A Guide To BEA – What to bring, wear, do, see, money, etc…

Their definition:  BEA:  Book Expo Of America – an event that takes place yearly for book sellers, media, and publishing houses and authors all to mingle together in promoting books that will be coming out yet this year and possibly next spring.

My definition:  Heaven for Book Lovers.  ♥

Before my love affair with book reviewing, I had never heard of BEA.  In 2010 when I first did finally hear about it and what it was… I only knew one thing…. I had to go.

For me – this was HUGE.  I didn’t plan trips alone.  I didn’t just go off on a whim, to states I had never been to before, but this had to happen.  I connected with a couple of bloggers on-line that I planned to be roommates with to cut that cost down.  And I went.  LOVED IT.  Went again in 2011….LOVED IT! And now I am on schedule to go again this next week.  I can’t explain the magic of being surrounded by books and book lovers for almost a full week.  All I can say is that if you are ever considering going, GO.  Don’t hesitate.

So what got this little girl from Central Minnesota to go to New York and feel confident enough to do it?  Well, honestly, Book Bloggers.  In 2010 a group of book bloggers decided to each take a day for a week and write a post about what to expect at BEA.  I devoured everything I could about the subject. 

I am going to pass on to you now what I learned either on my own, or through others, but all of it valuable if you are new to the BEA experience.  Some of this I wish I had known going in….  I am happy to pass it on to you and hope there is something you can take from this.

 

What to pack?

At the Expo I would suggest wearing business casual – jeans and a nice shirt, capris or springy skirts for women, cargo style pants… remember you are there representing your blog.  Pack one outfit a little dressier for an evening out… maybe a pair of dressier pants or skirt with a couple different tops. Definitely pack  comfortable shoes, even if you are like me, and wearing a heel doesn’t bother you if you are on your feet all day.  You will walk the exhibit floor many many times for hours each day.  You may be walking through New York as well to check out the sites.  Myself and Reagan walked almost everywhere… not only did it save money on taxi’s but we could see things so much better than from inside a car. 

Also – a little trick I picked up for myself, pack a couple unfolded boxes  in your suitcase and your own packing tape.  The shipping companies (I will get to them below) will charge you for the box – and if you use the post office (which I will recommend) they will also have you buy the tape. 

 

 

What to expect?

So this is a picture of me year one…. LOL, ok not exactly me, but yeah…. pretty much.  When we got to the Javits Center that first day people were lined up hours before it opened and of course, we got in line and hung out there.  When the doors did open I was pushed with the crowd into the center and right into a table where a book was jabbed into my hands.  “What is this craziness” I thought.  The book was I Am Number Four.  I had never heard of it.  Now, it is a movie….  crazy, crazy stuff…

After that – year two…. day one… looked like this:

Yup.  Reagan and I did not get in the line at all. We walked around a few exhibits on the outside of the main center.  Then we seen this abandoned Info booth with tall comfy chairs.  I told Reagan I was going to sit there, she said we shouldn’t but I said whats the worst that will happen…. they ask up to move?  The funny thing is, we started answering questions.  AND for awhile we had a line of people waiting to ask their question.  AND funnier yet, we knew the answers, so we were actually helpful…

Where is the children’s breakfast?

Where can we get maps of the exhibit area?

Where is Starbucks?

Can I still get tickets to Author breakfasts?

Where do I register?

When can I get into the exhibit hall?

My point in sharing this is to let you know to just have fun.  Once the doors open people rush in and you are in within minutes of the mob and that is much nicer. 

Once inside… have fun, everywhere you look you will find exhibits, in many cases, ARC’s of books as well.  Choose wisely… don’t hoard.  If you are not going to read it, don’t take it.  These publishing companies want to get the word out about their books and they want them in the hands of those who will do it.  Not just bloggers, but book sellers.  AND please be polite, going to the Expo is a privilege, not a right.  Say thank you when receiving a book.  Don’t push or grab.  Seriously, I seen some bad behavior from bloggers last year that was just embarrassing to all of us.  This may seem harsh – but if you are not mature enough to go….. don’t go.

Make a point to see the publishing houses that send you books.  Meet with them, introduce yourself… build on that blogger/publisher relationship. 

The books being handed out change frequently.  If you have a list of what you are hoping to receive an ARC of, watch your publishing booths for it.

Oh and the autograph area, that is so fun.  Books handed out by the authors and they are signed.  LOVE that.  Be sure to notice the box that says recommended donation per book $1.00. 

Of course – you will see bloggers too…. but that… is another topic.

Oh yeah, and I know this post is late so I apologize, a business card is wonderful to put into publishing houses hands that you want to connect with, as well as exchanging with the bloggers you meet.  I get mine through Vista Prints…. 500 cards, custom two-sided…. $34.00

Authors, and Publishers, and Bloggers…. oh my!

One of the best things I was told that first year I attended was to not overbook yourself.  As a newbie to New York I had an agenda…. I wanted to see an exhibit, I wanted to go to a show…

That first year one on my roommates and I (*waves at Esme from Chocolates and Croissants*), stayed an extra day after everything ended.  That was the best thing I did. 

The reason you do not want to overbook yourself with commitments too early is that new offers may come up.  You could meet up with a group of bloggers friends who all want to go out to dinner, or you may get an invite to hang out with authors or publishers and it would be sad if your favorite author invited you to come and hang out with a group and you have to bow out because you have tickets to Wicked…. (not that Wicked would not be incredible to see on Broadway!) 

Both years that I have attended I have had something going on every night and occasionally two things.  The publishing houses have get together, I went to dinner with my roommates and a group of new authors which was so much fun because they had questions for us like how to do giveaways or promote their books which was so cool because one of those authors has since made a movie deal with that first book.  AWESOME.  I also connected with many other bloggers who would get together for dinner…. oh and that bonus day?  I took in the Harry Potter Exhibit, and the first year seen Mama Mia, and last year Mary Poppins. 

And still… I bought a ticket for my first time this year to an authors breakfast and two weeks later received an invite to a brunch being hosted by one of the publishing houses… same day and same time as the author breakfast.   Uhh… yeah, I am going to the brunch. 

**Absolutely make time to connect with your fellow book bloggers…. it is so fun to meet in person and you could make friends for life.  (Reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews) called me this past February on my birthday and sang to me over the phone)….. priceless.

 

 

Make a Schedule and check it twice!

Packing a little notebook/agenda with you is a great idea.  You can capture information for upcoming books, and addresses for possible meet ups.  It is useful for putting where you need to be and when.  When you are invited to Publishing houses you want to have the times written down and addresses…. this will also help you so you don’t double book or you can at least look at times to events if you need to try to make two…

Seriously, BEA and all that surrounds it makes me laugh and say “Is this really my life, dinner with authors and cocktails with Publishers? 

 

 

Stretching the dollars!

That first time I was going to BEA a friend of mine here in Brainerd told me “Food is expensive there, you can easily spend $50+ on a meal.  That freaked me out a bit.  Well, I can honestly tell you that yes, if you want to go out and have a great New York experience, you certainly can and find high price and meals worth taking pictures of (uhhh…. I have), however I found prices to be not that different from where I live here.  Your going out to a nice dinner (without drinks) will cost between $8 and $20.  You can also stop and pick up a slice of pizza or a burger for a few bucks…

In the hotels I stayed in the past two years they had continental breakfast so I would eat there and grab an extra banana or apple for my bag I carried to the Javits Center.  The Javits has food available but it is a bit pricey!  I would recommend bringing a bottle of water with you and maybe an energy bar or granola.  Outside the Javitz and not too far walking distance are many restaurants that are nice too for a lunch break and a chance to sit down. 

Also – coffee drinkers like me, grab your joe on the way to the Javits… the line that wraps around Starbucks in the early start up hours has been known to be up to a 40 minute wait.  Been there.. done that….

 

How do I get my books home?

No doubt even if you are new to the BEA experience, you have heard about the wonderful opportunity to take home some much coveted reads?  As you travel the hallways and aisles you will pick up some books.  I can not even imagine any book lover being able to pass on  them all… and that leads to the next question… how do you get them home?

The Javits Center offers Fed Ex and UPS in the building for your convenience.  On the main floor you will find Fed Ex and I think the first box (and only box) I sent through them that first year was a standard size box and I paid around $45 to have that shipped.  My next box I took downstairs (by where you register that first day) and that is UPS.  The beauty of UPS is that they let you grab a box in the morning (no charge) and fold it tape it and write your name all over it and leave it down there on a long table and you can add to it all day long.  Once full, they have people right there that will assist you and ship it.  That 2nd box cost me around $32.00.

Then… I learned that there was a post office not all that far from the Javits.  You can fill up a book bag or two and then go to the post office and ship from there.  (This is where the tape and boxes I mentioned in your packing come in).  For a large size box at the post office with insurance I paid around $18.00 media mail.  It takes a few days longer that UPS or Fed Ex but by the end of the week I returned home, the boxes were there.   Here is a link to a map of the are around the Javits.

That’s about all I have for now.  I am sorry I am posting this so close to event time… I have been planning it for weeks but life and stuff…  

For those who have gone before, please add any advice you can think of to the comments below.  I appreciate your input and I am sure I am forgetting much

Oh and one more thing, remember that year two picture of Reagan and I at the info booth, over an hour later the dude that was scheduled to be working there showed up and I got a picture:

Oh and P.S.  If you are going and want to connect, let me know.  I am going to email out my cell number to my regular readers who wish to meet.

Here are a couple other BEA posts I have seen recently:

Miss Remmers Reviews

The 3 R’s Blog

Morning Meanderings… BEA (Book Expo of America) Countdown

Good morning!

BEA is less that two weeks away and while it seemed to take FOREVER to get here… now I am all like really, two weeks???   Actually, two weeks from today I will be on the last day of the Expo.  I am flying to New York on Sunday June 3, and returning to Minnesota on June 8th and going right into the MS 150 bike ride on the 8th – 10th and then back home here to Brainerd.

Crazy and exciting!

Two years ago when I first went to BEA it felt like there was more of a buzz around the internet about it.  I remember a group of bloggers all wrote posts about BEA – what to expect, what to make sure you do, what to wear…  I ate those posts up.  I remember sitting with my laptop and a pen and paper handy.  Every tip (bring your own bottled water and snacks to the Javitz) I captured on paper (wear comfortable shoes). Those tips were invaluable to me.

Last year I wrote such a post, and this year – hopefully at some point over the next few days, I plan to write one again.  That first year I was a nervous wreck.  I had never been to New York before, I had never met my roommate Reagan Remmers (Miss Remmers Reviews)… we had just connected through our blogs and emails because we were both from Minnesota.  My friends thought I was nuts to go and stay with people in a hotel room that I had never met.  They said things like “What if Bobbi from Bookish Adventures is actually a big hairy dude?”  Ok ok… they didn’t exactly go that far…. but I did have my fears…

Anyhoo…. are you going to BEA this year?  I would love to meet you if you are – and I would love to meet up with you again if we have already met.  The hanging out with fellow book lovers is a huge part of my love for this event. 

BEA: That’s A Wrap (as in my FINAL post about BEA)

Ok I know I know…. I have been trying to get through sharing with you the BEA experience with the posts I have put up this week.  Honestly – I could do a few more, however, I need to wrap this up.

Next week is a HUGE week here at Book Journey.  Starting tomorrow, it is AUDIO WEEK and I have many fun things lined up for that including audio reviews, discussions, an interview with a narrator that you audio lovers will most likely recognize, and a giveaway.  On Thursday it is also my Blogiversary and I like to party it up big time over here.  For a hint of what to expect, check out last years post.  We had so much fun and the giveaways were awesome.  Your comments cracked me up and really made my day – I plan to run it very similar this year as well .  I have great things lined up for this year too so please mark your calendars to be sure to stop in on Thursday.

So let’s get back to BEA.

Here is the final run down of what I have not yet chatted about….

• On Monday when Reagan and I arrived in New York we hurried to Simon and Schuster as we were already late for that, and then walked what we thought would be an easy walk to the YA Teen Author Carnival.  We walked a LONG time, and later in the week found out that this area of New York is quite difficult to navigate so mental high-five to us who eventually found our way

• While I have chatted about Tuesday at BEA (and running the info booth which was awesome!), and I chatted about Wednesday at BEA too – but did not share with you Wednesday evening.  Wednesday evening was the Harper Collins Book Blogger Reception which was AWESOME!  This was for me the first chance for this year to get to hang out and catch up with some of the other bloggers I chat with on-line and off.  The reception was wonderful and crowded with authors, Harper Collins peeps (Hi Jennifer!!!) and bloggers. It was really fun to chat and connect.

Me and Alison (Alison's Book Marks) - I adore Alison. I met her last year at this same event and we just started chatting like old friends. It was awesoem to connect with her again.

M L Malcolm and me. You always know this lovely lady by the hat. M L wrote Heart of Lies and Heart of Deception

Talia Carner and me. Talia wrote Jerusalem Maiden, a book I am on tour for this week...

The Harper Collins reception - (R) Reagan from Miss Remmers Reviews,Theresa from Shelf Love, me, and Ash from English Major's Junk Food

I really wish I would have taken more pictures – but next year I will work on that.  I swear I had moments where I just…. forgot. 

After the reception, Heather from 3o+ A Lifetime Of Books had gathered a group of us to go out to dinner.  It was just a few doors down from the reception so we all walked to Bice.

Me and Florinda from the 3 R's

Here we all are at dinner.... it was so much fun!

I had a shrimp and mushroom past that was delicious!

I think I shared with you all of Thursday and Friday…. so I will end this last of the BEA 2011 posts with a few random pictures I have not had the chance to post:

Reagan and I commented how some of the streets of new York look like the Stay Puff Marshallow Man from the movie Ghostbusters could show up arnound the corner anytime...

Me and Jill from Rhapsody of Books - I ran into her more than anyone else all throughout BEA - it was funny! We never said good-bye, we said see you later.

Sarah Pekkanen (Author of Skipping A Beat) and I met last year and had a chance to reconnect again this year.

I think that about covers it… for touristy type things we did this year, Reagan and I went to the Happy Potter Exhibition (I posted about this earlier today), The top of the empire state building, and to Mary Poppins on Broadway (also posted about earlier this week.)

It has been a lot of fun sharing BEA 2011 with you.  If you are an attendee – that is so awesome and I hope I get to see you next year!  If you are considering attending, I have to tell you if you can do this one time – DO IT.  I have a hard time putting into words what a great experience this is but I hoping the oodles of posts this week gives you a hint. 

Touring Greenwich Village and lunch with Adriana Trigiani

Me and Adriana

Throughout the week I have been sharing with you moments of last weeks BEA.  I probably could have bunched them up into fewer posts, but each topic I have posted on has required more of me than a few descriptive words.  I think even with this being my second year attending BEA, I have trouble believing such an event exists, as this is truly what I would have envisioned Heaven to be like….. books, books everywhere …

That said – forgive me as I gush out even more BEA posts….

On Thursday May 26, I had a wonderful opportunity to go on the tour of Greenwich Village as invited by one of my favorite authors, Adriana Trigiani.  Our event started with a taxi ride to Greenich Village (apparently called “The Village” by New Yorkers) where we met Nikki, who was our tour guide.  What was super cool is this is Adrianna’s own tour – Called Adriana Trigiani Tours.  The tour(s) is centered around places she mentions in her books and for a book lover and a big fan of Adriana Trigiani it is beyond AWESOME! 

There were 10 of us on the tour and it was so much fun.  Nikki was amazing and I soon learned she knew her stuff.  As we walked we learned not only the connections of the places to the books, but also the history they held in New York, as well as the history of Greenwich Village.  Our tour took us to the Church that is mentioned as a place you may have found two of Adriana’s favorite characters, Lucia Sartori and Valentine Roncalli (Lucia Lucia).

Gorgeous isn't it?

The oldest house in the village built in 1799, updated and expanded in 1836, and a third floor added in 1928 still remains at 77  Bedford Street.  The skinniest home in New York (I believe it was all of New York) is also in the Village, notably 9 1/2 feet on the outside, 8 1/2 feet wide on the inside and 32 feet deep. 

*groan* Where would I put my books?

We walked on and seen gorgeous homes and gardens, at one point our guide pointed out an apartment and said that we may recognize this as the outside of Monica’s apartment from the show Friends.  (I LOVED Friends!!!)

Monica's Apartment from the sitcom Friends

As we walked and took in the sights and learned the facts, we stopped at McNulty’s Rare Teas which was a delight for the senses!  Walking inside there were rows and rows on assorted teas with incredible names like Apple Pie, Cinnamon Stick, etc… I just INHALED. 

MMMM..... smelled delicious inside and out!

Of course there is so much more to this walking tour and I know I am not doing it justice but trust me – this is an experience you will not want to miss.  Check out Adriana’s Tour site and learn more AND for those of you going to Italy (I am jealous…. but that’s beside the point ) be sure to see Adriana’s Italy tour as well which I here is just as divine!

As if that was not enough of a treat, we were then escorted into the Standard Grill which has a gorgeous floor tiled in pennies…. I kid you not.  PENNIES.  Check it out here.  We all sat at a long table in a room all set up for us and while we chatted with our group… in walked the lady we had all come to see…. Adriana Trigiani. 

“Hello Ladies!” she exclaimed and we instantly greeted her.

Adriana is always so down to earth and real.  She treats us like old friends, and once I stop pinching myself, I believe I am.  As the bread is passed around the table and the water glasses filled, Adriana starts sharing stories – which I LOVE to hear, from her early writing days, to how she came to live in the Village…  I could listen to her for days….

When it came time to order, we had little menus placed in front of us as and we chose a soup or salad starter, a main dish, and dessert.  I went with the orange squash soup, as I was intrigued that it said it had Yogurt in it.  It came served chilled and it was delicious!

Then came my main dish – I chose the grilled egg plant and I was so pleased I forgot to take a picture of it.  It was fantastic and I would definitely have that again and highly recommend it.

In the end came a lovely dessert, I went with the raspberry topped cheese cake that was… oh my gosh…. words can not describe but I can tell you my mouth is watering right now as I think about it….

The food and the company – SUPERB!  We talked and laughed and had pictures taken.  I adore my time with Adriana and this group of fantastic bloggers.  I can not wait for her next book to come out!!!

Left back: Julie (Booking Mama), Candace (Beth Fish Reads),Dawn (She's Too Fond Of Books), Reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews), Me, Adrianna Trigiani, Alison (Alison's Book Marks), Nikki our wonderful tour guide, Front left: Diane (BookChickDi), Lenore (Presenting Lenore), Kathy (Bermuda Onion), and Tanya (Dog Eared Copy).

As we gathered to leave, Adriana handed each of us two of her books, signed to each one of us. 

Hopefully I did not overdose on the pictures here but this was such a visual experience I had to share it. 

What I Learned at BBC (Book Blogger Convention)

The Book Blogger Convention (BBC) for the last two years has followed the excitement of the Book Expo of America (BEA).  When the expo ends on Thursday, Thursday evening has been a Book Blogger Reception and then Friday is the BBC, a day committed to Book Bloggers connecting with authors, publishing houses…  it is a Book Blogger work shop and well worth attending.

After a delicious breakfast served at 7:45 am and a chance to build your own swag bag, we all settled into a large room to listen to our Keynote Speaker, Sara Wendell.  Sara is a fellow book blogger and if I remember this correctly (it was early after a crazy busy week) I think an author too.  Sara was funny, describing the first time she was offered a galley…

“What’s a galley?” she had asked.  When they said it was a book sent to her for free to read and review she was shocked.  When a large box a short time later “THUMPED” on her front step she was beside herself….  FREE BOOKS.  MY PRECIOUS!  (picture Gollum here).  When Sara had finished reading the books she called the company and asked where to return them.  They laughed at her and told her to do what she wanted with them – the lady on the phone told Sara that she burned her copies…

“Burning BOOKS?” Sara had cried out in disbelief…. no, “I will keep them.”  The lady had laughed and explained that the books tend to accumulate…. (as a two-year book reviewer… *looking around reading room* I can not agree more.)

Besides being funny Sara also had great advice for taking your blog to the “next level” which means something different for each of us. 

I really enjoyed listening to Sara.

Picture by Meg from "Write Meg!" as she was awesome enough to get pictures! (Click on it to go to her wonderful post about BBC)

Next up was Ask A Publisher or Publicist session and I took a lot away from this.  A great panel led by Jennifer Hart (Harper Collins).  We had on the panel:

Lydia Hirt (Penguin Group)

Kelly Leonard (Hatchette Book group)

Lucille Rettino (Simon and Schuster)

Allison Verost (Harper Teen)

Ksenia Winnicki (Macmillan)

Here is my take away:

1. You may have heard of some of the big promotions around the blog when they chose blogs to represent Districts for the release of Mockingjay by Susanne Collins and again when they chose blogs to represent courts for the release of the latest Iron King book.  These promotions generate excitement and the panel encouraged us as reviewers if we have ideas to feel free to share them by emailing the publishers.  (They graciously gave us lists of contact emails)  

2. Galleys cost more than the actual books (I did not know this and this was really a wake up call for me).  In respect of this new-found knowledge I have been taking all the books as they come into my home and adding their release dates to my Google calendar so I can better watch when i should be reviewing these.
   

3. We can post a  review for an upcoming release at the point it is available for pre-order.  We do not have to wait for release date.

4. Posting your review to other sources besides your blog is important.  I currently always try to also put it on Amazon, but learned that when the Publishers were asked, they really would like to see it on Good Reads as well as Good reads apparently connects to other sources.  (I did not know this!)  I am a member of Good Reads but terrible at posting my reviews there as the time spent writing the post, adding it to Amazon… but knowing now that this is important I am going to make the time to do this.

• They also said that we save them time if we also send them a link to our reviews when they are up, as they like to let the authors know.

• Also – they do appreciate it is we also let them know of reviews we do to older titles as well.

5.  When requesting a book for review – be polite.  (I would think this is a given, but apparently it is not.)  Explaining which blog you have, traffic, etc… is helpful if you do not already have a relationship with this publisher.  Do not demand a book - in one case the blogger apparently said they needed the book by the weekend…. wow…. uhhh…. *delete request*.  Also helpful is to include your mailing address at the time of the ask.  This saves them the time of having to connect with you again and request it.  *I have a separate email I use for my bookish side and I have added my address to my signature so it shows up on all emails.

I then went into the author Speed Dating event with Reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews) and Alison (Alison’s Book Marks)  *waves*.  I really enjoyed this session where we (bloggers) sat around tables and a different author came to our table every 15 minutes to discuss their book  and we had opportunities to ask questions as well.  This idea was BRILLIANT!  (Yes I quote Harry Potter….)  .  I had a lot of fun meeting authors that were new to me, as well as a few that I had previously met and it was so fun!!  Of course this also added to my “must read” list.  *sigh – but a happy sigh*

The final session I went to Technology For Blogging because seriously – I need all the help I can get.  I went into this blogging gig hardly knowing how to make a post.  Everything else I learned by visiting blogs, seeing things I liked, emailing the blogger and asking how they did it.  Another reminder that book bloggers are incredibly generous and helpful people. 

What I took away from this session was:

1. Do NOT automatically connect your blog to Twitter and Facebook.  *Guilty as charged*  I think it was Anna Moore who said this (Blog Graphic design).  She said that we should only connect to other social media with our “best of the best” posts.  I agree and disagree… I believe I will keep my posts connected to Twitter as they are all bookish people there – the only twitter connections I have.  I do however agree on the Facebook part as that is everyone from family, friends, co workers, bookish types… some of my posts do not need to go there.  I have not decided at this time to open up a blog page on Facebook and do not think I will.  One more thing to try to keep up with
2. Connect connect connect… we talked about Tumblr which I know little about – but also other ways to connect with others which in turn will create relationships that in turn will (possibly) become readers of your blog.  

By the end of BBC I was full of information and chalk it up as a successful and fun day.  I learned a little, made many connections with bloggers and authors and publishers and say hats off to the hard-working behind the scenes bloggers who pulled off a successful event! 

Morning Meanderings: Is It Possible To Be More Of A Book Addict Than I Already Am?

Good morning! 

*fumbles for COFFEE Cup*

I keep thinking I am over the tired of last week and then suddenly I feel wiped out again.  I passed out in the recliner yesterday at about 5 pm and slept until 6:30….

WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? 

Anyway… I am still soaring high from BEA and just in awe of everything book related, the new people I met, the emails I am getting, the organizing of books, the choosing what to read first out of these lovely works of art….

books are my form of art….

Anyway – last night I came upstairs to see that when Al came home he had brought up my BEA box #2 and put it on the counter.  What a man to carry that all the way up from our business (which is behind the house quite a ways back) as that box was 46 pounds.  I was excited – but it was almost midnight so I decided until this morning to dig into it…. it kind of is like Christmas as this box was packed on day one of BEA and I had no idea any longer what was in it…

This morning, I opened it up (sorry… I had no clever idea for a book spoof so you will have to live through yesterdays for a while longer… )

Secret Legacy and Dark Legacy by Anna DeStefano (I spoke with the publisher on this one and they put them in that cute little bag you see behind then.

First Drop Of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (I am curious, not sure if it a fit for me – but it is audio and that is something I am always looking for!)

Witches Of East End by Melissa De La Cruz (Gorgeous cover!!!)

Sleight by Kirsten Kaschock (curious about this one!)

5 Love Languages of Appreciation In The Workplace (well who doesn’t like that?  LOL)

Following Atticus by Tom Ryan (look at the puppy!)

An Uncaged Eagle by Richard Toliver (wow.  I wound up talking to this author for about 15 minutes about his book.  It sounds really powerful).

Life Is Not A Stage by Florence Henderson (curious about this one… I do like the occasional memoir)

Oh Beautiful by John Paul Godges (This author tells me there are some Minnesota moments in this one!)

Living Beyond Your Feelings by Joyce Meyer (I will admit – I am not a big fan, but I have a friend who is that I can pass it to – or to my library)

Nazareth Child by Darrell James (This one looks good and had peaked my interest!)

Tuesdays At The Castle by Jessica Day George (I like the occasional middle grade and this one looks good!)

Escape From Zobadak by Brad Gallagher (another awesoem looking MG)

Agent 6 by Tom Rob Smith (author of Child 44 – what a writer!)

One Day I Will Write About This Place by Binyavanga Wainaina (I could not pass up such a cover…..)

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee (this is actually a read a long book I am doing later this year!)

Coffee Talk by Morton Satin (all about coffee.. what’s not to love?) 

We All Wore Stars by Theo Coster (Memories of Anne Frank by her classmates)

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (VERY curious about this one – reading the back it has a 13 reasons Why feel to it)

Vampire Empire by Clay and Susan Griffith (I talked tot his couple at BEA)

What Happened To Good Bye by Sarah Dessen (I have read and enjoyed this author before)

Pure by Julianna Baggott (wow what a cover – and 429 pages!)

OOH!  Audio!  And SWAG! (I am getting lazy writing all these titles out, so if you have questions about these ask me in the comments. 

Fury by Elizabeth Miles (wowza…. cover love!)

GLOW by Amy Kathleen Ryan (I have heard good things about this one!)

The 39 Clues – Medusa Plot (Had to grab this one – the whole 39 clues concept I think is brilliant and fun for young readers)

The Art Of Fielding by Chad Harbach (no idea what this one is about but people seemed excited about it…)

The Ambition by Lee Strobel (I have not read Strobel in a long time and I am curious about this new to me title)

The Maid’s Daughter by Mary Romero (interesting… looks to be a true story and was categorized under the genre social sciences) 

Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins (looks like a fun rainy day read!)

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven Wedel (loving this crazy cover…. wishing I could do that….LOL)

The Soldiers Wife by Margaret Leroy (looks good!)

The Orchard by Theresa Weir (oh I like the looks of this one too!)

So that is the end of the BEA books.  Both boxes made it safely and intact.  I have been trying to capture their release dates to try to read them around that time but wow – many of them release on the same day (and I wonder again – how important is sleep?) 

I still have BEA posts to write – I will be working on that a bit this morning as it really is one of the highlights of my year.  This afternoon my friend Wendy and I are joining in on the Twin Cities bike club ride in Nisswa for 30, maybe 60 miles, we will see how we feel as we are planning to do the Tour Of Lakes tomorrow too and that one is a 60 (hopefully).  I need the exercise – I have had a three-week sabbatical and man…. I feel it.  (Probably why I keep snoozing…) 

Morning Meanderings…. The Crocodile Hunter Meets the Arrival Of The First BEA Box!

Good Morning ! 

*sips coffee… slowly.. stalling…*

Ok.

So – the good news is my first box arrived from BEA yesterday afternoon.  Super SQQQUUUEEEEE’s heard throughout Brainerd Minnesota. 

And uhhhh… the bad news, or perhaps I should say super geeky news… is that I had an idea to announce it’s arrival.  Bear with me while you watch the short video:

and as if that wasn’t bad enough…. I did it a second time….

Yup.  I did that.

Anyway…. lets forget about the box.  Let’s talk about what was in the box. 

Smart Pop Preview is a book about

The Taker by Alma Katsu (I met this author and the book sounds wonderful!)

Fare Forward by Wendy Dubow Polins (this is an info postcard about the book – with an email to request a copy)

The Revisionists by Thomas Muller (part of the BBC make your own swag bag)

Something Inside Of Me by Chitoka Webb (I me this wonderful woman and wow does she have a story to tell!)

Kite Runner By Khaled Hosseini – graphic novel sampler

Lot’s Return to Sodom by Sandra Brannan (I met Sandra last year, and again this year and the woman amazes me!  I am so excited to check out her new novel and she handed it out with chocolate rocks….. got to love that!  )

Icefall by Matthew Kirby (part of the BBC build your own swag bag)

The Maid (A Novel of Joan Of Arc) by Kimberly Cutter – more BBC Build your own swag bag!

The Winters In Bloom by Lisa Tucker (I got this one at the Atria blogger reception)

Bobblehead dad by Jim Higley (BBC Swag Bag!)

Who What Wear by Olivia Bennett (BBC swag bag!)

(I think this picture is a little blurry because I was shaking at the sight of Forever )

Lost Angel by Javier Sierra (from BEA)

Between by Jessica Warman (BEA  – doesn’t it look good?)

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (OOOHHH!!!! Off the BEA show floor!)

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly (I thought I had missed out on this one and then there it showed up in the BBC swag bag!)

The Unbecoming by Mara Dyer (this is that book you see on the blogs with the awesoem moving graphic like they are under water!)

Lethal by Sandra Brown (would you believe I have never read Sandra Brown?)

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey (Hmmmm… not sure where I picked this one up and now wondering if it is Reagan’s?)

Murder On The Oriental Express by Agatha Christie (SSQQUUEE!!! Picked up at the Harper Collins book blogger reception!  I have never read Agatha Christie either….)

Stupid fast by Geoff Herback (BBC swag bag)

Verso is a light for your e reader – woo hoo   I am excited to try this!

The Beekeepers Lament by Hannah Nordhaus (Harper Collins BBR and wow does this one sound good!)

Martin Misunderstood by Karin Slaughter (oooh audio!!!!!!)

Fallen by Karin Slaughter (I am dieing to know if she was born with that last name!)

So there is the first box in…. this is actually the second box shipped… the other one was sent UPS.  Honestly, I was not expecting either of them until the end of the week at the earliest. 

Anything is this group that peeks your interest?

Dinner with Beth Hoffman – author of Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt

There are moments in my life that are so wonderful I have to pinch myself to make sure they are real. 

On Tuesday, May 24th, I had the privilege to join a group of wonderful book bloggers and have dinner with the amazing Beth Hoffman.  We were to meet at 7:15 pm at Mercer’s Kitchen, in Soho New York. 

I experienced my first subway ride which I caught with Candace from Beth Fish Reads, Dawn from She’s Too Fond Of Books, and Swapna from S. Krishna’s Books.  We arrived early and waited at the bar for the rest of the bloggers and for Beth.

I met at the restaurant Lydia from Lost Entwife and she brought her sister Candace too.  Shortly after Nicole came from Linus’s Blanket, and then Julie from Booking Mama and Kathy from Bermuda Onion.  Two new to me bloggers were Stephanie from Steph The Bookworm and Mandy from The Well-Read Wife.

And of course, there was Beth Hoffman.  Beth may as well have walked right off her website as we all knew her right away – she looks exactly like her picture!  Sweet and friendly she came in and hugged each one of us, calling us her girls and escorting us to a large table for our reservation. 

She had flown in the previous day just to meet with us.  The dinner was lovely and the conversation just as lovely.  It was so interesting to listen to her talk about the characters she brought to life in Saving  Cee Cee Honeycutt as well as the one character in the book that is requested time and again by her fans to make a come back, Oletta.  (I would have to agree)

I ordered the halibut which was so amazing, and a raspberry wafer dessert that was melt in your mouth delicious. 

What a great evening!  As we talked Beth shared what was next on her agenda and I am excited to share that it is another book (SSQQUUUEEE!!!) called Looking For Me.  Beth shared that Looking For Me is going to be quite different from Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt. I am sooooo excited!

A sweet little notepad and a bookmark. The notpad says "What would Oletta Say?" - a gift from Beth Hoffman (so sweet!)

After a wonderful meal and good byes (and a few tears shed), I made it back to the hotel at 11:30 p.m.  Thrilled with a wonderful evening and the excitement of a second book by this incredible author.

From Books to Broadway: Mary Poppins

This week, I am planning many posts on my time in New York for BEA.  I will be posting about the YA Teen Carnival, Dinner with Beth Hoffman, The Expo itself, Harper Collins Party and dinner following with Bloggers, The tour of Greenwich Village, lunch with Adriana Trigiani, The Harry Potter Exhibit, and this, seeing Mary Poppins on Broadway.

Now – Mary Poppins was actually the last thing we did in New York this past week.  It was Friday evening and I was hanging with Reagan from Miss Remmers Reviews and Cass from Bon Jour Cass.   They wanted to do something “New Yorky” for our final evening in the big city, I just wanted to go out to eat. 

When they came up with the idea of Mary Poppins, it sounded interesting but I was tired and calculating when we would get back… we still had to pack… our flight left at 6:45 am….  (I know… I know… what a pain right? )  I knew they were right to do something awesome, but really… Mary Poppins?  Really?

Oh.  Ok…..

So off we went stopping for delicious buffalo chicken sandwiches and spaghetti on our way to the show.  Once seated and the curtain was drawn….

I was never the same.

Ashley Brown makes a wonderful Mary Poppins.  I can not even begin to do her justice.  Her voice, her moves, if ever there was a Mary Poppins – she is her. 

I’m practically perfect in every way

practically perfect that’s my forte

uncanny nannies are hard to find

unique yet meek unspeakably kind

I’m practically perfect not slightly soiled

running like an engine that’s just been freshly oiled!

The special effects are phenomenal – props appear from within a seemingly empty travel bag and a bed appears under a sheet…. when Gavin Lee as Bert walks up the stage wall across the tops and down the other side – the audience goes wild!  I imagine children are astounded and will not soon forget the magic of Mary Poppins …. shoot, neither will I.

I think one of the key moments for me was when they sand supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.  The song, the dancers, was so good!  See for yourself:

I told Reagan and Cass later that I could study that dance for the rest of my life and not be able to do it!

AND how about the kids?  Their roles are huge, I found it fascinating that there are actually three sets of kids who perform these songs and dances.  What big roles!  Hear from them yourself:

I loved the witch, errr….. the other nanny, Miss Andrew, Mr. Banks’ nanny who he had as a child.  *gulp*  If this actress does not play roles as a witch she certainly should… she was AWESOME!

Overall… I LOVED IT!  How could you not.  I think I had forgotten the story behind Mary Poppins.  Deeply buried no doubt in childhood memories, entwined in stories long since abandoned in the depths of the files in my brain.  It was nice to take these memories out for a refresher. 

BEA is more than books… it is for me, a taste of New York and each time I go I bask in what I can experience this time.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend you go and see this visual treat.  You will thank me. 

BEA (Book Expo) Update 2

GAH.  Sorry I had gone quiet this week.  I have been so tired at night and then we get up and go so early that I just look at the blog and go… “nah.”

I have a few minutes here now though and just left the Book Blogger Convention and apparently… have some stored up bloggy type energy stored up in my fingers I was unaware of.  So let’s catch up shall we? 

So…. my last post left off at the Beth Hoffman Dinner Tuesday night…

1. First ever subway ride.  I am now an honorary New Yorker.

2. Dinner was so awesome.  We went to dinner at Mercers Kitchen in Soho.  So wonderful.  There were 8 of us bloggers I think, I will list them all and their blogs next week when I write more detailed posts about the events.  Beth Hoffman…. as real in person as she is in her books and on the social networks.

3. Back in hotel room 1t 11:30 pm.  SO TIRED!

4. Wednesday…. up at 5 am.  To Javitz by 6:15 am… picked up Rick Riordin tickets for a signed event.

5. At Javitz until about 3 pm.  Reagan and I are SHOT.  So tired books have lost all meaning (and that is TIRED!)

6. We go back to our hotel room and crash for about an hour. 

7. Up and get ready for the Harper Collins Blogger Reception

8. Reception is a blast… we taxi over, get a chance to connect with many authors and fellow bloggers.  I meet two of the authors I am doing book tours with this fall!  (More on this in post next week)

9. Go to dinner with a group of bloggers organized by Heather from Age 30+ a Lifetime of Books to a place called Bice.  I had a fettuccine with shrimp…. YUM!

10. back in hotel by 11:00 pm…. shot again. 

11. Thursday – sleep in a bit day!!!  Up at 7:30 am…. YEAH!!!  Get ready and to Javitz by 8:45 am after stopping at Dunkin Donuts for COFFEE and breakfast. 

12. Spend morning at Javitz center chatting up with publishing companies and getting a few books along the way. 

13. 10:15 am meet outside to taxi to the Adrianna Trigiani event with other bloggers (detailed post on this next week).  Taxi to Greenwich Village where we go on the wonderful Adriana Tour of the Village!

14. Meet up with Adriana at The Standard Grill for lunch.  

15. Back to Javitz at 3:45 pm.

16. Back to hotel and get ready for Atria party at Simon and Schuster

17. Taxi to Atria and meet up with publishers and authors and more bloggers.  (More details on this next week)

18. Reagan and I go to Empire State Building  – all the way up! 

19. Back in room by 10 pm.  Chill a bit then sleep.

20. Up at 6:00 to prep for Book Blogger Convention

21. At convention by 7:05 pm for breakfast

22. Convention officially starts at 9 a.m. to 4:30 pm.  (details details – next week )

Now – currently I am sitting at my hotel room with Reagan (Miss Remmers Reviews) and Cass (Bonjour, Cass! A Book Lovers Blog) preparing to go to a Broadway play… Mary Poppins! 

 

I will break down these events soon in more detail, I just wanted to touch base and let you know I do still exist and I am returning home very early tomorrow morning…