BEA | Xpresso Reads

BEA Recap

Posted by Amy • 35 Comments

Hello everyone! Today I am going to do my best to recap the awesomeness that was BEA! This was my first time going, and it was both amazing and overwhelming. Luckily, I was with some pros, so it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be.

So off I go to NYC by train on Wednesday, while those already there enjoyed their first day atBEA. It was actually a pretty good trip. I just listened to an audiobook and enjoyed the ride. I got into NYC around 6:30pm and headed to the hotel to join Giselle from Xpresso Reads, Micheline from Lunar Rainbows, and Rashika from The Social Potato. We had so much fun! We had dinner and settled in for the night to prepare for day 2 of BEA.

Approaching the Javits Center. It’s really a beautiful building, the pic doesn’t do it justice.

Once it opens, it’s like an obstacle course of people. I just followed Giselle since she knew what she was doing. Within the first half hour, I had gotten a few really great books that I’m excited to read, and then we hopped in the signing line for Passenger by Alexandra Bracken. I won’t go into every detail, but the first day flew by in a rush of book drops and signings. I met some cool people, and fan girled over some authors. My day 2 BEA haul was great!

Libba Bray signing Lair of Dreams! OMG I have been waiting for this book forever!! I’m about 1/4 done reading it and I’m really enjoying it.

I got a pic with Marissa Meyer! She was signing Fairest.

My day 2 haul. I have already read Illuminae and loved it! I read the whole book the day after I got home from BEA.

Then we went to Rockefeller Center for dinner. We ate outside (even though it was hot and humid) by the fountain. The food was really good. Then back to the hotel to rest up for the 3rd and final day of BEA. Of course there were silly shenanigans going on like having my pic taken wearing a frilly pink shower cap haha! That may have been the next night though, I’m not sure.

Pretty fountain at dinner.

The view above me at dinner.

Pic of me, Giselle, and Micheline. (Rashika went back to the hotel)

Day 3 of BEA brought more awesome signings and I got pics with some fabulous authors, including one of my favorites, Ellen Hopkins! We were all pretty exhausted after the day was done and just grab some food and ate in our hotel room and relaxed.

Yup, up, that’s Carrie Ryan!

Eeep! I got a pic with Ellen Hopkins! I was so excited I forgot to hold the book up.

Richelle Mead is so pretty! I also look like I’m photo bombing my own pic.

Patrick Ness is so funny. We had to do the pic over because he didn’t like the first one.

My day 3 book haul. I shipped some home, so it might be missing a few. But there’s lots of awesome there.

It was such a great experience, and I was so glad to get to see Giselle again and meet Micheline and Rashika. It’s fun to see all the excitement of people who love books as much as you do. I am so happy that I was able to go and experience how awesome it is.