life.

Each month she took on a new set of resolutions, each intended to improve her life, including: Give proofs of love, ask for help, be serious about play, keep a one-sentence journal, and forget about results. Along the way she turned to an eclectic group of sources for guidance on her journey to happiness. She devoured everything from classical philosophy to cutting-edge scientific studies and looked to everyone from Plutarch and Thoreau to Oprah and Martin Seligman for help with her quest.

Rubin is the author of several previous books, including the bestselling Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill and Forty Ways to Look at JFK. A graduate of Yale and Yale Law School, Rubin started her career as a lawyer and was clerking for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor when she realized she wanted to be a writer. Raised in Kansas City, she now lives in New York City.

Copies of The Happiness Project will be available for sale, and Rubin will sign copies purchased during the event.