Oh man. This was my third BEA and by far my favorite. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun at the previous two I attended. However, this year I knew more people and it just seemed way more chill. I learned from the first year that it’s much more fun for me to have a loosey-goosey plan (where there are things I’m interested in but I’m not a slave to the schedule!) My one regret is that I wanted to meet more bloggers I didn’t know but became totally overwhelmed with new people super quickly. I basically stuck to talking to people I already knew. I wish I could have met more new people but I just couldn’t handle it!
Tuesday:
My friend Ange and I rode together to BEA. On the way down we stopped at Anderson’s Bookshop for the Maggie Stiefvater event. I adore her books and she puts on a fun event. We went straight to the hotel from there. I got in pretty late. Thankfully I had amazing roommates. Sara, Katie, and Amber were so much fun to share a room with!
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- I super love this series
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- Maggie, speaking from atop the table
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- Amazing book wrap I sadly left in my friend’s car 🙁
Wednesday:
The show floor didn’t open until later in the day so Katie and I met up with Emily, Stacey, and Susan. We had a yummy breakfast at Yolk and then headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Katie (and Sara and Amber!) headed to Book Blogger Con for their roundtables and I went to wait for the show floor to open. The line to get in was crazy long (as anticipated!) so I ended up grabbing tea with a friend and then checking out the floor after the first rush was over. So much more chill! That evening Kaye Publicity had a “Welcome to Chicago” cocktail party which was so much fun (and at which I didn’t take a singe picture!)
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- Free zoos are the best!
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- Excited to see this promo for Riveted!
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- New covers for the Gallagher Girls!
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- Do not steal the display, do not steal the display.
Thursday:
This was the crazy busy day! I headed down to the floor in the morning and spent most of the day there. It was so lovely to see so many blogger, author, and publishing friends! I waited in line for Gayle Forman’s upcoming adult title Leave Me. Bloomsbury revealed the cover for Empire of Storms, the next Throne of Glass book. And Thursday was the day for all the events! The night started with a lovely party from Bloomsbury (again, I failed at taking pictures!) Elizabeth Eulberg and Danielle Paige were there (Jeff Giles would have been but travel didn’t allow for it!) Next up was the Macmillan event. We got to mingle with Kami Garcia (who I failed at taking a photo with!), Marissa Meyer, Caleb Roehrig, and Leigh Bardugo. So much fun! Finally, the night ended with some yummy sweet treats at the first ever Big Honcho Media BEA party.
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- Upcoming Sarah J. Maas cover reveal!
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- Always a pleasure to see Gayle!
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- Fierce reads party with amazing authors!
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- Leigh Bardugo fangirl for life!
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- Cant wait to read Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
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- The lovely Marissa Meyer
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- Blogger friends are the best!
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- Seriously. The best.
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- Big Honcho Media knows how to party!
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- From the Bloomsbury event
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- Fierce Reads goodies (missing the amazing shirt!)
Books from Events:
Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige
The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
Crooked Kingdom (sampler) by Leigh Bardugo
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia
Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig
Friday:
Another excellent day! I went to a YA panel moderated by Veronica Roth. Panelist included Lauren Oliver, Alyson Noel, Kendare Blake, and Melissa De La Cruz. I also got to see Veronica and get my chapter sampler of her upcoming book Carve the Mark signed. She is one of the nicest authors I’ve met! Laini Taylor was also signing chapter samplers and I was so happy to see her. I had planned to stand in line for Gemina (the ARC I most wanted!) but decided to spend time with a friend I hadn’t seen for years instead. This was a good life choice. I can buy the book later. 🙂 I also got to meet Stephanie Garber and Kerri Maniscalco. I’m so looking forward to their upcoming books Caraval and Stalking Jack the Ripper!
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- YA panel of awesome
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- Saw Maggie Stiefvater again 🙂
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- LAINI TAYLOR! I adore her and her books!
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- Super excited to meet Jay Kristoff!
Book Con:
Ohmystars. This day was crazy busy!!! I bummed around the floor a little but mostly helped friends out. It was nicer to be an observer and avoid as much chaos as possible! Of course I stood in line to take a picture with Jenny Han! She’s the best 🙂 I was also able to chat a bit with Kami Garcia and Cassie Clare. These were highlights, of course. I checked out Susan Dennard‘s signing line and was thrilled to hear they sold out of her book. Truthwitch is amazing and I’m glad so many people are loving it!! Also, the Out of Print Clothing booth had some amazing deals! I met up with Ange and we headed to Anderson’s for the Sarah J. Maas signing that night. And then finally, FINALLY, home!
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- OMG! Jenny Han!!
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- Helping with lines to avoid chaos
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- Love seeing Cassie Clare
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- Katie is good people
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- Kami Garcia!! Love her and her books.
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- Susan Dennard signing
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- Penguin Teen Instragram lounge
Books and Goodies:
The publishers are always so amazing and generous. I picked up some books and goodies I am so excited for!
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- I said I would not get more totes…
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- Scholastic had Harry Potter goodness!
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- Posters and stickers and more!
Books for me:
These are all the books I picked up (aside from those I got at publisher events!) I’m super excited about each and every one of these!
Strange the Dreamer (sampler) by Laini Taylor
Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
Frazzled:Everyday Disasters and Impending Doom by Booki Vivat
The King Slayer by Virginia Boecker
Ghostly Echoes By William Ritter
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
Wrecked by Maria Padian
Falling Over Sideways by Jordan Sonnenblick
The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee
Love and First Sight by Josh Sundquist
As Brave As You by Jason Reynolds
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
Books for School:
These are titles I snagged to look at for purchase in my school library.
The Inquisitor’s Tale by Adam Gidwitz
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children graphic novel sampler by Ransom Riggs & Cassandra Jean
Ashes by Laurie Halse Anderson
Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
The Best Man by Richard Peck
The Peculiar Night of the Blue Heart by Lauren DeStefano
Going Wild by Lisa McMann
The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner
Howard Wallace, P.I. by Casey Lyall
Choose Your Own Nightmare: Eighth Grade Witch by C.E. Simpson
Choose Your Own Nightmare: Snake Invasion by Doug Wilhelm
Giveaway:
Some of the books I received at the publisher events were ones that ended up being sent to me as well! I also got some tote bags and other goodies that I’m passing on. Here’s what this prize pack includes:
The books are a chapter sampler of Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia, Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige, and Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig. US only. Must be 13 or older to win. Enter using the rafflecopter.
Katheryn @Perks of a Book nerd
Awwwwww yeah it looks like you had a whale of a time. Yay! I’m hoping to go next year. Shall be interesting. I love the pictures you took. Ahh XD
Samantha Wallace
The three 2016 releases I am looking forward to have already been published and that is The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater, A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas, and Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare. Thanks for the great giveaway!! 😀
Cassie H
I can’t wait for A Torch Against the Night!
Becki @ The Flutterby Room
It sounds like you had a lovely time at BEA.
Morgan @ Gone with the Words
I’m sorry we didn’t run into each other at BEA!! I think I saw you once or twice but it was so hard running around the floor and trying not to lose people. Next time I hope 🙂 Sounds like you had a wonderful trip! Jealous you got to go to Maggie’s signing, I bet her events are fantastic. And all those authors you met and wonderful books, yay! I seriously love the Empire of Storms cover, it was so cool that they revealed it at their booth!
Mariah Johnston
It looks like you had a fantastic time!!! There are so many 2016 releases I am looking forward to: Gemini, Strange the Dreamer, Crooked Kingdom, Leave Me, Frost Like Night…. The list goes on and on!
Mariah Johnston
It looks like you had a fantastic time!!! There are so many 2016 releases I am looking forward to: Gemini, Strange the Dreamer, Crooked Kingdom, Leave Me, Frost Like Night…. The list goes on and on!!
monica
I look forward to Lord of Shadows even though it’s not going to be published until April…
Raneem
WOW!!!! that looks like so much fun!!!! I’m looking forward to Empire Of Storms, Crooked Kingdom and A Torch against the Night and Stealing Snow!
Brittany cortes
Seems like you had an amazing time. I wanted to go this year but it wasn’t in NYC (looks like I missed out 🙁 ) thanks for this giveaway. All those books are making my head spin with excitement at a chance to read them. :).
Sarah
Crooked Kingdom + Me = OTP