A fun photo blog about the 2010 BookExpo America (BEA) and Book Blogger Convention (BBC) in New York that I was lucky enough to attend last week!
I booked my trip at the last-minute, after spending a good four months silently wishing I could attend, as I love to blog about books in my free time. I thought it would be great if I could spend a few days soaking up some book culture, not only to make my unpaid job as a book blogger a heck of a lot easier, but also to meet some cool new authors and bloggers. Once I got there, I realized it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I met incredibly interesting and downright fabulous people, and even got to spot some famous folks, which is always fun. I loved meeting other bloggers, like my Canadian “twin” Amy (pictured first) or Pam, one of my favorite bloggers and the lady who made my trip possible by letting me stay with her and her family.
The best part of attending BEA and BBC was meeting authors, especially the ones who I’ve already read or wanted to read their books. Authors, to me, are like the coolest people ever, and it just isn’t because I want to be one someday. It’s because they have that wonderful ability to get my brain whirling, and leave lifetime impressions with me. Plus, so many of them are funny or just interesting as hell. Maybe you are the type of person who goes gaga over sports people or movie stars, (I’m admittedly partial to rock stars) but I love me up some authors like no other type of celebrity.
I have decided to break apart my one very large BEA and BBC post into several semi-long posts over the next few days, saving us both time and energy, so here is part two. Trust me, I met way more authors and spoke with many other fabulous people than shown here. I either forgot or felt dumb to take pictures with everyone I met. I will be talking about some of those people or at least their books in another post later this week. I’m just sad I didn’t bring my Nikon D80 and a photographer friend along to BEA and BBC. Some of the pictures didn’t turn out to my liking, but what can you do?
Part Two: Who I Met/Who I Saw
Cool authors who I adored chatting with more than your typical “I love you” book nerd moment:
Alix Strauss
Rachel Shukert
Andrew Shaffer
Jeanine Cummins
Jennifer Belle
Simon Van Booy
Cool authors I was dying to meet and totally gushed to and they were so kind about it:
Rob Sheffield
Melissa Sue Anderson
Kathryn Stockett
If you’ve read The Help, you understand why they served us a piece of yummy cake!
Authors I discovered at the event whose books I now want to read:
Sean Manning
Teddy Wayne
Dan Wells
Stephanie Cowell
Famous celebrity authors:
Teresa Giudice
Patty Lapone
Rick Springfield
Tim Gunn
Authors/Bloggers who spoke at the BBC and were so hilarious I must now read them:
Maureen Johnson
Authors that will make me super cool to my stepson:
Jeff Kinney
Miscellaneous fun photos from the BEA floor (L. Ron Hubbard & Scientologists, where is my Pirate photograph you promised to email me a.s.a.p.? Have you not emailed it to me yet because you’ve read on my blog that when I’m in stress I scream Help Me Tom Cruise?):
And, a few fun photos from what I saw at the Sex and the City 2 Premier in NYC Tuesday night:
If you’d like, please read Part One of my experience at BEA and BBC here.
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What fun! I sooo hope I can go next year.
Andi – It was a lot of fun. Make it a priority to come. You will not regret it.
How fun! I did not do many signings — only one actually, but next year I’d like to do a few more.
Jennifer – Who was your one signing, I must know? And, wow, you really have restraint.
Tim Gunn?! ::: so jealous! :::
Jean – I didn’t meet him. He was a ticketed author, I got there to late, and the line was CRAZY long and I had to meet Rob Sheffield at the same time!
But, I visited an author next to Mr. Gunn and got off a quick photo and heard him crack jokes with his fans. The man was a champ, signed books for people for HOURS, even people without tickets. Wish I had met him, but no time, no time …
Hey!! Is that Melissa Sue Anderson from “Little House on the Prairie”? If so, what genre does she write?
Donna – Hell yes it’s her, and she has written a book about her life! You know I am a memoir/autobiography freak! OMG, I am still so excited. I adored Little House on the Praire, and just loved her as a girl. So excited to read it.
Oh great because Melissa Gilbert wasn’t nice to her in her book and its always great to hear the other side of the story. I always loved her eyes and thought she was a classier act than Melissa Gilbert.
Donna -Really? I’m shocked! I haven’t read Melissa Gilbert’s book yet (shame on me!) and I’m very surprised to hear it. Oh, a quick FYI, Nelly has got a book coming out soon, called Prairie Bitch. I am so geeked for that one, too!
Great pictures! Thanks for including me, dear Twin
Of course Amy! I’ve been reading your blog off and on for awhile, so glad to have met you.
Wanna quick laugh? My husband saw that picture, said “You look nothing alike” and proceeded to point out our face differences. He got it once I pointed out that I was the fatter, taller, and older version of you because of our similar hair and glasses.
All I can say is….Born to be wild. lol
Doraz – Oh, how I used to be wild. You make me laugh! I miss those fun and crazy days of my 20s and even very early 30s. This is my old-semi-sick-person version of wild and crazy. If only the internet existed and was as popular as it is now back in my glory days …
Very cool. So happy for you that got to experience that.
Thanks Sherri, I appreciate it.
Looks like you had a fun time-I did not see K. Stockett at all. I did not even see you.
Esme – I don’t know how you missed me either, as I was the old woman constantly moaning about her achy feet. Kathryn Stockett wasn’t an announced event, she was at the Penguin booth, and one of the girls who works there told me about her appearance the day before. Basically, I got lucky. I adore The Help, and can’t begin to tell you how exciting it was just saying hello, I love you to her.
I am so green with envy! When I attended my one and only BEA (in 2008, in LA), I was signing copies of one of my own books. And I did meet some OTHER cool authors. But I hadn’t scheduled as many events as I should have…and I didn’t plan ahead enough.
Next time: rolling suitcase for goodies; schedule lots of breakfasts, teas, etc.
Lots of photos!
Okay…what happened to my comment?
I guess the comment I wrote is out there in Cyberspace…anyway, what I said: when I went to BEA in 2008, in LA, I was signing copies of my book Chasing Stardust, and didn’t get to really meet many OTHER cool authors (lol); next time, I will plan ahead better, and will certainly have a rolling suitcase for goodies.
Laurel – Yes, the $3 a day fee to check them in was well worth it. And, I hate it when comments just fly away like that. I saw you had one that went to my spam account, and I hope that is the one you were refering to.
Sounds like a fabulous time!
Teena – It really was. I just wrote another recap, and my big “feelings” one will be coming up this weekend. Can’t wait!
In part one you mentioned Pam, but it wasn’t until part two when I realized it was THE Pam. Of all your adventures on this trip, your time with The Pam is what amazes me the most. I am sooo jealous. You are one lucky cupcake.
Peter – Oh, before the event, I had linked to “our Pam” and called her PamaJama in a post and Facebook. I suppose I should link to her again. Yes, FINALLY getting to meet one blogger that I’ve enjoyed reading and have been talking to for years was AMAZING. She is even better in person. I just love her and her family. And she is the most generous person I may ever meet. I’m sorry to make you jealous.
LOL – too funny that I come to read this just after Peter’s crack-me-up comment
It’s great getting to read your play-by-play, I don’t think anyone can imagine the exhausting itinerary you followed & the way you pushed through the lack of sleep as you carried hundreds of pounds of books and were driven to continue on those poor feet. Your pictures are great and I can’t thank you enough for your kind words. Getting you into the midst of traffic jams, twisted walking on the streets of Manhattan, there were a lot of times I felt like I was more of a hindrance than a help. Also am still amazed at the number of books you left here for me, finished the first one “The Secret lives of Husbands and Wives” by Josie Brown. Moving on to #2 
Thanks so much, again.
PamaJama – Oh, I’m so happy to see you here! Please, I can’t THANK YOU ENOUGH for doing all that you did for me. Who drives in traffic for several hours just to shuttle around a nerdy stranger can go to a book conference? I am amazed by how kind and generous you and your family were, it still floors me.
I can’t believe you’ve already finished a book, and I’ve read only 50 pages of one all week. Josie Brown is actually having a contest on her website, you should enter it. I’m trying to do a post about it asap. She actually gave away a free hotel room to one lucky blogger, how cool is that?
I am jealous, too. Hilarious that you snapped Rick Springfield there. How random! Brings back memories of being a young teenager.
Anyway, WE will be at BEA and BBCon next year, all the way from Outback Australia. No stupid Crocodile Dundee hats or vests. No dumb ‘Dingo Ate My Baibeeee!’ in the WORST Australian accent ever. Just us, as we are, real dinkum, book lovin’ Aussies!
Amanda – Didn’t he sing “All I Need?” LOL, the good old days of GH!
How exciting that you will be coming from Australia. That is so cool. Did you know they have another Expo in London? I think maybe in 2011, and that is one I’d die to go to! We had a blogger from Canada, which may have been as exotic as it got, but then again I didn’t get to meet every blogger. I promise I won’t ask you to say anything about Dingos!
So many different ways to spend time at BEA. I had a different approach, but still had a lot of fun. A column on SheWrites quoted my experience: http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blogs/the-bea-report
Eileen – Oh, I did more than just collect books, that post about BEA is coming.
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All Around the World News – Wow, thanks for the shout out!
Jesus toe tapping Christ ! I feel like I should be living vicariously through you. I have been reading my whole life and was not aware of a book expo?! Can anyone go? Or do you have to be a member of something to be able to attend? I found the site but it didn’t quite clarify it. I am doing a novel challenge for this year which I’m hoping to finish before the first of the new year but if not this expo would be cool to help out with that. I have it in my blog. I’d love to hear about it.