Book Reviews

Book Expo America Day 1 Recap

My books have yet to show up from the east coast, so I can’t do any awesome book lists yet. But I CAN do recaps of events and some signings! Huzzah!
I’m not going to do a precise blow-by-blow of every day, because I think that’s boring? But I’ll do some highlights.

May 30, 2013

BEA Day 1 - Javits Day 1 of BEA got off to a good start: like always, the publishers put huge stacks of books right on the floor as the exhibit doors opened, so of course there’s a huge crush of people running for books. On the one hand, it’s dark comedy-hilarious: people are running/fighting/pushing for books! On the other hand, it’s TERRIBLE and ANNOYING and easily avoided by just spreading drops out through the course of the day. Do pubs like huge crowds of people wandering through their booths taking all their stuff? Whatever, pubs.
Anyway, my first signing was a twofer: Extracted by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler H. Jolley (YA sci-fi with steampunk-ish elements), and Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz (YA paranormal/mystery). For all that they encourage mass looting of ARCs, the publishers this year have been FANTASTIC about lines and the organizing thereof. Spencer Hill Press, for example, had little tickets to give to people in line. If you didn’t have a ticket, you didn’t get a book. Everything was organized, we didn’t get in the way of other booths, and there was very little confusion. Love it!
Next was the signing for Kwame Alexander’s He Said, She Said (YA contemp/romance). I think this was when I first spotted Hannah of The Irish Banana Review? We kept passing each other– she was always in a different line from me, haha! He Said She Said
Then I wandered over to the Cherry Money Baby (YA contemp) signing at Candlewick. Holy wow, was the line long! But the author, John M. Cusick, still had time to take a picture with me (and he turned out to be the only author I got a picture with. Too scared to ask the others and/or the lines were moving too quickly. Eek!).
I’d managed to get a ticket for Jonathan Stroud’s signing of his newest book, The Screaming Staircase, the first book in a new MG/YA fantasy/mystery series. He is SO. NICE. And friendly! I love it when authors are just big balls of fluff and friendliness. It makes me love them even more!
The last thing I did on Day 1 was grab a copy of Steven Brust and Skyler White’s new book, The Incrementalist (sci-fi/fantasy? with SECRET SOCIETIES!). I really liked Steven Brust’s Freedom and Necessity (co-written with Emma Bull) and this one looks great, so I’m looking forward to reading it whenever it finally shows up here.
My post-BEA evening was pretty lowkey. I ordered takeout from Skylight Diner, which I guess doesn’t really have a super reputation? But my cheeseburger and fries were FAB and it only cost like $15, so I’d eat there again.
Day 2’s recap will be up tomorrow! Did we meet on Day 1, btw? Please say “hello!”

0 Comments

  • Darla

    I wish I could have attended BEA this year. So glad you got to go and have a blast. That first day everyone is a mad dash for books. I agree funny and annoying at the same time.

  • Jenny @Jenny's Books

    Hahahahahaha, the book drop at the beginning of BEA sounds exactly like the thing at the start of the Hunger Games where all the kids fight to the death over weapons and other useful objects. Is that the intention?

  • Cindy's Love of books

    It was nice talking to you first thing on day 1. When I got back to the hotel that night I did realize that I was already following you from your other blog. 🙂 So it was really nice to put a face to the blog. It was so much fun but I really wish that some of the big name publishers would have spread out their drops for through out the day and perhaps saving some of the drops for other day. I think they put all their arcs out at one time

    • Anastasia

      I noticed that a few pubs put out drop schedules, but they tended to be the same three books spread out over three days. Kinda helpful, but then they still did the huge drops in the morning with ARCs they never mentioned anywhere else, sooooo not so helpful after all. Oh well!

  • Hannah

    SO TRUE! You and I always seemed to be passing each other or in line across from each other! But it was so great being able to say hi to you in person!

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