TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It's been a tradition since 2009. The Tucson Festival of Books officially kicked off this weekend, and you couldn't ask for more perfect weather conditions.
"The crowd here is enormous; there’s a lot of people out. It’s a beautiful day," said one attendee.
This year’s festival features more than 250 authors from across the country. One of those authors is Kara Forney. She's a native of Tucson and no stranger to the festival. But this is her first year attending as an author.
"I was thrilled when I was picked to be in the indie pavilion this year to actually be on the other side and to be an author," she said. "It was an absolute thrill for me because obviously, I grew up coming here and just loving it."
The Festival of Books certainly has something for every book lover. Forney’s book is a collection of essays from mothers raising boys. L.J. Stubbs, who traveled from Idaho for the first time, specializes in historical fiction and sci-fi.
"To have people come up and comment on the cover art and how it catches their eye," said Stubbs, who designs his own covers. "Then to tell them the story kind of about what it is and see their eyes light up, it’s great."
Julie Stone was another newcomer hailing from Iowa. The veteran writer has been writing romantic comedies for twenty years.
"All the other independent authors that were around me were all very fun and made the time go by and just a good time," Stone said when asked what's been one of her favorite aspects.
While one might argue books have become a dying medium, ask anyone at the Festival of Books and they’ll tell you there’s nothing like reading a good novel.
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