BookExpo America 2013: Recap, Haul, & Giveaway

BookExpo America 2013: Recap, Haul, & Giveaway
Tip: Click on any picture in this post to enlarge it!

I was lucky enough to be able to attend BookExpo America this year! I had such an amazing time and met so many great people! This post will not do my trip justice, but I will share a bit about my experiences and show you some of my favourite pictures from the event!

Table of Contents

The Bloggers Conference

Javits Center
Javits Center

As I headed to the Book Bloggers Conference, I got my first glimpse of the Javits Center! It is seriously a cool building! And the inside of it is just as cool.

Danny from Bewitched Bookworms
Me and Danny from Bewitched Bookworms

So I got in line to enter the main room for the conference, and I saw Danny from Bewitched Bookworms just across the line! So obviously I ran over and said hello. She is just as awesome in person! And we constantly saw each other throughout the conference, it was great!

My two favourite panels

BookExpo America Promo Books
Books showcased at the Blogger Con

Of all the panels at the Bloggers Conference, I feel like only two are worth mentioning. The first is the “Young Adult Editor Insights” panel. Editors from publishing companies like Scholastic and Disney-Hyperion talked about some of their upcoming books and why they rock! Plus, we got to pick up some AWESOME free books! I came away with Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2), These Broken Stars, Plague in the Mirror, and Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer.

BEA Bloggers Conference - Blogging Platforms Panel
Blogging Platforms Panel

And second was the Blogging Platforms panel with Rachel from Parajunkee, Stephanie Leary (a WordPress consultant), Evie from Bookish, and April from Good Books and Good Wine. This was one of my favourite panels because I love all things WordPress and it was fun to chat about it! Plus, Parajunkee mentioned the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin, which was awesome!

I think the one downside to this panel was that the attendees were so split between people who are established bloggers, and people who knew NOTHING about blogging. Not to diss anyone, but I was kind of disappointed that non-bloggers were allowed into the conference. There were some people there who said they don’t blog but “wanted to start”. I don’t feel like this should have been a conference to go to to learn HOW to blog. I don’t think it was beneficial for either parties to have the people who know what they’re doing mixed with the newbies.

The people who had a good blogging foundation (like myself) wanted to dig deep into expert WordPress topics, discuss followers and pageviews, talk about reach and how best to grow your blog, etc. But the newbies had no idea what a “plugin” was or what “WordPress” was. I just feel like it was so disjointed and both parties suffered because we were all mixed together.

BEA – Recap

Day #1

BookExpo America - Day #1 outfit
BEA Day 1 Outfit

FINALLY it was time for BEA day #1! I was so excited and nervous, and although I kind of knew what to expect, I didn’t *exactly* know what to expect. Once I got to the center, I met up with Eileen from Singing and Reading in the Rain and we hung out the whole time! She is amazing and we had so much fun together!

BookExpo America - Exhibit hall entrance
Outside the exhibit hall

As soon as we walked in, we were overwhelmed by the pure AWESOMENESS of the exhibit hall! All the booths were incredible and it was just an epic and overwhelming site. We stopped by some publishers booths, chatted with people, handed out business cards, before making our way to the autographing area.

BookExpo America - Didn't get Antigoddess ARC
No Antigoddess for us!

We were hoping to get in line for Kendare Blake’s signing of Antigoddess, but because we didn’t make a beeline for it straight away (pretty distractions and all that), we didn’t manage to get a copy! But we met up with a new blogger named Heather and we took a fun “pity us” selfie, with her copy of Antigoddess in the background!

So instead, we got straight in line to snag a copy of Gretchen McNeil’s upcoming book, 3:59! Then we made a beeline for the Scholastic booth, where we got in line to get signed lithographs of the new Harry Potter cover art! We got to meet the new illustrator and see the cover reveal for book #2!

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m a huuuuge fan of the new artwork!

BookExpo America - Gretchen McNeil signing 3:59
Gretchen McNeil signing 3:50

BookExpo America - Harry Potter Illustrator Kazu Kibuishi
New Harry Potter Illustrator: Kazu Kibuishi

BookExpo America - Harry Potter Lithograph signed by Kazu Kibuishi
Harry Potter Lithograph signed by Kazu Kibuishi

Later that day, we got in line to get Crown of Midnight signed by Sarah J. Maas. We were in line for about an hour but it wasn’t so bad. At that point we were pretty exhausted so it was nice to chill out on the floor and be off our feet. We also met Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner while we were in line!

BookExpo America - Autographing Area
BEA Autographing Area

BookExpo America - Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner
Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner, me, Eileen from Singing and Reading in the Rain

BookExpo America - Crown of Midnight signed by Sarah J. Maas
Sarah J. Maas signing Crown of Midnight

BookExpo America - OMG we got Teardrop!
‘OMG we got Teardrop’ selfie

After this signing, we RAN LIKE HELL to the Random House booth, hoping to snag a copy of Teardrop. Amazingly, they still had copies left! So we got in line, and guess who we ran into? Katie from Katie’s Book Blog! Once we all got our copies of Teardrop, we took an “OMG we got Teardrop” selfie. Crazy faces were required.

Days #2 and #3

I’m grouping these next two days together because they weren’t as hectic and they kind of blur together for me LOL!

While in line to get Altered by Gennifer Albin, Eileen and I met Kellie Sheridan, author of Mortality (which I’m DYING to read!). We just started chatting and at first I didn’t realize who she was. Then I had kind of a freak out moment when I realized she’s KELLIE SHERIDAN and she had tweeted at me just a few weeks prior! So cool!

BookExpo America - Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young
Suzanne Young & Cat Patrick

Later, we got in line for Cat Patrick’s signing, thinking she was signing The Originals (because I swear that’s what was listed!), but it turns out she and Suzanne Young were both signing their new book, Just Like Fate. So I ended up with two copies of the book because I had already gotten one earlier from a galley drop!

On the third day, Epic Reads made an appearance! They set up a “Spin to Win” thing in the HarperCollins booth, where you could spin the wheel and win whatever book you landed on! Unfortunately I won Crash by Nicole Williams. I say ‘unfortunately’ only because I’ve already read the book! So I walked around BEA holding it up shouting “Who wants this book?? Who wants it??” And finally I gave it to a lucky person!

BookExpo America - Epic Reads Spin to Win
Epic Reads ‘Spin to Win’

BookExpo America - Epic Reads
Epic Reads

BookExpo America - Who wants Crash?
Who wants Crash??

Other BEA Highlights

Meeting Parafantasy

BookExpo America - Parafantasy
Eileen, me, Ezmirelda from Parafantasy

Jessica Verdi Signing

BookExpo America - Jessica Verdi
Jessica Verdi signing copies of My Life After Now. She is SO sweet!!

Group Pics!

BookExpo America - Group Photo
Eileen, Danny, me, Heather

And finally, we had a teary, heartfelt goodbye! Me, Eileen, Ezmirelda from Parafantasy, and Hannah from The Girl in a Cafe spent like 30 minutes saying goodbye outside the exhibit hall! It was fun, but also sad!

Seriously, Hannah is AMAAAAZING! Every moment she, Eileen, and I spent together was pure awesomeness!

BookExpo America - Farewell

BEA Overall: Pure Awesome, and Epic Exhaustion

BookExpo America was definitely the most amazing experience ever! I would go again in a heartbeat (hopefully I can go next year!). I met so many incredible bloggers, authors, publicists, and just readers. Plus, I picked up loads of great new books!

But it was also EXHAUSTING! We woke up early to get there early, then walked around for like 9 hours, plus carried books around all day… I was ready to sleep every day at 5pm. And by the last day, I was yawning all afternoon!

Plus, a couple disasters

There weren’t any disasters for me *at* BEA, but there were a couple in New York City!

First, by the end of the trip I was starting to feel a little sick! A bit of coughing, sniffling, all that.

And, my mom left my favourite “romantic getaway” tote bag in a taxi! πŸ™ (I still love you, mom ♥)

Then, one night, I got stranded in New York City two miles from my hotel and was unable to catch a cab, so I had to walk for 40 minutes in shoes that are NOT meant to be walked in! My feet felt like they were bleeding by the time I made it back!

And finally, at the airport when we were getting ready to fly home, we got a note from the people at the airport saying that my bag (filled with BEA books) had burst open going down a chute and they had to put my things back inside and wrap my bag in plastic! Luckily everything made it back in one piece and no books or embarrassing articles of clothing were left behind.

Other than that…

Exhaustion and disasters aside, it was such an incredible couple of days!

Final Book Haul

Here are all the books I got from BookExpo America, minus the two I gave to my mom!

BookExpo America Book Haul
Click to Enlarge

Titles & Goodreads Links:

  1. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard (signed)
  2. Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young (signed)
  3. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
  4. The Execution of Noa P. Singleton by Elizabeth L. Silver (signed)
  5. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales (signed)
  6. Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles (signed)
  7. Fractured by Sarah Fine
  8. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
  9. Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
  10. Teardrop by Lauren Kate (signed)
  11. The Enchanter Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
  12. Plague in the Mirror by Deborah Noyes
  13. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (signed)
  14. The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
  15. Splintered by A.G. Howard (with Unhinged excerpt)
  16. Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender
  17. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi (signed)
  18. How to Love by Kate Cotugno
  19. 3:59 by Gretchen McNeil (signed)
  20. Cherry Money Baby by John M. Cusick
  21. Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
  22. Altered by Gennifer Albin
  23. Left Drowning by Jessica Park (signed)
  24. Wait for You by J. Lynn (signed)
  25. The 100 by Kass Morgan
  26. The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle (signed)
  27. Frozen by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston
  28. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (signed)
  29. Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
  30. All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry (signed)
  31. Entwined With You by Sylvia Day (signed)
  32. Tandem by Anna Jarzab (signed)
  33. The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech
  34. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
  35. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (signed)
  36. The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray (signed)
  37. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson (signed)

Giveaway

I wound up with two ARCs of Just Like Fate, so now I’m giving one away!

About the Book

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Goodreads

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline’s been at Gram’s bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape–both her family and the reality of Gram’s failing health. So when Caroline’s best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram’s side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline’s fate into two separate paths—and she’s about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she’s ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending…

Giveaway Rules

  • Open internationally
  • One winner
  • The winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you attend BEA?

If you attended BEA and wrote a recap post, link me!! I’d love to check it out! πŸ˜€

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I'm a 30-something California girl living in England (I fell in love with a Brit!). My three great passions are: books, coding, and fitness. more »

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42 comments

  1. That’s so awesome Ashley! You got The 5th wave too! Yaay. Still have to read that one myself, but I have a copy and I’m going to read it soon.
    I didn’t go to BEA this year or any years before. It would cost me a lot of money to go (you know, plain, hotel etc,… I can’t swim all the way from belgium to new york unfortunately.) I really hope I can go next year, but I doubt it. Some day I will and it shall be epic!

    Bieke @ Istyria book blog recently posted: Stacking The Shelves #6
    1. Yeah I was freaking out during the entire airplane ride because I was so afraid that some of my books would get left behind. But luckily everything made it back in one piece!

  2. YAY! Looks like you had an awesome time! It was so great meeting you in the SHP line! I wish we had taken a picture! I didn’t think to do that. WHY WHY WHY? In any case, next year I think I’ll do the blogger conference. Looks like a lot of fun and like there’s much to learn! Enjoy your haul!

    Brooke recently posted: BEA: Day 2 @BookExpo America #BEA13
    1. OMG I wish we had taken a picture too, Brooke! It was so fun meeting you!! πŸ™‚ Hopefully there are some cool panels during the Blogger Conference next year!

  3. I have so much to say yet I have no idea how to express myself so… I AM SO GLAD YOU HAD FUN AND ENJOY READING ALL THOSE PRETTIES! I hope I can go next year- all ready beginng my mum πŸ˜‰

    Melanie recently posted: Teaser Tuesday (13)
  4. I’m glad you enjoyed BEA! The whole event is pretty overwhelming and tiring, but I think, all in all, enjoyable. There’s a tremendously crazy amount of energy from being around book lovers that just ends up inspiring and re-energizing you about books and blogging and the like. Glad you enjoyed it!

    Alexa Y. recently posted: BEA 2013 Spotlight: Book Blogger Picnic
  5. GIRLFRIEND. That is seriously awesome! I’m so glad you got to go hangout in Bookish Heaven for a few days! It sounds like you got to meet so many cool peeps and bring home lots of yummies for the summer. Seriously, that’s like perfect timing. Hehe. PSST. You can always donate them to Muah when you finish. JUST KIDDING.

    Anyway, it’s so cool seeing your pretty face with Eileen!! You guys are both so epic and so pretty! Dude, I wish I dressed as awesome as you guys. Okay. Seriously, not jealousy here. I’m so excited for your excited about it.

    I’m sounding really cheesy. ANYWAY. I will get to BEA eventually….
    <3333 Inky

    1. It’s definitely worth going as a blogger! Honestly, Saturday was the least interesting day. It was still fun, but Thursday in particular was AMAZING. There’s just so much more going on the other two days!!

  6. How frustrating having to sit in a blogger’s panel and have non-bloggers attend. I think people wanting to start a blog, should have had a separate panel. At least, a few probably walked away with some good information.

    Ah fangirling that you got Entwined With You signed by Sylvia Day! I’m still debating if I want to go up to Rom Con in Colorado at the end of the month and she’s my selling my point. I want to meet her SO bad. So glad you met her. I see you got a copy of Plague in the Mirror by Deborah Noyes-it looks like a great read.

    Jess @ Literary, etc recently posted: Southwest Book Fiesta Recap
  7. I’m so jealous it looks like you had an amazing time! Last year we decided we would do a US trip around the BEA dates so I could go, then I got pregnant and was due a week after the expo so it was all off πŸ™ If I can fathom flying to New York with a 12 month old and 3.5 year old then hoping perhaps it can be on the cards next year!!!

    Philippa recently posted: Introducing Baby Madeleine
  8. Thanks so much for sharing photos! It’s so lovely to see bloggers hanging out together for real πŸ™‚ And I am so happy you had such a great time, even with the small mishaps, it looks just amazing. I’m hoping to go next year – even if I have to take all my exams in August instead of late May beginning of June…

    1. Maybe I’ll see you there Lexxie! I’m really hoping I’ll be able to go next year. πŸ™‚

  9. AHHHHH SO JEALOUS!! I’m uber jealous of you and Eileen both that you got to meet each other! I seriously hope I can go next year!
    That’s crazy that your bag-o-books burst open! Good thing you didn’t lose any, though. That’s something I never thought of…I’d have to fly there, do they charge you extra baggage for all your books on the trip home??? That’d be an expensive trip, but hopefully I can start saving like, NOW. *sigh*

    Jessi @ Auntie Spinelli Reads recently posted: Charm and Strange Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway
    1. Eileen and I had SO MUCH FUN together!!! I really hope you can make it next year! Then you, Eileen and I can all hang out together! Woohoo!!

      I flew with Virgin America and they do charge a little bit ($25) if you take more than one bag. I’m not sure if other airlines do or not though. Some airlines allow you to take two bags. Just don’t go over the weight limit of 50lbs! Then they’ll hit you with like a $50 charge. Here’s what I did:

      I packed 1 bag inside of the other on the way there (so that I didn’t get charged for 2 bags). Then, after BEA, I spread my books out between the two bags and even took like 5 in my carryon. That way I didn’t cause one bag to go totally overweight. My heaviest one ended up being 44lbs (just within the limit!).

      I HIGHLY recommend that over mailing your books. Most people seem to ship their books home and honestly… it sounds horrible. The post office is WAY WORSE with losing packages than the airport is with losing bags. I’ve heard of people never getting their books, or of their boxes arriving damaged, etc. Plus you sometimes have to wait up to a week just for your books to arrive. If you pack them in your suitcase you get them immediately and they’re always close by! And a suitcase offers more damage protection than a box.

      1. I know I’m totally stalking your posts right now, but oh wells πŸ˜€

        I agree with flying your books over shipping them. I flew AA from NYC to San Fran, with all of my BEA books in my suitcase and carryon luggage. The security guys thought I was cray, and I made the machine go off, but we had a chuckle when I said, “You can never have enough reading material on a plane.” I wish I had bought an extra suitcase in NYC and paid the extra luggage charge, but I was afraid the tour I was going on wouldn’t let me have 2 cases (wasn’t a prob in the end!).

        Next year (fingers crossed!) I’m hopefully going to be flying in and out of NYC, so I’ll leave a suitcase somewhere (safe) while I’m traveling so I don’t have to lug all my books around (I got dished out for having the heaviest case on tour) and fly with an airline that has a 2 suitcase included policy!!

        And Ash – OMG that’s a picture of us! I love it. I loved BEA. I wish it were May again. I miss you and Eileen and everyone I met. Y’all are super amazeballs. Best. Time. Ever.

  10. I would love to attend a Book Expo someday. It looks like you had a lot of fun, and you came back with so many books. Awesome!!

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