Publishers Weekly recaps the recent Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which this year drew an estimated 165,000 people to the UCLA campus. Yet one group was conspicuously absent: The major publishers passed on sponsoring booths. “It’s become the centerpiece in Southern California bookselling each year,” says Sheldon McArthur, owner of the Mystery Bookstore. “Perhaps the biggest mystery surrounding the festival is how few from the New York publishing community understand just how big the festival has become.”

The festival is a bonanza for area booksellers, and a huge draw for book lovers. Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena dispatched three bus–loads of customers to Westwood. “It’s become so popular,” says Publicity Director Linda Urban. “We play games on the bus and give away galleys. And on the way back, we served homemade cookies and milk.” Read more.