Looking Back on BEA 2014

Looking Back on BEA 2014

Nov 6, 2014

Back in May, I attended Book Expo America (BEA). When I got home, I recapped all the adventures I had during my trip (Pt. I | Pt. II) and the all the books I was able to bring home. I had an amazing time and enjoyed every minute of my time in New York! Attending BEA had been on my bookish bucket list, so I was thrilled to go.

Someone asked me recently if I would go again, and I was kind of surprised when I thought about my answer. BEA was a blast, but it's definitely not a cheap trip. The hotel, transportation, food... it all adds up. On one hand, it's worth it for the opportunity to finally meet some of the bloggers I've gotten to know online. But BEA isn't just about blogging buddies, right? It's supposed to be about the books! I've read a lot of BEA recaps written immediately after the event, but I started wondering if anyone ever reflected on it a few months later. 

I asked myself:

What did I do with all the books from BEA?

I had my suspicions, but I wanted to actually chart what happened with the books I got from BEA. Did I find a ton of new favorite books or authors? Did all that waiting in line pay off? How did the ARCs I brought home impact my reading choices? Did I devour all those upcoming books... or did they languish on my TBR?

I brought home 37 books from BEA, and here's what I did with them:

GAVE AWAY | 17 BOOKS | 46%

One of the most challenging things about BEA is deciding what books you want to grab. I'd done a lot of research beforehand and made myself a list of titles that interested me. Some were books from authors I'd read previously, some had been on my wishlist for months, and some just sounded like something I might want to read. You're often making a split-second decision about whether or not you want a book, so it's really helpful to have a general list (or at least a sense of what will be there) before you go.

I preface this section with that information because even with all my research, I still brought home a lot of books that didn't work for me. I read a few chapters of every book pictured in this section before I decided that I didn't want to finish them. Rather than hang on to them "just in case," I wanted to give them to other bloggers who were interested in reading (and possibly reviewing) them. The best part? I gave all but three of these books to bloggers who hadn't been able to attend BEA. I almost did a giveaway with these titles, but I'm glad I ended up giving them to 10 different bloggers instead!

Either way, it's hard to ignore the fact that I gave away (without reading) 46% of the books I got at BEA. The majority of books I brought home ended up with someone else. I knew that I'd given away a lot of the books, but I didn't realize quite how many! While I could have held on to them longer and tried again at another time, I didn't want to hoard books that I knew I probably wasn't going to read (and definitely not read before their release date). If I do end up wanting to read one, I can always get it from the library.

READ | 13 BOOKS | 35%

So, let's talk about the books from BEA that I did read. At this point, it's 13 books overall, though I may still read few more (see two categories below). I sorted based on my rating, and it was interesting to see the results:

5 Stars | Of the 13 books I read, five were 5-star reads. Technically, two were 4.5(ish) but I rounded up for this post. Five out of 13 sounds great, right? Well, it is but I would have read three of these books even if I hadn't gone to BEA. Now, the great thing is that the other two books weren't even on my radar before BEA. Additionally, I haven't heard that much about either title in the blogosphere, so I don't know if I would have read them if it hadn't been for BEA. So, in that respect, BEA was worth it. 

4 Stars | Two of the books were 4-star reads, and both were on my wishlist prior to BEA. I love anything about the Civil War, and I'd been dying to read that non-fiction title from the moment I saw it on Edelweiss (months before BEA). The other title was first published in Australia and had been on my wishlist after I saw that one of my favorite Aussie bloggers loved it. Getting both at BEA was great, but I would have read them anyway.

3 Stars | Three books were 3-star reads - okay, but not great. I liked elements from each, but I won't re-read, keep the ARCs or buy finished copies of any of them. Two were some of my most highly-anticipated books from BEA and both received a lot of pre-release buzz. Based on my expectations, both were kind of disappointing reads. The final book was something from an author I'd read previously, and it was about what I expected.

2 Stars | Finally, three of the 13 books were 2-star reads (if that). One was on my list of top 10 books I wanted from BEA, and it ended up being a huge disappointment. One was a book I grabbed randomly and knew almost nothing about when I brought it home. And the final book was by an author I'd been meaning to try and ended up really annoying me. If I try anything by this author in the future, I'll just grab it from the library. 

RELEASED UNREAD | 4 BOOKS | 11%

There are four books that I haven't read yet but have now been released. One of them was published before BEA and is a finished copy, and I've almost reached my "read or give away" deadline on it. Two came out in August, but the length of one intimidates me and I've dragged my feet on the other for no real reason. The last book just came out a few weeks ago, but it's sitting on my husband's nightstand right now because I think it's something he would enjoy more. If I had to guess, I think I'll only end up reading two of these four (at most).

UNRELEASED UNREAD | 3 BOOKS | 8%

I thought about waiting to do this post in January because that's when these last three books release. But I figured it's a good snapshot of where I'm at today - almost six months after BEA. I plan on reading the two adult titles, so we'll see how I end up feeling about those. I've debated the young adult title since it sounds just a little too weird for me, but I'm hanging on to it for now until I've at least read a few chapters.

Was BEA worth it:

 for the books?

For me, the answer is no. It sounds crazy to say, and I was shocked when I admitted it to myself. The books were one of the biggest reasons I wanted to attend BEA! When I first got home, I was ecstatic about the books I'd gotten. There were so many anticipated and hyped titles just waiting to be read. But after the BEA glow wore off, I started to feel burdened by all the books. I've never read primarily review books, and I didn't like the impact BEA was having on my reading choices.

I kept feeling like I had to read all these books, and I suddenly became way more aware of publication dates. I even created a spreadsheet to keep track of them all - something I'd never done before. For some bloggers, this isn't anything new. If you're used to receiving and reading a lot of review books, I'm not sure you would feel the same. But as someone whose reading taste is all over the place? I felt boxed in by my BEA books!

If you're pretty loose on reading and reviewing books before their publication date, you also might not worry about big piles of unread ARCs. For me, it was just too much pressure. I desperately wanted to read the books by a release date because my Type A personality had them organized in order of publication AND saw it as a due date. But that doesn't fit with the way I like to read! I'm more of a mood reader and find it difficult to follow a reading schedule, so the books I got at BEA ended up stressing me out.

I did discover two new-to-me authors that are now favorites, but all of the other books I read and enjoyed were ones I was going to read regardless of BEA. As much as I loved the two favorites BEA brought into my life, it's still only two new favorites. Because of that, I'm almost 100% sure I wouldn't attend BEA again.

for the publishing contacts?

I'd read a lot of posts before BEA about the opportunity for networking with publicists while you're there. I had a few great encounters with publicists, but only one of those led to a new contact that I know was a direct result of BEA. I handed out several business cards, so it may have helped more than I realized, but there's no way to know for sure if those people ended up looking at my blog.

Honestly, I felt like it was almost impossible to network. Most of the publicists seemed too busy and overwhelmed to talk, and I didn't want to just randomly hand out business cards to anyone I met. I wanted to use them when I had a great conversation with someone! Maybe I went about it in the wrong way, but BEA was so packed that I'm not sure it's really meant for networking. Are there opportunities to do so? Sure! But I didn't walk away from BEA feeling like that was the purpose of the event (at least for bloggers). I didn't attend any publisher events, however, so I'm speaking only to what it was like on the floor.

for the book blogging buddies?

YES! My favorite thing about BEA was the chance to hang out with some of my book blogging friends. I don't regret going at all - it was totally worth it to get to meet so many people in one place and at the same time! The things I did outside of BEA and the time I spent with friends is what makes me so glad I went.

When I re-read my two posts, I know without a doubt that it was worth it for me to go at least once. I wouldn't trade the time I spent with Betty and Cassie (and so many others!) for anything. I don't know when I'll get the chance to see some of the people I now consider some of my closest friends, so I'd really just go back if it meant spending a weekend hanging out with them.

So, would I go back to BEA? 

I don't think so! It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I relished every moment I spent with the friends I've made online. If I lived closer, I might make it more of a priority to attend again next year. For now, however, I plan to just stick to bookish events closer to home. I had an amazing time while I was there, and I'm so thankful I got to go! I get to cross it off my bookish bucket list and set my eyes on something else in the future. 

Aside from the time with I spent hanging with blogging buddies, BEA was most worth it for what it taught me about myself: that I'm not crazy about focusing on review books and definitely don't like reading on a deadline. If I thought I knew that about myself before, it was made all the more clear to me after BEA. Meeting authors and bloggers was so amazing, but my shelves are begging me to spend more time with my TBR...

READ POST

BEA 2014: All the Books

BEA 2014: All the Books

Jun 9, 2014

It's now time for final part of my epic BEA recap - THE ONE WITH ALL THE BOOKS! If you missed it, check out BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. I and BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. II.

I love finding out what people picked up at BEA because it always puts new books on my radar, and I'm really hoping this will do the same for you. If you regularly read my blog, you probably know that my taste in books is all over the place. I love books for all ages and across so many genres. You'll see that reflected in what I grabbed at BEA - a pretty good mix of adult and young adult titles. 

For the photos below, I divided the books into adult and young adult titles, sorted by publisher within those two categories and then took photos where you can see the covers (instead of the spines) because I always like the covers better! I've included links to Goodreads for all titles in case any catch your eye.

Adult

Hachette

The Secret Wisdom of the Earth by Chris Scotton 

Reunion by Hannah Pittard

Neverhome by Laird Hunt 

HarperCollins

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton 

The Story of Land and Sea by Katy Simpson Smith 

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott 

Macmillan

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera

The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp (YA)

Penguin
Mrs. Hemingway by Naomi Wood
The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
This Is How I'd Love You by Hazel Woods

Random House
I Take You by Eliza Kennedy
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Simon & Schuster
We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas
Before I Go by Colleen Oakley
Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers
Your Perfect Life by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke

Moody
In the Field of Grace by Tessa Afshar

Harlequin
The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff

Sourcebooks
The Magician's Lie by Greer Macallister

Young Adult

Bloomsbury
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
The Fire Artist by Daisy Whitney

Hachette
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper
Famous in Love by Rebecca Serle
Wildlife by Fiona Wood

HarperCollins | Penguin

HarperCollins
Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang
The Jewel by Amy Ewing
Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios
Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portest

Penguin
Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

Algonquin

Jackaby by Wiliam Ritter

Merit Press

Madame Tussaud's Apprentice by Kathleen Benner Duble

Spot anything you're dying to read? Discover something new?

READ POST

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. II

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. II

Jun 8, 2014

I intended for this recap to be in a single post, but I realized I was (as usual) talking too much. So, check out BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. I - with highlights from Wednesday and Thursday - if you missed it.

FRIDAY

My first stop on Friday morning was the BEA shipping area - BYE MONEY! I wasn't even shipping that many home because I packed so well that I was able to fit most of my books in the one bag (carry on size cuz I've got skills) but the BEA shipping center has only one size box with a flat rate. It was great if you were packing it to the brim... not so much if you had a measly ten pounds. From there, I made my way to the Sarah J. Maas signing line for Heir of Fire.

Sarah signing is the ONLY legit picture I took during the BEA day.

My entire morning was dedicated to the wonderful Sarah J. Maas. The line was insane, which I kind of expected but not really to that degree. Although I can't lie, it was amazing seeing so many people lined up for and passionate about a book that I also love. I talked to the lovely Jaime and Erin (Fic Fare) and Charlee (I can't remember if she blogged!) while in line, which made the time pass pretty quickly. I also spotted the adorable Sash (Sash and Em), but I didn't get to chat with her until I found her again on the floor later that day. She also wins the cutest outfit award because she looked so stylish!

After finally getting my most desired book (note: it didn't leave my tote the rest of the trip), I had to make up for spending all morning in a line. I kicked into high gear and made my way around the BEA floor. At that point, I knew the layout of the floor pretty well so I felt like I was more confident in where I was going and what I was doing. I snagged fewer books than the day before, but a lot of them were titles that were higher on my priority list. I also felt like I waited in more lines on Friday, but I'm not sure if that's true or I was just so tired that I was more conscious of standing around.

The one thing I didn't really do, aside from take pictures (obviously), was pass out business cards or network. As much as I enjoyed BEA, I did feel that the expo was geared more towards getting books than networking. Each booth was so busy throughout the day that there was hardly time to really chat with the publicists working at each one. You could ask a question or two, but the environment wasn't really conducive to making connections and building relationships. That's not a complaint really, but I was surprised because I felt like so many posts discussed making contacts, handing out business cards, etc. For me, those moments were few and far between because there were just so many people around with so much going on. A few publicists were so kind and grabbed me books that I had missed out on, but I didn't have many "making contacts" moments. But maybe I was just too nervous to try!

We finished a little earlier on Friday, freshened up at the hotel and headed to the Book Blogger Picnic, which was organized by Alexa (Alexa Loves Books), Katelyn (Tales of Books and Bands), Jen (YA Romantics) and Andrea (The Overstuffed Bookcase). We weren't there very long before it started to rain, so Betty, Gaby (Queen Ella Bee Reads), Lauren (Love Is Not a Triangle) and I made our way to a diner to get some food.

Dinner at the diner  | Photo from Betty

We had a great meal and even better conversation, and I was so thankful for the opportunity to grab dinner with these girls. It's so nice to have a moment where everything slows down and you just get to chat without being pulled in a million directions. While the meal was delicious, the dessert is what stole the show...

INSOMNIA COOKIES! | Photo from Betty

Gaby took us to Insomnia Cookies, and I fell in love. I adore anything with sugar, honestly, but I definitely can't pass up on a cookie. I had two: M&M and Snickerdoodle! Mmm... I wish I could have another right this minute. We headed back to hotel after that, and I was already getting sad thinking about how I'd be heading home the next day.

SATURDAY

At that point, I felt like I had more than enough books. I didn't know what to expect with the addition of BookCon, but I didn't have much of a schedule because all I really wanted to do was hang out with Cassie (Books with Cass). Betty and I packed up the night before, and we headed over to the Bloomsbury offices that morning so Betty could go to that breakfast. Cassie met us there, and we loved on each other out front.

Book Best Friends! | Photo from Betty

Betty then headed in to the breakfast, and Cassie and I sat down at a Starbucks across the street. Honestly, I'm so thankful that this morning worked the way it did. Betty and I had debated what we wanted to do that morning earlier in the week since we weren't sure on the timing of everything, and I didn't want Cassie to be really late to BookCon. Well, I think it all turned out perfectly!

She and I had got to spend awesome one-on-one time together, and I liked her even more in person than I did in all of our Twitter, text and video conversations. Seriously, spending time with her at Starbucks was one of the best parts of the whole trip. I MISS THIS TINY TATER TOT.

Finally together! | Photo from Cass

We made our way back to the Bloomsbury office as the breakfast wrapped up, and I got to meet the lovely and delightful Estelle (Rather Be Reading)! I'd hoped to see more of her during the trip, but I was so glad that I at least got to see her smiling face in person (even if it wasn't nearly enough time together). 

Yes, I'm super tall. | Photo from Estelle

Alexa and Cassie headed over to BookCon, and Betty and I grabbed our bags from the hotel so Mr. Betty could pick us up right at Javits once we were done for the day. As soon as we made it over there, Betty got in a crazy long signing line. I stayed on the BEA-only side for just a bit and had one of my favorite conversations of BEA with a publicist at HarperCollins. At the end of our conversation, she grabbed me one of the few books I'd been sad about missing out on - The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. YAY! 

I then went to the BookCon side of BEA and rescued Cassie from the insanity. It was packed at BookCon, and we were both frustrated with the way everything was (un)organized on that side. Betty made her way out and declared herself done for the day. I got to meet Linz (The Kid: A Book Devotee) in the lobby - she'd come in for BookCon and was also disappointed by the day. At that point, it was close to the time when Mr. Betty was going to be getting us anyway so we talked a little more, said our goodbyes, grabbed our bags and waited out front.

Mr. Betty AND the Baby Bettys soon arrived, but Cassie called Betty and told her that we HAD to wait just one minute before leaving. She managed to charm her way into the display copy of one of the titles I'd really hoped would be given out at BEA - Wildlife by Fiona Wood. It was originally published in Australia, so you know it's basically guaranteed to be AMAZING. Such a surprise and the perfect way to end my last BEA day!

An unexpected BEA surprise!

I got to sit in between the Baby Bettys in the backseat during the ride to the airport. We played with their sticker books, and they told me all about their adventures that week. They also gave me my favorite swag from the whole trip:

Bracelet from the Baby Bettys - WHAT WHATTT?!

I hugged their sweet mama, blew the girls kisses, thanked Mr. Betty and headed into the airport. As tired as I was, it was so sad to head home! I knew that I'd be in heaven once I could put on my pajamas, look at my books and snuggle up in my own bed, but it was a bittersweet goodbye because I just wish they all lived closer to me.

I enjoyed a delicious cheeseburger at a restaurant in the airport and wasted time before my flight. It ended up being delayed taking off and then couldn't land on time in Atlanta because of bad weather, so I was more than ready to be home by the time I finally got off the plane. But Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers was the perfect way to pass the time - I couldn't put it down!

Nick picked me up, noted that increased weight of my carry on and probably got scared when he saw the maniacal grin on my face. As tired as I was, I wasn't too tired to tell him about ALL THE BOOKS!

BEA 2014: All the Books

coming soon...

READ POST

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. I

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. I

Jun 7, 2014

I texted Kelly (Belle of the Literati) and Betty (Book Rock Betty) earlier this year about being interested in going to BEA, but it was so early that no one really had their plans figured out yet. Betty wasn't sure if she wanted to go because she's pregnant with Baby Betty #3 (YAY!), and Kelly didn't know where work was going to take her. When Kelly got an incredible job opportunity in San Diego, I figured chances were good that BEA just wasn't going to happen for us. 

And then... I got a text from Betty asking if I was for sure not attending. I told her that I was still open to going if we could figure everything out, but it was almost May at that point so we were running out of time. After a crazy week, we made the final decision: WE WERE GOING TO BEA.

BEA was only two weeks away at that point, so it was time to get my butt in gear. I spent a few days binge reading all the BEA advice and planning posts that I could find. Y'all, those are intimidating! As helpful as some of the advice was, it also made me feel so unprepared. But, since I love organizing, I threw myself into creating a BEA calendar and ended up with a color-coded spreadsheet that was a thing of beauty.

Finally, BEA week was upon me. I packed on Monday (excited much?) and managed to make it through my one workday. And then it was time...

WEDNESDAY

Airport selfies + judgy onlookers

Nick dropped me off at the airport, and I made it through security and to my gate pretty quickly. Since I was one of the few people already there, I obviously had to document my excitement about finally heading to BEA with a selfie. Come on, y'all.

My flight was mostly uneventful - although the grandma in the seat next to me kept falling asleep and leaning over into my area. PERSONAL SPACE, YO. She did have a Kindle though, so I gave her a few points for reading a book when she wasn't napping because it meant she didn't try to talk to me. That's reading time, obviously. My book of choice was a re-read of Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers!

Airport pickup! | Photo from Betty

I flew into Newark Airport and had my car service waiting for me: Betty + Mr. Betty! Yep, that's right. They dropped off the babies beforehand and then picked me up as soon as I landed. Mr. Betty was kind enough to drive us to Javits to get our badges and then dropped us off right outside our hotel. It was a good thing, too, because traffic was crazy that afternoon. Betty and I checked in and then proceeded to verify the cleanliness of the hotel room. 

No bed bugs here!

And by that I mean: Betty checked for bed bugs. She scared the crap out of me with that post she wrote a few days before BEA, so I was only too happy to let her make sure there weren't any critters hiding out in our room. Although we had a king-size bed, I realized just how different it is to stay in the city. We barely had room for all our (*cough*Betty's*cough*) bags! 

Once we freshened up, it was time to head to the Teen Author Carnival at the Jefferson Market Library.

Headed to Teen Author Carnival | Photo from Betty

When we got there, we almost immediately met Wendy (Books Scents), CeCe (CeCe Reads) and Danielle (Love at First Page). Then, we spotted Gaby (Queen Ella Bee Reads) and tried to distract her from the serious business of selling books. Betty introduced me to Jeremy and Jeffrey who were so nice, and then it was supposed to be time for the first panel. But... we talked too long, went in a little late and there were no chairs left. Instead of standing for an hour, we just sat outside the room, talked and waited for the next panel to begin.

We then sat in on the "Us vs. Them" panel with authors Lenore Appelhans, Jennifer L. Armentrout, Julie Kagawa, Claire Legrand and Cara Lynn Shultz. I've actually never read anything by any of these authors (I know, I know) so it was really great to hear them introduce themselves and their books. I ended up buying only two books after to get them signed - The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand and Prep School Confidential by Kara Taylor. I didn't hear Kara speak, but I knew I wanted her book after scoping it out beforehand. I didn't take any pictures with the authors because, as you'll soon realize, I'm hopeless when it comes to remembering to take any pictures. I thought about buying more books, but I kept reminding myself that I was about to get more than enough at BEA.

We made it back to the lobby, and I finally got to meet Elena (Novel Sounds), Katelyn (Tales of Books and Bands) and Alexa (Alexa Loves Books)! I didn't manage to take a picture with Elena (see what I mean?), but she did take this great picture on Alexa's phone. 

Finally meeting these two lovelies! | Photo from Alexa

We got a late but delicious dinner at Chipotle, which is where I got to meet Lauren (Love Is Not a Triangle). I was starving at that point, so I'm sure we had great conversations but I was too busy stuffing myself with the best guacamole in the entire world to remember. I think we talked a little about our plans for the next day, which is when Betty and I realized we had a lot of work to do once we got back to the hotel.

Curbside selfie + cab snagging skills! | Photo from Betty

We said our goodbyes, and Alexa proved she's a real New Yorker by catching us a cab and sending us on our way. Such excellent service - if only we'd had her around every other time we needed to get a ride! Once back in our room, Betty and I got to work. We talked, laughed, stayed up SO late and got ready for the next morning. 

THURSDAY

Betty and I got ourselves out of bed, ready for the day, grabbed some breakfast and headed off in search of the mysterious BEA shuttle. Our hotel was not close to a route, despite being listed as one of the hotels that was serviced by a shuttle, and we were flustered by the time we figured out where we were supposed to go. Thankfully, the shuttle pulled up not long after we got to the right stop, and we made it to Javits after the doors opened. Honestly, that was perfect for me because I had no desire to sit in a line before the day even started.

Betty and I intended to book rock the BEA floor together, but we realized we'd have to split up not long after we got there. In fact, I barely saw Betty during the day! We had totally different books on our radars, and there was no way we could stick together and get them all. Betty was off to wait in line for a signing that started at 10, and I headed to the Adult BEA Editors' Buzz panel to hear from the authors.

There were seven adult titles being featured, two non-fiction and five fiction. I prioritized the panel because I was really interested in a number of buzz titles and wanted to hear the authors talk about their books. At first, I almost felt like I was wasting time. The panel was an hour long, and you could hear all of the activity from the floor behind you. It felt a little bit like I was missing out on all the excitement! However, as I listened to the authors, I became totally focused and found myself really looking forward to reading their books. I was able to grab a copy of Neverhome by Laird Hunt (one of the buzz books) right before the panel and then Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (another buzz book) right after it ended. 

They announced a drop for We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas at the end of the panel (also a buzz title), so I then made my way out onto the floor to grab that one. Honestly, the rest of the day was a total blur. I only wanted one book from an autographing area signing that day - Liar, Temptress, Solider, Spy by Karen Abbott - and actually got to start that line. This non-fiction title was one of my most-desired books from BEA. It's about four women who went undercover during the Civil War!

Almost every other book that I got on Thursday came from galley drops, and I ended up being really glad I'd made a general schedule beforehand. I'd gone through what books were expected to be at BEA and made a list of everything that interested me. I noted signings or drop times for books where that information had been released, but I filled in what I didn't know once I was there and was able to ask about each booth's schedule.

The only other big line I waited in on Thursday was for the Throne of Glass tote at the Bloomsbury booth. I was in line with Octavia (Read Sleep Repeat), Nikki (There Were Books Involved) and Jennifer (Live to Read Love to Read), so it was fun to pass the time chatting with them. Finally, the tote was mine! I was so proud of myself for only getting two totes at BEA, and they were (in my opinion) the best ones there.

Bloomsbury tote + Quirk Books tote

I took zero pictures from the floor, which is evidence of my compete absentmindedness. I mean, y'all, I got to meet some awesome bloggers and authors during the day! Alas, those memories live only in my mind... You'll have to check out my BEA 2014: All the Books post (coming soon) to see what other books I snagged. I know I met Jamie (Perpetual Page-Turner) and Steph and Kat (Cuddlebuggery) on the floor, but my mind is blanking on others because I DIDN'T TAKE PICURES. Fail. Either way, it was so fun to meet these ladies in person!

As we neared the end of the day, I noticed the line for The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness. I haven't read this series, but I know how much Cassie (Books With Cass) loves it. I was missing her and hated that she wasn't able to be there, so I hopped in the line, and texted her to find out if she would get a book personalized to Cass or Cassie. She answered Cassie and asked why. Knowing patience isn't her strong suit and how she hates surprises... I made her wait about five minutes before replying with this picture:

Yay book surprises!

I was so excited that I was able to get her a little something, especially since BookCon turned into such a disaster. Not long after this, it was finally time to call it a day. Betty and I grabbed our bags and went out to the shuttles. But, knowing how far the drop off was from our hotel, we talked about how we really just wanted to be taken right to our door (especially with all those books in our bags). So, we decided to get a different ride back. There were no cabs to be found, and we were desperate enough to pay a car service at that point. Despite being expensive, it was the best ride of the whole trip.

Before I left for BEA, I had asked Kelly to send me a few videos that I could surprise Betty with while we were together. She recorded one that I could play to tell Betty to hurry up and finish getting ready so we could get out the door, and the other video warned Betty not to talk to strangers or let weird men carry her bag. Needless to say, we enjoyed sending Kelly this ambiguous picture:

Thanks for getting our bags, stranger!

It was really just the driver, but Kelly had a minor freakout thinking we were letting some random creeper take our stuff. Silly Kelly! Traffic was bad, so we weren't in our hotel long before it was time to leave again. We spent forever in rush hour traffic trying to find an available cab to take us where we needed to be so that we could check "see a show on Broadway" off our BEA to do lists!

Scoping out books makes you hungry! | Photo from Betty

After finally making it over there, we ate a delicious dinner at the Playwright Tavern. We pretty much picked it because it was right by the Winter Garden Theatre, the show was starting soon and our stomachs were threatening to revolt if we didn't put food in them soon. Thankfully, our meal was great and then we walked over to the main event: ROCKY!

Ready for Rocky!

I had no idea before experiencing BEA just how much I'd want to just sit and be entertained in the evening, so I'm glad I had Betty there to steer us in this direction. She'd scoped out shows beforehand and was psyched to find Rocky on Broadway. I've seen the movie once or twice, but Betty has major levels of love for this story. Before we took our seats, we made friends with the merchandise guy and Betty (accidentally but with my encouragement) bought a Rocky hoodie and t-shirt... Don't worry, I talked her out of the keychain.

We were both worried it would be cheesy, but we had nothing to fear. The show was really amazing! The music was good, the sets were really cool, the acting was great... and the final fight scene was EPIC. Part of the audience went up on stage and the boxing ring came out into the theater so that people were surrounding it like at a real boxing match. I've never seen anything like it at a play before, and I'm so glad we saw the show for that moment alone.

We cabbed it back to the hotel but stopped at a drugstore across the street first because we needed some sugar. A crazy dude dressed like Elvis and a drunk guy talking about the Rangers led to me lecturing Betty about not being so friendly to strangers, but I really needed Kelly there to say it with Sicilian sass. We finally made it back to our room, sent Kelly videos about our escapades and proceeded to stay up until two in the morning perfecting our schedules. No regrets, even if I was a walking zombie the next day.

BEA 2014: All the Adventures, Pt. II 

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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!

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