I'm Going to ALA

Hi Everyone,
This is just a quick update to let you know that I will be at ALA this weekend and for the beginning of next week. I'm not really taking a haitus but I'm also not really going to be around much so I thought I would just give you a quick heads up in case you were wondering where I am.

Also, I'm letting you know I'm going in case you are going as well. I know a few bloggers and bookish friends are also on their way there so if you are one of them and you see me, say hello. If I look intimidating because I'm super tall and not at all smiling, don't worry, I'm a gentle giant. I love meeting fellow bloggers whether I knew you before or not so please say hi.

This is my first time going to ALA so I'm not really sure what to expect but I'm exciting. I've been to BEA or Book Expo but I wasn't able to go this year because of reasons but I needed my bookish conference fix so ALA Annual it is. ALA is the American Library Association and they hold two conferences a year. This is the big one, the annual one. It's in Chicago this year which is where BEA was last year so at least I know the conference hall well.

 I've heard from some blogger friends who have been in the past that ALA tends to be a little more chill than BEA. Not as many long lines and there aren't really galley drops. You kind of just walk around the booths and chat with publicists and see what books they have to offer. I am all for that. I hate lines and crowds so as little as that as possible sounds great. I also don't have a ton of publicist contacts so I'm hoping to make some while I am there. Have you been to ALA? What was it like?

I was honestly a little bummed about not going to BEA this year. It is the first time since I started blogging seriously that I haven't gone and just felt really weird. The lead up to it just didn't feel right. I felt like I should be doing something to prepare and I wasn't. Then when I saw people there the FOMO hit. I wanted to be hanging out in lines with my blogger friends, I wanted to be meeting favorite authors, I wanted those book hauls. But then I remembered that I would be going to ALA in a few short weeks and that it would be just as exciting and fun. I know a few bloggers going already and I'm excited to meet some more as well as some librarians.

And of course I am ready to meet some amazing authors. I am super excited to see that some of the authors I really wanted to meet at BEA are also going to ALA. Including some that have been on my must meet author list which is cool. I can't wait to meet them and tell them how much I love their books. I will probably be awkward. I will almost certainly be awkward.

Authors I'm Excited to Meet

Marie Lu - Signing Warcross

Anna-Marie McLemore - Signing Wild Beauty

Sharon Cameron - Signing The Knowing

Cat Winters - Signing Odd and True

E. Lockhart - Signing Genuine Fraud

Maggie Steifvater - Signing All the Crooked Saints

Kerri Maniscalso -Signing Hunting Prince Dracula

Alexandra Bracken - Signing The Dreadful Case of Prosper Redding 

Any authors you know going that I should make sure I meet and talk to? Any books you know that will be there that you think I should make sure I pick up?

And I'm sure I will come home with way more books than I planned. I don't exactly know what books will be there besides the few that I have seen the ones that have been mentioned with the meet the authors but I'm sure there will be even more than that as giveaways at the publisher's booths. I will need to restrain myself like I tried to do at BEA the last couple of years. Although driving instead of flying does make it easier to take home excess books. NO! I will be good. Anyways, look out for my hauls on Instagram and Snapchat. Also, if you are not following me there and on Twitter, be sure to do that if you want updates and stuff. But I will of course do a recap when I get back.

Alright, that's all I got. See you soon, ALA! Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!