Wednesday, June 04, 2014

BEA 2014 Recap!

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BEATop

Hi everyone! So in case you were a total hermit under a rock you know that it was BEA last week, and I was totally there! This was my second year and it was just as exciting and incredible as the first time. I met even more bloggers, I saw an awesome list of authors and even celebrities, and I got home with an intense stack of books. Definitely a successful BEA experience!

First thing we did upon arriving was go to the Harlequin Teen blogger breakfast which was so much fun. We all got to chat with the authors who even come to each table to talk to all of us, and I saw a bunch of bloggers I had met last year as well as new ones I got to meet for the first time.

Bfast

 

After that it was off to BEA itself. BEA is one of the most overwhelming, yet incredible event I’ve ever been to. We’re surrounded by authors and bloggers and publishers – bookish people of all kinds in one building is just epic! You either found me in line for an author signing, or roaming the floor for book drops – which is where a publisher will have a certain book piled up and you can just grab it if it interests you.

This year I was not as shy and overwhelmed, so I got a lot of pictures with both bloggers and authors – if the signing line is long, selfies are so quick and don’t hold up the line at all, and every author I asked was more than happy to get in there with me! Definitely something I recommend you do – the memories from them are worth it:

Authors

 

BEA also always has celebrity guests. I didn’t officially “meet” any of them (lines were insanity) but I did stalk their booths. I saw Jason Segel, Stan Lee, Danielle Fishel (Topanga), and Billy Idol (lol!). A few more were there but I missed them, like Neil Patrick Harris and Tina Fey – who was apparently walking around on Saturday amongst us muggles! GASP! Jason Segel was def. the highlight of my celeb sightings!

Celebs

 

But really the most fun I had at BEA on both years was meeting bloggers I have been friends with on Twitter for months – or years! I mean, that just always blows my mind to get to see that these people are all real!! 😀

Bloggers1

 

Wanna see more of my BEA adventure?
Have a look at my BEA 2014 photo album on Facebook!
(It has captions for even more recap!)

You’ll see a few more pics of the happenings. Like the Book Blogger Picnic which was great even if it got rained out. Then there was the hell that was BookCon where they thought it was a good idea to cram 10,000 extra people in a tiny area (it was a huge mosh pit – like really, security was called several times for line issues!). And also my full BEA book haul, of course! 🙂

I do plan to be at BEA 2015, so I hope to see you there! It’s an experience you will never forget!

Psst: Were you at BEA, too? Leave me your recap link in the comments! I love to read them! 🙂

 

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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.

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28 Responses to “BEA 2014 Recap!”

  1. Kayla (The Bookish Owl)

    I am soooo jealous that you got to go but I’m glad that you had a great time! But then again, who wouldn’t have a great time at BEA? Currently looking through all your BEA photos on Facebook. That doesn’t make me stalkerish, right?

  2. Jessica @ Rabid Reads

    Billy Idol?? LOL. Wow, Giselle, it looks like you had an absolute blast. I can’t wait to go to one of these big Cons and meet the people from my bloggy world too. Next year maybe 😉

  3. Faye D'Social Potato (@kawaiileena)

    Super really very nice pictures and recap. I am uberly jealous but insantely happy at the same time that you guys got to enjoy the events so much! Next year, or maybe the year after that, I’ll try my bestest to be present. Then I will be in everyone’s pictures. MWAHAHA! 😀

  4. Rashika

    This post showed up in my inbox titled as BEA 2015… I think someone is already excited about next year 😀 But hey you took care of it… so I’ll drop it.. for now.

    I so wish I could have been there this year though. JUST TO MEET JASON SEGEL and sing 500 miles to him (he would have totally thought I was insane) and to meet Tina Feyy (and her hairy arm) BUT ALSO to meet all you wonderful people there that I stalk all the time.

    I REALLY hope I make it next year though! 😀 I’ll follow you around like a lost puppy (which I’ll probably be) and you can get fed up of me ^_^

  5. Megan

    Wow, BEA looks like so much fun! I really want to get my shit together and go next year. So I should probably start planning/saving now.

  6. Megan @ Adrift on Vulcan

    Wow, I thought BEA was only for books and authors, and now I learn that they invite celebrities as well?! This does nothing to quench my jealousy! I would’ve loved to meet Stan Lee and Tina Fey. The former because — MARVEL, dude, and the latter because I’ve heard she’s insanely funny. And of course, meeting Jason Segel and Neil Patrick Harris would be cool as well, because of How I Met Your Mother. 😀 Too bad you missed them!

    Anyway, it sounds like you had a fantastic time. I took a look at your Facebook album and damnn. You met so many awesome bloggers and got so many amazing books! I’d love to meet so many of them, even though they probably have no idea who I am, haha. And gosh, I can’t wait to hear what you think of TALON and ZODIAC! Did you get HEIR OF FIRE? I heard the line was insanely long, so…

    Thanks for sharing, Giselle! Hopefully I’ll get to attend BEA within the next year or so and experience all this. I don’t care how tired I’ll be after!

  7. Kat

    It looks like you had an AWESOME time – I was stalking your Twitter feed for pics and updates every day! Love the pics – the author ones and the other bloggers – it’s so cool to see how much fun everyone had.

  8. Carina Olsen

    Aw 😀 So many great pictures. <3 It looks like you had an amazing time 😀 So jealous. I'm glad you had it amazing. <3 Thank you for sharing 🙂

  9. Mel@thedailyprophecy

    I love seeing all those happy pictures 😀 It’s a shame I couldn’t attend this wonderful event, but all these recaps gives me a better idea of this event. Thanks for sharing!

  10. Maddy @ Symphony of Words

    Gah, I’m seeing all these recap posts of BEA everywhere and just…argh, cool me envious! I saw your book haul and it was truly the most beautiful sight I’ve seen in days (other than my own bookshelf, of course :)) I’m glad you enjoyed, and I’ll hopefully be able to make it in another four two years after high school is over! 🙂

  11. Michelle

    I’m so jealous, really, although I’m absolutely glad that you had a great time! I always have wanted to go to BEA, and receive free ARCs! *giggles* And it’s also amazing to meet authors of books that you’ve read! I’ll totally have to go to NYC when I’m older. xD

  12. Bellas Shelf

    Saturday was an absolute hell for me. Even though I got there over an hour early it was just chaos on top of chaos. So many of the books I wanted to get I did not get (like Talon) I stood in three different lines for that book only to be told each time they had run out of books. The only book I wanted. But that’s okay though. things happen for a reason. I met a lot of cool people and I’m grateful for that I definitely socialize a lot more this year than last year. I believe I also saw you too Gisele.
    on Saturday morning I had an iced coffee and I was making a complete mess out of it, and I was probably talking to myself or to the coffee angrily, and there was a girl next to me putting sugar in her coffee, and I felt embarrassed because I was caught talking to my iced coffee. If I am not wrong that girl was you.
    I looked at you twice because I felt like I recognized you, but I wasn’t sure. I just should’ve said something.
    Next year. lol
    I stood in so many lines that ended up not being lines at all. lol
    I met the coach from Glee. She was so tall & wearing a pretty leather coat. I left the line I was in and ran right up to her.
    next year I am bringing a separate camera because I do not want to count on my cell phone to take pictures again. My battery died so I missed out on so many awesome pictures and memories…
    I may even stay in the city versus commuting. Their first day the commute was horrible from Connecticut. All of the trains broke down for hours into the city.
    saturday was bad. I was stepped on, kicked, how to book ripped right out of my hands, people were taking multiple copies of one book, etc. I looked it badges to see who the offenders were (the majority 99.9999% of them were NOT bloggers)
    you know who the bloggers were because they apologized and said excuse me and they were really awesome.
    maybe next year if they do this on Saturday I might not go. 🙁

    • Giselle

      Ha I don’t recall a girl talking to her coffee, but before I have my own coffee I don’t usually have enough brain power to know much of what’s happening around me! Ha! But I did get coffee every morning so it could have been me! Oh I do remember a woman humming while doing something with a coffee. It was definitely humming/melody and not talking though >.< And wow that sucks about the trains! I had a terrible experience last year when I stupidly decided to stay in NJ to save money. Yeah - what a joke that was! Staying at a hotel this year with a free BEA shuttle was so wonderful I def would recommend going that route for anyone attending BEA! Plus booking through BEA gave me 80$ off a night so it wasn't too bad at all! Saturday - BookCon - was hellish and soooo badly organized. I seriously hope that's not happening again next year or I will only do the 2 BEA days. I like my life!

  13. Alexa S.

    I’m seriously thrilled we were able to see each other (and more than once!) at BEA this year! It’s always such a pleasure to see you. I’m glad you were also able to attend the BEA Blogger Picnic, and that you had a fun time 🙂 See you next year!

  14. Nikki

    Giselle!!!! We met so briefly that at the time, I didn’t even realize it was YOU! :O But I’m so glad you snapped that pic of us all with Micheline and Octavia (the last group of pics in the very center!). Next year I promise I’ll remember you when I see you!! ;D <3

  15. ShootingStarsMag

    How exciting!! I’ve been to BEA once, but it wasn’t the best experience as I wasn’t able to really stay very long…and I was only there for one day. Therefore, I so so so want to go next year. I’m totally going to try my hardest because I’d love to meet more people and enjoy it better. 🙂