This year was extremely lucky and got to go to Book Expo America for the first time. Needless to say, it was a truly wonderful experience (except for having to wake up in the AM to catch various buses into the city). I’ve been to the Javits Center before, for Comic Con last fall, but it’s easy to forget how really huge that place is. Over the two days that I attended the conference, I would be completely convinced that I’d been down every aisle and seen every booth when lo and behold, a whole new section presented itself to be explored. The whole show floor was really packed tight with exhibitors, ensuring that there was never a slow moment.
One of the best things about going to this convention was the people I got to meet. It was really nice getting to meet other people in the blogging community in person, and it’s made me even more excited to write more for WORD. I had a few choice encounters with authors as well, including Lemony Snicket, who was very nice and offered us potato chips, and Maureen Johnson who never fails to be interesting (I really wanted to steal her sparkly red lightning bolt earrings too). Nicole and I also spent a good amount of time talking to Barry Goldblatt who lamented the fact that he had to wear shoes for three days in a row. People who I didn’t get to meet but did creep on included John Green (I nearly had a heart attack when he walked past me to the autographing area unexpectedly), Chris Colfer (I just really wanted to give him a hug) and Tim Gunn, who looked quite dapper as usual, and from what I could hear, was as friendly and cordial as could be. We spotted R.L. Stine and Lois Lowry among the crowd as well, which was very exciting. We also spent time with Julie Kagawa, who I met at ComicCon, and Suzanne Lazear, who were amazing and sweet and all-good-adjectives type of people.
I enjoyed meeting the publicists at the various publishing houses as well! I tried to find out the correct Welsh pronunciation of the “Llewellyn” part of Llewellyn Worldwide Publications from one of their representatives, Steven, and got into a delightful conversation about all things Welsh (a subject that I’ve become increasingly interested in since deciding to learn the language).
Of course the swag was plentiful. My addiction to posters was fed and I snagged a couple featuring the Kane Chronicles characters and a promotional shot for the Hobbit film coming out in December. Where I’m going to hang these is a mystery even to me. My backpack is now home to smattering of new buttons as well, and I won’t be in want of any new pens or bookmarks for a while. I even managed to get a hold of a pin-on cockroach (promoting The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand), an accessory that was quite popular. There were tote bags galore, and I got one from the Disney booth, as well as one promoting Chris Colfer’s book The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell. These are being put to good use holding the books I picked up.
Speaking of the books I picked up, here’s what I got!
From Scholastic: Amber House by Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, and Larkin Reed; Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch; and Undead by Kirsty McKay.
From Disney Hyperion: Beta by Rachel Cohn, Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone, and False Memory by Dan Krokos.
From Penguin: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes, In a Glass Grimmly by Adam Gidwitz, and Gods and Warriors by Michelle Paver.
I also picked up The Iron Wyrm Affair by Lilith Saintcrow, The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell, by Chris Colfer, Crewel by Gennifer Albin (which I got signed!) and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (which I also got signed!) Some of these came highly recommended by publicists, some I grabbed from giveaways, and some I managed to get signed, but no matter where they came from, I can’t wait to start reading and reviewing!
Julia is Nicole's rooommate and middle grade reviewer for WORD. She likes costuming. Check out her Tumblr at Adventures in Nerdland.