It was a windy morning when I trekked into Copley Square to attend the Boston Book Festival. There were hundreds of people shuffling around the front of the Boston Public Library and Trinity Church. I walked by dozens of tents promoting bookshops, publishers, magazines, newspapers, restaurants and writing centers. It was a goldmine for bookworms and literary scholars: heaven on earth.

I started my day with a reading called “Eat Your Words.” Sounds appetizing, right? It featured women who love to talk about food. I have never seen someone talk about apples with such passion. Amy Traverso was an expert on them, reading from her book “The Apple Lover’s Cookbook.”

If you love apples, be they red and tart, green and bitter, or yellow and sweet, you should pick up this book. Never has tartness been so fascinating. After hearing a few more authors talk about Jewish cooking in France, French cuisine, and the ‘best chef in the world,’ I was starving.

With the next reading I was ready to dig into a fantastical world. I waited in line for almost an hour to hear “Far Out Fiction,” but it was so worth it. Everyone should do themselves a favor and read Chuck Klosterman, Gregory McGuire, Kate Beaton, or Karen Russell. I guarantee at least 50 people walked out of that sanctuary and went straight to a bookstore.

These folks know how to sell a book. For those who have never been huge comic strip fans, other than for the occasional “Archie,” Kate Beaton might convert them. She creates unusual comic strips by taking events from history and making them funny. For example, she wrote a long strip based on “The Great Gatsby.” There is one strip that makes a joke about Daisy and Tom’s baby who disappears partway through the novel and is never mentioned again. If you have read the book, I’m sure you can appreciate the humor.

Karen Russell began her talk with a witty statement: “Fiction is a way to avoid litigation.” Her latest book, “Swamplandia,” tells the story of a family of performing alligator-wrestlers. It sounds ridiculous, and that’s because it is. The subject matter is so strange that one can’t help but be intrigued, or at least I am. Perhaps it’s not the book for you if you have a moral problem with a family who wrestle alligators for profit.

Russell indicated that this was not so wild in her home state of Florida. She went on to say that it wasn’t actually happening, but if it did, it wouldn’t be frowned upon. Looks like we Northerners have to broaden our horizons.

At the end of the day, I was a very happy camper. The speakers were amazing and I added at least five books to my must-read list. My mind was flowing with new ideas for stories. As a writer, it was great for me to see what I could be doing in five or ten years. If you get the chance to read these authors, please do, and go to the book festival next year. You will not be disappointed.

There are tons of readings in Boston all the time. If you’re looking for things going on in November, radio icon Garrison Keillor of “A Prairie Home Companion” will be speaking at Boston Symphony Hall on Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. I also recommend picking up the Improper Bostonian next time you’re in town, because it has a whole section of readings listed.