Stepping into the Texas 2023 Book Festival is like entering a literary wonderland, where the pages of countless genres unfold before your eyes. From romance to fantasy, autobiographies to rom-coms, and even the realms of science, the choices seem endless. In the midst of this literary abundance, I found myself overwhelmed, because of all of the choices and stories written in all those pages.
Amid the vast sea of books, finding the section that resonated with my heart was a journey in and of itself. The diversity of choices, each promising a unique escape, momentarily left me in awe. Yet, the moment I immersed myself in the pages of romance, I felt an instant connection and knew I wanted to follow that direction.
One of the highlights of my festival experience was connecting with fellow book lovers who shared my excitement. Connecting with people who were as excited as me to go was one of my favorite moments of the festival because it felt like I was part of this big community of book lovers – I felt like I belonged there.
Attending panels and listening to authors express the essence of their work was another amazing highlight. I deeply enjoyed listening to them talk about their work – the idea behind it, who was their inspiration, and the process of bringing it to life.
One of the most enchanting moments was attending a panel featuring Sajni Patel, one of my favorite rom-com writers. I read her book, First Love, Take Two last summer and I loved it. What made it even more magical was discovering that my copy was already signed. When Sajni talked about her book, I felt like she was talking directly to me. Even though she was talking about her newest release and not the book that I had read, it was magical to hear directly from her and to get to know her in person.
Attending the festival and the panels encouraged me to go back to read more each day. Because of school and work, I had stopped reading and I often felt forced to do it. After really connecting with the essence of the festival and all the magic and the endless possibilities from all the books, I got the motivation to start reading more.
Furthermore, sharing the experience with friends and getting our books signed by authors, turned a regular day into something extraordinary. Having the opportunity to share this with my friends was incredible, it is always nice to have someone with similar hobbies and who understands them.
Witnessing writers achieve their dreams at the festival left an indelible mark on my aspirations. The confidence and courage of these authors inspired me to dream big and pursue my own passions in life. The resounding message of not fearing failure, but instead embracing the journey, echoed through the festival and became a guiding light for my own path.
To conclude, going to a book festival is a must, even if reading is not one of your passions, the experience is worth it. There is a book for everyone and maybe this is your time to find yours.