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Fan service: Author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (right) signs a copy of her 1996 book "Shiloh Season" for a young admirer at last year's event. (Gaithersburg Book Festival)

As the D.C. metro region is blessed (cursed?) with a plethora of writers, it’s only natural that it has its fair share of literary festivals.

The one I write about today is awfully impressive: the Gaithersburg Book Festival, which takes place Saturday, May 21, on the Gaithersburg City Hall Grounds.

First of all, let’s clear a few things up. Despite Facebook rumors, Twitter gossip and YouTube innuendo, no, your humble correspondent will not be among the celebrity writers hawking a book at the upcoming event (though with any luck that may change soon … agents and publishers out there, are you listening?).

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Nor am I engaged to speak to my adoring throngs of fans, the assembled literati or anyone else with ears for that matter, not even cats, dogs or squirrels. (As they say, it takes the mainstream a while to catch on to a truly revolutionary talent.) Neither is, cough-cough, Charlie Sheen or, as far as I know, Snooki, which is odd because now that she’s eighty-sixed her promising wrestling career, I thought she’d have time for a reading.

I like to get the disappointment out of the way first so as not to raise unattainable expectations (and yes, admit it, your pulse raised a few vectors thinking of me reading from some gripping cult novel. Come on, admit it!).

Festivalgoers will have to suffice with the following: novelist and film critic Stephen Hunter (“Dead Zero”), novelist Dylan Landis (“Normal People Don’t Live Like This”), dating pontificator Rachel Machacek (author of “The Science of Single: One Woman’s Grand Experiment in Modern Dating,” “Creating Chemistry and Finding Love”) and oh, about 70 or so other authors.

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So, yes, there’ll be all types of writers who write about all types of things for you to check out.

The Gaithersburg Book Festival has the stones to call itself “one of the nation’s top literary events,” but to the show’s credit, it pretty much backs up that claim. Last year’s inaugural event featured a National Book Award winner, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Newbery Medal winner (“Duh, winning!”) and a handful of best-selling authors. This year is more of the same.

Aside from author presentations and signings, there are a bevy of scheduled workshops for writers (and at least two seminars), a variety of exhibitors and the Children’s Village for youngsters.

Speaking of young authors, event organizers recently sponsored a short story contest for area high schoolers and will announce the winners at the festival.

Festival workshops will cost adults $10 and full-time students $5, and it’s best to register now because they’re limited in size. The seminars are free and have no size limit; just show up and take a seat (or stand, don’t quote me).

There are a slew of event sponsors and partners. Clear Channel DC, Comcast and “Washington Parent” are among the sponsors, while Maryland State Arts Council, Washingtonian Center and the Gaithersburg Barnes & Noble are partners.

The kicker? Aside from the workshops, this thing is free. Yes, that’s right, F-R-E-E.

If you’ve been thinking about finding an apartment in Gaithersburg, now is the time to pay a visit to the town that’s currently ranked 25th on CNNMoney.com’s “Best Places to Live” list.

You don’t even have to like reading to understand that.

Come sail away: Paddle boats are available to rent from April through October at Gaithersburg's Lake Washingtonian.

In 2008, Gaithersburg ranked 29th on CNNMoney.com’s “Best Places to Live” list, probably because it combines big-city accommodations with a small-town feel, all within 13 miles of the nation’s capital.

Let’s see, you’ve got active arts programs – including theater and free outdoor concerts in the summer – the Gaithersburg Community Museum, the convenience of Lakeforest Mall and the RIO Entertainment Center.

Connected to the larger Washingtonian Center shopping venue, the RIO Entertainment Center houses AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18. A massive movie theater with stadium seating and Dolby^® Digital sound, the RIO is a great place to take a date, friend or even the odd acquaintance.

OK, so it shows movies. So do scores of other places. Ah, but does your theater complex also house Guapo’s Cantina? What about the Village Green Restaurant House of Kabob (probably favored by rock band The Kinks)? Or, Tara Thai? A joint with a name like that is worth the visit alone. They even offer an eatery called Hamburger Hamlet.

And, if the renter in Gaithersburg gets sick of those places, they can nurture their prana at Karma, which serves up Indian cuisine. And, get this: All these bistros offer waterfront seating on Lake Washingtonian.

OK, now you’re thinking, “Alright, so it has colorful, waterfront restaurants and gives patrons a chance to see that goofy-looking Jake Gyllenhaal on screen and maybe Jessica Alba or, I don’t know, Nicole Kidman. Is there more?”

There’s also an impressive Summer Concert Series, which occurs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday from May to September. The facility also features the Rio Sport & Health Club, where you can work off all those refried beans, fried rice and delectable peanut sauce you wolfed down.

The RIO also gives you the chance to improve your golf game at Clubgolf Performance Center. If you’re not sold on a trip here yet, let it be known that in the spring, summer and fall months, there are paddle boats to rent … that’s right, paddle boats. Provided by Washingtonian Paddle Boats, these foot-propelled vessels let you take to the lake and leave the world behind for a few gracious minutes.

Now when CNN was making its list and checking it twice, might have the great RIO Entertainment Center pushed Gaithersburg up a few notches? We’ll never know. And, if not, it’ll be our little secret.

Read all about it: The 2010 Gaithersburg Book Festival featured appearances, signings and discussions from more than 50 authors.

Do you like to read?

Well, if you’re reading this, something tells me you do. Don’t be shy; reading isn’t just for nerds. Heck, I read, and I’m … well, I’m not a nerd!

Anyway, if you’re looking for an apartment in Gaithersburg and you’re a book aficionado – or even a casual reader – you won’t want to miss out on the newly-minted Gaithersburg Book Festival. How new? Spring 2010 marked its debut.

This free event (they hope to make it annual, budget willing) features a plethora of national and internationally known writers, presenting and signing their works. This year, the festival brought big names like Pulitzer Prize-finalist Alice McDermott and sportswriter John Feinstein, plus a bunch more authors you may have heard of … or not.

That’s the great thing about book festivals: discovering a new favorite writer. Just think, if you rent in Gaithersburg, you’ll be that much closer to literary genius … once a year, at least.

Aspiring writers can also take advantage of several writers’ workshops. So, you can get in on the ground floor of this thing and have bragging rights at cocktail parties. Not that you’re a braggart or anything.

Missing the food and festivities at the Main Street Tailgate Farmers Market would be "plum" crazy.

Gaithersburg, MD, sits on the busy and brainy I-270 Technology Corridor. Its convenient location – 13 miles outside of Washington, D.C. – makes Gaithersburg a great place to rent an apartment.

Like most areas in suburban Maryland, Gaithersburg has a bevy of things to do, see, smell and taste. Officially incorporated as Gaithersburg in 1878, the town was named after settler Benjamin Gaither. The advent of railroads popularized Gaithersburg as a vacation spot for weary Washingtonians. Okay, you’re asking yourself, get to the good stuff, what’s happening now in Gaithersburg?

Things to Do in Gaithersburg

Well, for one thing all you vegetable and fruit lovers will dig the Main Street Tailgate Farmers Market taking place from 10 AM-2 PM at the Main Street Pavilion. This runs from May 3 to November 20 yearly. Not to be outdone, those who love pasta, baked goods, live crabs and fresh-frozen seafood will feel at home at the Market in Olde Towne, which takes place every Friday from 3 PM-7 PM, and runs from May 7 to September 3. The market also features hand-crafted jewelry and knitted items.

Okay, so you fed us and got us a nifty ring and a funny-looking cap, what else? One cannot live on baked bread and crabs alone. Arts, yes, you got anything arty? I’m glad you asked. Starting June 4, you can trek from the Market in Olde Towne to the City Hall Concert Pavilion and catch a free live concert every Friday at 7 PM. The On Stage Concert Series runs all summer long at different city locations, hosting a variety of entertainment from Thursday – Saturday.

A few more arty things to see in Gaithersburg include the annual Gaithersburg Book Festival, which takes place each spring (budget willing); the Gaithersburg Community Museum, which is open Thursday – Saturday from 10 AM-2 PM; the Art in Public Places Program; and the annual Celebrate Gaithersburg in Olde Towne Street Festival, which occurs each September. There are also free Backyard Movies during the summer and Oktoberfest each October. And if that doesn’t satisfy the art patron in you, I don’t know what will.

Interested in Living in Gaithersburg?

Check out apartments for rent in Gaithersburg, and take advantage of its convenience and community.