Today I headed back to the Festival of Books. In truth, up until last week I’d been thinking of skipping this year, but by the end of the week I figured I would head up for a couple hours at least. Guess I just can’t stay away.
I mean, sure, I’ve already got more books on the shelf to read than I’ll probably be able to in a lifetime. Of course, by that reasoning, what’s a couple more, right?
Since I blogged the Festival last year, I figured I’d stick to another CrackBerry post this time around:
DOWN: The total number of booths, probably owing to the economy. I’d say maybe a quarter or sixth less than last year.
UP: The number of religous booths: more Dianetics booths, more free copies of the Qur’an, etc. Oddly, no one handing out Bibles.
UP: Relative number of extremely good looking people administering stress tests at the Dianetics booths. Just a coincidence, I’m sure.
FOUR: Number of times I had to decline a stress test. I work in IT, I know I’ve got stress.
DOWN: The temperature, cooler than previous years, a pleasant 68.
UP: The sheer number of mystery books and booksellers. I can’t even begin to theorize why on that one.
DOWN: Time spent. In and out in under three hours, including lunch.
UP: The number of cart vendors yelling “lemonade, fresh lemonade.”
FOUR: Books bought, all at discount. 🙂
UNCHANGED: My thoughts on poetry. I don’t hate it, I don’t have a problem with it, but most of the time, I just don’t get it.
FINALLY: Why is it that families with children walk right down the middle of the parking garage aisle, and how the hell is it they remain completely oblivioius of the cars following behind them at a crawl?!?
The GeekHiker 
I remember reading your post on this last year and being jealous. When I realized it was happening this weekend and you might be going, I was again jealous…I thought the Fair was only going on yesterday and that my Autism Walk would prevent me from attending. Now I feel like a big dunce – I could’ve gone today!
Good work steering clear of the crazy Scientologists. I think their tractor beam is strong and I hear that once you’re in, you can never get out.
Thanks for the report since I missed the Fair yet again…
By: Mel Heth on April 26, 2009
at 10:53 pm
I’m with you on the poetry. Mine makes sense to me but very little else registers anything. What books did you buy? 90% of the books on my shelf are mystery. I’m ashamed sometimes to love that genre but I can’t get enough. I love puzzles. Even video game puzzles.
By: Mrs Chuck Bartowski on April 26, 2009
at 11:24 pm
The family who walk down the middle are the same people who smack the back of your ankles with their strollers. Most irritating people in the world.
By: Homer-Dog on April 27, 2009
at 5:41 am
As for your last one, they’re not oblivious. They just don’t care.
The book fair sounds fun! What books did you get?
By: Dingo on April 27, 2009
at 6:56 am
I have seen people WITHOUT strollers strutting down the middle of the aisle in the parking garage at work – it annoys the hell out of me.
Poetry – I like poetry in a certain format, but mostly I don’t care too much for the genre.
Books – yeah, so WHAT did you get? 🙂 I need some reading inspiration!
By: k on April 27, 2009
at 8:03 am
Ugh, I meant “striding”!
By: k on April 27, 2009
at 8:09 am
I’m laughing about how many stress tests you had to turn down. And they stressed you out by constantly asking!
Funny post, I feel the same way too!
By: spleeness on April 27, 2009
at 4:20 pm
Oh, yes. The allure of books. I made a resolution to stop buying books until I read all the books currently on my bookshelves. I broke it Jan 2. The bargin section of any bookstore pulls me in like a magnet.
By: hebba on April 27, 2009
at 7:07 pm
Sigh, I AM jealous. There is no such thing as too many books. Which is I am sure a terrible grammatical error but…oh well.
By: Kori on April 28, 2009
at 12:10 pm
I still can’t believe you got to go to a festival dedicated solely to BOOKS!
What. Did. You. Get?!
Jealous
By: ECT on April 28, 2009
at 1:04 pm
ha! i feel the same way about poetry. especially the ones that don’t rhyme and where line breaks come at odd places mid-sentence, and your 9th grade english teacher tell you that you’re not supposed to pause at the line break when reading the poem, but rather pause at the punctuation mark in the middle of the next line.
WHAT???? what is the point of all this? I just don’t get it.
By: seine on April 28, 2009
at 2:30 pm
If you go to Janet Fitch’s panel, tell her I want my money back for “Paint It Black”
By: thecoconutdiaries on April 28, 2009
at 7:41 pm
Mel Heth – Well, I guess you’d better mark your calendar for next year
Mrs Chuck Bartowski – Hmm… maybe you should post some poetry on your blog. Oh, that reminds me of one other thing missing this year: the giant crossword puzzles!
Homer-Dog – I wonder if that means I can smack the back of their ankles with my front tires?
Dingo – Yeah, that makes sense. Nothing special – a couple of travel books, a book by Bill Geist, a book on earthquakes. That’s it…
K – But if you honk at them, I’ll bet they’d give you the stink-eye!
K – LOL
Spleeness – Almost every booth!
Hebba – Someday, I want a small house, with a really BIG library!
Kori – There is such a thing: when you have no more room in the house!
ECT – Would you believe over 100,000 people attend? Yes, people do read in LA!
Seine – I always hated those classes in school where we had to write poetry. Learning how to write effectively is one thing (definitely helpful in daily life), but poetry?
TheCoconutDiaries – If only I’d known…
By: geekhiker on April 28, 2009
at 10:11 pm
Yay, books!
You should honk your horn at the middle of the road walkers 😀
By: just a girl on April 28, 2009
at 10:54 pm