"What made Madeleine sit up in bed was something closer to the reason she read books in the first place and had always loved them. Here was an articulation of what she had been so far mutely feeling. In bed on a Friday night, wearing sweatpants, her hair tied back, her glasses smudged, and eating peanut butter from the jar…" -The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Come on out all of you faithful book lovers. Let's display our beautiful Savannah and her brilliant occupants to all of the authors who have marked their calendars, prepared their wardrobe, and picked their favorite set of pens for signing and mingling with all the unique people Savannah has to offer.

This year is the 6^th Annual Savannah Book Festival, and along with it comes the buzz and excitement of book fans that have waited in anticipation, for February 14-17, 2013, to arrive. For book lovers like myself, this is Christmas, this is the 4^th of July, this is spring break and our birthday all wrapped into one. As book lovers we jump for joy at the idea of being able to meet the mastermind behind the novel we have read that has somehow, even if it is a little, influenced our lives or outlook in any way.

This year's Savannah Book Festival will be free and open to the public. James Patterson, Dave Barry, Bobby Deen, Robert K. Massie, and Al Gore are only a tip of the iceberg to arrive here in Savannah for book signings, lectures, and the praises we have for authors in general. There will also be a few local Savannah writers who will be on the scene bringing their work to the public as well, these local seven are; Griff and Cheryl Day, Jane Fishman, Jim Morekis, Kimberly Ergul, Holly Jaakkola, and Mark Murphy.

The Savannah Book Festival will be held outdoors in the beautiful Telfair Square and at the Trustees Theatre. Since books are slowly going out of style and Nooks, Kindles and iPads are quickly taking their place, the Savannah Book Festival, means more now than it ever has. The love for books is renewed every year thanks to the Savannah Book Festival. Authors of every genre are beckoned to the city that Sherman decided to enjoy rather than destroy. These authors are mainly bestsellers in popular fiction, non-fiction and historical happenings. Thanks to these authors and their books, this brings back into effect the materialistic importance of books. The touch, the feel, smell and the ability to turn the pages are recalled to attention and remembered thanks to time that has been dedicated to celebrate the written word and its cultural importance to mankind.

For more information on the Savannah Book Festival check out the website, savannahbookfestival.org

Written by Amber Dyson