Gaithersburg Book Festival 2018
Like every year, I plan out my time at the Gaithersburg Book Festival. I try to get in a good mix of poets, fiction writers, and children's authors, as well as some time blocked out for eating and the children's village of activities.
Unlike previous years, I was not moderating or volunteering, which was disappointing to me but with how hectic my daughter's schedule has been I just had to cut something out this year. That will change for 2019.
Even as I made plans, life has a way of running us off track, which is exactly what happened this year. I missed all of the poetry and children's authors I planned to introduce my daughter to. As my daughter was the one in rare form on Saturday, making everything difficult, including getting dressed and eating breakfast. Kids are a struggle.
It was a battle for the ages, and I set the plans aside and just let her be for more than half the day. I was in no mood for battles; I wanted fun and books.
Thankfully, as the rain burned off and the sun emerged, my daughter was in a better mood, and I didn't have to miss Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger. Her Thrills and Chills panel with Julia Fine, author of What Should Be Wild, was all it was billed to be with a how-to on cutting up bodies, talk of Stephen King endorsements, female desire and myth rewriting and, of course, cannibalism.
Both books incorporate elements of horror and the supernatural, and both deal with some dark issues. I was thrilled to see a debut author paired with an author of four books because it often helps an audience see different perspectives on the writing and publishing processes. Fine says her book defies traditional genre descriptions, which Katsu saw as familiar given her Taker series was also a mesh of various genres. I'm looking forward to finishing The Hunger and reading What Should Be Wild.
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Here's a bit of a sidenote, my daughter was with me when I first met Alma Katsu, here's a side by side look at the difference seven years makes:
Books and Stories by Alma Katsu:
I'd love to hear about what books and authors you discovered at the festival or a festival near you! Please share in the comments.