Good morning. With daylight and temperatures falling, the year’s most bookish season is heating up. I’m Kate Tuttle, and I’ll have the top books, visiting authors, and awards ahead of this weekend’s big (and free) Boston Book Festival.

But first, here’s what else is going on:

Tens of thousands of Massachusetts families could lose access to federally funded programs that help with child care, heating bills, and school lunches if the government shutdown lasts into November, state agencies warned.
The Celtics lost their first game of the regular season, falling 117-116 to the Philadelphia 76ers after blowing a late lead. The team’s defense couldn’t get stops and its offense made mistakes, showing the vulnerabilities of its retooled roster.
Gaps in a state mandate that insurers cover infertility treatments, barriers to innovation, and private equity buying up clinics have kept the cost of IVF in Massachusetts high. Those costs have some women asking strangers for leftover medications, buying drugs internationally, or even undergoing the entire process overseas.

Write to us at startingpoint@globe.com. To subscribe, sign up here.

TODAY’S STARTING POINT

When “Bridgerton” author Julia Quinn kicks off the Boston Book Festival tonight, it’s the latest sign that we’re in primetime Book Season now. Autumn brings the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Literature (this year it went to Hungarian László Krasznahorkai), as well as the Nation Book Awards ceremony, which will be on Nov. 19.

Closer to home, we’re gearing up for the Boston Book Festival’s main day on Saturday. Book festival fans know that Boston’s is special, a glorious celebration of our rich local literary scene set in and around one of the country’s most spectacular public libraries.

Nothing to fear

For newcomers, don’t be put off by the words “book festival.” It may conjure images of grade school and book reports, dull and dry required reading — and the fear of a vocabulary quiz.

I am here to reassure you that you are wrong.

Beyond the author readings and panel discussions are street fairs, food trucks, musical performances, and children’s fictional characters walking around in costume. (This year that includes Arthur, from the Marc Brown books and the long-running PBS series, and Zeke the wombat, another PBS star.) For antsy adults who would rather get in their daily steps than sit in a cozy reading chair, they (you?) can even take part in walking tours of the Back Bay.

Uncovering writing secrets

Ah, but what if you like sitting in a chair and hearing from and about writers? Well, the panels this year include conversations about sex, comedy, poetry, politics, and sports. You can hear the Globe’s Linda Henry interview longtime NYT columnist Maureen Dowd, or novelist Geraldine Brooks talk about her recent memoir with former Harvard president Drew Gilpin Faust.

If you’ve ever wanted to hear three prize-winning novelists discuss how they approach writing about family secrets you can check out the panel featuring superstars Susan Choi, Jennifer Haigh, and Gish Jen — I’ll be in the audience. Another conversation I’m especially interested in is when Horn Book editor Elissa Gershowitz joins several children’s book authors to extoll the joy of early reading experiences.

What if you have that one story you want to figure out how to tell? Go to the session led by Aube Rey Lescure and Maria Pinto, in which they’ll guide the audience through an interactive improv session about the art of storytelling. If you just don’t know what to do with yourself, go wild at the Monster Puppet Workshop (seriously! They say all children must be accompanied by an adult, but who’s watching to make sure the adults mind their manners?).

My point is that there are a lot of ways to have fun at this festival. I aim to explore most of them. I hope to see a lot of you there!

Readers, did you pore through (or listen to) a book recently that captivated you, made you shiver or smile, or transported you to another place? Help us stock up for winter: Let us know which book and why. We may share a few of your suggestions here!

🧩 5 Across: Waikiki’s island | 🌤️ 61° Cooling down

POINTS OF INTEREST

Former WBZ anchor Kate Merrill.Kate Merrill via Facebook

Kate Merrill: The former WBZ-TV news anchor dropped her legal claims against Courtney Cole, an anchor at the station. But Merrill’s lawsuit against the station itself, its former president, and others alleging that she was forced out over unfounded allegations of racial bias remain pending.

Comeback bid: John E. Sununu’s campaign to return to the US Senate has scrambled New Hampshire’s Republican primary. But his name and pre-Trump establishment brand may give his party a better chance at winning, the Globe’s James Pindell explains.

Solving the ‘gear gap’: Low body confidence and one-size-fits-all sports bras cause many girls to quit sports. One of them, a former dancer turned Harvard-educated engineer from Dedham, is trying to change that.

DraftKings: To get around state gambling bans, the Boston-based sports betting company is adding a prediction market app that will let users wager on events across finance, culture, and entertainment.

Karen Read: Norfolk County prosecutors dropped two more of the criminal charges they’d lodged against Aidan Kearney, the pro-Read blogger known as “Turtleboy.” He still faces charges for allegedly harassing witnesses in Read’s case.

A light, extinguished: This talented nurse and vibrant mom spiraled into mental illness. Her story ended tragically near a Roxbury women’s shelter last week.

East Winging it: The Trump administration will demolish the entire East Wing of the White House, which traditionally houses the first lady’s offices, within days to make way for Trump’s ballroom. (NBC)

Attacks at sea: The US military struck two more boats it alleged were carrying drugs, this time in the Pacific. The strikes — one Tuesday, the other yesterday — killed five people in total. (AP)

Trump vs. higher ed: The University of Virginia agreed to end diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to free up federal funding and pause the administration’s probes into the school’s admissions and other policies. (WashPost 🎁)

Gerrymandering: North Carolina Republicans passed a redrawn congressional map meant to give their party an extra seat in the US House in next year’s midterm elections, heeding a demand from Trump. The state is closely divided, but Republicans already control 10 of its 14 House seats. (WNCN)

BESIDE THE POINT

By David Beard

💒 Kneeling by the trash cans: Sure, that first marriage proposal may have been in jest. But eight years later, he got a “yes.”

🍺 ‘Extreme beer’: Boston Beer Company released a new edition of its Sam Adams Utopias, a beer with a staggering 30 percent alcohol by volume. It’s available in 35 states — and illegal in the other 15.

🇺🇲 Homecoming: Buried in Paris in 1840, a president’s daughter finally comes home. (WashPost 🎁)

🎸 Gritty city: A new documentary shows the rougher edge of Boston’s rock history.

👋 Bye bye bye: Women are quitting work because of menopause. We need to talk about it. (USA Today)

🎂 First Person: She’s a cancer survivor and has ideas for cancerversaries to celebrate.

💰 Heist! 12 of the most expensive things, such as the Empire State Building, that have ever been stolen (Reader’s Digest)

Thanks for reading Starting Point.

This newsletter was edited by David Beard and produced by Diamond Naga Siu.

❓ Have a question for the team? Email us at startingpoint@globe.com.

✍🏼 If someone sent you this newsletter, you can sign up for your own copy.

📬 Delivered Monday through Friday.

Home

The Boston Book Festival is here | Starting Point