The L.A. Times/UCLA Festival of Books is almost here!

April 25 & 26, 2009

UCLA Campus

5 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90024

I wait all year for the book fest, paying special attention to the kind of folks they’re going to have at the Culinary Stage.In ‘07, I got to meet Bon Appetit magazine’s Editor In Chief Barbara Fairchild and had her autograph this compendium. Needless to say, my curls and I were speechless when I shook her hand at the book signing.

This year, the Culinary Stage doesn’t seem to be jumping, but I’m still going. Especially on Sunday, when Barbara Fairchild will be interviewed onstage by Giada De Laurentiis. I have a book by Giada, and though my fascination for her has waned somewhat over the years, I think it would still be nice to have her sign it.

Other things I’m looking forward to:

Last year the Festival introduced “The Comix Strip,” a new section of the show dedicated to comics, graphic novel and manga publishers, authors and illustrators. The show proved to be an immediate and outstanding success for publishers such as Image Comics and Boom! Studios, with such industry luminaries as Jeph Loeb, Mike Mignola and Steve Niles making appearances. This year’s show is expected to draw from a broad spectrum of prominent speakers and panelists including Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, Wil Wheaton, Michael J. Fox, David Baldacci, Kate DiCamillo and Christopher Plummer.

* Danica McKellar (Winnie Cooper to you Wonder Years fans) on the LA Times stage on Saturday at 12 noon discussing her book Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who’s Boss.

* A chance to see Ray Bradbury on stage again. I saw him in discussion with Ray Harryhausen once before and though he’s getting on in years, he’s still as inspiring and funny as ever.

* Authors like Eric Carle, Aimee Bender, the WriteGirl crew among many, many others! (I hear Brooke Shields is coming. Hee.)

If you’re in the LA area and you haven’t been to the book fest, my curls and I command you to go! There’s nothing like it.

All details on the festival on the official website HERE.

Yay for bookworms!