BEA Recap!

I had the great fortune to travel up to NYC last month to visit the city for the first time in my life and to attend the ever so awesome Book Expo of America.

Which just sent me a friendly reminder email to respond to their "were you REALLY there" survey.

Yes, BEA, yes I was really there.

Britney (Of I Eat Words), our co-worker Amy, and I got there on Saturday and spent a glorious madcap three days doing touristy stuff and getting to know the city. This included the Museum of Modern Art, Times Square, the ferry to Staten Island and seeing Lady Liberty and eating great food.

If you look closely you can see the Tardis. I also discovered that the subway is possibly the greatest invention mankind has ever come up with. This makes me slightly crazy, I am aware, and I am okay with this. But seriously, the subway. Dear people who built Dallas: Where were you on this? Surely that dry dirt issue could have been overcome.

Also amazing is this little place called Tea & Sympathy which is down in Greenwich Village. It's part of Little Britain, which stole our hearts as well as our stomachs. Lots of British regalia, as well as a little shop next door where you can buy imported goods. Alas, no Benedict Cumberbatch or Matt Smith sightings.

We got to see Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic Theater, too. (After braving the TKTS line. Recommended: levitation devices. Your feet will thank you later.) It was amazing, and definitely a Gabi-must-do-this-before-she-dies event. 

On day three we met up with the most amazing Claire Legrand and prepped for BEA. There are two rules of thumb for BEA:

1) Meet lots of awesome people.
2) Grab lots of books.

Rinse and repeat.

Also optional are visiting workshops, panels, and author signings. We went to the most awkward author panel in the history of ever, in which the moderator managed to ask virtually nothing about the topic (the evolution of young adult books) but did manage to ask really awkwardly phrased questions about the lack of ethnic diversity in the author's works. All of the authors present were very gracious about the whole ordeal, I must say, especially Jenny Han. Amy and I did go to a really fabulous workshop on hosting graphic novel events. Everyone was very knowledgeable and helpful with tips and such. One of the booksellers represented Midtown Comics, which I am sad to say we didn't get to, but it is most assuredly on my list of places to go the next time I'm in NYC.

Also: Kristin Cashore. Our faces explain the rest. We love her like a lot a lot. 

We got there for her signing line very early and fangirled accordingly. 

The most fun part of it all was getting to meet so many awesome people and hang out at BEA and in the city. So many blogs, so many awesome peeps!

It was awesome to meet Liz of Elizziebooks who does blog posts AND vlogs on her YouTube channel.

Check out the super fashionable and sweet Frankie of First Novels Club 

Bethany Larson covers books, music, and pop culture at her blog. Plus, she loves Joss Whedon and Suits. Major points for both.

It was a pleasure to meet and hang out for a bit with Kelsey of Reading or Breathing and Lindsi of Books, Sweets and other Treats!  Lindsi's blog and her bookshelf are adorable.

I met the lovely Jessica of Wastepaper Prose only briefly, but they run a blog with very nifty interviews and YA reviews.

Be sure to visit Liza at WhoRuBlog for amazing YA reviews!

Author and blogger Melissa Buell was awesome and you check out her blog and works here: Have Imagination, Will Write

And now it's time for that feeling when you know you're forgetting someone and it will strike you at approximately 4am. So, my apologies if I have forgotten! Some of my business cards went into my box of books that I shipped home from BEA. Books and bags and business cards are now...ah...somewhere in the city of New York, presumably, as what arrived in my box was a parka.

No, really. I have a parka from New York and I have no idea why it came to me.

You might notice these are not books.

My box came, with my handwriting on it, and lo, the lord of the post office laid his hand upon it, and so the pages turned into cold weather clothing. (The post office denies such a deity, but is looking into the matter.) So...luckily I managed to shove several of my goodies from BEA in my suitcase, and I'll do a In My Mailbox type thingie tomorrow for the few that survived.

But if I get a job in New York, at least I'll be prepped for winter. Holla.

Loved New York and seeing it with the most awesome travel companions and most awesome host ever, and definitely loved my first BEA experience! Here's to next year!

Booking It,
Gabi