Sometimes I Do Cool Bookish Things

Before I came to London, I didn't really do any cool, bookish/blogger things (except for meeting Alexa). Granted, before London I'd only been blogging for a month and I didn't really know where or when signings were happening. But THANKFULLY, Faye and Daphne adopted me basically the minute I got here and dragged me to all kinds of events, where I've met SEVERAL lovely bloggers who I'm gonna miss BIG TIME when I leave (Caroline and Michelle, I'm looking at you two IN PARTICULAR). But more on that when I do my "I'm leaving London WHAAAT?" post in a week or so. For now, I just want to talk about all the events these four lovely ladies have alerted me to and/or got me invited to!

1. Laura Lam Signing

I've already blogged about my first every signing. So I won't recap.

But I will leave this here as a reminder

2. Geek Girl Launch Party

I was the lovely Daphne's plus one to the Geek Girl launch party where I got a little swag bag and a copy of the book. 

I set the glasses on the book. You can see the shadow, right?

Can I please just tell you all that Holly Smale is absolutely adorable and totally Geektastic? Not to mention following her on Twitter is INCREDIBLY entertaining. And she makes excellent fashion choices. Because she was a model? Because she's brilliant? Because she schools all the bullies? I DON'T KNOW, but it works (yes we creep on your outfits. LOVE US FOR IT).

Daphne, Michelle, Luna, Faye and Me <3 <3

Caroline is missing from this picture. I think she took it. ALL OF THE SADNESS that I don't seem to have a picture with said lady because she is phenomtown. So lovely, so sweet. She, plus the lovelies pictured above, make me SO SAD I ever have to leave London.

And now, please note how pixie-like and adorable Holly Smale is:

We played ping pong (aka TABLE TENNIS) with hipster visors. Daphne and I had a little wine. Faye and Michelle didn't. And yet, somehow, we were fairly evenly matched. I don't know what this says about ANY of us. But yeah. I had so much fun. THANKS FOR ALL THE FUN GUYS.

Oh, and THANKS TIMES A MILLION BAJILLION to Harper Collins for hosting such a fun event. For for giving me things (including a book). AND for having sweets.

3. Stephanie Meyer/The Host signing 

THEN I went to go meet Stephanie Meyer. It was just a signing and Waterstones had the whole thing set up like a well-oiled machine, but I got to talk to her for like a minute, have my picture taken and, most importantly, she personalized a copy of The Host for me. Now, I'm not a big Stephanie Meyer fan, but I was getting a book signed for Daphne and I wasn't going to stand in a queue and have nothing to show for myself. Besides, afterwards Daphne, Caroline and I got dinner and it was the most fun (obviously).

SO MANY PEOPLE.

4. Random House Bloggers Brunch

For my fourth and final London event, Faye snagged me an invite to the Random House Blogger Bunch. First of all, Random House is SO COOL because they have cardboard cutouts of the different Doctors in their lobby. I ALMOST took a picture with the David Tennant cutout but I decided that would be TOO MUCH even for me. 

Then Random House had to go and be COOLER by feeding us and letting us know about some titles they've got coming up. But what makes RH the COOLEST is that they brought in two authors to speak to us: Jonathan Stroud and Amy McCulloch.

Jonathan Stroud presented his new book, Lockwood & Co. and OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I WANT THAT BOOK RIGHT NOW. September you are TOO FAR AWAY. It's a series about ghosts and teenage ghost hunters. I want it. And not just because Jonathan Stroud brought in a ghost hunter kit, iron chain included, for show and tell (guys, when an author's that clever and quirky you HAVE to read their books).

Amy McCulloch is a debut author (ooooh). She wrote a fantasy novel called The Oathbreaker's Shadow (aaaaaah). Her fantasy world is based on Mongolia (woahhhh) and it sounds amazing (yaaaaay). It's a duology, which has me ALL HAPPY because, as much as I love MOAR BOOKS, I need some shorter series in my life to keep me sane (don't worry, Jonathan Stroud, I will still read all 4ish books in your Lockwood & Co. series. Because it sounds amazing). 

And then there's this: 

I don't know what it is. They wouldn't tell me. But they said I could share it on my blog. AND SO I AM. Get excited for a heart explosion? A grenade of love? I don't know. Help me out here, guys?

Random House also gave out some swag - A copy of Where The Wild Things Are, the first chapter of Lockwood & Co., a finished copy of The Last Minute by Eleanor Updale, an ARC of The Oathbreaker's Shadow, and ARC of Acid by Emma Pass, some postcards and other bits and bobs. Here's a picture of all of it: 

I was pretty much over the moon about all of this since this was my FIRST EVER BLOGGER BRUNCH. And my first ever ARCs I got from a publisher and not as a gift from someone else. Granted, I got to the event itself because of Faye, so maybe not quite so impressive, but I'm feeling fairly pleased. And grateful. Don't forget the grateful. 

What events have you guys been to recently? Haven't been to anything in the last few weeks? Tell me about the best event you've ever been to instead! I want to hear all about it.