Allison: BEA 2015 Reflection

I’ve been struggling with how to write my recap for BEA 2015. I mean, how can explain all of the excitement in one blog post? Especially when I’m afraid of forgetting something important that happened to me along the way. There were A LOT of good things that happened! So, this is what I have come up with as a compromise for myself. And without further ado, I present some of the most unforgettable moments that happened to me during BEA 2015!

**All credit for the photos which are not originally mine to their original owners!**

Initial Reflection

BEA2015Selfie

OMG. Year four of BEA is over. How is that even possible? So many good moments. My poor feet though. I got blisters this year. It wasn’t fun. I hate when the weather is so warm it makes me feet sweat uncomfortably and then I wind up with blisters because my feet slide, even if the shoes are well worn. Oh well, I guess if that is the worst thing that could have happened I made out pretty lucky, right? And in the end it was all so worth it.

Jenny Han’s PS I Still Love You Launch Party

jennyhan_photoboothJenny Han

The launch party was by far the perfect way to kick off the week for BEA 2015. It had such a cute setup with champagne and cookies, a makeup artist, a nail artist, and a photo booth of Lara Jean’s room. So much fun! It was also really awesome to hear Jenny Han speak, read a passage from PS I Still Love You, and answer questions. She also was able to take the time to sign copies of her books and take pictures with us as well. Like I said, it was the perfect way to start off my week in NYC. Oh, and I was also able to meet my #OTSPSecretSister Emma too. She’s awesome!

Roommates

BEA Roommates

This year I roomed with Jamie, Candice, and Michelle. Let me tell you, these ladies are so wonderful. One of my favorite parts of BEA this year was the talks that we had in our hotel room. Each night we would swear that we were going to try to go to bed early because we were exhausted but instead we would wind up sitting up and talking for hours. We talked about everything from BEA, to books, to blogging, to our personal lives, families, and work. I’m so glad I was able to spend so much time with them this year and to get to know them better.

The Friends

Bevy Photobooth EricSmithandI CGNqV9aXIAAxqHp

Admittedly, one of my favorite parts of BEA is always the fact that I get to see and connect with some of the people that I have become close with online. This year was no exception to that. It was so nice to see so many of you, put faces to names, get hugs, and become line buddies. It was great to spend so much time laughing and smiling this BEA. I only wish I had been better at getting pictures with people. Alas, here are some of the ones I do have but even if I didn’t manage to snag a picture with you, please know how wonderful it was so see you, and how I hope to be able to see you again sometime in the future!

Author Signings

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Another one of my favorite parts of BEA is the fact that I get to meet or see some of the authors that I absolutely adore. This year there were several of them that were going to be there so I was pretty excited from the get go. Authors that I’ve met previously and was able to see again included Jennifer Donnelly, Libba Bray, and Gwenda Bond. Authors that I was able to meet for the first time included Rae Carson, Kirsten Hubbard, Maggie Lehrman, and Leila Sales. It was such a pleasure to see all of them and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met them.

Harlequin High Tea

HarlequinHighTea

Harlequin High TeaHarlequin High Tea

The Harlequin High Tea took place on afternoon of Wednesday May 27th and featured authors Karma Brown, Marie Force, Kristan Higgins, RaeAnne Thayne and Jodi Thomas. It was so nice to meet some of the publicists and editors, to hear the authors speak about their works, and to also spend time with some of my fellow bloggers in a more intimate setting. It was a really chill atmosphere and it was great to mingle with everyone, sip some lemonade and eat some delicious cookies. I’m really excited to check out Come Away With Me which is Karma Brown’s debut novel which sounds like it is going to be really good!

Harlequin Teen Breakfast

Eleanor Herman

The Harlequin Teen Breakfast took place on the morning of Thursday May 28th and featured authors Adi Alsaid, Katie McGarry, Jennifer Armentrout and Eleanor Herman. This was such a fun breakfast. I really liked the roundtable set up where we got to meet and talk to the various authors, publicists, and editors as they mingled from table to table. Our table was pretty talkative even given the early hour which made the breakfast a lot of fun especially with some awkward comments like “tell us all about the sex!” Trust me, you had to be there to understand it but it was the perfect comment made in the most hilariously awkward way. Thank you Jamie!

Scholastic BEA 2015 Backstage Pass Event

The Scholastic BEA 2015 Backstage Pass Event took place the morning of Friday May 29th and featured authors R.L. Stine, Sonia Manzano, and David Baldacci. Debut author Alex Gino was also there which I was super thrilled about because I’m so excited to read George. Admittedly, I may have name dropped the fact that I know Alex’s agent, Jennifer Laughran (she’s awesome), but it led to a fun conversation about Oblong Books, and how excited I am to see a transgender character in a middle grade book. It was nice to be able to meet everyone and to mingle with them during the breakfast. It was a very small setting so it felt like you really got a chance to speak with everyone on a more personal basis. Except apparently I didn’t get any pictures from this event. Not sure how that happened but … opps!

Stars in the Alley

Stars in the Alley

This year before the first official day of BEA, I attended the Stars in the Alley event, which is where Broadway stars from several shows perform songs from their shows in Shubert Alley from the general public. Usually this particular event takes place before BEA but this year it was actually the week of BEA, and it was also at a time where I couldn’t resist checking it out. It was a lot of fun to see, even if it was jam-packed with several other people making it impossible to even think about getting closer to the stage. With Darren Criss as the MC, I was able to hear performances from On The 20th Century, The Lion King, Les Misérables, Chicago, Fun Home, Gigi, Kinky Boots, It Shoulda Been You, and The Phanton of the Opera. It was so worth my time to check this event out before heading the Javits Center for the first day of BEA.

Wicked

Wicked

I did it. I finally saw Wicked on Broadway. I had always dreamed of doing it but for some reason I always put it off when I was in NYC for BEA. Not this year though. Nope, instead I bought tickets with Candice, and you know what? It was so worth it. I’m so glad I was finally able to experience the show live on Broadway. Not to say that the touring production that I saw a few years ago wasn’t fantastic because it was but there is something truly special about the magic of Broadway and the experience of seeing Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. It was SO GOOD!

On The 20th Century

On The Twenieth Century

Wicked wasn’t the only show that I saw on Broadway this year during BEA. I also saw On the 20th Century staring Kristin Chenoweth and Peter Gallagher. It was so good. I knew from the moment I heard about it earlier this year that it was the show I wanted to see. I adore Kristin Chenoweth. Like, to see her live on the stage was seriously a dream come true. She is so talented and she makes it look so effortless up there on that stage. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of Peter Gallagher so the combination of them together was hard for me to resist. They play off each other so well in the show, and the show itself is hilariously funny – very well done! A very talented cast all around. I’m so glad I was able to see it!

Ending Thoughts

BEAFood

BEA 2015 was such a fun experience for me. Once again, I wish I had taken more pictures. It was also a little weird because it was my first experience without April but in a way it still felt like she was there. Of course, that might have been because we were continuously texting, tweeting, or snap chatting each other during the week. So even if she wasn’t there in person, she was still there on my phone. Hopefully, next year we will both be able to attend (maybe Cassie too), and all will feel right in the world again. Well….except that BEA 2016 will be in Chicago…that will be kind of weird…and much farther away from me then NYC. Also, if I go it will be my fifth BEA. I’m not even sure how that is even possible. I guess it’s a good thing I have a whole year to think all this over, right?

Until then though…

I’m so very thankful for all the memories I was able to make during BEA 2015!

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Allison is 27 years old. She is always looking for new books, good music, quality/epic adventures, and a normal sleep schedule. She currently works with the elderly.

Comments

  1. Ack, I didn’t know about Stars in the Alley. Now I’m bummed for missing out!! I’m so glad you could finally see Wicked! It’s so much fun on Broadway!!! And that set!!! Ohh I’m seeing On the 20th Century in a couple of weeks and I’m so excited! I wanted to see it AND Something Rotten during BEA, but my mom wanted me to wait to see it with her and decided she couldn’t do a day in NYC that week! Did you go alone or with friends? No one wanted to go with me to see Something Rotten, so I went on my own! We could have gotten together and gone, lol! Glad you had so much fun at BEA and did so many great things!!

  2. Yay, I’m so glad I got to meet and room with you!! Best rommates ever!!! Thanks for making my BEA a great one 🙂 I’m glad you had a good time even though you were missing your homegirl April. Maybe I’ll get to meet her too next year!

  3. I’m seeing Wicked in two weeks – very excited for it! I saw it years ago when I was in high school. jenny Han’s part sounds so fun. I would’ve loved ti go but I was staying in NJ so it was pretty far away.

  4. I am always amazed when I see people going to things (like Broadway shows and parties) after BEA. You must be superhuman, I get home and am totally wiped out every day. It was great to see you in passing, glad to see you had fun!

  5. I love your recap! It was nice to meet you (very briefly) at the Bryant Park meetup! 🙂