Thursday, June 06, 2013

BEA 2013 Recap!

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I remember when BEA 2012 came and went without my going I was regretting it the moment these recap posts started going up, so I hope I can get some of you to go next year because it was the experience of a lifetime that any and all bookworms have to experience at least once! It was seriously one of the best times of my entire life, and I will be back at BEA 2014 to see you all there! 😀

I apologize in advance for not taking very many pictures of BEA itself. It was very hectic and I was oh so giddy of all the books and the people that I was just starstruck most of the time, too dazed to even think of getting my phone out.

So we left on Tuesday morning since we drove over. It’s about a 12 hours drive and I was super excited so it was a fun road trip. We stopped 3/4 through to sleep in Massachussets where I texted Amy at Book Loving Mom to say I was only an hour from her house! (Crazy, right?). we arrived in NYC on Wednesday – and oh my god they made ME drive to our hotel!! With 5 to 6 lanes in crazyballs NYC traffic (I’m from like the smallest of small towns ok this was epic!)! Thank goodness my cousin Micheline from Lunar Rainbows was the GPS queen because I may still be there trying to find my way!

Ok sorry, time for actual BEA:

Source: BEA Press Room

First we had the Harlequin Teen Breakfast where we met 4 fantastic authors: Julie Kagawa, Amada Sun, Katie McGarry, and Elizabeth Scott.

I loved this! What was even greater was that for 5 minutes, each author and a few editors at Harlequin took their turn to go to each table so we got to personally chat with everyone and get some books signed. It was great. We also met a few bloggers and had great food!

Waiting with Kara (Great Imaginations), Chrsitina (Reader of Fictions), and Steph (Cuddlebuggery) for the breakfast! My very first taste of BEA (I was behind the camera, d’oh)!

After the breakfast we got on the floor and that’s where shit got real! I loved it! I met bloggers, I met authors, I got some books. It was all a great flurry of imaginable bookish activity that I could not get enough of.  You can get books a lot of ways at BEA. There are tons of signings which you get in line for and meet bloggers/chat while you’re waiting:

Micheline at Lunar Rainbows in line with me!
 
There are also book drops where publishers just pile up tons of the same book for people to grab, some are scheduled like so:

Other drops are random so you get lucky by being at the right place at the right time, and some are just on the floor right when the doors open which is where you can get shoved and trampled and all those good times O.O (we missed it on day 1 but on day 2 & 3 it got pretty crazy, but I did not get any bruises! Win!).

Then I got to meet one of my favorite authors ever, Holly Black, during which I was uber giddy and likely making a fool out of myself:

Meeting Holly Black!

I also met another fave, Gennifer Albin, which was super awesome, giraffe balls and all!

I met tons more authors during signings but no pics from those! 🙁

But I saw Grumpy Cat:

Grumpy Cat

I also met some bloggers and more authors (pretty much the best part ever!) whom I’ve been talking to for ever online so it was awesome to see they weren’t just figments of my imagination! – For captions on each picture check out my Facebook album here:

Hannah from Girl in a Cafe, me, and author Juliana Haygert.
Alexa of Alexa Loves Books and me                          Nori (Noris’s Closet), me, and Mimi

Asher (Paranormal Indulgence), Me,                                      Kara, Michelle Madow, and me
Mandee (Vegan YA Nerds), Tara (Hobbitsies)

Eileen and me                                      Me and Katrina (Kindred Dreamheart)
Picking up Kara at the airport!

Since it was my first time and we decided for some dumb reason to get a hotel in NJ (do NOT do this!), I was too pooped to attend any evening events. It was impossible to get to the hotel and back in any reasonable amount of time and money. However, I plan to make some of those events next year for sureness!

I had the time of my LIFE at BEA and I really encourage everyone to go. It’s an event you’ll never forget. I met authors who recognized me from Twitter and even one who remembered my review of her past book which was all kinds of awesome. This was my very first bookish event, my very first signing, my very first time meeting bloggers at all (aside from my cousin), so I was out of my mind happy! I’m already missing the excitement of the event and I can’t wait to get back next year! This time I feel more prepared knowing how it all works. It’s honestly not as violent and intense as I was told it would be so don’t worry about being bit and stampeded at all! Ha! And tune in this weekend for my filled to the brim book haul post!

But first, I gotta share it because it’s awesome! We went to the How I Met Your Mother pub! It’s the pub that inspired the set in the show, and while it’s not identical it’s very similar with the same vibe and the food is amazing! The cast also goes every year for a huge party!

Me and Mimi (Lunar Rainbows) at McGee’s pub

Time to go home:

Will I see you there next year? 😀

Because:

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Giselle

Canadian blogger, wife, mother, coffee lover, and sarcastic at heart! She has had a love for all things bookish since before Amazon and eReaders existed *le gasp*. You can also find her organizing tours and other fun things at Xpresso Book Tours.

Latest posts by Giselle (see all)

56 Responses to “BEA 2013 Recap!”

  3. Melanie

    ERMAHGERD! That seriously awesome, I’m glad you had a über stupendous time! And all those bloggy friends! *squeals*
    I will now go and beg my mum to take me to the US next year. Hah. 😉
    Have fun reading that massive stack of books and thanks for sharing, Giselle! <33

  7. jarkin33

    GAH! I wish i had run into you while there!! We actually stayed in Jersey and it was actually super convenient – we ended up staying just across the river next to the ferry which drops you a block from Javits! I think it just depends on where you stay in jersey that makes it worth it or not! 🙂 Hope to see you there next year and so glad you had such a great time!!

  8. Mary @ BookSwarm

    BEA ROCKS!!! It’s just so hard to explain to people — it’s so not all about the ARCs, though those are a lovely perk. It’s about the people. Getting to meet all these wonderful people who, before, you’ve only met via email or blogs. I’m SO SORRY I MISSED YOU, though!!! If you’re going next year, we’ll have to make sure our paths cross. And definitely stay in NYC. It’s worth it (even though it’s *so* expensive!!).

  9. Renu

    Look like you had fun! It must have been awesome meeting all your blogging friends and fave authors in rl! And ooh, you went to the pub that inspired the pub set on How I Met your Mother?! So cool! Lovely post. ^^

  10. Amy

    AHHH I need to go next year!!! All these recap posts are killing me!! I hope I can!! I’m so glad that you had a great time!!!

  11. Jenni @ Alluring Reads

    bahahaha the shirt! Love how you tied that in so perfectly. I really want to go next year, I remember lusting over the recap posts last year too and I am totally doing it again this year. I love how those book drop things look like menus at a freaking restaurant! Best menus ever!

  12. Sam

    I’m glad you had a great time! I would love to meet all those bloggers and authors, but doubt that I’ll be there next year haha. Maybe one day! 🙂 Can’t wait to see what you think of all your new books too!

  13. Danny

    I truly can’t believe I’ve missed you!!! But.. BEA is crazy, there is so much going on that it’s hard to keep track on people and actually meet people, unless you by chance find them in a line!
    And.. we even were together at the Harlequin Breakfast!!!!
    I’m glad you had such a blast – and I hope we see each other next year!

  14. Angelica

    OMG looks like you had SO MUCH fun! I really want to go there next year. I hope I can. I’ve never been and from all these recaps it looks absolutely fantastic. Look at your suitcase 🙂 Oh and your TSHIRT!! I love it 🙂

  15. Maja (The Nocturnal Library)

    It seems that you ladies had the best time, and of course you did! I’m so glad. Perhaps I’ll even drag my European butt over there next year.. or the one after that. If Mandee could do it, so can I. 🙂

  16. Angie F

    Aah, all of these BEA posts make it look like so much fun, but so crazy! I am determined to save up and go next year, so perhaps I’ll see you there. 😀

  17. Faith Sullivan

    Giselle, can I just say – you have great bangs? Love them!

    Thanks for sharing your BEA experience with everybody. It was so cool to see you with Julianna Haygert and Katrina from Kindred Dreamheart 🙂

  18. Megan K.

    I’m so jelly right now! I’ve been seeing BEA recap posts all around the blogosphere and all I want to do is crawl into a hole and wait for real life to begin. But anyway, so glad you had fun! It definitely looks awesome, and I’d love to get the chance to meet all the lovely bloggers I know, too. Not to mention the books and the signings! Seriously, it all sounds like heaven. And ugh, you got to visit HOMYM’s pub? Luckyyyy. I can only hope that I’ll be able to go to BEA next year, but it’s unlikely. Never say never though, right? 😉

  19. Siiri

    I am sooooooooooooooooooooo jealous, but so happy that people are sharing their experience via posts and it really does seem hectic yet amazeballs. One day I’ll purchase the tickets and fly all the way to the states from Europe and have a part of this amazing event. Thanks for sharing, Giselle!! PS. LOVE that tee 😀

  20. Micheline D

    Tying the awesome shirt + quote into that post so perfectly = WIN. High 5!! Can we go back and relive it again & again & again?! All we need is a Time-Turner or Time-Machine!! Eeeep, thanks so much Giselle for encouraging me not only to blog BUT to join you on this once in a lifetime opportunity 😀 Easily one of the highlights OF MY LIFE too! Awesome recap post chick, can’t wait for a repeat 😉

  21. Candace

    Wow, it looks so fun! You are brave for driving, I drive in Portland traffic all the time and I would still be terrified!
    It looks like you really had a great time. When my kids are older I look forward to going!

  22. Princess Ash

    I LOOOVED seeing you geek out over Holly Black just now. I love that so many of us got to do that with our respective favorites as well.

    IT still feels like a happy dream. A break from work. Meeting amazing people such as yourself. Getting equally awesome books. It was so awesome to finally meet you! And I’m not that sorry that I tackleglomped you without warning once I saw it was you lolololol

  24. Ems

    I love seeing other people fangirl over authors, because that is SO me! So glad you got to go and had a fabulous time. I’m planning on next year!

  29. Rachelia

    It looks like you had SUCH a fun time (and good job tackling driving in NYC!!)! I really hope I can go next year 🙂 That is so cool about going to the HIMYM pub – love the shirt!

  30. A Backwards Story

    I love yoru view of the floor! Wish I’d done that. Gorgeous! Wish I’d known you were there…we could have met up! I thought the Harlequin Teen Breakfast “Upstage” was not at the Javits Center, so I wrote it off. I had no clue they named each section of stages in the Center. That’s my big BEA regret. I know now, though! The Holly Black line was INSANE. I decided to skip it, and was lucky to see it up on Edelweiss, along with another galley I’d wanted and skipped. Yay for e-ARCs! Grumpy Cat was super cute! Did you see Kushka the Dog named Cat, too? Eek, a hotel in NJ? We stayed at Hotel Pennsylvania for decent rates! Try them next year? It was amazing to meet so many people and put faces to names, I agree! Oh, the How I Met Your Mother pub? That’s so much fun!! Haaah, how did you close that poor suitcase!?

  32. Hannah Doermann

    So sad we didn’t get to meet at BEA 🙁 But as a fellow book-event-newbie, I totally agree with your recap, and I’m glad you had such a great time 😀

  33. Alexa Y.

    Can I flail a LOT about the fact that I finally got to meet you in person? Because it was totally LEGENDARY. I’m so glad we found each other, even if it was on the last day, because YOU are such a blogging inspiration and I was super excited to meet you <3

    I’m glad that you enjoyed BEA! It was actually very relaxed compared to last year’s, which I think was great. Hopefully that stays true for BEA in 2014 too — where I will see you again 😉

  36. Jen Halligan

    I can’t believe I didn’t get to meet you! That’s such a bummer :(. I’m glad you had such a great time. I’m still working on my recap post… you did way better of a job of taking pictures than I did. I hardly took any!
    ~ Jen @ A Book and a Latte

  37. Aneeqah

    I was on vacation in New York the weekend before BEA, and left the day before it started!! SUCH BAD TIMING. But I’m crossing my fingers for next year. It sounds like you had an ah-mazing time, though! I can’t imagine how crazy it must have been, because it was basically your first everything in terms of bookish events, haha. 😉 But it seems like you got to meet lots of bloggers and authors, and that you had a ton of fun. AND YOU MEET EILEEN! I am eternally jealous. 😉

    Lovely recap, and I hope you (and I!!) get to go next year. <3

  38. Silverlight

    So exciting!! I’m so glad you had a blast, and look at all those great bloggers/authors you met, in person! I hope I can attend next year!

  39. Jasprit

    Thank you so much Giselle for sharing this wonderful recap with us! I’m so glad that you had a lovely time with so many great authors and bloggers. I would always like to go to BEA one day, but until then I can experience it through great posts such as these!

  40. thekams

    It sounds like you had an amazing time! The floor is always so hectic, but it’s such a rush, too. The How I Met Your Mother pub looks awesome!
    Also, how have I not realized you’re from Dieppe? I’m from Moncton! (though now in NS) I’ll actually be home this weekend 🙂

  42. Aman

    Looks like you had a great time, Giselle! And there’s nothing better than a bag full of books! Eep! I really wish to go there next year! Thanks for sharing your experience 🙂

  44. vivalabooks

    BEA just looks like the most amazing experience ever! You sounded like you were having so much fun and I really hope I get to go next year!

  46. Michelle

    Wow looks like you had an amazing time Giselle! I can’t believe you drove 12 hours! That is commitment. I’m really surprised that this was your first bookish event. I love all your pics… all you blogger girls look fabulous 🙂

  49. krweinert.com

    Looks amazing! & I have to say I can’t imagine you driving so far and then driving in NYC traffic! Eeeeek! At least the event made it all better, I would have been so frazzled but you look really together in your pics.

  51. MoonStar

    Looks like you had an awesome time.. It was my first time aswell 🙂

    And I agree.. It was not as violent as I had been told..
    I just strolled around.. Enjoying it 🙂 Chillen 😛

    Hopefully I can go again sometime..
    But probably not afford it next year 🙁
    But in the future 😉

    Se you got some great books too 😛 Look forward to see your book haul 🙂

  52. Wendy

    I really am seriously considering going next year! Because reading all the BEA recaps has me wanting so badly to be a part of all the books, blogger and author meeting madness! Cost is the biggest issue but hopefully I’ll be able to make it!