BookExpo was, in a word, overwhelming. Luckily my friend Janelle (reviewer extraordinaire) knew the lay of the land and kept me from wandering aimlessly though the convention center.
I really don't know how to sum up the experience, so here are some of the tidbits:
- I am now the proud owner of a signed copy of The Opposite House by Helen Oyeyemi, who is both beautiful and "cool" and has written two wonderful novels despite being five years younger than me.
- I needed a whole bag just to carry Penguin's catalogs.
- I can't wait to try out some recipes from I Love Coffee!: Over 100 Easy and Delicious Coffee Drinks by Susan Zimmer.
- I kept far away from James Patterson and all the super big name people signing.
- I heard a great interview with Laura Byrn Paquet about Wanderlust: A Social History of Travel, which sounds like an amazing book.
- I ran into a mystery bookstore owner who recommended picking up a copy of The Faceless Fiend by Howard Whitehouse (they were giving out ARCs at the Kids Can Press booth), saying it looked like a winning combination of Artemis Fowl and Victorian England.
- I drool over the Raincoast Books catalogs.
- I shared a lunch table with Rebecca Upjohn. Her first children's book, Lily and the Paper Man, which will be published by Second Story Press this fall. I'm definitely going to buy a copy for my nieces.
- I just finished reading one of the books I picked up at BookExpo, Villa Serena by Domenica de Rosa (expect a little review later this week).
Keep an eye on my library once LibraryThing is up and running again. There'll be some interesting new additions.
