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Philadelphia library festival lures book lovers

Lynn Major loves books, but if her 4-year-old twin daughters want to watch TV they are allowed, with one condition:

Chelsea Handler fans form a long line as they await her arrival at the Vine Street signing tent. Among the first to get there were Barbara Roysdon of Franklinville and her sons, Paul, 17, and Brett, 13.
Chelsea Handler fans form a long line as they await her arrival at the Vine Street signing tent. Among the first to get there were Barbara Roysdon of Franklinville and her sons, Paul, 17, and Brett, 13.Read moreDAVID M WARREN / Staff Photographer

Lynn Major loves books, but if her 4-year-old twin daughters want to watch TV they are allowed, with one condition:

"If they read every book in the world and then read them over and over again," the West Philadelphia mother said Saturday at the Free Library of Philadelphia's fourth annual book festival. The event continues through Sunday.

Daughters Marley and Sabina have more than a hundred books at home and probably a few new ones from the festival, where they saw Corduroy the teddy bear, their favorite literary star, and listened to Storybook Man read Moira's Birthday.

Book lovers of every cover - from mystery buffs, to fanboys, to fanboys who'd like to see comedian and author Chelsea Handler in the buff - sauntered among booths set up around the Central Library to buy and talk books with other fanciers.

"Oh, my God," exclaimed Gretchen Rudley, finding Nelson DeMille's The General's Daughter at a used-book booth. "This is my favorite. It was that good."

Rudley and her niece Ginny Swiderski of Cherry Hill both are avid readers. In fact, "we read entirely too much," Swiderski said.

How much is too much?

"I don't go anywhere without a book. Have book, will travel," trilled Rudley, pulling a paperback out of her purse.

Both love mysteries and thrillers: Janet Evanovich, James Patterson, Mary Higgins Clark, Lisa Scottoline.

"We just saw Lisa at Barnes & Noble in Cherry Hill," Rudley said. "She's so full of life. She treats you like you're her best friend."

The reading duo go through at least a book a week, but if it's one of their favorites, say a new Clark or Patterson, they rip through it in a day or two.

"I live for library sales," Swiderski said.

None of their fave writers were at the weekend festival, but it did feature some big names, such as Kitty Kelley, there to peddle her Oprah Winfrey tell-all, and Sapphire, whose novel Push was the basis for the Oscar-winning movie Precious.

Then there was Jerry Fogarty, 31, who was hawking his first and only book, Nick West & the Curse of Haunted Island. By midafternoon, he had sold three.

"It's Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean," said Fogarty, whose brothers Jim and Bernie were helping him sell the book.

Fogarty, a janitor from McAdoo in upstate Pennsylvania, wrote Haunted Island in 2007 and showed it to his mother, who did what any good mom would do: told him it was so good he should try to get it published.

He found a company in Oklahoma that agreed to print 2,500 copies for $4,000. So far, he's sold 300.

But Fogarty is hoping his marketing savvy will move books. In addition to the book, he has an audio book, a journal, pens, and T-shirts plastered with the Haunted Island skull logo. He's also penned a Haunted Island screenplay and is working with a community theater on a play.

"I hope to have a sequel by next year," the ever-hopeful author said.

A Dungeons and Dragons-type computer game is also in the works.

"We're a little bit geek, sure," said brother Jim Fogarty, 28, who lives in Hellertown, Pa.

He and Bernie, 32, said they were proud of their brother and happy to help drive up sales.

"That's what family does, schleps down to Philadelphia," Jim Fogerty said.

If you're the Roysdon family from Franklinville, you spend time together in other ways. Every night at 11 p.m., Barbara Roysdon and her sons, Paul, 17, and Brett, 13, line up on the sofa to watch sassy comedian and best-selling author Chelsea Handler's talk show on E! The ritual began last year when Brett's cancer was diagnosed.

"We watch it for laugh therapy," said Roysdon, waiting in line with her sons for Handler to sign copies of her newest book, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang, her third best-seller.

The family was third in the long, long line, having arrived at 11 a.m. for the 3 p.m. signing. Each boy had his own book and, of course, a camera to capture the big moment.

Paul was the first to discover Handler's late-night show, Chelsea Lately, but it was Brett's idea for the three of them to watch as an escape from their troubles. It's the only program they never, ever miss.

"Even if it's not always appropriate," Paul said, eyeing his kid brother, "we like it."

"And you don't even need the vodka," added their mother, a nurse, referring to Handler's favorite beverage.

At 3:15 p.m., the gorgeous comedian arrived at the outdoor tent, wearing tight jeans, a white sweater, and blue patent pumps. When it was the Roysdons' turn, security people pushed them forward, and there they were, face to face with the woman who helps them get through the day.

Afterward, Roysdon was teary. "My God, she was so gracious," she said, while Paul snapped picture after picture. "I told her about my son. She said, 'Thank you very much. That means a lot to me.' "