Tuesday, July 2, 2013

BEA Wrap Up: Books, Bloggers, and Authors!

Because I am lazy, I am just now posting my follow up to BEA. My second year at BEA was just as fun as the first. More fun actually, because I knew what I was doing and had friends from last year. It's really one of the coolest events of the year and I'm so lucky to be able to go.

Books I Got

I tried to be more discriminating this year and for the most part I was. My final book count was 61, about 20 less than last year.




The total stack


Group one: especially excited for These Broken Stars!



Group two: Really curious about the Leila Sales book


Group three: Yay! Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan


A very early copy of a book that will be published by MacMillan. People are raving about it.


Group 4: A.S. King's new book! Reality Boy


Group 5: Bill Bryson's new book! Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein; Coldest Girl in Coldtown; Dream Thieves - and so much more


Autographed by Cassandra Clare. Squeal!

Bloggers

As fun as it is to get free books and meet authors, seeing my blogging friends is probably my favorite part of BEA. It's funny how people you only know from the Internet can become real life friends!


Danny from Bewitched Bookworms, me, Mary from Bookswarm, and Pushy from Bewitched Bookworms out for a farewell dinner and drinks Saturday night.


Me and Karen from For What It's Worth


Mary from Bookswarm and me


Me and Rachel from Parajunkee. First time meeting!

I also hung out a lot with my good buddy Jenny from Supernatural Snark again this year, but forgot to get a picture. I also had a great time chatting with Kat and Jess from Books and Sensibility, Bailey from IB Book Blogging, and lots more.

Authors

Who doesn't love meeting so many cool authors!


Neil Gaiman from a distance. I didn't get to meet him, but his talk was awesome.


Sarah Dessen


Cassandra Clare. Not the best picture unfortunately. There wasn't much time.


Bill Bryson, one of my all time favorite authors


Susane Colasanti, who is super nice


Cinda Williams Chima


Brandon Sanderson and a bad picture of me


Andrea Cremer and David Levithan


Diana Peterfreund wearing a really cool boat hat

Celebrities

There's always a cadre of celebrities who come to BEA to hawk their latest book. They usually don't sign actually copies of the book, but rather a sample or a poster. I didn't wait in line to meet any of these people. I don't really like most of them, but it's fun to walk by, snap a picture, and post it up on Facebook.


Kareem Abdul Jabar


Giada De Laurentiis, who I resent for having such a hard-to-spell name


A pre-disgraced Paula Dean


Chris Matthews


Snookie

Non-BEA Author Fangirl Moment


Me and David Levithan 
(notice that I'm wearing flip flops. I probably walked 10 miles in those flip flops that day, because it was too hot to wear my jeans and boots)

I spent three extra days in New York City after BEA being a tourist. On Sunday, I walked into the fabulous children's bookstore Books of Wonder around 6 pm. Unbeknownst to me, an author signing had just finished up. The authors and a few readers were milling around the back of the bookstore chatting. There were numerous cool authors there, but David Levithan - the author and editor extraordinaire - was the one I was most excited to see.

I had gotten Invisibility signed by him at BEA, but hadn't really met him or gotten a photo with him. So I loitered around the book of the room watching him talk to someone, waited until a lull in their conversation, and walked up to him. I awkwardly introduced myself, told him how much I loved Will Grayson, Will Grayson and Everyday, and asked if I could get a photo with him. I'm sure he thought I was a weirdo, but he was nice and agreed. So I had my celebrity moment in New York City with David Levithan!

21 comments:

  1. Looks like you had a great time. I wish I could go to BEA one of these years. Great book haul too!

    Tara @ Shhh... Not While I'm Reading

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  2. Squeals!!! Yeah. BEA Recap posts are a piece of work - but I'm actually happy you did it now, as we could relive the amazing time now that's been already over for a month...

    and how AWESOME it was for you to meet David Levithan! I adore him and I would have been as starstruck as you, but yeah for you having a picture with him:)

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  3. Oh you're so lucky! I've been seeing so many people talk about how fun the BEA is. Being an Aussie, I'll probably never be able to go. Maybe in a few years! *Crosses fingers.*
    Laura @ Music Plus Books

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  4. YAY for BEA!! The second time around was fantastic!

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  5. Yeah for meeting Karen and Rach. sounds like fun a time and even meeting David :)

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  6. Wow! You were busy(: I wish I could've gone *sigh* Looks like you had fun! Yay(:
    Jackie

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  7. I had a lot more fun this year than the previous two. I made sure to make time to meet up with friends. There is never enough time of course - it's crazy in there!! lol

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  8. Wow! Looks like you had a great time. I hope that I can attend BEA on day.

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  9. I love book hauls and none are greater than BEA. It is my goal to attend one day. And what better luck than to see David Levithan twice- in pink shorts, no less!

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  10. I really want to go to BEA next year. I'm really shy though so I see all the coolness of bloggers hanging and think...gosh people will probably think I'm weird have an angry scowl (what my face looks like) and not want to talk to me.

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  11. Mostly jealous of the Sarah Dessen book - I've read eveything by her and can't wait to get this new one!
    Every year I tell myself that next year I will get to BEA, but I just can't afford it, but it always looks so incredible. I will get there one day!
    Glad you had a fab time. Thanks for sharing. :D

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  12. Heard such great things about the Winner's Curse and the Leila Sales book. Coldest Girl & Dream Thieves & my, your book haul is just awesome. You're going to have a great couple of weeks/months :).

    lol at your comment on Giada.
    And that sounds like the perfect celebrity moment in NYC :D. I never know quite what to say when I approach authors like that, but it always astonishes me how graceful they all are. Yay for Levithan! (And flip flops are awesome.)

    I love BEA posts because they remind me of the community. If I have the chance to go next year, I think that's the first thing that would draw me out to NYC. :) sounds like you had fun!

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  13. Eeee, that picture of you and David Levithan!! Priceless. Looking good, Alison, glad you had a nice time! It would be sooo neat - and kind of overwhelming - to meet everyone there. I would be super nervous about meeting people I've only known from blogging in real life after years of talking to them online. But it would no doubt be nice to see everyone in person!

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  14. It looks like you had a great time! I'm really jealous (not really) that you got to meet Cassandra Clare. She and JK Rowling are the two authors that I've wanted to meet that I haven't met yet. I doubt I'll ever meet JK Rowling, but I have hope that I'll meet Cassie.

    And, that's really cool that you were in the Children's bookstore just at the right time! :)

    I'm glad you had fun!

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  15. Wow, its tough not to be overly jealous. It looks like it was an awesome time. I wish someday I could do this.

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  16. Oh, yay you got the movie tie-in cover for City of Bones. It's so cool you were brave enough to walk up to David Levithan. Loving all the celeb pics !

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  17. Wow, Alison, I felt like you met everyone ! It's so cool you met David Levithan like that--and that picture of him and Andrea is perfect.

    I've head a lot about Bill Bryson from the non-YA book bloggers I follow, I may have to read some of his.

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