I Can't Wait to BEA There

I Can't Wait to BEA There

• May 26, 2014

I shared the news on Twitter a few weeks ago, but I realized that I hadn't said anything here on the blog: I AM GOING TO BEA! Yes, you read that right. I honestly thought there was no way it'd work out for me to attend, and then everything just fell into place. When I was putting together my Top Ten Things On My Bookish Bucket List post, I never imagined that I'd be able to check one item off my list within a few months.

Y'all, I'm ecstatic about attending, meeting some of my lovely blogging friends in real life and making memories I know I'll never forget. Because I only recently figured out that I was going to be able to go, I feel like I'm so behind. However, I had to talk about BEA on the blog after seeing this awesome post by Alexa from Alexa Loves Books. That was the inspiration for this post, so thanks Alexa!

Three Notes to Self

1. I'm in New York City - if I accidentally leave something at home, it can probably be purchased.
2. If I'm not sure what to talk about with someone, books are a safe bet.
3. Scope out my source for Diet Coke long before I'm actually in need of one. 

Three Faces of Hannah

Last year, I remember loving this "many faces of Jamie" post - such a creative and hilarious way to "introduce" herself to anyone attending BEA. When I saw that Alexa's recent BEA post included adorable baby pictures, I realized that the three looks you're likely to see on my face have been there since childhood. Here's your go-to guide if you're trying to guess what I'm thinking:

• I'm so happy! I'm giving my mom a thumbs up as I meet my brand-new brother and sister at the hospital, but you'll see a similar grin for variety of reasons: I snagged that book I really wanted, I talked to one of my favorite authors, I'm so excited to meet you or I'm still pinching myself that I'm at BEA.
• Hmm... I'm so unsure right now. Here I'm posing for some professional photos in a pretty white dress with a giant bow in my hair. I'm smiling because I'm supposed to, of course, but you might see this look if I'm a little overwhelmed by everything going on, if I'm excited but feeling kind of shy or, you know, if I'm secretly thinking sassy things I won't say out loud.
• I'm so over this nonsense. The curlers in my hair ought to give you a clue that fancy things were about to happen, and I think my face makes it pretty clear how I felt about it. Hopefully, you don't see this look, but if you do, it's probably the end of the day, I've gone too long without food, spent a little too much time in a line or missed out on a book I really wanted.

But honestly, here's a more accurate idea of what you'll see:

Three Places I Know I'll Be During BEA

• BEA Editors' Buzz Adult Panel - Most of the blogs I read focus more on YA than adult, but I'll mostly have eyes for adult books during BEA. I'm so curious about all seven of the BEA Editors' Buzz picks this year, so I know I've got to attend this panel on Thursday!
• Karen Abbott signing for Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy - I can't remember how this book first caught my eye, but it's one that I'm most hoping will come home with me. It's non-fiction about four women undercover during the Civil War, and you better believe I'm dying to read it.
• Sarah J. Maas signing for Heir of Fire - This is probably the line where I'll get to meet the most bloggers, am I right?! Seriously, I feel like everything is hoping to walk away with this book. I am definitely in that group - and, you know, I will be also trying to get one of those totes.

Three Places You'll Find Me After Hours

• Teen Author Carnival on Wednesday: I'll be book rocking with Betty at BEA, and she attended this event last year and loved it. Have you seen all the incredible authors who will be there?! Obviously we have to go! I'm not sure which panel I want to attend each hour... at least I have a little more time to decide.
• Rocky on Broadway on Thursday: Whattttt whattttt?! Betty and I knew we wanted to see something on Broadway (also: sit on our butts and be entertained!). Betty scoped out the shows for us, and I seriously can't wait to see this with her. Should I watch the movie again to prepare?
• Book Blogger Picnic on Friday: You better believe I want to attend something co-hosted by the lovely, adorable and oh-so-kind Alexa! Of course, I also want to meet any of the amazing bloggers in attendance, too. This seems like such a nice way to relax and just unwind after navigating around BEA.

More Than Three Things We Can Talk About

See me at BEA? Say hello! I'm going to try to put myself out there and start conversations, but don't hesitate to chat with me if you spot me out in the wild.

Here are some things I'm always prepared to talk about:

• Authors: Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, J.K. Rowling, Melina Marchetta, Jojo Moyes, Rainbow Rowell, Stephanie Perkins, Gayle Forman, Emery Lord, Sarah J. Maas, Morgan Matson, Katja Millay, Hannah Kent, Maud Hart Lovelace, Tahereh Mafi, Emily Giffin... I could go on!
• Books: You can probably guess based on my blog and the authors listed above, but I'm always up for a chat about classics, adult fiction (historical or contemporary, particularly), and young adult fiction (contemporary and fantasy, lately).
• TV Shows: The Vampire Diaries (that finale!), The Originals (those brothers!), Grey's Anatomy (yes, I'm still watching), The Mindy Project (I love her so), Veronica Mars (+ Logan), Friday Night Lights (clear eyes, full hearts FOREVER), Felicity (Ben, obviously), Friends (duh!), Gossip Girl (xoxo), Downton Abbey (*sob* Sybil!), Alias (my first show obsession, ever) and Gilmore Girls (Stars Hollow, FTW).
• Music: I've had John Mark McMillan, Johnnyswim, Ed Sheeran, Ellie Golding and Sam Hunt on heavy rotation lately. Also, The CW playlists on Spotify. Yes, I take my music cues from TV shows for teens. 
• Magazines: I love getting magazines in the mail almost as much as I love getting books. I always sit down with the latest Entertainment Weekly, am currently obsessed with the quarterly Darling Magazine, still can't help flipping through Southern Weddings, obviously inherited a love for Southern Living, am pumped about Domino coming back and have recently fallen for Garden & Gun.
• Movies: Honestly, I love almost anything set in the past and involving costumes. Give me a good British period piece or an adaptation of a classic, and I'm content. I also like films from the Golden Age of Hollywood (Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Cary Grant in particular) or romantic comedies. I haven't seen basically anything from the 80s, so let's not go there.

And a few extra random facts about me if we're sitting in a really long line:

• I am absolutely addicted to Diet Coke and have to frequently remind myself to drink more water.
• I'm Southern and yes, I totally say y'all a lot. Whether you're from here or never been south of the Mason Dixon line, I'm always up for a chat about this place I call home.
• I'm an introvert, but I'm not shy. I can be really talkative, but I definitely don't thrive off being social so you may see me quietly observing things sometimes.
• I can pretend like I know something about SEC football, but it's just an illusion.
• Nail polish and beauty products are two things I often splurge on -- when not buying books, of course.
• While I'm mostly a homebody, I also have a bit of wanderlust inside. I've been able to travel to some incredible places - including extended trips to Oxford, England, and Durban, South Africa. 
• I don't have kids yet, but I'll totally show you cute pictures of my dog... or my sister's new puppy! 

I mean, do you see the cuteness?!

Whew! I should have posts scheduled through the end of the week, so it will almost be like I haven't even left. I'm going to wait to recap BEA until after I'm home, but you can follow me on Twitter for daily updates!