Bookish Events: Stephanie Perkins, Margaret Stohl and Gail Carson Levine

This past week was a plethora of author events... again! They seem to come in waves! There's a bunch more coming up too, so I think yes, there's an author spurt on.

So the first event this past week was an appearance by a couple of very popular YA authors: Stephanie Perkins of Anna and Lola fame, and Margaret Stohl of Beautiful Creatures fame. This was actually Margaret's book tour for her new book, Icons, and Stephanie was just joining her for an event or two. In fact, the day before we saw them, they were at The King's English with our favorite locals, Ally Condie and Shannon Hale. Too bad that King's English is just far enough away that I can't just pop on over there!

Anyway, there were a bunch of us bloggers that showed up, as you can see from this picture:

I will name them, but too lazy to link right now!
Back: Kathy, Jenni, Debbie, Elyse
Middle: Me, my daughter Toto, Kami, Emily, Angie
Front: Jessica, Debra, Marissa
Holly was also here, but came just after we took the picture! Dang.

It was a bit of a different event in that the authors just sat and started talking... to each other sort of. It was like they were having a conversation and we just got to eavesdrop. The audience asked a few questions to get them going, but then they'd just take off and talk and talk and talk. It was fun! And very informal. And I liked it.

However, at this event, I learned that I have truly lost my ever lovin' bookish mind! I thought that I had read both of Stephanie's books from the library and/or borrowed them, and that I didn't own them. And I knew I'd read Beautiful Creatures from the library, but then had recently bought the rest of the series for my Kindle when they were having a mega sale. So I didn't bring any books to be signed.

I was trying not to buy stuff this time, around, but then I thought maybe I'd buy something after all... but when I got over to the book stacks, I thought... what?... maybe I really DO have Anna!! I better not buy it if I already have it!! And I'm not buying Lola in case I DON'T have it! And I wasn't in the mood to buy the new book, Icons either. So... I didn't buy any books. How weird is that?

So then I got to the signing line and decided to start a Kindle journal... you know... a book that authors can sign if you have their book only on the kindle? Have any of you started something similar?  I'm wondering if this is going to be a thing eventually, or if it already is.

Anyway, so I had Margaret sign that. But I felt too weird to have Stephanie sign it because I didn't even know if I had her books... and I knew they weren't on the kindle! So I didn't. Dumb dumb dumb.

Afterwards, some of us bloggers went out to eat, which is becoming a tradition. Fun.

And then I got home and checked my shelves and found Anna and the French Kiss... sitting right there!

Argh!!! Losing it I tell you.

Maybe Stephanie will come again some day?

A couple of days later we went back to the library and met Gail Carson Levine. The audience was full of tons of girls and kids. Loved it. I'd seen her talk before, but never have had my books signed.

We scoured our shelves and found five her books to take! She was a hoot to listen too, what a spitfire.... a tiny little lady full of crazy energy. Awesome. She talked about getting started and told some family stories and talked about writing and such. It was great.  If she ever comes your direction, don't miss her.

My daughter Toto getting her favorite book ever... EVER... signed!

Coming up next in the bookish event department these next few weeks: a YA panel with some awesome local authors, followed by Brandon Sanderson promoting his new YA book, then hopefully meeting the world's strongest librarian, and finally a launch party for A Change of Plans, the debut book by my fellow city employee! Whew. Love it.