Wednesday, June 10, 2015

BEA 2015- My Experience





I went back to Book Expo America this year for the 2nd time.  This is what happened:




Travel Day


Bright and early Tuesday morning I drove across Pennsylvania and picked up my travel partner, Jamie.  I was beyond excited to have someone to ride the train and navigate Penn Station and the NYC streets with.  I was especially excited for it to be Jamie because she's super nice, and awesome and, we're a lot alike (I think so anyway).  After we navigated our way to our hotel and met up with our roommates, Candice and Allison, (and got beautified) we all headed to Jenny Han's book launch (P.S. I Still Love You) party in Brooklyn.

A.  I'd never been to Brooklyn, so that was nice.  B. It was such a nice, chill, first day in NYC activity.   I met so many new people and put faces to old ones.  I also just loved hearing Jenny talk about her book.  She's so adorable and fashionable.  The party was on-point.  There was a Polaroid photo area, a nail artist doing nails, makeup booth, champagne, and adorable 90's decorations (like GirlTalk the board game!!!).  I was sad that I missed the Teen Author Carnival... I had debated back and forth which I wanted to do, but in the end I decided my love for Jenny Han and Lara Jean outweighed my love for the awesome Teen Author Carnival (but I highly recommend the TAC.  I went in 2014 and had the BEST time).  Also I almost forgot... I had my first experience with The Shake Shack!!!  Holy hell that was a good burger!

Highlight of the Day: Meeting up with Jamie, Candice, Allison, Laura, Lindsey, Ashley, and Ellie... and Mandy from FYA!!!  Oh and of course seeing Jenny Han (and Adele Griffin was there too, who I just love).

*Me and Jenny, a random building, and the awesome Shake Shake*


Day 1


When we woke up, we were seeing on Twitter that people were lined up crazy-early to get Truthwitch by Susan Denard.  For some odd reason, BEA decided to start the first day at 1 pm.  It confused me.  There wasn't much even going on, so I just wandered around and picked up books.  The only signing I went to was Lauren Saft, because her debut Those Girls sounds so like something I would love.  And she's adorable.

Highlight of the Day: Getting a copy of Tonight the Streets Are Ours by Leila Sales... I'm really excited for that book!

*Me and Lauren Saft, Javits Center*


Day 2


Day 2 was a normal day.... BEA opened at 9.  People were lined up early to get Passenger by Alexandra Bracken.  All I cared about this day was getting Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray.  And also I really wanted a copy of Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff because I saw a copy the day before and it was BEAUTIFUL.  This is seriously the nicest quality ARC I have ever held... and the inside!!!  Well, it just looks so cool.  I was SUPER happy to see Kristin, who was my Secret Santa this year.  I hung out with her and Kristina for a big chunk of time, including the massive Libba Bray line, which we were 2nd in line for!!  I think that was my most favorite time spent at actual Javits.  Those girls are great fun.  I also was excited to meet Andi and Gail and waited in line with them as well :)  AND I saw Cassi from My Thoughts... Literally!   Pittsburgh bloggers unite!!!

Highlight of the Day: I achieved redemption.  Let's just say last year I sort of said something really dumb to Sarah Mlynowski bc I was nervous.  Well I waited in her line on this day so I could prove to her that I can be a normal functioning human being.  And whether she thinks I'm normal or not, I don't know, but she definitely knows that I know how to speak English.  Also getting Lair of Dreams was EPIC!  And A.S. King!!!

Later that night...
I went on a solo adventure to buy a gift for my son.  I went to FAO Schwarz, but wasn't all that impressed.  It was cool to see the Plaza Hotel because I'm a 90's girl and that place will always remind me of Home Alone 2.  I ended up going to the Lego Store and getting my son some Lego crap that he didn't need, but I knew he would love it.  Blah!!  Buying gifts for my kid is really hard because he's so spoiled.

*Me Kristin & Kristina, my shopping adventures*

Day 3


By the last day I'm always kind of over it.  The hot books of the day were Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and Richelle Mead's Soundless.   What I really wanted was Never Always Sometimes and to meet Adi Alsaid again.  I was also excited to tell Amy Spalding how much I loved Kissing Ted Callahan, and meet Lynn Weingarten.  I also got to meet another blogger I'd been following for years- Quinn, which made me happy!

Highlight of the Day: Meeting Marissa Meyer!!!  And having a great dinner with Candice at Juniors :)  Oh and seeing my book club briefly.  They made me homesick!

Later that night...
My whole room went to Bryant Park to meet up with Brittany, Amy, and Alyssa's crew.  It was a fun time seeing people and just hanging out relaxing.  Then I went and met up with a few girls from my book club who came in town for BookCon.

*ROOMMATES, Me & Lynn Weingarten, Me & Marissa Meyer!!!*

Travel Day


I went out to lunch with Allison and Candice and then walked up to Central Park.  I stopped by The Strand stand up there, which saved me a trip down to the actual store.  I'm a little bummed I didn't make it to the store, but I really didn't have time.... plus I didn't need book temptation!  After that, I battled Penn Station with my huge bags filled with books that felt like boulders.  I almost had a nervous breakdown when I had to go do to the platform because, HOLY SHIT people do not care that you are trying to walk down the steps with bags, and they do not care if their pushing you causes you to fall to your death!!

*Central Park*

Final Book Haul




Observations:


  • So here are my takeaways from BEA 2015.  Number one- I am never interested in the "hot" books that everyone is dying over.  True I wanted the Libba Bray book, which was quite popular, but it was no where in the same galaxy that Truthwitch and Passenger was.  Sometimes I feel like I don't fit in with normal YA bloggers because I'm not reading what everyone else is reading.  And sometimes I don't understand WHY certain books catch on among bloggers to begin with.  I mean props to Susan Denard and Alexandra Bracken for causing such buzz, I'm sure they deserve every flailing fan out there.... but I didn't think their previous series were THAT hyped to cause these new ones to have people lined up so many hours and running and pushing and crying over.  The authors I die for are always so under the radar.  I guess I kind of like it that way because I don't have to worry about lines, but at the same time, I WANT these amazing writers to get the attention that their amazing work deserves, ya know??
  • So I'm never going to be swimming with the crowd.  Bookwise and otherwise.  I noticed this year how many bloggers go to BEA mostly to socialize with each other.  That's awesome.  I love meeting all the people.  I feel awkward a lot though.  It's weird to meet someone IRL that you only know on the internet.  People are NOT the same over the internet as they are in real life... they just aren't.  Not in a good or a bad way, just in ways.  I will always go to BEA (if I go to ones in the future) for the books and the authors and the atmosphere.  Anything else is a bonus.  Meeting people and clicking with them= major bonus.  But if I'm being honest, if I went to NYC solely for the social interaction, I probably wouldn't leave 100% happy.  People are people.  And some are super nice... and some are standoffish.... and some people make me feel like I'm not cool enough to talk to.
  • I had the best time.  I loved my roommates... LOVED!!!  I can't wait to see them in the future and talk books and anything else with them.  I hope I didn't scare them away with my harsh personality!!  I came back from BEA 100% saying no way I would go to Chicago for BEA 2016 (I was just burnt out and tired)... but that lasted 2 days before I already started thinking what it would be like.  HAHA.  Hope to see all you lovely people there!!
  • And as always, I wish I took more pictures!!!






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26 comments:

  1. Really great recap!! Looks like you had an amazing time. I hear you on not being into the big book that's out there. I am not always on the bandwagon. Looks like you got a ton of great books though anyways. I am always one to forget to take enough pictures so you are not alone!

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    1. I am never on the bandwagon. Well, except for Lunar Chronicles I guess. I did have a great time, and way too many books. A lot of them are for my son though. He loves Middle Grade right now :)

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  2. I had so much fun getting to meet in person and actually hang out for most of the day!! I think that Lair of Dreams was also the book I HAD to have most that day and you absolutely saved my BEA by telling me the signing was an hour earlier than I had thought!!

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    1. I'm so glad I was able to tell you guys that too!! I wouldve been bummed if I couldn't get Lair of Dreams! I loved hanging out with you guys, it was awesome.

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  3. YEAH! It was so great to meet you. Us Pittsburgh bloggers have to stick together. I was one of those people excited about Truthwitch and Passenger. I agree on that their first series were not super hyped but I loved them both. I skipped Passenger though and talked to Alex when she was signing In the Afterlight which was so much more relaxed and I was really happy with my decision.

    I felt the same about not going to BEA16. I go for the authors as well, I feel like we don't get a lot of author visits here. But I also go for the bloggers and bookish people. I love meeting the people I only know online but I definitely agree people are usually different. But... if we do both decide we want to go next year we should totally talk about carpooling/travelling together.
    Cassi @ My Thoughts Literally

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    1. Definitely travel partners next year. Latrobe flies to Chicago pretty cheap, so we might think about looking into that!

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  4. I was stuck in that AWFUL line for Passenger. The only reason it was such FRESH HELL was because she was talking to and taking pictures with everyone. Her signing was supposed to be from 9:30 - 10:00, but it started late and she took way too long with each person. The line was barely moving. There were 200 books and I was about 100th in line (I got there at 9:15) and I didn't get my book signed until almost 11:00, which was ridiculous. I took maybe 30 seconds to get my book signed. I was so pissed off by that point because I missed other books. I was there with other people, so we were taking turns running off and wandering/collecting. I actually wait in and made it through two other signing lines (for signings that started AFTER hers was supposed to end) and still had tons of time to stand in line. The only reason I didn't leave was because I already has so much time invested in that line from hell. If you heard someone loudly complaining about "how long does it take to freaking sign your name in a book and say next?", that was me. Passenger better bee good. After that, I lost my patience with lines. I did wait for Lair of Dreams, but I ended up the last person in line and I had a ticket, so I was able to wander a bit. Her line moved much faster though. There was no way I was waiting in the Harlequin line. I didn't stand a chance since the tickets went so fast. That's the one thing that I don't like about BEA...the lines. It wasn't this bad even a few years ago. It's definitely gotten worse. I think social media is the reason. Everyone knows what's going to be there and when. It used to be about discovering books and authors, now it's like Pokemon...gotta catch 'em all. It's definitely more scheduled now. Sorry for the rant. That Passenger line still makes me mad, lol. I won't be going next year, though. I can't afford to travel to Chicago. New York is a 2 1/2 hour drive from me and I don't have to fly or stay in the city. I'm bummed, but kind of burnt after this year.

    Michelle @ Michelle's Minions

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    1. Oh no, that sounds terrible!! It sounds like she genuinely wanted to spend time with her fans, but maybe the publicist or someone at Disney could have nudged them along. I have no idea what BEA used to be like since this is only my 2nd year, but like I said, I'm glad the books I get excited about aren't in style or whatever. It makes it less stressful!!

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    2. I totally blame Disney or her publicist for what happened. Someone should have nudged her along, especially when it got to be 10:30 and there was still half the line to move through. The first BEA I went to was in 2005...wow! 10 years! I even traveled to LA the year it was there (it was SO expensive, I don't think I'd do it again since I had to pay for travel, hotel, food AND shipping the books home). Sadly, Chicago is out for me next year :( I will live vicariously through the bloggers who get to go!

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    3. WOW 10 years!! And even to L.A.!!! Go you!!! That sounds amazing. Expensive, but amazing. I'm still up in the air about Chicago. There's an airport by my house that does $110 round-trip flights to Chicago. If they're still doing that, I might just have to go. I mean $110 is way cheaper than the gas, parking, train, taxi that I took this year!

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  5. Can I love this post? Is there a love button? Because I love this post. <3

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  6. It's so strange seeing your recap because we were in the same places A LOT (Jenny Han launch, Lair of Dreams line, Lynn Weingarten line to name three) without ever actually encountering each other. It's funny how small the world can be and how big the Javits can be. But it sounds like BEA was a definite win for you--yay!

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    1. Wow that is weird that we were in all those places at the same time and didn't notice each other!! Maybe next year!

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  7. Great recap girl, love your pics and I love your honesty even more. I went to BEA once and only because I was invited to be a speaker at the blogger conference, and to be honest, I made a total ass out of myself, I choked up, felt embarrassed and wanted to disappear. The expo itself was merely OK. You brought up a great point about socializing with other bloggers. I totally agree. It can go either way. Some people are nice and welcoming, but from my personal experience, a lot of people are going to size you up and hold you at an arm's distance. Bloggers who arrive with an entourage and roam through the premises like a freaking snarling wolf pack are the worst ;) Anyhoo, thanks for sharing!

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    1. Yeah I tried to avoid the packs of bloggers. It feels too much like high school. I'm sorry you had a bad experience. It's cool that you were asked to be a speaker though!! And I'm glad you liked that I was honest about what my perspective was. I wasn't sure if I should post that or not... I mean I don't want to hurt people's feelings or make them think that I'm bitchy, but I wanted to tell people how I felt at the same time :)

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  8. I LOVED ROOMING WITH YOU MY DARLING TRAVEL MATE AND BED MATE! <3 Loved all of our chats and bitch sessions!!

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    1. Lovely lovely times!! Hope we have more in the future!

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  9. SO glad we roomed together!!! It was wonderful getting to know you and hang out with all of you! BEST ROOMIES EVER!!! I know I went more for meeting people, but I totally understand your reasons for going. And I'm like you: I don't always get why some books are SO hyped up. Yes, the two big ones (Truthwitch and Passenger) both sounded very good, but I'm not sure where all the hype came from. Either I live under a rock or I just don't get on board easily. While I didn't get to meet too many authors that I love there, I was perfectly fine meeting the ones I did get to meet. Overall, lovely time! Still exhausted though. ;)

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    1. Haha it took me a week to recover. Work freaking DRAGGGGGED! I couldn't have hoped for better roommates than you 3!!

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  10. Thanks for the recap! I love to see ppl out doing bookish things. All those lovely books and authors, sigh.. =)

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    1. Bookish events are the best! Meeting authors is definitely something I never thought I would do. It's my fave part of BEA. And always will be :) Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. Visiting from the link up! Looks like you had an awesome time! Dont worry about reading to fit in. Read what you want and then the passion shows through! Have a good weekend

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    1. Thank you! I could never read to fit in, even if I wanted to. Reading wouldn't be fun anymore if I was forcing myself to read things I'm not into. It just sometimes makes me feel out of the loop in a way, but so be it! Thanks for stopping by!

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  12. This is the cutest thing ever :) I wish I'd gotten to meet you! But maybe next year ;)

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    1. Thank you!! & I would love to meet you if you go to Chicago for BEA :)

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