The Texas Book Festival continues tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be another interesting (and likely cooler) day, with even more literary events and exciting panels, including non-fiction discussions, another cooking demo and a session with actor and bestselling author Matthew McConaughey!

Out of the events I’ve covered today, which one seemed the most interesting to you?

1️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/ZAPJZj/1" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Texas Bluebonnet Award presentation
2️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/ZAPJZj/2" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Marisel Salazar’s kogi kimchi burrito cooking demo
3️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/ZAPJZj/3" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">2025 Adult Literature Award presentation
4️⃣ <a href="https://poll.blue/p/ZAPJZj/4" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">Reality Winner’s book presentation and discussion

📊 Show results

The Book Festival also has several fun activities for children and young adults! Right now, Camp Texas Teen Book Festival is hosting a crafting session to make a storyscape of a favorite memory out of a box.

If you were building a fun storyscape, what memory would you choose? 📚💭👇

Winner talked about her regret that she could not get the classified information to the right official so that it could help the U.S. population. She also discussed the failures of the justice system, especially in treatment of minorities, and how her prison experience was “slavery by another name.”

I’m now at a presentation from Reality Winner, who wrote “I Am Not Your Enemy” about her experience as a whistleblower of evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Winner served over four years for espionage. This is a packed event, with every seat occupied and more people standing!

I’m back at the cooking tent with Mary Bryant Shrader, author of “The Modern Pioneer Pantry.” She is discussing preservation methods. According to Shrader, people are often nervous to start fermenting, but one tip she gave is to test fermented products with pH strips. If it’s below 4.6, it’s safe!

The Book Festival is steadily gaining in people! Tents are set up down 11th Street, and there is a large crowd of people walking the road. Since most of the sessions are held in these open tents, people can hear laughter and cheering from different events while they’re in a session.

Fuentes just talked about her winning book, “Malas,” which is about Tejano culture. She read an excerpt about Mexican dads, drawing a lot of laughs from the audience. Johnston, who won for “We Burn Daylight,” is now reading the first page of his novel, which is about a love story set in a Waco cult.

Bernsen, who won for his book “The Lost War for Texas” just discussed his research of unknown pieces of Texas history. Now, West is reading an excerpt from her book about climate change, “How To Abandon Ship.” She ended with the quote, “Our smallest choices make the weather.”

I’m now at another award presentation, this time for the 2025 Adult Literature Award, presented by David Bowles, president of the Texas Institute of Letters. Among the winners are James Bernsen (Nonfiction), Bret Johnston (Fiction), Sasha West (Poetry) and Marcela Fuentes (First Book of Fiction).

I’m now at a cooking demo with Marisel Salazar, the author of “Latin-ish: More Than 100 Recipes Celebrating American Latino Cuisines.” While making the marinade for a kogi kimchi burrito, she’s sharing facts about how Norwegian cultures celebrate “Taco Friday” and the origin of frozen margaritas!

Cheers follow each Bluebonnet Award-winning book announcement, announced by students from Texas school districts. Among the winners are “Sandwina” by Vicki Conrad, “The Black Mambas: The World's First All-Woman Anti-Poaching Unit” by Kelly Crull and “Gracie Under the Waves” by Linda Sue Park.

I’m currently at the Texas Bluebonnet Award presentation! The Bluebonnet Award is a literary children’s choice award that encourages reading among third through sixth graders. This year, over 75,000 third-sixth graders across Texas voted for their favorites from a list of 20 finalists.