BehrItAll

Thought I'd share my Book Con weekend with everyone.


My sister and I got on the queue at Random House to get our Underlined goodies. We are signed up to Underlined and got an email saying we could skip the line (yea right!) and get prizes.

We each got a tote, a beach towel, an accessory pouch, a phone charger, a book mark, and two books. I got The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman and A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck. Sis got The Golden Compass and The Breathless by Tara Goedjen.

Mayim Bialik Autographing
Jun 03, 2017, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Booth 1921

Then I bought Mayim's book, Girling Up: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular so I could get her autograph ticket. It was the only book I bought all weekend.

I started reading it while on the queue. It's a great read for a girl just starting puberty and I would have loved it when I was 10 or 11. It will be a quick read and will finish the rest in a day, soon.

(While I was on the queue my sister picked up the give away book The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner.)

When I got up to talk to Mayim I told her that Bette Middler should play her mom on The Big Bang Theory. (Beaches reunion!) Mayim said that is a great idea and maybe when she is done with Broadway. (Bette is currently staring in Hello Dolly!)

I think with Sheldon proposing to Amy and there being a possible wedding soon, it's a perfect opportunity.

After taking a photo with me and my sister she asked, "Sisters?" and we said yes.

Then we went on down to the Main Stage. My sister wanted to see the panel "Do You Ship This?"
Buffy, Dr. Who, Firefly, Gilmore Girls, Harry Potter… the possibilities for mash-ups and match-ups are endless! Join authors Danielle Paige (Dorothy Must Die series), Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen series), Veronica Roth (Carve the Mark) as they chat about who they are “shipping.”

This year you will be required to scan your Badge in the morning at the end of the line dedicated to the Main Stage Panel you want to see. That Panel will be coded into your Badge and when you arrive back in the Queue Hall in 1C prior to that Panel, you will scan your Badge again for entry into the Main Stage. Our super smart system will know that your spot is reserved. Please note that BookCon will once again clear the Main Stage after each Panel.

Even though the same rule from the previous conventions was in effect for the Main Stage, when we got to the queue hall they didn't even tap our badges. I didn't even bother to tap mine in the morning because I knew I could't stay and didn't want to take the spot from someone else. But they just waved us through because the room was not even filled up and they didn't sell out of seats.

I didn't stay long. Just during the DJ's warm up and the audience participation game. I left because I had tickets for two authors' autographs.

Stephen Chbosky Autographing
Jun 03, 2017, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

I queued up early and got to talking to the girl behind me. She had her friend's copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. She said her friend carries it with her everywhere because it is her lifeline. The copy was all worn and had notes in pencil in the margins. I cringed when I saw that (I put my notes on post-its). But she was nice and I asked if she would take a photo of me with Stephen.

When I got up to talk to Stephen I asked him to use my pen instead of the marker. I was afraid it would bleed through.
He said in a joking way, "Yea, **** this pen. I hate this pen."
I said that it was a magic marker.
I had my copy of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Pieces, which was a collection of short stories Stephen edited. Pieces still had the Walden Books receipt inside. (Aww, Walden Books is no longer around).

I bought Pieces 17 years ago! I showed him the receipt and expressed how shocked I was about the time that has passed by.
He said he knows time has past by the photo on the book jacket. He pointed to his eyes and said he has wrinkles and looks tired. (I think he looks good for his age.)
I mentioned I forgot the stories and must reread it soon. I also showed him that my copy of Perks is a first edition from when I bought it in high school back in 1999.
Stephen checked the publication page and said it's rare for him to see a first edition. He decided to do something extra special and signed on his favorite page, page 39.

I then told him I'd see him later at the panel.

Nicola Yoon Autographing
Jun 03, 2017, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

After I greeted Nicola I complemented what a great film adaptation Everything, Everything is. I really liked how instead of using text bubbles when Maddie and Olly communicate they put them in the setting of her diorama with the astronaut so they could speak face to face. Nicola was really happy with how it turned out. We agreed it was really inventive.


Nicola said she was nervous about that scene and asked the director, Stella Meghie, how it would be done. She said no one wants to read a screen and I agreed because it goes too fast. Once she heard the idea she was confident.

While I was meeting Stephen and Nicola my sister was getting book ARCs from Random House.
She got Nyxia by Scott Reintgen, Satellite by Nick Lake, and Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch 2) by Adriana Mather.

Then we went to the panel:
Transforming a Bestseller onto the Silver Screen: The Book to Film Experience

Jun 03, 2017, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM, Room 1E10
What is it like to see the characters you created on paper come to life on the silver screen? Join bestselling authors R.J. Palacio (Wonder), Nicola Yoon (Everything, Everything), Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), and Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall) as they discuss the various stages, thrills, and challenges of having a beloved novel adapted to film.

Moderated by: MJ Franklin is an assistant editor at Mashable, a co-host of Mashable's online book club and podcast MashReads.

This was a great panel. I learned that Stephen directed Wonder and that it comes out later this year.
It was fun to hear about the struggles of making a book into a film and how it's all about getting everyone to just get on the ball. And once it does, it can move fast.

Some books take years to turn into films and then sometimes it happens so fast. Nicola said Everything, Everything was able to be made into a film so quickly because the head of MGM's daughter loved the book.

During the Q&A Stephen gave the aspiring writers steps on how to write. I can't remember them all. Maybe this panel is on youtube somewhere. Here is what I do remember:
1) Write every story idea down.
2) Register those ideas with the Writer's Guild East. Not West. East gives you more years for less money.
3) Only let 5 to 10 people you trust to read it and give feedback. Make sure they are people you trust and don't wish ill on you.
4) Listen to the right people. Everyone has opinions and ideas but you can't listen to them all. So follow your instincts and take advice from those people that matter.

I can't remember if there was a 5th thing.

We had to miss out on
Girling Up: Mayim Bialik Spotlight
Jun 03, 2017, 5:15 PM - 6:00 PM Room 1E16
Mayim Bialik, actress, writer, neuroscientist, and founder of GrokNation.com, has just published a girls’ guide to growing up, Girling Up: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular. Her new book speaks directly to teens about what it means to grow from a girl to a woman biologically, psychologically, and sociologically. Pulling from her own experiences as an actress, scientist, and writer, Bialik discusses navigating everything from first kisses and first periods to rocky friendships, family responsibilities, gender questions, body image issues, and figuring out one's passion and place in the world. Bialik is best known as Amy Farrah Fowler on Americas No. 1 comedy, The Big Bang Theory, a role for which she has received four Emmy nominations and a Critics Choice Award. She also played the lead role of Blossom on the early-1990s sitcom Blossom. She earned a BS from UCLA in Neuroscience and Hebrew & Jewish Studies and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Neuroscience, also at UCLA.

Honestly, I question what The Powers That Be at Book Con are thinking. Mayim should have been on the Main Stage. Why is one of the stars of the number 1 comedy on CBS presenting her panel in a small room? Who is planning these panels?

After our panel my sister and I met up with Jen. She was talking about her day and the authors she met. She already had a copy of Caraval but had to buy a copy at Book Con in order to get an autograph from Stephanie Garber. Jen was kind enough to give us the copy she bought, and it is autographed inside. Thank you Jen!

Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic (Timeless 1) is something I blindly picked up at Epic Reads. It looks like it is for grade school age group but the illustrations are fantastic. I think I might just read it.

Saturday's books:
ARC 10/17: Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic (Timeless 1) by Armand Baltazar
Purchased: Girling Up: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular by Mayim Bialik, PhD.
Gift: Caraval (Caraval 1) by Stephanie Garber
ARC 9/17: A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck
Swag bag: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
ARC 10/17: Satellite by Nick Lake
ARC 9/17: Nyxia (The Nyxia Triad 1) by Scott Reintgen
ARC 10/17: Haunting the Deep (How to Hang a Witch 2) by Adriana Mather
ARC 10/17: The Breathless by Tara Goedjen
Give Away: The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner


I’ll Take Audiobooks for $400, Please!: an Audience vs. Author Game Show Jun 04, 2017, 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM, Room 1E10 Test your bookish knowledge, competing head-to-head with Sarah Dessen (Once and For All), Nicola Yoon (Everything, Everything), VE Schwab (A Conjuring of Light), and Kami Garcia (The Lovely Reckless) in categories like “Whose Voice Is It, Anyway?,” “Fantasy Worlds” and “Spotted at BookCon” and more, using audio clips from a wide variety of popular audiobooks. Are you a bigger book nerd than your favorite authors? Four lucky audience members will be recruited to join the fun onstage, hosted by Holly Black (The Cruel Prince). All attendees will receive a pair of earbuds and three free audiobook downloads!


This was a fun panel. It wasn't really the authors verses the audience. More like an author teamed up with a member of the audience. They were chosen by being the first to answer a question about the author correctly.

The rest of the game was played much like Jeopardy!, and they even had to answer in the form a question.
Many of the clues were easy as they were from current and/or popular books, and the narrators sampled were some famous voices.

The girl who was on Kami Garcia's team was exceptionally good. She had a extensive knowledge about books and authors. She was also really fast at buzzing in.

After the panel my sister and I had lunch. Then we met up with Jen . We roamed the Exhibit Hall.

There was madness at the Random House booth. There was a ticket giveaway for Leigh Bardugo, who wrote a book about Wonder Woman.

We saw a giant, disorganized crowd surrounding the booth and they had their hands in the air. We later found out that they started giving out the tickets randomly. People who had been waiting on a queue were livid, as they waited for quite a while only to miss out on a ticket to a random selection process.

Jen, my sister and I observed this from afar. Then we moved on to see other things on the show floor. Many smaller booths were empty and abandoned. I guess after Book Expo they packed up and left? But then it left so much empty space that could have been used for the big publishers. Like the overcrowding at Random House.

We took a photo at the photo booth. We also went to Book Beau, which I heard about from another friend named Jen. I purchased one for her and one for me, both a London print design. It's basically a pouch for your book so it doesn't get dirty or bent in your bag. It fits paperbacks and smaller hardcovers.

My sister and I then split with Jen to go to the queue room for our next panel. While waiting in the queue room the Book Con staff came in a with three boxes of Krysten Ritter's book Bonfire. That was a treat because I wanted an ARC of her book but didn't want to go to her signing or her panel. I wanted to stay away from those crowds.

Jen messaged me that she got one too. They were also handing them out where ever she had gone to.

Cult Classic Throwdown: Science Fiction and Fantasy in Film, Lit, and Pop Culture
Jun 04, 2017, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Room 1E16
Join a panel of science fiction and fantasy authors and bloggers as they discuss the best—and worst—of genre tropes, from muscle-brained berserker barbarians to aliens bedecked in bad prosthetics, authors Sarah Beth Durst, S.A. Chakraborty, Jordanna Max Brodsky, and Michael Johnston, along with bloggers Jenn Northington and Swapna Krishna, will discuss what makes tropes works, what doesn’t, and what they hope to see in SFF across all forms of media. In addition to the panel discussion, brief clips from some of the most trope-tacular movies will be shown, and attendees will play SFF Trope Bingo for a chance to win prizes, including an Alamo Drafthouse gift certificate.

This was a good, fun time. The panel discussed their most liked and disliked tropes, as well as the tropes they use in their writing.
Then we watched some really cheesy cult classics to mark off the tropes on our Bingo cards. The first 2 people to get BINGO would get a prize.

At the end of the panel they gave out some of the authors' books at the door. This became a disorganized crowd. It was an unsafe fire hazard. What the staff should have done was either let us out row by row, or had different tables set up at different exits to distribute the books in an orderly fashion.

After the panel we met up with Jen and with our cousins. Our cousins said the autograph table for Chelsea Clinton was a mess and that her secret service was rude. They didn't go to her signing, they were just in the vicinity.
But they did get to meet R.L. Stein and he served cake to celebrate the birthday of a Goosebumps character's birthday... or something. There was cake. That's the point.

Sundays books:
ARC 11/17 - Bonfire by Krysten Ritter
Panel Give Away: Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas 1) by Zoraida Córdova
Panel Give Away: The Immortals (Olympus Bound 1) by Jordanna Max Brodsky
Panel Give Away: The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia 1) by Sarah Beth Durst