Festival of Books Cheat Sheet: A guide to making the most of your weekend

Good morning, and welcome to the L.A. Times Book Club newsletter.

This weekend’s Los Angeles Times Festival of Books isn’t just the nation’s largest literary festival. It’s a unique opportunity to connect face to face with more than 500 novelists, nonfiction writers, poets, musicians and celebrities on the cutting edge of their craft.

So how can you get the most out of your visit to the annual fest at the University of Southern California campus? For starters, browse the Festival of Books website and download the festival app. Follow the action @latimes on Twitter and Instagram, where the Times will share tips, news updates and video highlights all weekend. Festival guides are available on campus (and print subscribers already received two special lit sections on Sunday).

Then start building your (flexible) roadmap. Start with the writers and genres you love best — and add a few serendipity picks and detours. You can book tickets in advance or drop in at indoor venues. As you roam campus you’ll also find great conversations across the outdoor stages.

8 Quick Picks

To get started, here’s my Saturday cheat sheet.

If you enjoy our community book club: The L.A. Times Book Club comes to the festival for a meetup with novelist and screenwriter Gabrielle Zevin. She’ll be on stage with Times Editor Samantha Melbourneweaver and me discussing “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow,” a bestselling novel about creativity, video games and friendship set in Koreatown, Venice and many other familiar spots across three decades. The festival is Zevin’s first L.A. appearance since the novel debuted last summer. My personal book club chose “Tomorrow” this month too and the relationship between the story’s three main characters deeply intrigued the group.
When: 1:45 p.m. at Norris Theatre with book signing nearby afterward. More: Advance tickets are sold out, but there is stand-by availability at the door; seats often open up for festival panels at the last minute.

(Knopf / Hans Canosa)

If you love mysteries: Michael Connelly was a young reporter working the cop beat in Florida and Southern California when he began scribbling stories inspired by his day job. In 1992 he brought to life a relentless Vietnam War-veteran-turned-LAPD detective named Harry Bosch and later Bosch’s “Lincoln Lawyer” half brother, Mickey Haller. Three dozen novels, and multiple TV series later, Connelly remains a festival (and L.A. Times Book Club) favorite. He’ll be in conversation today with another crime-writing legend: James Ellroy. Honored with the 2022 Robert Kirsch Award at Friday night’s L.A. Times Book Prizes, Ellroy has famously anchored stories in Los Angeles through the decades, among them “The Black Dahlia,” and “L.A. Confidential.”
When: 12:30 p.m. in Bovard Auditorium.
More: Check out all of Book Prize winners.

If you like a juicy book-to-screen adaptation: Last summer everyone was talking about “The Last Thing He Told Me,” Laura Dave’s pageturner about a California woman desperately trying to find her missing husband after he leaves behind a troubling note. Since then the novel has been adapted into a new Apple series starring Jennifer Garner and created by executive producer Reese Witherspoon. Today Garner and Dave will be in conversation with Times TV critic Lorraine Ali.
When: 12:50 p.m. on the L.A. Times Main Stage. The series will be screened in the Ray Stark Family Theatre at 10 a.m.

If you love children’s literature: Beloved children’s authors Kate DiCamillo and Lois Lowry will be talking about their careers and middle-grade fiction with Editor Stephanie Chavez, who leads the Times’ new Early Childhood Initiative. The author of “Because of Winn-Dixie,” DiCamillo is a two-time Newbery Medalist whose novel, “The Magician’s Elephant,” recently was adapted as an animated Netflix feature film. Lowry has written more than 40 books and and has been awarded the Newbery Medal twice, too.
When: noon at Town and Gown.
More: DiCamillo and Lowry are just two of the many authors and celebrities sharing new children’s books. On Saturday you’ll also find Meghan Trainor, Chrissy Metz, Leslie Odom Jr. and Nicolette Robinson at various venues.

If you revel in the dark side: Tananarive Due, Leigh Bardugo, Leslie S. Klinger and Stephen Graham will be talking about dark magic, murder and monsters on the “Outer Limits” panel.
When: 1:30 p.m. at Taper Hall 101.

If you enjoy literary fiction: Great choices abound. One of the many highlights: L.A. writer Tess Gunty, winner of a 2022 National Book Award for “The Rabbit Hutch” about lives colliding in an apartment building, joins the “Upstairs, Downstairs” fiction panel.
When: noon in Taper 209.
More: Ottessa Moshfegh (“Lapvona”) and Rachel Kushner (“The Hard Crowd”) discuss the role of fiction in society at 11:15 a.m. in Norris Theatre.

If you prefer nonfiction stories: Check out the “Outsiders and Survivors” panel with former book club guest Keith Corbin (“California Soul.”) He’ll be talking about his journey from prison inmate to celebrated L.A. chef in a conversation with Javier Zamora (“Solito”); Julia Lee (Biting the Hand”) and Omer Aziz (“Brown Boy”).
When: 10 a.m. Taper Hall 101.

If you love a great performance: Stop by the outdoor Poetry Stage and listen to L.A.’s stories told through its poets. You’ll find a mix of talent and styles, from Dana Gioia, Christopher Soto, Jill Bialosky, Monica Youn and many others. You’ll likely spot more poets in the audience, cheering on the performers too. It’s free and great fun.
When: starts at 10 a.m. at the Poetry Stage, with readings all day long.

Keep reading

Latest news: You’ll find all of the festival coverage here.

Ask a Reporter: Meet Executive Editor Kevin Merida and the L.A. Times staff at the Festival of Books and share your questions about the stories we cover.

Books and bites: Southern California is blessed with a wealth of indie bookstores. When you find books you love at the festival, be sure to buy them on site to support the local booksellers who move mountains (and literally tons of boxes) to create pop-up shops at the festival every spring.

Festival Guide: If you’re planning to attend the festival on Sunday, watch your inbox. Times Books Editor Boris Kachka will be sharing his Day 2 cheat sheet in a special Sunday edition of the L.A. Times Book Club newsletter.

Join us: If you value our literary and literacy events, please sign on as a supporter of the Los Angeles Times Community Fund. You’ll help us produce a wider range of in-person and virtual events throughout the year. We’ll also feature your name at the next book club night. Here’s how.

What’s next for L.A. Times Book Club?

Save the dates: On May 24 actor, author and “Reading Rainbow” founder LeVar Burton joins book club readers for a conversation about the State of Banned Books at the ASU California Center in Los Angeles. On June 8 Academy Award nominee Elliot Page will discuss his debut memoir, “Pageboy,” at the historic Montalban Theatre in Hollywood. On July 19 novelist Luis Alberto Urrea will discuss his upcoming book, “Good Night, Irene,” a historic novel inspired by his mother’s service during World War II. Info: latimes.com/bookclub.