BEA Recap: Day 3

Day 3: Tuesday

Tuesday was the first day of BEA which for us started with the Children's Author Breakfast featuring Julianne Moore, Katherine Paterson, Sarah Dessen, Brian Selznick, and Kevin Henkes. In addition to hearing these wonderful authors speak, we got a signed Freckleface Strawberry poster, an ARC of Wonderstruck, and finished copies of What Happened to Goodbye, Junonia, and Little White Rabbit. All of the authors were wonderful, and I was really glad I made the decision to attend. (For those of you who don't know, general admission was $20 and seated breakfast was $40. This is per person per breakfast (there was one each day) which may seem expensive, but to me the general admission was well worth the goodies and the speeches.)

After that I made my way to the autograph line for Rita Williams-Garcia's One Crazy Summer. Then I made my way over to the Sarah Dessen line which was ridiculously long but moved very quickly. After that Josh and I did a lot of wandering around and grabbed a bite to eat. At some point I saw a girl with an ARC of Jessica Rules the Dark Side, and I immediately booked it over to the Houghton Mifflin booth to request a copy. (I loved the first book so so much!) I was too intimidated to just flat out ask for review copies (even though it's perfectly fine to do), so Josh walked over to Scholastic and came back with ARCs of Forever and The Scorpio Races. The girl there told him she was going to make him the best fiance ever, and she was absolutely right :)

We got tickets (super cute magnets) for the Daniel Handler signing. I love the idea behind his YA title Why We Broke Up, so I HAD to get a copy. He literally took the time to tell a story to every single person in line, which I thought was really awesome of him. He told me the story of a middle school girlfriend also named Jamie and why they broke up. I also was able to get an autographed copy of A Touch Mortal which I've been wanting to read. Our last stop of the day was to the Ellie Krieger signing. Josh is a personal chef so he obviously had to stop by. I was really glad there was something there for him, too.

Later that night we headed to Brooklyn to visit Greenlight Bookstore and Di Fara for more pizza. Unfortunately Di Fara was closed and we missed our stop on the subway (multiple times...) so we ended up at a Mexican place in the West Village. Josh was a little disappointed with his dish, but I must say my enchiladas were out of this world. On our way back to the hotel we walked around Columbus Circle and snapped a few pictures before calling it a night.

At the hotel Josh, Michelle, John, and I looked at our spread and deemed day one of BEA a huge success!

Just in case you missed it, check out yesterday's post BEA Recap: Days 1 & 2

BEA Recap: Days 1 & 2

I went back and forth with myself trying to decide whether or not to do a recap post(s), but I know when I was preparing for BEA I couldn't get enough of them. I had so many questions, and there were so many things I didn't understand. So for those of you who might be going next year for the first time, I hope these posts answer some of your questions. For everyone else, I hope you at least enjoy the pictures and stories! I admit that I'm also using my blog as a scrapbook for my week in New York :)

Day 1: Sunday

After flying from New Orleans to Chicago to LaGuardia, we finally hit NYC just after 1pm. We then checked into our hotel, the Holiday Inn Midtown, which was one of the hotels designated for the ABA. After getting settled and taking a breather, we headed to Little Italy for some pizza. By Josh's recommendation, we ended up at Lombardi's, America's first pizzeria. After stuffing ourselves with some amazing food, we walked a few blocks to Eileen's Special Cheesecake which was recommended by our waitress.

Then we walked to a few more big tourist attractions including the Scholastic Store, Times Square, Radio City Music Hall, Rockefeller Center, the Lego Store, and St Patrick's Cathedral. Being my first time in New York, it was really amazing to see all the familiar sights in person. It was also a lot of fun to see Josh's reaction as he'd never even been on a subway before. Later that night, Random House hosted a cocktail party at our hotel for ABA members. (I guess I should explain that Josh and I were registered as ABA members because we traveled with my local booksellers, John and Michelle of Cavalier House Books.) I picked up a few books and got to talk to our New Orleans neighbors from Maple Street Book Shop. All in all it was a great day in the city, and we were wiped out after being up for so long.

Day 2: Monday

We got up bright and early to head down to the Javits Center to pick up our badges. Josh and I skipped out on the first half of the ABA Day of Education to fit in some sight seeing. We rode the subway down to Battery Park to see Lady Liberty. We were hoping to take the ferry out to actually tour the statue, but we didn't have enough time.

We got back on the subway and walked to Chinatown for some lunch. I must say Excellent Dumpling House did indeed have excellent dumplings and they were well worth the wait for them to open. After lunch we jetted back to Javits for a few afternoon classes. The first was Creating Events for Children, which gave me a ton of great ideas to bring to my local indie. The next was The Digital Market and the YA Audience. This one was also very interesting and featured one of my favorite authors, David Levithan. After the panel was over, with a lot of shoving from Josh, I introduced myself as one of his biggest fans and asked for a picture. As we were leaving I mentioned I would actually be seeing him later that afternoon at Teen Author Carnival. And then, something crazy happened.

He asked if we would like to split a cab with him. And then I apparently said yes because the next thing I knew I was sitting in a cab with David Levithan and having an actual conversation without having to breathe into a paper bag or vomit or squeal or anything else grossly embarrassing. Unfortunately the cab ride ended, but what awaited us at NYPL Mulberry was nothing short of amazing. Over 25 authors were there speaking, signing, and just being awesome. We sat in on the Kick Ass Females and Teenage Angst panels which respectively featured Malinda Lo, Carol Estby Dagg, Michelle Zink, Courtney Allison Moulton, Andrea Cremer, Elizabeth Scott, Michelle Hodkin, Kirsten Hubbard, Lisa Desrochers and David Levithan, Hannah Moskowitz, Melissa Walker, Susane Colasanti, Gayle Forman, Kody Keplinger, Torrey Maldonado, Caridad Ferrer, Ellen Hopkins. Both panels were hugely entertaining and insightful. Afterwards everyone lined up for the signings and Kristi from The Story Siren just happened to be right in front of me. It was nice chatting with her and putting an actual person with the blog. I got a huge stack of books signed, and I scored a Mara Dyer shirt and a Figment goody bag filled with ARCs and candy. All in all it was a great day, and we were wiped out by the time we got to the hotel that night.

Stay tuned for tomorrow when I recap last Tuesday, the first day of BEA!!

Waiting on Wednesday (25)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It features upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week's pick is...

Paper Covers Rock

Jenny Hubbard

Coming June 14 2011 - Preorder it below

Indiebound | BN | Amazon | Borders

From Goodreads:

At the beginning of his junior year at a boys' boarding school, 16-year-old Alex is devastated when he fails to save a drowning friend. When questioned, Alex and his friend Glenn, who was also at the river, begin weaving their web of lies. Plagued by guilt, Alex takes refuge in the library, telling his tale in a journal he hides behind Moby-Dick. Caught in the web with Alex and Glenn is their English teacher, Miss Dovecott, fresh out of Princeton, who suspects there's more to what happened at the river when she perceives guilt in Alex's writing for class. She also sees poetic talent in Alex, which she encourages. As Alex responds to her attention, he discovers his true voice, one that goes against the boarding school bravado that Glenn embraces. When Glenn becomes convinced that Miss Dovecott is out to get them, Alex must choose between them.

My thoughts:

There is more than one Hubbard in the world of YA, and I have found each to be fantastic. So I hope I'm not holding Jenny to an unfair height when I say I expect a lot. I love books told from a guy's point of view, and I especially love when a woman is able to capture a male's voice so well. I definitely have high hopes for this novel, and I don't think Jenny will disappoint.

Start spreadin' the news...

I'm leaving' today...

Well, tomorrow morning actually, but regardless of the exact time, I'll be boarding a plane for New York City to attend Book Expo America and Book Blogger Convention. I'll also be attending the ABA Day of Education with my favorite booksellers, Teen Author Carnival, and various other events throughout the week. There is a ridiculous amount of things I want to do and places I want to see in a short amount of time, but whatever. I'll sleep when I'm dead ;)

Things will be pretty quiet on the blog, but I'll be tweeting furiously and updating facebook for my mom because we both know I won't call as often as I should. (Right, Mom?) If any of you email me at all this week, I promise I'll get back to you, but it'll probably be next week when I'm back home.

That person over to your right is me! I could post a picture less cheesetastic, but let's face it: I'm going to be grinning like a kid on Christmas morning. When, of course, I'm not breathing into a paper bag. Because we should also face the fact that the thought of meeting so many other bloggers and authors I adore makes me a bit queasy. So, yeah, if you recognize me, please please please say hello because I'd love to meet you!

Waiting on Wednesday (24)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It features upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week's pick is...

Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

Coming June 14, 2011 - Preorder it below

Indiebound | BN | Amazon | Borders

From Goodreads:

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

My thoughts:

I have to be honest and say that even though I've been looking forward to this book for months, I never read the description until I typed up this post. The cover is hauntingly beautiful and enough of a reason for me to want to read it. People may say it's wrong to judge a book by its cover, but how can you not when it's this exquisite?

Waiting on Wednesday (23)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It features upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week's pick is...

Crossing Lines

Paul Volponi

Coming June 9, 2011 - Preorder it below

Indiebound | BN | Amazon | Borders

From Goodreads:

Adonis is a jock. He's on the football team and he’s dating one of the prettiest girls in school. Alan is the new kid. He wears lipstick and joins the Fashion Club. Soon enough the football team is out to get him. Adonis is glad to go along with his teammates . . . until they come up with a dangerous plan to humiliate Alan. Now Adonis must decide whether he wants to be a guy who follows the herd or a man who does what's right.

From critically acclaimed author Paul Volponi comes this discussable and finely wrought story of bullies, victims, and the bystanders caught in between.

My thoughts:

There just aren't enough LGBT books out there, it seems. I'm really looking forward to this story and the decision Adonis ultimately makes.

In My Bag (33)

In My Bag is my version of the weekly meme, In My Mailbox. IMM was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren, and it explores the contents of my mailbox or shopping bag on a weekly basis.

For review:

Finding Somewhere by Joseph Monninger

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

My Beating Teenage Heart by C.K. Kelly Martin

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

Huge thanks to John and Michelle at Cavalier House Books for this incredible stack of ARCs!! What'd you guys get this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It features upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week's pick is...

Beauty Queens

Libba Bray

Coming May 24, 2011 - Preorder it below

Indiebound | BN | Amazon | Borders

From Goodreads:

From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.

Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to email. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

My thoughts:

This sounds flipping hilarious. I'm so embarrassed to admit that I've never read any of Libba Bray's other titles, but this one sure looks like a good place to start.