BooksNJ: Celebrate Your Love of Books!

By Brianne Harrison

Who doesn’t love a good book? Whether your tastes run toward fiction, biographies, or poetry, an affection for the printed word is fairly universal, which is why there are events like BooksNJ 2009: A Celebration of Books and the Readers who Love Them.

BooksNJ will bring together more than 60 authors, illustrators, and poets to participate in readings, panel discussions, book signings, a poetry slam, storytimes, and crafts for the youngest attendees. Panels will cover topics ranging from creating an illustrated children’s book to developing characters to collaborating with a co-author.

In our internet-driven age, with newspapers teetering on the brink and the publishing industry scrambling to keep up with and adapt to the changing climate, the future of the book (the traditional kind—with covers and pages) is an open question. If you’re a book lover who can’t resist the smell of a library or the sound of a fresh paperback spine cracking as you open to the first page, why not show your support, meet authors, and learn something at BooksNJ?

BooksNJ 2009 is being held June 14 from 1-5 p.m. at the Paramus Public Library, 116 East Century Rd., Paramus. For more information, visit bccls.org/booksnj