So this feature started out as a pre-BEA thing but I realize now that it works for post BEA. Therefore, I'm going to post my wrap-up under this banner. Ready for my day-to-day recap? (Please note, I'll be doing a book haul - probably next week, so get excited.)
SUNDAY
My BEA started on Sunday. Debby (Snuggly Oranges) showed up at my place Saturday night, but we crashed early so we could wake up and grab a bagel with Gillian (Writer of Wrongs) and Christina (Reader of Fictions). After bagels, I went to work, and BEA king of went on pause until...
TUESDAY
That's Christina, Debby, Rachel, Gillian, Lili, me, Lindsay Ribar, Marieke, and Dahlia Adler. Photo Cred: Dahlia
After dinner, I took Debby and Rachel home with me and it was all zzzzs from there.
WEDNESDAY
On Wednesday, I slept late while Debby and Rachel wandered off and did things. When they came home, we ate a little something, Rachel broke off to do her own thing, and Debby and I headed to the Javitz to get our badges. There, we met up with so many wonderful people whom I love. I think I even noted that BEA would be the time for NYC to go on lockdown, they'd build up fences around the city, and no one could ever leave me (ie: hello and welcome to dystopia). So. You know I'm serious with the love up in here.
After that, Debby and I broke off and went shopping for a bit and then met up with a delightful group of bloggers at MacBar (most of whom we'd run into at the Javitz earlier) for dinner before Teen Author Carnival. Noms.
Teen Author Carnival was brilliant as always (much love to the organizers, of course!). After that I went home and baked enough slutty brownies to feed my friends my at the Javitz for two days. I burnt my arm in the process, SO I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED THEM. (No, obvs you did, I'm a brilliant baker, bow before me.) (Gosh I'm humble.) (PS: I think I'm going to retire slutty brownies unless there's a special request. Thoughts on a new specialty?)
THURSDAY
And so it begins.
Thursday I went into the Javitz with a game plan. Or rather, I went in with a bunch of things I wanted to do plugged into my BEA app and figured I'd prioritize as the day went on. And so I did. I got most of what I planned for and filled up my little rolling suitcase. I also ran into so many people I love both in line and at the publisher's booths. Basically: Huge success.
After leaving the hall, I ran home with Debby to change and then we went to Macmillan's Blogger Happy Hour. I had the best time (which I expected because Macmillan is fantastic).
Here is a photo I stole from Jamie of me at this event:
Pictured: Jamie (Perpetual Page Turner), me, and Brittany (Book Addicts Guide). Photo Cred: Jamie
I then booked it downtown to
Liza's YA Party. Like last year, I had so much fun I was more than just a little bummed out when the party came to a close. As usual, I failed as a paparazzo (please, no one ever give me that job I can't even tell you how little I'd want it), but here's a picture of me with Jamie and
Tiffany Schmidt that Liza sent me and I can't tell you how much I love it.
I also got the chance to talk to/meet a whole bunch of fantastic people at the YA Party. Basically: I want everyday to be YA Party day.
FRIDAY
Friday was a continuation of Thursday fabulousness. More books, more friend-time.
OH. BUT OH. FRIDAY SIDE-STORY.
So Isabel Gillies signed on Friday. Who is Isabel Gillies? WELL, as many of my blogger friends didn't seem to know, she played Elliot Stabler's wife on Law and Order SVU. Which is a show I love very, very much.
Basically, I walked up to her and was like: "I've been thinking about what to say when I got here all day and I have nothing sooooo I'm just gonna tell you that." And she said that was perfect and I was SO EXCITED and DID YOU KNOW STARRY NIGHTS IS ABOUT ROMANCE AT THE MET?! Please, Isabel Gillies, get out of here with your perfection before this paragraph becomes even more of an embarrassment to my person.
And then, as an endnote (because I was keeping it cool this whole time, I swear), I was like "I also love Law and Order SVU." And then she made the DUN DUN noise and I. SWEAR.
I tried to explain my joy to my blogger friends who were with me but they just didn't understand so I texted a non-bookish friend about it. I sent her 9 texts detailing the whole thing and she threatened to stop speaking to me if I ever did that again.
Worth it.
So that was my extreme Friday joy.
But obviously other fun Friday things happened too. Like running into Morgan Matson in the food court on my way out. She's not in the picture, but here's a photo she took:
I left the Javitz after this quick pit stop and then went to the blogger picnic, which, because these pictures are on Instagram, I can't steal them. So instead I'll just tell you what I did and have those words be links to pictures:
Group picture at the end of Blogger Picnic before it started raining
Dinner at the Diner after the Picnic with Lauren, Betty and Hannah (WHOM I LOVE AND MISS LOTS)
Insomnia Cookies with Betty (and Lauren and Hannah but they're not pictured here)
Basically, I know how to party. And eat. Mostly eat though.
SATURDAY
Saturday I started the day at Bloomsbury's offices where I got to hang out with Sarah J. Maas and the wonderful people at Bloomsbury. I skipped out a bit early so I could go to Scholastic's blogger breakfast, where I embarrassed myself in front of Maggie Stiefvater and got to chat a bit with the always lovely Holly Black.
Then there was BookCon, which was the mess everyone's making it out to be. I wouldn't have gone in at all if my delicious muffincake, Cassie (Books With Cass), can't shown up for the day. But she did and so I braved the storm with her. Eventually I gave up and left so I could go home and unload before heading back out to hang out with Cassie, Estelle (Rather Be Reading), and Alexa (Alexa Loves Books)!
(But not before saying goodbye to Hannah and Betty!)
After that, I went to Claire Legrand's Kids Author Carnival, which was hilarious, adorable, and perfect.
After that I went to Blogger Drinks (which was put together by the same ladies who did blogger picnic) and that was even more perfection. I stayed until the bitter end, even though Debby was absolutely exhausted and probably wanted to go much earlier. I just stink at saying goodbye to people I love very much and would much rather see stay than say goodbye.
Because saying goodbye sucks.
But here's a picture of that.
Jamie and I pretending to be members of
The Bevy. Photo Cred: Jen
SUNDAY-TUESDAY
Sunday-Tuesday, BEA was over, but people were still around and I still got some blogger cuddles in (I'm looking at you,
Kat Kennedy). And it was perfect. PERFECT I TELL YOU, PERFECT.
But now everyone's gone and I still have a book haul to film. *Sigh* such is life. But there's always next year, right?
