Originally I was on the fence about going back to ALA on Sunday. But, in the end, I went because there were a bunch of picture book authors that I really wanted to see. My friend also decided to come so I had a carpool buddy. Day started off awesomely with a signing by Jon Klassen. They were selling copies of Extra Yarn (which I already have 2 of) but I brought my copy of I Want My Hat Back. Don’t tell but I kind of have a crush on Jon. :)
Keep scrolling to see how my ALA Sunday was.
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| jon klassen |
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| omg i wanted this so bad but they only had this one copy. |
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| the goodies at little brown |
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| micah player, author of chloe, instead. |
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| katie mcgarry signing pushing the limits at harlequin |
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| kady cross signing girl with the clockwork collar |
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| kady had on a fantastic betsey johnson cuff bracelet. |
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| marissa meyer signing my arc of scarlet!! |
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| ruta sepetys signing at penguin |
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| a whole stack of me…jane. |
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| i was so excited to get a copy of me…jane signed by patrick mcdonnell. |
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| lindsey leavitt singing at disney hyperion |
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| sheela chari signs vanished (which has a jon klassen cover!) |
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| autographed picture book haul |
My last day at ALA was a whirlwind. It was more mellow than Fri and Sat but still very busy and crowded. I had a wonderful time at my first ALA. For the most part, all of the people I met were awesome. It was so cool hanging out with librarians and book lovers all weekend. Publishing reps were great and I talked to so many of them about their upcoming releases. I met awesome people in line and got lots of books signed. It was really a book lover’s paradise.
Thanks to all of the publishers and other vendors who were there and were so generous. I know a bunch of ravenous book fiends can be a little scary but everyone kept their cool and things ran very smoothly. All the publishers were great but I had a really good time talking to the reps at Sourcebooks, Harper Collins and Penguin especially. Soho press was also really cool and very friendly
I also hung out with some wonderful blogger friends including:
Alethea – Read Now Sleep Later
Kimberly – The Windy Pages
Crystal – Elegantly Bound Books
Nicole – The Reader’s Antidote
Katie – Bookyurt
Aly – Kit Lit Frenzy
Lauren – 365 Days of Reading
I truly would not have had nearly as good a time without my friends to keep me company and keep my place so I could eat and go to the bathroom occasionally. :) I know there’s been a bit of drama about bloggers attending (as there usually is after these events) but I truly felt like most people were extremely polite and respectful. I told publishers that I was a blogger and no one gave me attitude or was weird about it and I really did have a good time just chatting with them. It was the people, not the free books (though those are nice) that really made the event. I met so many wonderful, friendly people who are just as obsessed with books as I am.
This definitely isn’t the type of event I could do too often so it’s probably a good thing that it moves around. I have lots of books to read over the summer now and hope to get started on them soon. Check back on the weekend where I’ll discuss the books I am most excited about reading from my ALA pile. Oh, and I have posted all of my pics into a Facebook album. I tend to take a lot of pictures and I hope you enjoy them. Until next time…
