Your Daily Guide

The inaugural Salt Lake Book Festival kicks off today at The Gateway with bestselling authors, independent booksellers, and thousands of expected attendees. The festival’s roots in a local reading group suggests: Salt Lakers are hungry for more ways to connect offline.

• A literary moment. Salt Lake’s new festival joins Utah’s existing literary scene, including the statewide Utah Humanities Book Festival, which has been running since 1998. And the city’s first bilingual Libro Fest debuted earlier this year. [Utah Humanities, FOX 13]
• Reading is the new socializing: Salt Lake Book Festival director Amanda Warren co-founded Bookish SLC, which hosts popular reading events throughout the year. She joined City Cast Salt Lake to talk about why reading is cool again and how books can help Salt Lakers make friends. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]
• Plot twist: Festival headliner Jodi Picoult had her novel “Nineteen Minutes” banned from Utah public schools earlier this year. Meanwhile, Salt Lake booksellers report that banned titles are attracting even more customer interest and boosting sales. [Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Stories]
• Can’t make it to the fest? Support our local independent bookstores. May I also suggest visiting some new shops: The Recommend used bookstore in Millcreek, Storyboard in Midway, and Crowne Books (opening Nov. 13!).

Forest Service Move Blocked

Plans to move the U.S. Forest Service headquarters from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City are on hold after a federal judge temporarily blocked the USDA’s massive reorganization. Utah’s Republican leaders criticized the decision, arguing that forest management should happen closer to the lands being managed. [FOX 13]

Rare Bird Sighting in Utah

The incredibly rare storm-petrel has been spotted across Utah, including near the Idaho border, after Tropical Storm Rachel pushed the seabird from its usual habitat. [Instagram]

Utah’s $450K Starter Homes

Utah is falling behind Gov. Spencer Cox’s goal of building 35,000 starter homes priced at $450,000 or less by the end of 2028, with fewer than 8,000 completed halfway to the deadline. State officials hope new funding and partnerships with developers will speed things up, but even homes priced around $420,000 remain out of reach for many first-time homebuyers. [KUER]

No Kings Shooter Will Stand Trial

Matthew Scott Alder will stand trial in the killing of Afa Ah Loo, who was shot at the No Kings rally in downtown Salt Lake City in June 2025. We dive into the case. [City Cast Salt Lake 🎧]