Wall of Inspiration

Well, the L.A. Times Festival of Books has come and gone.  Every year, as we descend on it, the team of organizers at Book Soup looks at one another with weary eyes and wonders if it's all worth it.  Then we get there, and we see everyone running around getting excited about books and we answer our own doubts...of course it's worth it.  Everyone who goes and gets excited about reading, whether you're reading Danielle Steel or David Foster Wallace, we do the work for you.  We love that you love books.  

I am definitely someone who has been guilty of bitching that no one reads in L.A. (which, according to statistics is very far from the truth).  And every year, the last weekend in April proves me so wrong, so so wrong, that I have a kind of revitalization in thought, a refreshing of my own personal web page. 

My favorite thing, by far, at the Festival this year was the graffiti wall of 'What Are You Reading?'  I found it poignant and inspiring and just amazing.  By the end of the weekend the wall was nearly black, writing over writing, a few huge titles protruded along the top.  The sheer volume and variety of books was overwhelming to say the least. Not shockingly, or maybe very shockingly, the most written title was Twilight (and/or any number of books in the series).  

So now, I have to say thank you to Stephenie Meyer.  We definitely felt the Twilight effect this weekend as every single young adult panel sold out (and we didn't skimp on books).  I might be giving her too much credit, but young people in Twilight shirts (and bags, and buttons, and necklaces, and wristbands) made quite a showing at the festival.  And I must say, I was glad to see them.  Say what you will about Twilight as a series, as a movie, as a philosophy (and believe me, I have my problems with it), but between Meyer and J.K. Rowling kids are reading, and we're happy to have them in the club.

Thanks to all who came and all who wished they would come.  We do it for you.  

Happy Reading,

Julia