BookExpo 2017: Day 2 Recap

BookExpo (previously known is BookExpo America) is book industry trade show that will took place May 31, 2017 to June 2, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York City. This is an awesome event to network, to learn about upcoming titles and to immerse yourself in everything bookish. BookExpo is the leading book and author event for the North American publishing industry. I was fortunate enough to attend this year as an educator and blogger. I only attended the expo on June 1st and June 2nd. Check out my recap for Day 1 of BookExpo here.

Day 2 of BookExpo

Selina and I woke up around 7:30, got ready and went to Starbucks for a quick breakfast before gathering all of belongings to bring to Javits. We Ubered to the Javits and checked all of our bags since we plan to head to Penn Station from the Javits in the afternoon. This time we got to the Javits earlier than the previous day and had time to skim through the Show Daily for last minute galley giveaways. I was successful in securing a copy of There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins which was one of the priority books of the day. It was dropped right when the Exhibit Hall opened and I am so glad to be one of the lucky ones to get a copy.

I went to Macmillan to get a ticket for the 10:00 Dan Santat's  signing before heading to Penguin for the 9:30 Celeste Ng signing. Celeste was signing Little Fires Everywhere. Although she is lives locally to where I live, I wanted to meet her for the first time since I wasn't able to attend any of her events when her debut book came out. Her line was fairly long but the wait wasn't too bad. She is so nice too. I was able to chat with her for a bit while she signed my copy.

I went to Macmillan afterwards and stood in line to get a copy of After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again). I was chatting with a librarian behind me who traveled from Virginia for BookExpo. Her sister was also in the city but she was sightseeing. I found out she was planning to head to Boston after the BookExpo on the weekend to visit for a few days. Of course I had to ask what her plans were and gave some suggestions. I love how Macmillan entertained people waiting in line with those cartoon cutouts where you put your head in. We also got After the Fall tote bags too. They are fairly big and have a front pocket.

Afterwards, I went to the Autographing Area to get a copy of You'll Never Know, Dear by Hallie Ephron signed. I met Shelley Michael who wrote All Aboard. Unfortunately, I did not get a ticket for Jan Brett but that's okay since Jan Brett line was super long. The line for Jason Reynolds was too long and apparently Simon & Schuster cut the line fairly early for Long Way Down. Jason Reynolds is pretty amazing. I managed to meet him a couple times at past events. I did manage to stop by to get a copy of The South's Best Butts: Pitmaster Secrets for Southern Barbecue Perfection by Matt Moore. Matt couldn't make it to the signing because his daughter was born the previous day. Congrats to Matt!

I ended up taking a lunch break and went to retrieve my left overs from the previously day from my suitcase after I dropped off my books. I met up with Selina in the food court to relax, eat and to chat for a bit. I had a lot of free time since my next thing on my schedule wasn't until 1:30ish.

MarcyKate signing Shadow Weaver

I went to the Exhibit Hall after eating and just walked around until about 15 minutes before the Shadow Weaver signing at Sourcebooks. MarcyKate Connolly was signing galleys of her upcoming MG fantasy novel called Shadow Weaver. This title is my second priority book of the day. I have met MarcyKate several times and it was nice seeing her again. I wasn't able to meet Kerri Maniscalco in person at BEA because of her signing line being so short. I was hoping to see her on the floor between signings but no avail. I have a copy of her upcoming book, Hunting Prince Dracula, and I didn't want to take time away from those who want to get an ARC signed. Kerri will be attending the Boston Teen Author Festival in September so I will definitely have a chance to chat with her then.

I probably stood in line to see Anna-Marie McLemore for awhile. That line was fairly long but I wanted to say hi and also to obtain a copy of Wild Beauty. I was surprised Anna-Marie said I looked familiar and asked if we met up sometime in the past. We did meet for the first time last year at ALA Midwinter in Boston. Crazy how she vaguely remembered me. She is too sweet and I love how she signed galleys with a teal sharpie!

Julie Dao signing Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

The next and last thing I did for the day was to meet Julie Dao who wrote Forest of a Thousand Lanterns! That's my last priority for the day and every minute waiting was worth it! Marci, Ashley and I didn't have to wait too long. Julie is oh so nice! She remembered me on twitter and we chatted about the upcoming title and I mentioned about how Melody kept raving about the book.

Selina had one more signing while I retrieved my bags and reorganized my books in my luggage. I
met up with Selina and after she got her bags and we Ubered to Penn Station for our train that was departing around 4:40ish. We got there at 4:00 to give us time to get food and do a bathroom trip. Unfortunately, our train was delayed an hour or so so we chilled in the waiting room the whole entire time. I couldn't wait to arrive at South Station in Boston. I felt like the trip home took forever. Selina and I hugged and said our farewells before I took the silver line to the airport where by boyfriend picked me up to head home.

Overall, BookExpo and NYC was a memorable trip even though Selina and I were only there for about 50 hours. I thought it might be my last trip to BookExpo but I might end up going next year since it will be in NYC once again. Some of my favorite moments including new people in lines and chatting with them and having mini chats with Emma from Miss Print and Nicole from The Bookbandit Blog. I am glad I was able to see Emma and Nicole at least a couple times during BookExpo even though it was for a short time.

BookExpo 2017: Day 1 Recap

BookExpo (previously known is BookExpo America) is book industry trade show that will took place May 31, 2017 to June 2, 2017 at the Javits Center in New York City. This is an awesome event to network, to learn about upcoming titles and to immerse yourself in everything bookish. BookExpo is the leading book and author event for the North American publishing industry. I was fortunate enough to attend this year as an educator and blogger. I only attended the expo on June 1st and June 2nd.

Off to NYC

BookExpo went by so fast but I had so much fun meeting people and reuniting with friends. On Wednesday, May 31st, Selina and I met up at South Station and took the Amtrak to Penn Station. The trip felt fairly quick. After we arrived at Penn Station, we ended up Ubering to the Javits Center to pick up our badges and then headed to our Airbnb. I got to see the Warcross banner go up when I was wandering around the Javits for a bit which was pretty awesome.

I totally forgot how small NYC apartments are but it was doable for our needs for the next couple of nights. Our Airbnb host was super nice and her apartment was located in a good location of Hell's Kitchen. It was very convenient to get around the city. We ended up getting some Italian food at 44 Southwest Ristorante & Bar near by the apartment and I ended up picking up a milk tea at the Vivi Bubble Tea shop. Both of us were excited about the first day of BookExpo and unfortunately for me, I didn't really get much sleep.

Day 1 of BookExpo

Selina and I woke up around 7:15-7:30 and went to a diner down the street for some breakfast. We didn't get to the Javits until a bit after 9:00. I believe we were on the floor by 9:04 and it's nuts how most of the galley giveaways were gone in minutes. We unfortunately didn't get anything in the morning and we decided to focus on our signings for the AM. I ended up going to Macmillan to get a ticket for the Katherine Applegate Wishtree signing at 10:00. I love how Macmillan paired up with First Book to give a book per wish initiative. For every wish written on a paper leaf sticky, a book is donated to a child.

After that I went do a quick round of the show floor to familiar myself with my surroundings before heading to the Autographing Area for the Margarita Engle and Mike Curato signing. It was so nice to see Mike again and he let me page through his upcoming Little Elliot book, Little Elliot, Fall Friends, while he signed my copy of All the Way to Havana. Everyone also got a Little Elliot signed print.

I proceeded to HarperCollins for a drop of Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire. The novel sounds interesting and it's a retelling of the Nutcracker. Some how I found Marci from The Plot Bunny wandering around the exhibit hall and I met her friend Ashley from The Tattered Page. We ended up chatting for a bit before heading to Macmillan for a galley drop for Girls Made of Snow and Glass. Then we proceeded to Bloomsbury for a drop of The Unicorn Quest: The Whisper in the Stone. Afterwards, the three of us went to the Rules of Magic signing line to meet Alice Hoffman at Simon & Schuster. I was so excited to meet Alice and the Rules of Magic is one of my most anticipated books to get for Thursday. The novel is the prequel to Practical Magic.

The Warcross line was super long but so worth it! The Penguin Random House are was swamped with people but I know Warcross is on a lot of people's TBR list. Disney was having a drop of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken which is MG novel. Marci, Ashley and I were able to get a copy. I had a quick lunch afterwards before heading toward HarperCollins for a drop of They Both Die at the End. It was interesting that the drop was during the same time as Adam Silvera's signing of the very same title. Since I've seen Adam so many times before and he will be at the Boston Teen Author Festival in Cambridge, MA in the fall, I didn't need to be in the signing line. I heard the signing was quite lengthy and some people couldn't meet Adam.

After the drop, I went to the Autographing Area to meet Rossella Rago and to get a finished copy of Cooking with Nonna. I cannot wait to try these fantastic Italian recipes at home. One of the adult fiction novels on my list was The Twelve-Mile Straight. I couldn't wait to meet Eleanor Henderson and she was super nice. I was excited that she recognized me from Twitter. Next on the list is Ringer by Lauren Oliver. I am looking forward to reading this sequel in the Replica series. Also, It's nice to see Lauren again. I had my ARC personalized to Elizabeth and Lauren told me how her sister got named after Elizabeth Bennet and how she got named after a neighbor. Lauren is always a pleasure to chat with.

I stopped by Sourcebooks for a drop of The List by Patricia Forde and totally forgot that Tamara Ireland Stone was signing Click'd at Disney. I had to meet Tamara since I loved Every Last Word and I definitely wanted to tell her how much I liked the book. I succeeded and was able to see her at 2:50. I can't believe I almost missed the chance to meet Tamara! 

Bloomsbury had a drop of Reign the Earth at 3:00 so when I was waiting in line for the Meg Kassel signing, I was able to get a copy. Entangled Teen had a booth for the first time at BookExpo and I was excited that Meg Kassel was going to be signing copies of Black Bird of the Gallows. This book has been on my TBR list for quite sometime and I wasn't sure if it was ever going to be published since it was dropped from Egmont when Egmont closed. I am so happy Entangled Teen picked it up! Meg is such a sweetheart too. She was definitely enthusiastic to be at BookExpo and I don't blame her :).

My last thing of the day was the pick up a cocktail and a finished copy of The Wildcrafted Cocktail. I have to say that the drink was delicious and very smooth. Cheers to the end of the first day of BookExpo!

I went to get my bag and met up with Selina. We caught an Uber back to the apartment and then we took a nap for an hour or so before we headed out for dinner. Selina and I met up with Josh, one of the MISTI-Con staff members who also happens to be Selina's friend. We ended up eating at Southern Hospitality BBQ for some pulled pork sandwiches. Selina wanted some Pink Berry so she got some froyo afterwards. Let's say we spent a good amount of time talking about the MISTI-Con that occurred last month and we came up with some ideas for MISTI-Con 2019. I can't wait for the next MISTI-Con!

After a long day, we got some sleep for the next day, which happens to be our last day in NYC. We had to make sure all our bags were pretty much packed before hitting the hay.

BookExpo 2017: Where to Find Me

BookExpo is around the corner and I still keep calling it BEA. Maybe it's because it's been BEA for many years and it's easier to say. For those who plan to be in New York during the last week of May going into the first week of June, I hope I can meet you somewhere at the Javits Center or somewhere in New York City for a bite to eat or for a coffee break. Below you can find a outline of some of the places I may be at during the week. I'm only planning to stay in the city from Wednesday, May 31 to Friday, June 2. Due to my previous trip in May, MISTI-Con, I can't stay in the city too long.

Check out some of my BookExpo tips from a previous BEA.

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

I will be taking the Amtrak from South Station located in Boston late morning to arrive at Penn Station in NYC mid-afternoon. My friend Selina and I will be checking into out Airbnb before venturing the city. Most likely we will pick up our badges that day but we don't mind picking them early Thursday morning. This year the floor is not open until Thursday.

I am not sure what we have planned but most likely a place to eat and maybe I can see if she wants to visit places like Books of Wonder, The Strand or maybe even stopping by the Jefferson Market Library for BlogBound Con.

Thursday, June 1, 2017  

Selina and I plan to wake up early this day but we'll see how things go. I am hoping that I can meet Katherine Applegate this year since I was not able to meet her in 2015. Her upcoming novel, Wishtree, is definitely on my TBR list. Obtaining All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle and Mike Curato is a must! Not only have I heard great things about the book but I love anything Mike Curato writes or illustrates! I would love to meet Alice Hoffman when she signs the prequel to Practical Magic called The Rules of Magic. The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson sounds like a fantastic novel and I would love to meet the author. Amy Tan will be signing Where The Past Begins samplers at the end of the day and I definitely want to meet her. I have been reading her books since 2001 and she's one of the authors that I want to meet in my lifetime. Meg Kassel will be signing her book Black Bird of the Gallows. The book has been on my TBR for awhile and I would love to meet Meg! The last thing on my list is to hopefully obtain a copy of

So the above are musts but there are a couple other things you might find me doing during the day depending on timing. I would love to obtain a galley of Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire, Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust and seeing Adam Silvera again when he is signing They Both Die at the End. I've met Lauren Oliver a couple of times and she's super nice. She is signing Ringer, which is the next book in the Replica series. Of course it would be nice to meet Rossella Rago who wrote the cookbook, Cooking with Nonna. There are also a few other cookbooks being highlighted on Thursday afternoon which I would love to chat with publicists about.

Friday, June 2, 2017

At the start of the day at 9:30, Celeste Ng will be signing Little Fires Everywhere. I have a feeling the line will be long for this one but it doesn't hurt to try to see if I can meet Celeste. Marie Lu will be signing Warcross around 11:00 and I have a feeling that the line will be super long but I will try my chances in trying to meet her. Jan Brett is signing The Mermaid and hopefully I will be lucky in the morning to obtain a ticket for this signing. I MUST obtain MarcyKate Connolly's upcoming novel, Shadow Weaver! I will have to make sure that I make this a priority and I plan to line up very early to make sure I get to say hi to MarcyKate again. Kerri Maniscalco is someone who I have been dying to meet ever since I heard about Stalking Jack the Ripper. Although I was lucky to get sent a copy of Hunting Prince Dracula, I would love to finally meet the lovely Kerri. I am excited that she will be visiting the Boston area in the fall for the Boston Teen Author Festival. To end the day, I would love to see if I can score a copy of Julie Dao's debut novel, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and to meet Julie. There is much buzz about this novel so we'll see how crazy it gets for the signing. The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert during a galley drop! This novel has been hyped a lot online and the synopsis sounds fantastic. I probably won't be able to get Hazelwood because I need to leave the Javits by 3:45.

Some of the other things I would like to do but aren't musts include meeting Kamilla Benko who wrote The Whisper in the Stone. The middle grade novel sounds like a fantastic read. Amanda Foody who wrote Daughter of the Burning City would be awesome to meet but I know Harlequin does the multi-author signings and it requires at least a 1.5 hour line up before meeting authors. Anna-Marie McLemore will be signing her upcoming book, Wild Beauty, which sounds fabulous!

Selina and I are leaving NYC around 4:45ish from Penn Station. This day will be a long one since we will be waking up early in the morning for BookExpo and we will be leaving the Javits early enough to head to Penn Station in order to get some food before departing to Boston. Estimated arrival time at South Station is a little bit after 9:00.

Are you going to BookExpo? If so, what are you excited for? Are there certain authors you hope to meet and titles you want to check out? Follow me on social media via the has tag #NicoleAtBookExpo. 

BEA and ARC frenzy

I know a lot of people are upset about the current news about the BEA and HarperCollins limiting physical ARCs. However, it's not the end of the world. BEA is a trade show mainly for the industry. Bloggers have been invited to BEA in the past but now there are restrictions about who can attend BEA. People need to realize that BEA is not an event for free ARCs. Yes, it can be an event to meet up with people but there are other events where you can meet up with friends. Other book festivals and book events are great places to catch up with old friends and to meet new ones. You can read more about the new BEA which is now called BookExpo here.

HarperCollins has been reducing how many physical ARCS are being sent out which is understandable. I knew for some quite while that many ARCs were going to be available in e-ARC format instead of print format. For publishers, it is an easier and a cheaper option. ARCS are quite expensive to produce so those who promote books to a larger following would be able to obtain physical ARCs. e-ARCs are not bad at all. Being offered the chance to read something early is called a privilege.

People also need to realize that you can blog without reading and reviewing ARCs. There are plenty of backlist titles out there to read. There are plenty of author events out there that you can attend and recap on your blog. And you know what? It can be pretty much almost free! The library provides free books to borrow. You only have to pay for transportation and food for the author events. There are also other things you can blog about. You can create your own feature, post about a book tag or even do a collab with other bloggers or even authors!

Also, this is a great way to return to your roots. Why did you start blogging? I am pretty sure it wasn't for free ARCs or books. In fact, many people don't even know what an ARC is when they first started blogging. Return back to the days where you will blog for fun and when you didn't stress out about reading, obtaining more titles and trying to outdo other bloggers.

Do you know what has been refreshing lately? Not reading ARCs all the time. Yes, you heard right. I have been taking a break from reading ARCs for awhile and it feel amazing! I am not saying that ARC reading is bad but sometimes I need a break from the ARC frenzy. Of course I am still reading but I am reading at a slower pace. I am not putting myself on a reading schedule and I am reading when I feel like reading. I will read some ARCs here and there but reading what I want and when I want is great. Toss out that reading schedule!

Lately, I have been utilizing my library for books. There are also many backlist books I want to pick up. Of course I have some pre-orders for books too but I am trying to budget since the holidays are around the corner. Instead of buying books for myself, I am buying books for friends and family.

With ARCs, it's best to read them before the publication date. I don't like reading ARCs after the titles have been published due to the many changes the finished copies have. ARCs are best promoted prior to the publication date to spread the word around. An ARC is usually given to someone in exchange for a review. Many times, people who love the ARC will spread the word about the title to their friends and readers of their blogs and reviews. However, sometimes it's nice to take a break and read what you want.

To tie this in with the BEA and ARC frenzy, I noticed many people wanting and taking ARCs but not reading them. This is actually more of a disservice for the authors and publishers. I mean, it's okay to read the title and passing it along if the book is not for you but the fact that people are purposely hoarding books to sell or trade is not that great. Also, the running to get ARCs at BEA is horrible. Seeing people swarm over publisher booths is distasteful. It's unprofessional and it gives a bad name for bloggers and that is why the publishing industry is changing their marketing tactics. These new tactics also might spark some new originality for your blog. ARC reviews are not everything.

Instead of quantity of books I read, I want to focus on the quality. I know not all books are for everyone but there has been some books that have been over-hyped and I am disappointed when I read them. I am hoping to read more books that I truly want to read instead of being sucked up into what is popular because frankly most of my well loved books are not popular titles...well maybe except Harry Potter but that's a different story.

Do you ever have an ARC break? Do you toss out that reading schedule and read what you want? What do you think about the current BEA and ARC controversy that has been going around social media? What do you think about returning back to your blogging roots? Share you thoughts in the comments below.

BEA 2015 Recap Part II

If you missed out my first BEA 2015 recap, check it out here.

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Selina and I both got up around 6:15 to get ready in the morning. We had breakfast at the hotel again before walking to the Javits. Of course we picked up the Show Daily and checked in our bags. Selina had the Adult Author's Breakfast so I ended up meeting Marci and Vania from Reading in the Tardis near Starbucks. Marci was super excited about the Eterna Files that I was able to get signed for her. I also gave Marci a few tickets for the Autographing Area. The three of us ended up looking through the Show Daily to plan out the day. It was nice meeting Marci and Vania since they live in Massachusetts. I met Marci on Goodreads through the BEA group and I find it amusing how we have a lot of mutual friends who have a huge love for Harry Potter. I swear, Harry Potter unites me with the best people ever.

We ended up heading upstairs to line up for the Exhibit Hall. My first stop was Scholastic to look for the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone illustrated version sampler which I managed to get right around 9:00. Yes, it's only a sampler but it's freaking Harry Potter! So of course I had to get it because it's gorgeous! I cannot wait for the finished copy to be out in October. How fitting for my October festivities?

The sampler is in full color and includes the Keeper of the Keys chapter complete with beautiful illustrations. This is just a sneak peak of the book but I want the book more after reading the sampler. Seriously, I cannot say no to more Harry Potter books. I do not collect all editions of Harry Potter like some others do. I pick and choose what editions I want to own because the costs add up. Also, I spend a good amount of my money investing into Harry Potter events. I love creating memories infused with the magic of Harry Potter. Selina and I actually met through MISTI-Con 2013 before we became BEA buddies. Harry Potter will never let me down! It encourages me to move forward and to experience the magic!

Right after hitting up Scholastic, I went to the Autographing Area to line up for Josephine Angelini's signing of Firewalker. I enjoyed Trial by Fire so I had to get my hands on Firewalker. Also, I wasn't able to meet Josephine last year so she was on my list of authors to meet this year. Waiting in the unofficial line paid off since I was near the front of the signing line and I was able to hop into two more lines right after I met Josephine. In a matter of 15 minutes, I met Josphine, Mary Kubica and A.S. King. I was so excited to meet Mary because it freed up my time for later in the afternoon and Pretty Baby sounds pretty amazing. I met A.S. King before but I wanted to see her again and to get I Crawl Through It.

I would say at least half the books I obtained this day were signed. I was able to pick up a couple of picture books, both signed at the Autographing Area. I was a little bummed that the line was so long for Jesse Eisenberg even with a ticket but there were so many other things I wanted to do on Thursday so it wasn't a huge deal. I was able to get my hands on a Shadowhunters tote bag as well as a sampler of Lady Midnight! I seriously cannot wait until Lady Midnight is released next March. I was so happy to get my hands on Infinite in Between and to meet Carolyn Mackler! This is one of my top things on my schedule and I was very happy the line was fairly short. Sometime afterwards, I went to line up for the drop of Simon Thorn and the Wolf's Den at Bloomsbury. I was very excited about this title even though it's middle grade.

The 2 o'clock hour was the most intense hour ever. I had three things going on at the same time and somehow I managed to make it to all three. I went to Penguin Random House right after the Bloomsbury stop and asked when I can line up to meet C. Alexander London. A publicist told me to go to the information desk in the center of the booth and that person told me to see another publicist at the first table I went to. Finally, I got information where I can line up. I was the first in line and I actually kind of felt bad because by the time the signing started, only six people were in line for the signing. Half the line included me, Vania and Marci. However, it was lovely to see Alex again. I meet him last year at BEA for a Guardian signing and now I was able to chat with him about his upcoming middle grade book, The Wild Ones, which is reminiscent of The Redwall series. Penguin even snapped a picture of Alex giving me my copy of The Wild Ones which I don't recall happening but it's on Twitter so it definitely happened. Now I am scared to see what other random pictures of me are floating on the internet.

Going "wild" at @ca_london's #BEA15 signing of #TheWildOnes! pic.twitter.com/vBU66G0BeG

— PenguinTeen (@PenguinTeen) May 28, 2015

Right after the signing, I went to Disney to pick up a cupcake, a Magnus Chase foam shield and a Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, The Sword of Summer sampler. The shield definitely doubles up as a butt pad and I also used it in my pillowcase to firm up the super soft pillows at the hotel when I was sleeping at night. I made a dash to HarperCollins to meet Soman Chainani for a signed poster of The Last Ever After and I also picked up an Ever button. I was surprised his line was so short.  I guess you can say the 2 o'clock hour was the Middle Grade hour.

Can I say that the Libba Bray line was super long? It pretty much wrapped along the front entrance of the Exhibit Hall. I was able to meet Melissa G. there who is a friend of Molly's. Nicole was there as well and I believe Nicole was holding Emma's spot since Emma was in another signing line at the time. I had to bail on the Libba Bray line because not only was it ticketed but the line was never-ending. Sometime in the afternoon, I also bumped into Kim from Book Munchies.

I ended up meeting up with Melissa and Elizabeth at the Bloggers/Authors meet up and was introduced to a few authors and bloggers. I was fortunate enough to meet up with Xander from Forever Bookish who is a huge Harry Potter fan as well. We connected on Twitter not too long ago and I was excited to finally meet him in person. We wandered around the Exhibit Hall sometime after Melissa and I went to line up for the After Alice drop at HarperCollins. I picked up a copy of A Little in Love right when I was waiting since Scholastic's booth was in the next aisle over from HarperCollin's.


I met up with Selina afterwards and we ended up checking out our luggage before walking back to the hotel. We cooked up some french toast and eggs for dinner before I ended up heading toward The New Yorker to meet up with Marci. Marci and I went to the restaurant there to meet up with Liza Wiemer which was nice because both of us were super excited to meet Liza and we were both excited about her debut novel, Hello? Day 2 was a success!

Marci, Liza and I at The New Yorker

BEA 2015 Recap Part I

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

So after five days of Harry Potter fun, I headed to New York City and met up with Selina to enjoy a week of everything bookish. I took an Amtrak train from South Station late morning on Tuesday and arrived into the city around 3:20ish. The hotel was about 6 or so blocks from Penn Station and I met up with Selina at the hotel. We ended up going to a local market around the corner and made a nice pasta dinner with salad with bread and butter.

I was running a bit late for the Jenny Han's P.S. I Still Love You Release party but I did attend. I was fine navigating the subway but once I got off the subway, I was walking toward the wrong direction. It took me awhile to find where Powerhouse Arena is located but I made it! I purchased two copies of P.S. I Still Love You, one for me and one for Elizabeth from Book YAbber and Novelty Podcast. I met up with Emma from Miss Print upstairs along with my OTSPSecretSister aka Nicole from The Book Bandit. Can I say that Nicole is the best secret sister ever? I always look forward to her cute notes and well picked out surprises. I was super excited to meet Emma and Nicole since I've been talking to them on Twitter for quite some while. I met up with Melissa from Novelty Podcast who introduced me to Britt from Please Feed the Bookworm.

Jenny Han's Release Party!

The release party was quite epic. There was a makeover area, a nail area, photo shoot area where you can "sit" in Lara Jean's room and of course the signing with Jenny Han. Since I arrived late, I received an orange ticket. Groups were called up by ticket color in order to minimize the craziness. When my ticket was called, I went to stand in the signing line. I finally got to meet Jenny and it was pretty epic! Jenny said I looked familiar and then remembered my name. It totally made my day. I was able to get a picture with Jenny after she signed my copy of To All the Boys I've Loved Before, P.S. I Still Love You and My True Love Gave to Me. I had her personalize and sign a copy of P.S. I Still Love You for my friend Elizabeth as a super early birthday present. Let's say that Elizabeth was super happy about this!

Thanks Melissa for taking this photo!

Melissa and I were able to get our photos taken at the photo booth. Of course I blinked in my copy of the photo and Melissa half blinked in her copy. Emma, Nicole and I ended up walking back to get the train and I ended up planning Wednesday's schedule with Selina before heading to bed.

Melissa and I at release party's photo booth

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Let's say that Selina and I woke up around 9:00-10:00 since the Exhibit Hall at the Javits wasn't opening until 1:00. This is the only day we were able to sleep in and we took advantage of it. Selina and I had breakfast at the hotel before walking to the Javits. Let's just say that our hotel is less than a 15 minute walk and I already heard stories about the shuttle running late. Some people I knew on Twitter tweeted that they were waiting 30-60 minutes for the shuttle. Selina checked in her bag before we picked up the Publisher's Weekly Show Daily. I didn't bring a bag because it was a half day and I planned to share Selina's bag. There were so many things in the Show Daily that I had to revamp my Wednesday schedule. We didn't line up until 12:50ish. We didn't plan to line up for Truthwitch was a plus for us since we were able to hit more booths instead of waiting in the crazy line.

The Exhibit Hall in the morning

I thought Wednesday was going to be my calmest day. I only had two things on my list that I had to do. I wanted to make it to the drop for Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales and I wanted to meet Mike Curato for an in-booth signing of Little Elliot, Big Family. Meeting Mike was a must for me since I missed the chance to meet him last year at BEA. Little did I know that there were tons of drops on Wednesday. I picked up galley drop schedules at most of the publishers that I was interested in. These schedules were major lifesavers. I believe I picked up the most ARCs this day and it also freed up my schedule for Thursday and Friday. I wanted to spend more time in the Autographing Area on Thursday and Friday so I definitely took advantage of the scheduled drops, primarily HarperCollins drops and maybe one Penguin drop.

I believe I went to two ticketed signings in the Autographing Area but I caught the end tails of both lines in order to maximize my time on the floor. I was fortunate to pick up a galley of The Copper Gauntlet. Britt and I were asking Scholastic if they had more copies in the back. I am surprised there wasn't a line this year. I remember I had to wait at least 20 minutes for The Iron Trial drop last year. I picked up a copy of Illuminae for my friend Molly from Cherry Blossoms & Maple Syrup before attending more of the scheduled events. I was fortunate enough to meet Margie from Bumbles and Fairy-Tales very briefly when I was waiting in the Tonight the Streets Are Ours drop line. I love her little bee Moo business cards. They are so adorable! I also met Dana from Dana Square in the same drop line was well. It's so nice to meet people in person.

Meeting Mike Curato was pretty awesome. I got a ticket at Macmillan 30 minutes prior to the signing and of course I got number three! Elizabeth and I were able to take a picture with Elliot and his big family when we waited in the Mike Curato line. It was such a cute way to get fans excited about the new book while we waited. I was super excited when Mike recognized me. I usually chat with him on Twitter and I am constantly retweeting many of his tweets. Little Elliot is super special to me not only because Little Elliot is an elephant but he reminds me of Olivia the pig and Olivia is super important to me during my high school years.

Elizabeth and I joined Little Elliot's family. Photo credit: Elizabeth and Devin

My calmest day of the week became pretty hectic and probably the busiest. I don't recall all the times of the drops but I know I went to at least 3-4 drops which had more than one book being dropped at the same time. I am pretty sure I left the Javits after the Eterna Files signing and ended up meeting Selina back at the hotel. Four hours of craziness was pretty productive. Selina and I made grilled cheese sandwiches and pasta salad before we headed to check out Carlo's Bake Shop in Times Square. After we got back to the hotel, we ended up eating dessert and started planning for Thursday.

This is how I felt on Wednesday. Thank you Selina for picking this up!