ALA Recap!

July 8, 2013 Heidi Uncategorized 0

So, I’ve been back from ALA for about a week and I think I may be recovered 🙂 I was working so much before and after the trip that I just wasn’t able to get any sleep or get anything done! I promise I’ll be better about posting soon! In case you’re interested I thought I’d share some of my highlights of ALA.

On Friday I started the day off by attending a session on YALSA’a Teens’ Top Ten. It was interesting to learn more about how the program is run. I also really enjoyed meeting some of the teens who have taken part. I was very impressed by the comments they made. There was also an author panel with Cory Doctrow, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Marie Lu, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Sarah Dessen.

After that I stayed for the YA Lit Bloggers Summit. I didn’t take any pictures at that one but the best part was hearing from authors and from people who work in publishing. The rest I could have done without.

I spent the next few days just talking with people and exploring the exhibit hall. It was nice to meet some of the publishing contacts I’ve worked with but never met in person. I especially loved the set up they had for Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown!

There were so many authors I wanted to see! The only picture I took was of Patrick Ness signing. He and Elizabeth Wein were the two authors I was most fangirlish about seeing. I had met the others before. Pretty sure I made a fool of myself in front of both Patrick Ness and Elizabeth Wein but I’m okay with that. I love their books so much and I just can’t speak intelligently about them! I get too caught up in the “Oh my gosh how could you make me love them and then do that!!!!!!!!!” moment 🙂

I think one of the things I enjoyed most was talking to people while waiting for signings and such. I’m that girl in line who just starts talking to you if you’re standing near her. Everyone is excited to talk about books. These are my people! I was recommending books like cray. Pretty sure everyone who stood next to me either heard about Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, The Lost Sun by Tessa Gratton or the audiobook of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (among other recommendations.)

I came home with a number of books I’m excited about for myself and my students. I bought more than I planned on but $5 to $10 for a hardcover book I could immediately get signed? SOLD! Here are some of the ARCs I’m most excited for:

Stand alone or first in series: