BEA Recap: The Most Exhausting Fun a Booknerd Can Ever Have!

If you weren’t entirely aware last week I was able to make the pilgrimage to the Mecca of authors, publishers, and books known as Book Expo America. I don’t get many ARCs normally and I have to say, I went a little crazy. I was like a kid in a candy store or that college freshman who has been so overprotected that they party a little too hard! That being said, here are some of my highlights from the week.

Day 1: Book Blogger Con

On Wednesday I headed to the Javits bright and early for Book Blogger Con. I originally sat at an empty table but decided that this was the opportunity to meet new people so I joined a table with a few fellow bloggers and met the very nice Cecilia, Marybeth, Nicole, and a few others. Everyone was very friendly and we decided to spend our meals together. First we had a Keynote with the hilarious Maureen Johnson then it was off to the panels and workshops. I learned a lot about designing the blog and how it sets the tone for the rest of the site. I will probably have a redesign coming soon. I also got to meet the delightful Kat Kennedy from Cuddlebuggery who was very sweet and friendly. Then after lunch I went to a few panels about BookTube which I’ve thought about for awhile. After the last workshop there was a little party with live music (Tiger Beat which includes the fabulous Libba Bray) and I was surprised with some books I have been looking forward to. At the party I spotted Alexandra Bracken (who was in the last panel) across the room and had a fangirl moment. She signed the copy of The Darkest Minds we had just gotten and I shared my love of Vida and my hopes for the series. She was so sweet and even hugged me!

Day 2: Where I Was Slightly Overwhelmed!

Thursday, the first day of BEA, I headed to the Javits very early because I wanted to get a ticket for the signing of Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire. I got my ticket and got right into the very long coffee line. UGH… That line! Seriously if you love lines, BEA is the place to be. I saw a few bloggers I recognized but was still a little shy so I didn’t really say hi, which I kind of regret. When the doors opened up I wandered around a little to get the lay of the land and saw Marybeth again, and we headed to the autographing of Rooms by Lauren Oliver. She was very sweet and we talked about creepy houses and ghosts (I may have mentioned Caspar). After that I headed to Macmillan for the Rainbow Rowell signing but they were out of tickets! But I did get to see Rainbow and took a creepy stalker pic! Then it was off to the Harlequin booth for their Young Adult signing. They were still having an adult signing so I went to a few booths to check in with their galley drops. When I got back in the Harlequin line with Marybeth I got to meet some more amazing bloggers including Elizabeth from Redhead Reader who is amazing and her husband who I waited in many lines with throughout the week! And I also attacked and met Octavia from Read.Sleep.Repeat and Nikki from There Were Books Involved (more on them later). In the Harlequin signing I got to meet some great authors including the very nice Julie Kagawa and Jennifer L. Armentrout who I shared my similarities with the characters in Don’t Look Back (and made me creeped out about people hiding in my car). By this point I was starving so I went out to the cafeteria and spotted Elizabeth so I ate lunch with her and spotted Jamie from Perpetual Page Turner who I had a quick hug with as she hustled off to a signing. After lunch I went to the signing of The Things You Kiss Goodbye and instead of going to another signing I went to Macmillan for their galley drop of Bitter Greens, a book I have been waiting to be published in the US for years. It was such an exciting surprise! I headed right to Gregory Maguire to get a good spot in line though I could have hit one more signing I was pretty satisfied with my day.

Day 3: Where I Did Better With the Signings.

Friday I headed to the Javits a little later and decided to get coffee and a bagel along the way instead of waiting in the crazy line. Seriously you guys at the bagel carts along the way you can get a bagel and coffee for under $3. When they let us in I decided to start by stopping at the booths and get schedules so I could hit more galley drops. Then I headed to Harlequin to wait for their 10AM adult signing. At that signing I got some books I was looking forward to including The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst. After that I was hovering around Macmillan for the Landline drop when I spotted someone with The Magician’s Land, one of my most anticipated books of the year! I booked it to Penguin thinking it was just a drop but it turned out to be a signing. I had a total fangirl moment and Lev Grossman probably thought I was so creepy! I then tried to go to two drops I had missed and they were both out so I headed to the signing of Blackbird and chatted with Anna Carey about second-person narratives. I noticed that while there are so many signings at one time so if you walk by and see a line that’s not too bad you can go to multiple signings at the same time, I got Since You’ve Been Gone and The Betrayers that way. By that point I was starving so I went to get a $10 to go with my sandwich (seriously bring food, a $3 banana is a rip off!). After lunch I went to a drop at HarperTeen who made me pick between three books I wanted, I know it’s a little overly dramatic but it was like Sophie’s Choice! Then it was off to Holly Black signing and oh god that line was insane but everyone was so nice. I then jumped into the Heather Demetrios line where I met Kim from The Midnight Garden. We had a whole conversation about how amazing Sansa is in A Song of Ice and Fire and how one day the "Sansa haters" will eat their words! When I met Heather we talked about magical systems a little bit and she said I was dressed “jinni chic.” From there I headed to a few more drops and my feet were throbbing! I had planned to go to the Book Blogger picnic but my aching feet, the prediction of rain, and the idea of going downtown when I had to head back uptown sounded very unappealing but I totally regret this decision. But I did find a great shuttle bus that took me to Grand Central so I didn’t have to walk!

Day 4: UGH… Book Con! 

So after two days I thought I had it all figured out and then BookCon happened! There were twice as many people in the same space and the BookCon side was like a layer of Inferno unknown by Dante, it was that hellish! So I spent most of my morning on the BEA side in a few “not a line lines” at HarperCollins. These lines all included Octavia who is a fantastic front of the line person and the fabulous Nikki. We spent most of the morning chatting and directing others where the lines started. Then when I was at Macmillan I had a great chat with someone who I told I missed out on Landline twice and she informed me they were having a BookCon panel where there were ARCs available so I braved that side of the floor and got a copy! I then headed to Little Brown to meet up with Octavia and Nikki for their 11am and Noon drops. The noon drop was totally insane and I barely escaped with my life but I got a copy of Salt & Storm. Thankfully Octavia was in control of the stampede and pulled us through before it got out of hand. I can’t wait to spend more time in line with these two next year! From there I headed to the bathroom, but my slightly hidden bathroom ended up being right by the BookCon side making me so late for the Dorothy Must Die signing I ended up giving up knowing I wouldn’t get a copy (also the line overtook my spot when I was talking to Elizabeth). So I hid in a corner of the floor until my last signing of the day, Jen McConnel who was lovely and sweet. As I was on my way out a woman offered me a free slice of pizza that I gladly took! It was a great way to end BEA!

Then on Sunday I headed back to Pittsburgh with my mind full of memories and my car full of books!

It was insane, overwhelming, and exhausting but I loved it so much!  I think the only thing I regret is not saying hello to more bloggers earlier. It was so great meeting the people I did but there were a few folks I would have liked to have met or talked to more. I also wish I had talked to more publishers when there wasn’t crazy galley drops. The last day I realized that they are all very nice and want to chat about their books if it isn’t mass chaos. I also wish I had taken more pictures. After the first few days I just sort of stopped taking them. It was great staying in the Bronx with my brother because it was free and I could relax in the evenings but it definitely made me antisocial, I wish I was able to hang out more. I will definitely be going back and now that I know what I’m doing I’m very excited.

Did you go to BEA? What were some of your highlights? Leave me a comment with your thoughts

Waiting on Wednesday: BEA Edition

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

I saw the ladies of Read. Sleep. Repeat do this last week and I thought what a brilliant idea! Today is my first day at BEA for the Blogger Con. If you see this and you are also at BEA come say hello. Here's how to recognize me. Tomorrow starts all the crazy festivities with autographing, galley drops, and panel discussions. It's all a little overwhelming but exciting at the same time. There are so many places to be and sadly I can't be in more than one place at one, so a girl's gotta prioritize. So here are my top 5 must haves from BEA 14

1.) Rooms by Lauren Oliver
Amazon Goodreads

Synopsis: Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance. 

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant

Why I'm Waiting: Creepy house, excellent writing, the perfect Halloween red!

2.) Talon by Julie Kagawa
Amazon Goodreads

Synopsis: Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons

Why I'm Waiting: Two words, DRA-GONS!

3.) Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini
Amazon Goodreads
Synopsis: Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted...which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily's life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem - one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian . . . Lily's identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn't understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can't hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

Why I'm Waiting: Young Adult fantasy involving the witches of Salem? It's all I've ever wanted!

4.) Blackbird by Anna Carey
Amazon Goodreads

Synopsis: This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her.

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined.

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists

Why I'm Waiting: A mystery told in the second person? Too creative to pass up!

5.) Jackaby by William Ritter
Amazon Goodreads

Synopsis: "Jackaby sighed and drew to a stop as we reached the corner of another cobbled street. He turned and looked at me with pursed lips. Let s see, he said at last. I observed you were recently from the Ukraine. A young domovyk has nestled in the brim of your hat. More recently, you seem to have picked up a Klabautermann, a kind of German kobold attracted to minerals. Most fairy creatures can t touch the stuff. That s probably why your poor domovyk nestled in so deep. "Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary--including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police--with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane--deny.Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre."

Why I'm Waiting: It's a young adult Historical Mystery involving the paranormal. That's everything I love in one place!

What are your most anticipated books to pick up at BEA? Are you waiting on any of these books? BEA brings the term waiting to a whole new level. Now I will be waiting in line for these books. If you're in line too I look forward to meeting you! HAPPY READING!

Obligatory BEA Getting to Know You Post!

I apologize in advance to all my followers unable to attend BEA. I know it can be frustrating that it's all BEA all the time these days. I get overwhelmed with it and I am going! But Book Expo America, better known as BEA is fast approaching and I know a lot people, like me are really excited to go and learn about the exciting books coming our this fall, meet some amazing authors and get signed books, and meet fellow bloggers and book enthusiasts! But this is the second largest book conference in the world, there will be thousands of people there. How will we recognize one another? How will you know it's me when I say hi and that I love your blog? Don't worry, I got you covered.

I've seen a few fellow bloggers (Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner, Brittany at The Book Addicts Guide, and the ladies at Read.Sleep.Repeat) doing this and I think it's an amazing idea so here's a little info about me so we can meet at BEA. 

If you see me in line or across the room come say hi or if this face comes up to you and awkwardly asks if you're you from your blog you'll recognize me! 

Important Things to Know About Me 

 - I'm six foot two but I rarely stand up straight. My height does come in handy at events like this because I can see over the crowd but I also have a tendency to walk into people because I'm looking at my eye level. Sorry if I bump into you!

- I have long brown hair which is way too long right now. You will probably never see it down. If you do it's because I'm annoyed with it. Most of the time it will be in a ponytail, bun, or sidebraid ala Katniss.

 - I read most often on the Kindle app on my iPhone so if you see me staring at my phone that's why. Or I'm on Twitter. Either way you should interrupt me and ask me what I'm reading. Then we can talk books and other fun stuff!

 - I'm not a morning person at all! I will probably be pretty groggy for the first few hours and then be highly caffeinated until after lunch. You may be able to find me at the coffee cart or drinking out of my slate gray Starbucks travel mug.

 - I will be on vacation all week. I'm spending Memorial Day weekend visiting friends in Rhode Island and the two days leading up to BEA I will be going to the beach! Therefore I may look a little bit like a lobster, it's cool I'm bringing aloe vera.

 - I'm staying with my brother in Woodlawn in the Bronx. It's over an hour commute which means lots of reading but I probably won't hang out a lot afterwards. I am planning to go to the Bloggers picnic though. 

- As previously stated on my Twitter I have been told I suffer from "Bitchy Resting Face." If you see this face I'm not mad or sad, that's just my face. You should still say hi and if you talk about cats I'm sure it'll get me to smile!

- I'm attending the Book Blogger Con on Wednesday. I'm going alone but I hear it's better with a buddy. I'm cool with being a lone wolf but I would love to meet people at the Blogger Con and maybe find someone to hang with for the week. If you're flying solo and want to become buddies let me know!

- I sneeze a lot if I'm in air conditioning too long. So if I stop mid conversation and turn away, I'm probably going to sneeze.

- I'm really excited to meet everyone and talk about books. If you are interested in gushing with me I suggest mentioning A Song of Ice and Fire (books and TV show), Harry Potter, Rainbow Rowell, or any of the books in my Goodreads shelf! I also just finished The Falconer which, holy cliffhanger, I would love to talk about! Or cats. I'll even show you pictures of my cat if you ask!

I can't wait to see you all and meet you in less than a week! I'm slightly nervous, but it's the good kind of nervous.

 Are you going to BEA? Leave me a comment so I know who to say hi to.