Tucson Book Festival

The Tucson Festival of Books Foundation is a non-profit organization. It made its debut March 14-15, 2009, on the campus of The University of Arizona. It's more than a book festival as Tucson celebrates books and literacy at one of the largest book festivals in the U.S. Both days the weather was gorgeous with hardly a cloud in the sky but it was very, very warm. There was a quite a crowd like going to the Minnesota State Fair. 

This two-day event in its 11th year featured 330 authors participating in some 336 presentations at 36 different venues as well as countless opportunities to meet authors, poets, screenwriters, and journalists. There were book signings, panel discussions, staged entertainment, food vendors, culinary demonstrations, children's and Science City programming, and dozens of free activities for all ages on the University of Arizona Mall. All genre in both fiction and nonfiction, adult and children were represented.  Hands down its my most favorite March activity here in Arizona. It's my 4th year attending and I think I finally figured out how to navigate the event including a plan for each day with first and second choices, where to park and where to find the sessions in different buildings. A certain amount of stamina is required as there are lines for everything

food, drinks, book signings, book talks with the longest line of all-bathrooms!
Each year a different animal is chosen to be the mascot. But I was quite surprised to learn they picked the javelina.

Perhaps many of you remember our javelina encounter from several years ago. On call for the weekend event were over 600 volunteers who you couldn't miss with the neon orange shirts stamped with a javelina design. 

  Enjoy a pictorial overview of the event with  

entertainment

a National Park presentation on Navajo stories told through rug weaving

a memoir writing workshop

a literary character crossword puzzle to stump the crowd

kid friendly activities 

and all the book possibilities in every genre-so many people of all ages browsing and buying.

I limited myself to only 3 books but got so many ideas. Author Jullian Cantor has a new book 

I loved her previous book The Lost Letter (review posted) 

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2018/11/friday-favorites.html 

Two titles from a  panel discussion of books voted the Best of the Southwest 2018 caught my interest and look forward to reading these books.  

A memoir written by a man who was a border patrol agent for years and now a college professor at University of AZ. Check out all his recent awards 

NAMED A TOP 10 BOOK OF 2018 BY NPR and THE WASHINGTON POST
FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE NONFICTION AWARD
FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE IN CURRENT INTEREST
and over the festival weekend won from Western Writers of America

best contemporary nonfiction and best first nonfiction book.

A poignant, surreal, and fearlessly honest look at growing up on one of the most secretive weapons installations on earth, by a young woman who came of age with missiles. She and her family lived on the China Lake missile range is located in a huge stretch of the Mojave Desert. 

A closing note...As I was walking along taking in all the sights I overhead this little boy about 5, practically skipping along to keep up with his mother said, "Isn't all this just amazing."  
And I will have to say "I totally agreed."