I can hardly believe it, but Book Expo America is a mere two weeks away! It’s been an up and down planning process for me, and there were several times I didn’t think I’d be able to go at all. However, I worked it out so that I’ll be able to attend a day and a half of the show, and will stay one night on the cheap, not in a hotel, but in a room a woman rents out from her apartment in Times Square. After all is said and done, I’ll be spending less than $200 total, which includes the price of shipping books home.

Since I’ll be there less time this year than last, and since I’ll be at ALA Annual just a few weeks later, I’m going to take it easier on the author signings. Hopefully I’ll do more discovery of new books this year, and less stressing about particular titles. That said, there are some signings that I’m excited for, and will try to make happen if I’m able.

Tuesday, June 5:

I’m getting in late, because the earliest Bolt Bus doesn’t leave Boston’s South Station until 7:30 am, so I’ll rush over as soon as I can, get my badge, and do my thang. Sadly, I think I’m going to just miss R.L. Stine’s signing of Red Rain, which is a big time bummer for me. It’s an adult title by the author I grew up reading, so it’s on my “must-read” list of the year. I just wish I could have gotten there a little bit earlier to be able to snag a copy of this.

Also notable on Tuesday is Dennis Lehane signing his new book Live by Night. The only Lehane book I’ve read to this point is Shutter Island, but that was fun enough that I’m interested in reading more by him. Plus, he’s kind of a big shot since so many of his books have been made into really successful films. It would be cool to be able to tell my mom that I got a book signed by him, since I know she’s a fan.

Also, this evening is the Teen Author Carnival. I’m counting on attending, but I don’t really have a solid idea of what to expect from the event. And hopefully I’ll be able to get some dinner with blogger friends.

Wednesday, June 6:

This day starts with the Random House Power Readers breakfast. I was doing internal cartwheels when I saw that I got invited to this! I’m counting on it being the best thing I do at BEA this year.

The first signing today that I really want to go to is to John Green signing The Fault in Our Stars. Confession: I own this, signed, but I haven’t read it yet. I need to get on that. The real reason I want to go to this is that John Green is totally my author crush. I’d just like the chance to bat my eyes at him in person, then sulk away thinking what might have been.

On Wednesday I get a second chance to meet R.L. Stine, and you’d better believe I’m going to be there early! He’ll be signing Goosebumps Most Wanted #1: Planet of the Lawn Gnomes, and I’d like to get a copy signed for my ten year old sister. I think she would get a kick out of it.

Another drool-worthy book signing on Wednesday is Diana Peterfreund signing her new book For Darkness Shows the Stars. I love her awesome unicorn books, and this one sounds like it’s a science fiction retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Yeah, you heard that right. So of course I’m really curious to read it.

To top out my wishlist, I’m super excited for Libba Bray signing The Diviners. Bray writes some crazy, hilarious books, and I love the sound of this one. Prohibition era combined with early 20th century occultism? Yes, please!

I’ll be leaving on the bus that evening, and will have a long ride back to Boston to start reading (or just lovingly caress) these new books.

What new reads are you excited to find at BEA? Who’s going? Let me know in the comments!

No hate comments
I’ve never gotten a hate comment on my blog, and I’m really glad! I’m sensitive and have feelings and stuff, and that would make me want to quit. I also get some very flattering spam comments, which can make me feel awesome.

I don’t get tons of unsolicited ARCs
I don’t get many ARCs period. Mostly, I pick them up when I go places like ALA and BEA. I could probably count the number of physical ARCs I’ve received in the mail on two hands in my 1.5 years of blogging. And that’s okay with me. I don’t get ARCs I’m not expecting, since I don’t think all that many publishers have my address. It means I don’t have to awkwardly explain why I can’t read some book they sent me that’s not of any interest to me.

People don’t steal my content
There’s been a lot of buzz lately about blog plagiarism. Who has two thumbs and doesn’t have to worry about that? THIS GIRL. As far as I know.

If I don’t respond to bloggosphere drama, nobody asks me why I’m remaining silent
Referencing the plagiarism thing again, nobody asked me for my opinion about it. Nobody interpreted my silence as being for one team or another. I’m beginning to think nobody cares what I think about it, and that’s okay. I’d rather keep my opinions to myself and worry about books, not drama.

I don’t feel like I’m doing unpaid work for publishers
There was a recent comment where a blogger I follow felt burned by the publisher for not being upfront about the terms, conditions, rules, and rewards of participation in a certain promotion. I was never asked, and after hearing how it went, I’m glad. I have a job, and it gives me a paycheck and benefits. Blogging is not my job. I don’t make money doing this, and it actually costs me money to send out books for contests, and sometimes to buy those books. I would never pay to work for somebody else, and I think if I were doing tons of promotion for publishers, that’s what I would be doing. I’d probably have more followers and get more ARCs, but my job is my priority and this is my hobby. I don’t need some outside force influencing what I put on the internet.

That’s it! I’d love to hear from some of my other smalltime book bloggers and hear your reasons why you’re glad you aren’t one of the big blogs.

Also, there’s a huge push on memes, which are great at linking people together, helping them find others, and generating weekly content. Not everybody participates in every meme, and I don’t think to post on a topic that I need to find a meme to fit it. So, I’m going to post what I got this week. I’m not going to attach it to a meme of any sort. I’m probably not going to name it anything. I’m just going to show what books I picked up, thank the publishers and venues that provided them, and hopefully some followers will see and be intrigued. I don’t think that writing about what new books I got can really be considered stealing somebody else’s idea. Who doesn’t tell their friends what they picked up while shopping? Same idea.

Fair enough?

*Deep breath.* Here goes:

Dark Companion by Maria Acosta
Advent by James Treadwell
How Can I Be Your Lover When I’m Too Busy Being Your Mother? by Sara Dimerman & J.M. Kearns
One Moment by Kristina McBride

The Infects by Sean Beaudoin
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
The Loners by Lex Thomas
Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore (from the library)

Huge thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Atria, Touchstone, Egmont, Candlewick, Disney Book Group, and, as always, NetGalley!

Also, a quick trip down memory lane from me about plagiarism and bullying (stories not related). I had two band directors in high school who claimed to have written songs. One was during winter drumline. Our pit instructor, who was also assistant band director, claimed a song we were playing came to her in a dream. Color us impressed! Later, I realized she just wrote out the theme for “The Thorn Birds.” This was the exact same song, bridge and everything!

Our fight song was “written” by our band director. He was very proud that he wrote it, being the amazing musician he was. Turns out, he didn’t write that song either:

I also faced female on female bullying in high school. It got really bad, to the point that at the end of my senior year that the only reason I didn’t transfer was because I was graduating 1st in my class and didn’t want to give that up. Also, the two main bullies were no longer students at my school, so the principal said there was nothing she could do about it, as much as she wanted to. One day, I spent the entire day with the guidance counselors, at their request. ALL of the guidance counselors. They wanted me to go home and take some time off away from school, but I said no because I was a big nerd and didn’t want to miss any information that would have helped me study for my AP tests. It was hard, though, and not all of my friends were there for me in the way that I needed. I had nightmares about the bullies for years afterward, and in retrospect, probably should have gotten some professional counselling.

I’ve seen both sides of this coin, and my conclusion is that I’m glad high school is over. Also, college rocked.

I’d love to hear any and all comments.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Release date: September 18, 2012
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

I love Libba Bray. I also love reading about the history of the occult (I actually work with rare books about occult subjects, so I’m not just some occult-lovin’ weirdo )  It looks like this book combines both of those loves! Therefore, I must have it.

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City–and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult–also known as “The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies.”
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer–if he doesn’t catch her first.

Cannibal Reign by Thomas Koloniar
Release date: June 26, 2012
Published by: Harper

This book sounds like it’s right up my alley. Cannibals, asteroids, post-apocalyptic devastation…sounds totally rad.

Blurb (from Edelweiss):

Cannibal Reign is a post-apocalyptic thriller set in a contemporary America devastated by an asteroid, where the resulting famine has killed most of the remaining population and reduced survivors to desperate measures.

The only rule now is “eat or be eaten.” America has been devastated by an asteroid strike and the famine that followed it in this post-apocalyptic, contemporary thriller. A hardy group of former soldiers, the civilians they protect, and the astronomer who broke the news of the asteroid must survive together or in a dark new world where nothing is as it should be.