More Shameless Bragging about BookExpo America 2011 and the Book Blogger Convention Part Three: What Books I Got

I know this post is totally late–but here is my semi-lame excuse: I came home from New York with Bronchitis and did nothing but lay on my couch or in my bed for a week. Then, I spent 12 hours in the ER with my in-laws (they are fine now), and since I have the immune system of an 80-year-old, I caught a nasty virus that left me near death again for 2 days. I’ve had several big events to attend, like my stepson’s band concert, and driving across the state to visit an old friend in town from L.A. I have spent dozens of hours removing literally thousands of photographs, candle holders, books, cds, dvds and Blu-rays from my living room, as we are finally replacing our nasty 20-year-old carpet tomorrow. After that, I have to move everything back, which will take days again. My poor blog (and email account) have been seriously neglected, so I have been balancing all of these things, in addition to chipping away at this post for the past week. After my house goes back to normal, you’ll see me write and correspond with you more, as I have plenty of books to reviews and several fun giveaways coming soon.

In the meantime, please enjoy reading this very long list of books I managed to acquire while at BookExpo America in New York last month. My intent is to give you a huge summer reading guide, to inspire you to read these books, or at least read other books you may already have on your to-read lists or shelves. Sadly, I’ve only read two of the books I brought back with me so far, since I’ve been having my weird visual “thing” again. (I’ve got Lattice Degeneration, which makes tiny holes on my eyeballs and thins out my peripheral retina, causing me all sorts of headaches, flashing lights, floaters, blurring, double vision and eye fatigue, leaving me unable to read. Plus, my right eye is shrinking, due to a thyroid condition. My dad was legally blind before he died, and both of his parents were completely blind. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t lose my vision someday.)

Some of these books came from the tea I attended at Random House, some from the blogger party HarperPerennial and HarperCollins hosted, some from the Book Blogger Convention, some from authors slipping me their books on the side, and the rest came from BookExpo America. I would love to read and review all of them for you via blog posts, but we both know there is no way I’m going to be able to do that. Plus, some are for my stepson, and some will be shared as gifts with my family and friends. A few more will go to charity, either my normal ones, or a library in need. (If you are a library in need, please let me know, either here or by email at thegirlfromtheghetto [at] gmail.) So, I added every book to my Goodreads shelf, and tried to shine a little light on these books here, as I believe books are our most precious gifts in life. If you see a book you’ve read, let me know. I’ve tried to link to many of the authors, or share my thoughts, but I’m getting tired lazy and can’t finish writing everything I know about this massive list of books. Help me fill in the blanks if you can! Too many authors don’t have websites that I can find easily, or in some cases, I’m not sure if an author is also running for government, or if an illustrator also doubles as a Chippendale or not. And no, I am not making that last line up!

How to Talk to an Autistic Kid by Daniel Stefanski - I thumbed through this and it looks wonderful.

Thank You Notes by Jimmy Fallon, with The Writers Of Light Night – A fun little book that Jimmy Fallon suggests you buy for Father’s Day, in place of your usual crappy gift.

Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy - Please, for the love of god, buy this book when it comes out next month. I LOVED IT, AND AS ALWAYS, I LOVE HIM. He is a brilliant author. Just trust me.

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk - I’m still reeling over meeting one of my favorite authors. The book sounds great.

Fast Times in Palestine by Pamela J. Olson - We all know how I love my memoirs. I’m looking forward to reading this one, placed in the middle east.

Something Inside of Me: How to Hang on to Heaven When You’re Going Through Hell by Chitoka Webb - She made me laugh on the way out of BBC.

Advance Excerpt of Asylum: A Memoir About Hollywood, Mental Illness, Recovery, and Being My Mother’s Son by Joe Pantoliano (aka Joey Pants) – I’m bummed that I didn’t get the whole book, but I will read his entire book. I love him as an actor, but after talking with him, I now enjoy his mental health advocacy. Having a parent with mental illness has been hard for me, and I’m interested in finding out more about Joey Pants struggle with it, in addition to his work with NAMI.

Advance Excerpt of Nightwoods: A Novel by Charles Frazier - Loved Cold Mountain–can’t wait for this book.

Advance Excerpt of Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling - Read the excerpt and now anxiously await the books release next fall. I simply adore Mindy, always have, always will. She was so sweet in person.

Advance Excerpt of Modelland by Tyra Banks - If you didn’t read my first BEA recap, you will be shocked to learn Ms. Banks didn’t even make eye contact when she signed this excerpt for me (well, for my step-daughter). Not planning on reading this book, since she couldn’t be bothered to smile or say hello to me.

Every Last One by Anna Quindlen - This book has been on my to-read list for a while now.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - Met her, loved her, and now I’ve got to read her. This book is being made into a movie in the near future.

Dreams of Joy: A Novel by Lisa See - The new book, and I even scored an autographed copy. Yeah!

Ape House by Sara Gruen - Haven’t read anything by her yet–but can’t wait to read this one.

Heart of Deception by M.L. Malcolm - Met her last year, and love her as much as I love her stylish hats. (Which is how we met the first time.) I’m a huge fan of historical fiction, and plan to read both this book and Heart of Lies back-to-back later this year.

Strawberry Freckleface by Julianne Moore - Read it, and it was cute, but a little to close to Freckle Juice for my liking.

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris - I’m not a vampire girl anymore, but what the heck, maybe I’ll try it. Or, I’ll rock some Vampire-loving boy or girl’s world with it if I donate it.

Wildwood by Colin Meloy, with Carson Ellis

Don’t Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon - This book looked really interesting to me. Plus, I’ll be honest, I had the same eyes as the girl on the cover when I was a child.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta - Love him!

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - Can you believe I’ve never read it?

The Gray Zone by Daphna Edwards Ziman - How can I not want to read a book by a passionate author who fights for our foster children? She was so sweet she even signed a copy for a friend, who also fights for (and hopefully one day will correct) the foster care system.

Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Woman’s Prison by Piper Kerman - Prison memoir? Oh, hell yes!

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet by David Mitchell

In Darkness by Nick Lake

Half a Life: A Memoir by Darin Strauss

One Summer by David Baldacci - I’ve read him, like a whole decade ago. Interested to check back in with him.

Emory’s Gift by W. Bruce Cameron

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman- Another great “can’t wait to read it” book!

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen - So glad I met her–came home and she was on the cover of my Writer’s Digest. You go, girl!

Scribbling Woman: True Tales from Astonishing Lives by Marthe Jocelyn

Plugged: A Novel by Eoin Colfer - Love him. Charming both on and off the page.

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer - Seriously, go out and read just one of these books–you will be hooked. He had the longest line of any author I saw at BEA, if that helps convince you.

The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg - I’m crazy for Ms. Berg, so this is one of my most treasured finds from BEA!

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff - Historical fiction about polygamy? OMG, I’m shaking, because I’m so excited to read it.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - I’ve heard wonderful things about this book, and look forward to finding the time to sit down and read it.

Sugar in My Bowl: Real Women Write About Real Sex by Erica Jong - I love her, and can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was that her book made its way down to BBC, because I missed meeting her and getting a copy during BEA.

We All Wore Stars: Memories of Anne Frank from Her Classmates by Theo Coster - Anne Frank is one of my favorite authors of all time, so I’m reading this book as soon as possible.

Trance and Trauma: A Recovery Manual for P.T.S.D. Therapists, Veterans and their Families by Michael McGee – I love that this author (all on his own) apologized for not acknowledging rape as a cause of P.T.S.D. and didn’t include it in his book. He mentioned working at a rape crisis center (as have I, in the past), so I’m very glad to know he realizes the impact of rape on a person.

Lot’s Return to Sodom: A Liv Bergen Mystery by Sandra Brannan - Loved meeting her and feel lucky that I got to sit next to her at Serendipity 3. She’s my kind of girl–down to earth, hardworking, and impressed at my ability to have no shame by ordering a hot fudge sundae for dinner, and fries for dessert.

The Visible Man by Chuck Klosterman -Never read him, always wanted to, and now I can.

The Beekeeper’s Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America by Hannah Nordhaus - Do you know why the bees are disappearing? It is frightening how much these little guys mean to the world. Very interested to read this book.

The Way I See It, Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s by Temple Grandin - Already read the original, but looking forward to reading the new chapters. I’ve got a stepson with Asperger Syndrome, and I always enjoy a good book on the topic.

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly - A historical fiction novel based upon Little Women? Count me in!

Stress Pandemic The Cure: 9 Natural Steps to Wellness by Paul Huljich

I Didn’t Ask to be Born (But I’m Glad I Was) by Bill Cosby - Love him!

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer - I don’t know why I passed on reviewing her Uncoupling book (probably too many books in my review basket), but I’m looking forward to reading something by her.

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter - I haven’t read her, but many people were jealous that I managed to meet her and get a copy of her book.

Bobblehead Dad: 25 Life Lessons I Forgot I Knew by Jim Highley

Battle Fatigue by Mark Kurlansky

The Best American Magazine Writing 2010 by The American Society of Magazine Editors

Unsaid by Neil Abramson

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

Blueprints for Building Better Girls by Elissa Schappell

Mustache! by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Kevin Cornell

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

Attack of the Vampire Weenies: And Other Warped and Creepy Tails by David Lubar - A special thanks to the publicist, who saved my butt and snuck me an unsigned copy when I explained to her that I either miss meeting my Asperger’s Syndrome hero Temple Grandin, or I miss getting the one book my Asperger’s Syndrome stepson wanted asked me to get him. Whew, that would have been a disaster–and it all started when a certain author who won’t be named came to her signing 25 minutes late.

Villain School: Good Curses Evil by Stephanie S. Sanders

The Luck of Jude by Andrew Larsen

The Dragon’s Tooth by N.D. Wilson

The Bridge to Never Land by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry

American Dervish by Ayad Akhtar

AfterImage: A Brokenhearted Memoir of a Charmed Life by Carla Malden

Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller

Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom by Rick Hanson - Totally can’t wait to read this one.

Life Is Not a Stage: From Broadway Baby to a Lovely Lady and Beyond by Florence Henderson, with Joel Brokaw - Mrs. Brady? Love her, can’t wait to read her book.

Bright Light: Spiritual Lessons from a Life in Acting by Dee Wallace - I often enjoy reading books on spirituality, religion and philosophy, so I can’t wait to see what Ms. Wallace has to share with us in her memoir.

Spontaneous Happines by Andrew Weil - I could totally benefit from this book.

Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell

Silver Girl: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand - A writer who gives away free beers? How awesome is she already?

The Orchard: A Memoir by Theresa Weir

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler, illustrated by Maira Kalman

The Emperor of Lies: A Novel by Steve Sem-Sandberg

The Sum of My Parts: A Survivor’s Story of Dissociative Identity Disorder by Olga R. Trujillo

Going Underground by Susan Vaught

Tuesday’s Child by Carolyn Gibbs

Read My Hips: How I Learned to Love My Body Ditch Dieting and Live Large by Kim Brittingham - As a former skinny girl (for 24 years) who seems happier in a fatter body, I love the positive message her title gives. I can’t take how obsessed women are with looking perfect. Plus, I’m Italian–and I like to eat! I hated being a size 1 or 3 at 5’10″–I felt so unhealthy. In fact, I was unhealthy, as I was only that skinny because I was literally starving, growing up on welfare.

The Parsifal Pursuit by Michael McMenamin and Patrick McMenamin

Oh, Beautiful: An American Family in the 20th Century by John Paul Godges

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter: A Novel by Tom Franklin

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Little Girl Gone: A Novel by Drusilla Campbell

Queen of America: A Novel by Luis Alberto Urrea

The Boat to Redemption by Su Tong

Great Philosophers Who Failed At Love by Andrew Shaffer - I read and reviewed this book last winter, and highly suggest you check it out. A fun way to get introduced to philosophers. They may have great knowledge, but they all had lousy love lives.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson - Halfway through and loving it so far. This book was just recommended to me, and I love that Random House was giving us bloggers a copy!

If you could read any of these books, which would you choose, and why? Tell me, so I don’t give that book away by mistake. Or, maybe, once the crazy dies down, I can host a giveaway for it, based on demand.

To read more about my time at BEA/BBC 2011, visit Shameless Bragging About BookExpo America 2011 and the Book Blogger Convention Part Two: Who I Met/Who I Saw and BookExpo America 2011 and the Book Blogger Convention Part One: What I Did.