Reading Rambo

One of the best things about a convention is most people are there for the same reason: they have some deep interest in whatever it's about. Hopefully. If they don't, then it must be hell on earth. But let's focus on those who do! like this tiny child! BookExpo America is like Comic Con for book nerds, especially if you're attending for press coverage and not on behalf of one of the many publishers. I went as a Book Riot contributor and wandered around for 2 days with Kim of Sophisticated Dorkiness . Kim covers a lot of non-fiction, and I tend towards history/lady-things/LGBT books, so we had some nice crossover in what ARCs we wanted to grab. Most of the books given out at BEA are fall releases, so you get the ARCs, then have a nice couple months to read them. Our first book we bee-lined for was about baking powder. Obviously. Baking Powder Wars is NOT ONLY being published by University of Illinois Press (so, my alma mater), but also has an A+ cover. ...

I got a lot of books at Book Expo America. Like a lot. Mainly because it was held in Chicago this year, so I had no concerns about how to get them home.  (all not pictured) Some of these books I very purposely sought out.  Some I thought looked neat as I passed by and I grabbed 'em. Some were placed in my hand by publishers who just didn't want to carry them home. Which am I most excited about? Dust Bowl Girls . Pitched as A League of Their Own meets Boys in the Boat , and then they had to explain what Boys in the Boat is to me because that is not my area of interest. This is about a group of girls in the Depression who were basically The Sandlot , but with basketball and girls and no James Earl Jones-owned giant dog. Or weirdly successful without-consent lifeguard kissing. ok but if I saw this cosplay in person I would lose my shit The players in Dust Bowl Girls beat BABE DIDRIKSON'S TEAM. That's right, the woman we only know about because of that t...

I've wanted to go to Book Expo America since I started blogging. Like Comic Con! For books! Kind of! (not really) I had visions of me zooming around the convention center, eating wisely-packed snack food and stuffing ARCs in my pants. So this year, I got a press pass. Whaaat. This meant I didn't have to pay monies (which was a dealbreaker as all my money is invested in '90s TV shows right now) and instead got to go and PRESS THINGS. Was pretty much exactly like this except not at all I got into NYC at midnight Thursday, took a cab to my brother & brother-in-law's in Astoria, and passed out right after eating a sandwich. The next morning I blearily tried to look completely alert and on top of things and also not like a garbage monster. A skirt was worn. It rode up easily. This wasn't the best for my mile walk, but LADY EMPOWERMENT and so forth, so fine, LET my skirt be way too short for 8 AM. I don't feel awkward about it at all .  This situati...

I'm back from New York/BEA, People Who Knew I Was There! To others — I was in New York City at BEA! Given that I've been lugging tens of pounds of books from New York to Chicago and have only just now collapsed in my apartment, chicken broth and ginger in hand (I might have picked up some germs in disease-ridden, City That Never Sleeps New York), obviously you should look forward to posts, but not today. Aside from this one. Here's the trip in brief: You know who you are, sir I shall see you all tomorrow. Probably.

Doug's post on Jane Eyre is coming next week. So be prepared. I've talked about BEA for about two years now. I've planned on going twice, and twice have my plans been foiled. But HOPEFULLY NOT THIS YEAR. Although I should add that I'm not planning on actually attending BEA: I just want to be in NYC while it's happening so I can go out for milkshakes with book bloggers. So the current idea is Thursday/Friday/Saturday, leave Sunday. And you know what? I'm seeing the damn Statue of Liberty, and anyone who doesn't want to be a tool can come with, because I've been to New York approximately a billion times, and I've never seen the Statue of Liberty that my, according to my mother, kind of asshole great-grandparents saw when they came over from the Ukraine. FAMILY CONNECTIONS. But for serious, I'm planning on going. End of May. And I want to meet you all and consume comestibles with you. So save up, fly in, and we can MAYBE have a super-awesome...

Ok, I wasn't going to update today, but tomorrow's Norwegian Wood day (no, I haven't finished the reading as of yet) and THUS, I ask now: WHO IS GOING TO BEA IN JUNE? I am currently planning to. My brother lives in Queens and so it's really only the admission price plus airfare from Chicago, which caaan be reasonable. The plan is to fly in Friday night, go to the Book Blogger Con Monday, then BEA Tuesday and maybe Wednesday morning, and leave Wednesday evening. Because, y'know. I got work and shit.  TRUE it is four and a half months away, but LET'S PLAN, PEOPLE. Also I want to meet you so we can be all awkward around each other. It will be good times.