All Booked Up for the Texas Book Festival

You know how it is with autumn in Austin: Some years you have to wait a little longer for that first chill wind and the turning of the leaves. So it is with the Texas Book Festival this season. Instead of a mid-October arrival, as in the past, it's taken until the first weekend in November for the 21st edition of this celebration of the written word to descend on the Texas State Capitol and its environs. But trust us when we say that the wait will be worth it. The Chronicle team has been poring over the schedule and many of the tomes by this year's featured authors, and we've found much to be excited by – and that's true not just here in the Arts & Culture section, but in the Music and Food sections, too. There's enough going on to keep you turning the leaves all day Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 5-6. We've provided a sampling here of the embarrassment of literary riches in store, but you can learn more from additional reviews and author interviews online at austinchronicle.com/texas-book-festival, which we'll be adding to in the days leading up to the festival. And, of course, for the complete schedule of talks, panel discussions, readings, interviews, and booksignings, visit www.texasbookfestival.org. Now, ready, set, read!