I had a blast at Book Expo today. if you follow me on twitter, are a facebook or LJ friend, or just know me in person, this will not shock you, but for any reader’s who don’t know me, I am naturally a nervous wreck, especially when the situation involves planning, or decisions. It is 100% certain that I will have some form of freak out when planning a trip, and generally a major one right before I leave.

This year my freak out was mostly due to me leaving my phone in Dallas and not feeling confident about traveling around NYC without it, and the phone numbers of my other NYC bound friends. A late night facebook/AIM scrambled saved the day but I had to still brave the bus. I didn’t start to feel sick until the girl in front of me pushed her seat back on where I was seated, right in my face and the whole bus filled with people, so I had a guy next to me. The last hour or so like that made me stir crazy and dizzy, but the ride back allowed me a seat to myself, and I actually got an hour of sleep in.

I am decently comfortable with the part of NYC BEA was held, after being Port Authority bound many times in my life, so once I got off the bus my nerves lifted and it was time for some fun. I found Lauren and we hit BEA. Lauren and Katie had both been there Friday, and last year, so they knew the Ins and Outs of what to do and where things were, and I had been to Conference Center for Comic Con with those two last year so I knew the building layout.

I’m too tired to go into major detail, but I did have a great time, it was librarian central! I saw a woman I remember from Albany and another who was on the NY BOCES Library Council with me, and got to meet many more great people as we stood in lines. I had a chance to see friends I haven’t actually spent time with in forever (Well, this is the second time this month for Lauren, bet she is sick of me :P) and get some really exciting books signed. I couldn’t make BEA on Friday, so I missed out on many of the Children’s authors for my school kids (and the YA’s and Neil Gaiman for me, sad.)

I would have loved to get to meet Libba Bray or Jane Yolen, and get a picture book from Neil Gaiman, but I will not lament, because I saw some pretty awesome people today, like R. L. Stine (I went into a bit of shock I think, I was a baby of the 80’s, but a child of the 90’s, Fear Street was influencal in my reading development and really helped create the type of reader I am today, one who loves a good ghost story, mystery, or dark comedy)

(I tookt he pic before he was ready, uh oops, he was friendlier than he looks in that picture lol)

Kate DiCamillo was so nice as well. Katie and I were Maureen Johnson’s fans, starting the line a half hour or more before it was her time, then rushed over to get “Geektastic” signed by Holly Black, Kelly Link and Carissa Clare. I steered away from Kathy Lee Gifford and Nicholas Sparks, because, it’s just not me, but I did get the sequel to Graceling in ARC, not out until the fall.

Signed books from BEA:

Books (ARCs mostly) from BEA (not autographed):

My Collection of Autographed Books so far: