Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Happy weekend everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying it. I have a few things to share that made me excited this week, and you should check them out for yourself.

BOOKS

BEA Buzz Books

I may not be attending BEA this year (I am attending ALA in New Orleans instead) but I am always excited when they release their Buzz Books for the upcoming conference. 

This year the Buzz Books in the Adult and YA categories are:  

Adult

    Maid, by Stephanie Land (Hachette Books, December 2018
    Ohio: A Novel, by Stephen Markley (Simon & Schuster, August 2018)
    She Would Be King, by Wayétu Moore (Graywolf Press, September 2018)
    Small Animals, by Kim Brooks (Flatiron Books, August 2018)
    The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel that Scandalized the World, by    
    Sarah Weinman (Ecco, September 2018)
    There Will Be No Miracles Here, by Casey Gerald (Riverhead Books, October 2018)

YA

    Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram (Dial Books for Young Readers, September 2018)
    The Girl King, by Mimi Yu (Bloomsbury Children's Books, October 2018)
    Girls of Paper and Fire, by Natasha Ngan (JIMMY Patterson, October 2018)
    Sadie, by Courtney Summers (Wednesday Books, September 2018)
    The Similars, by Rebecca Hanover (Sourcebooks Fire, January 2019)

You can check out Publishers Weekly for more info. I am going to immediately look up the synopsis for each of these books to see which ones I am most interested in.







TV/MOVIES

Call Me By Your Name Sequel Announced

It was recently announced that one of my favourite movies of 2017 is getting a sequel! Elio and Oliver will reunite in a currently untitled sequel to Call Me By Your Name. The cast and director are rumoured to already be attached to the sequel. I am so excited, but also scared. I do not want it to ruin the first movie because I love it so much, and sequels are always tricky. I'll remain cautiously optimistic for now, and look forward to seeing a trailer.


OTHER

Disgraceland Podcast (link)

I am always looking for new podcasts to listen to and I came upon this one thanks to the recommendation of my podcast app. It combines my love of true crime with music which immediately made me curious so I downloaded the three episodes currently available. 

I instantly subscribed after listening to those three episodes, and look forward to the rest of their first season. The host has a great voice and it offers up a unique narration in terms of how the story is being told. You should be prepared to immediately Google the cases featured in the episodes to get more details (especially if you are not already familiar with them). I also happen to love their logo! A zombified Elvis is a fun touch (and they will be selling pins of the logo on their website soon).

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

Book Expo Excitement

It is that time of year again. Book Expo is upon us next week and I am thrilled to be attending again this year.

The event is always a fun time and there is nothing quite like being surrounded by a bunch of fellow book nerds. I tend to return from Book Expo both exhausted, but excited to get blogging again.

The event will be held in New York City again this year, and I am excitedly counting down the days until I leave! I love New York City and am so glad it is being held there again.

I am looking forward to eating at Shake Shack again, and visiting The Strand to do some book shopping. There is something special about the biggest book event being held where all the publishers are located, and I missed that feeling last year.

On of the exciting parts of Book Expo is getting your hands on some of your most anticipated reads of the autumn season. This year has some pretty exciting titles being featured and there are a few I am particularly excited about:

1 - There's Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins

I am pretty sure EVERYONE is excited about this Scream inspired novel by Stephanie. She may have won our hearts with her adorable contemporary novels, but I am eager to see what she has done with her first horror novel. Stephanie is a huge fan of the horror genre so I anticipate this one will be perfection. I tortured myself with the teaser that was released online, and it only made me more excited to get my hands on this.

2 - Genuine Fraud by E.Lockhart

I LOVED We Were Liars when I read it back in 2014. It was one of my favourites of that year. There tends to be minimal synopsis details for E. Lockhart's books and Genuine Fraud is no exception. I expect it to be a well written, twisty read that I fall in love with and I cannot wait to find out its secrets. 

3 - The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton 

I have been excited about this one since the book deal announcement. I love the idea of, what sounds like, a New Orleans inspired setting. The royal court aspect intrigues me. I read the sneak peak that was released along with the cover and it only cemented my need to read this. I am looking forward to meeting Camellia and the rest of the Belles.

4- They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera 

I am 100% certain this book is going to make me cry. I mean, it is right in the title. We cannot say we were not warned, but this premise intrigues me. It looks at what people would do if they had advance warning of their death. In this case it is only a day, but what would you do with that day if you knew?I cannot wait to see how these characters answer that question.

5 -  Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

I really enjoyed Stalking Jack The Ripper when I read it last year, and have been anticipating the second novel in this series ever since. I fangirled when I found out it was going to have a Dracula twist to it and am now even more excited to read it. I anticipate more adorable banter, and for Audrey Rose to continue to be done with men telling her what to do.

Those are just a few of the books I am excited to learn more about, and hopefully secure an ARC of, at Book Expo. It is sure to be an exciting two days!

The blog will mostly run as normal while I am gone with things set to auto publisher, so there will still be reviews and such while I am away. I'll share all the Book Expo details when I return!

Are you going to Book Expo? What books are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments. 

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Not Without You : A Stucky Anthology 

You may recall me mentioning a Kickstarter that I backed for an anthology that is filled with Steve and Bucky fan art, fanfiction and much more. I was just sent the ebook version and it has made me so excited for the hardcover coming my way! I cannot wait to read the short stories and see the art work up close. I am already really pleased with everything and am eagerly awaiting all the extra goodies that are coming with the book.

OTHER

Peter Pan Necklace

I have been searching for a pretty, yet subtle, Peter Pan necklace for a long time. I finally found a super cute one at Hot Topic. I love that it is just stars, and a ship. I am definitely going to have to snag one of these next time I go. I even love that the stars are blue!

Book Expo America

This has made the list again this week. More and more signings are being added to the schedule and the ticketed authors are now up! I am hoping to snag tickets for both Marissa Meyer and Leigh Bardugo. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on both days. As the event gets steadily closer my excitement level is growing! I cannot wait for May to get here.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Happy Easter weekend everyone! A small post this week, but they are things I am super excited about!

BOOK

More Books In The Royals Series

You may recall me being very excited about Erin Watt's Royals series. I loved all three books in the series and was excited by the possibility of more to come.

I was thrilled when it was announced that Easton was getting his own duology as a continuation of the Royals series! I may be desperate to have a series that focuses on the twins, but Easton getting his own story is pretty exciting. The two books are both coming out this year and the first one already has a title and release information available. The title is ......

You can add it, and the sequel, to your Goodreads! I cannot wait to pre-order both!

OTHER

Book Expo America

The autographing area schedule was just released and it has made me even more excited for Book Expo this year. I am already looking forward to meeting some of the authors and am equally excited to be surrounded by bookish people. I am now anticipating the in booth schedule being released, and I am still keeping my fingers crossed that Stephanie Perkins will be signing her new book as I would love to meet her! Also hoping that Krysten Ritter might be signing as well since she is making a Book Con appearance that week.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

A small Weekly Obsessions but one filled with some pretty amazing things!

BOOK

Hunting Prince Dracula cover (goodreads)

Stalking Jack The Ripper was one of my favourite reading experiences of last year. I was very excited when it was announced that the next book would revolve around Dracula.

The cover was just released and I love it! So much!

The stake in her hands! OMG! It is perfect. I love the white outfit against the dark background. I am hoping this will be at  Book Expo America this year because I need to read it ASAP!

TV/MOVIE

Beauty and the Beast (live action)

I went to see this movie Thursday night and was completely charmed. I already want to see it again. The movie is very similar to the classic animated version and I predict anyone who LOVED the original will not be disappointed by this remake. I thought Emma Watson was a perfect Belle. Dan Stevens is wonderful as Beast (and he has an incredible singing voice). Luke Evans was charmingly evil as Gaston. Josh Gad was wonderful as LeFou. The entire cast was great and I loved the new songs they added to the movie with Evermore being a personal favourite.

Have you see the Beauty and the Beast remake yet? If so, let me know what you think in the comments.

Red Nose Day .... Actually

I was excited when it was announced that Love Actually was going to have a reunion of sorts for Red Nose Day! They recently released a trailer for the event and it is, as expected, perfect.

This teaser, of course, is a callback to Andrew Lincoln's iconic scene in the original. I wonder if Mark will be outside Juliet's house with more poster boards in this follow up. 

OTHER

Book Expo America

I received notification that my press pass application was approved for BEA this year which means I'll be traveling to New York City in May for the annual event again this year! I am so excited to see everyone, meet some authors, and basically fangirl over books in general. It is one big bookish party and I am so excited to be a part of it again this year.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Book Expo America 2016 - Day Three

The final day of Book Expo America was certainly the busiest for me. It's the day I had the most signings and the most galley drops I wanted to check out. 

My day once again started early because I wanted to ensure I made it to the Macmillan booth in time to secure one of these 

Caraval was one of my top 'must gets' of BEA. I have been intrigued since the announcement was made and was thrilled it was going to be available in galley form at BEA. Meeting Stephanie Garber was a highlight of the conference. We've chatted over Twitter and she was just as kind as I expected her to be. I may have spent the rest of the day hugging this book because I was so thrilled to have it.

My other most anticipated title at BEA was Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco! I was able to go to her signing and she is just as lovely in person as you would expect from her Twitter. So sweet. This book not only sounds incredible but has real photographs included from the time period the novel is set. I've flipped through and some of the photos are unsettling. It makes me even more excited to read it.

 The people at the Jimmy part of the Hachette/Little Brown booth were amazing and went out of their way to find me the bookmarks. There were not any on their swag table but when I asked they helpfully tracked some down in the back for me. They are fantastic and I was really happy to have managed to snag since I kept missing them whenever they were put out.

The only book from the ones I was interested in that I missed was Jay Asher's What Light. I was in line to get the new Disney Descendants novel for my niece and when I got to the galley drop they were all gone BUT there was some amazing swag left ...

HOT CHOCOLATE! I love it. I am hoping to snag this one at ALA 2016 and will keep this hot chocolate to drink while reading the book. It was really clever since this seems like the perfect read for the Christmas season and what goes better with the winter season than hot chocolate?

I stopped by the Simon and Schuster booth. They had two amazing adverts for upcoming celebrity 'memoir' type books that immediately caught my eye.

I am especially excited about Anna Kendrick's novel. The advert for Amy Schumer's was buzzy and attracted a lot of attention though. Sadly, while the adult imprints of S & S seemed to have a lot going on, I didn't see much as the young adult end of the spectrum. The buzziest title was The Diabolic (which does sound great) but I didn't see much buzz other than that particular title. I spent a little bit of time chatting with them about The Diabolic and some of their titles which was great.

The books I got on my third are some of the titles I am looking forward to reading first (as soon as I can fit one in my schedule). There are some pretty exciting titles that I was fortunate enough to get copies of.

Caraval by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)

Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco (goodreads)

Blood For Blood by Ryan Graudin (goodreads)

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon (goodreads)

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles (goodreads)

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid (goodreads)

Gemina by Amiee Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (goodreads)

The wait for Gemina was EXACTLY what you would expect and they only had the one change to obtain a copy. I waited for just over 2 hours and am really looking forward to reading it. Jay Kristoff came to check out the line up for the galley drop and was promptly treated like a rock star. There was plenty of screaming and excitement to be had. 

We ended the day with some delicious desert ...

and great company! It was lovely to meet Jennifer Park, Laurie Devore, and J.C. Davis. All three ladies are hilarious, and you should check out their upcoming 2017 releases! 

This night was so much fun and the perfect way to end BEA before I headed home the next day. My time in Chicago was way too short and I did not get to see half as much as I wanted to (but there is always next time). 

Book Expo America this year, for me, was an over all success. Holding it in Chicago was certainly a nice change of pace but I am excited to get back to New York where you really feel the pulse of the book industry all around. I loved being part of a such a large group of book fans who were excited to be there. There was random singing of Hamilton songs while in line, authors are treated as pop idols, and everyone is incredibly friendly while waiting in line. It's an experience not be missed and I cannot wait for next year.

Will you be headed to BEA 2017 in New York City? Let me know in the comments! 

Book Expo America 2016 - Day Two

Day two was slightly more busy for me (but not as crazy as day three) but with the larger space, and less people it still felt very manageable. It was an early start for me because I wanted to score one of these ...

I was super excited to meet Leigh again and get a glimpse of Crooked Kingdom. Leigh was, as always, wonderful. My favourite part was when Leigh asked who my favourite character was from this series. I answered Kaz with a definate emphasis on his name. She and the publicist assisting at her signing both laughed and said that everyone who answered Kaz put some kind of emphasis on his name. We joked a little about it and it was a really fun highlight for me.

While browsing the floor this totally flail worthy thing happened ...

Just got to fangirl over Heartless with @marissa_meyer. She is so lovely! @RaincoastBooks

— Kathy Coe (@kathycoe) May 12, 2016

As I was lucky enough to have read Heartless already I was thrilled to get to fangirl over it with her in person and express my utter love for Jest (who is, without question, the most swooniest of Marrisa's book boyfriends). She is lovely and seemed so thrilled I loved the book so much. This was,  hands down, one of my top moments of BEA. I am a huge fan and it was surreal to get a few minutes to tell her how much I loved something she created.

This was also the day of the big cover reveal for Sarah J Maas' Empire of Storms at the Bloomsbury booth. It was incredible to see people come out in such large numbers for a cover reveal. There were a lot of us and we got to record a group hello for Sarah who couldn't be there. This is totally my favourite of her covers.

I mean. Look at how pretty that is. How bad ass does Aelin look with her sword and fire and that fierce look in her eyes? I cannot wait to put this pretty on my bookshelf.

It was a little busier today so I had less time to talk to the publishers but I did get to chat with the lovely people at Bloomsbury about Danielle Paige's Stealing Snow. After talking about it with them I am even more excited to get to read it. It sounds incredible. I hear that it was quite the popular book to get at BEA as well. The galleys at the galley giveaway apparently went VERY quickly.

Day two was an incredible success. I got some amazing swag (the tote was won at the Sarah J Maas raffle and the tattoos came inside the chapter sampler for Crooked Kingdom)

I also some books I am really excited to promote on the blog and hopefully will get to read very soon. I was so excited to get my hands on the sequel to Dash and Lily's Book of Dares! Such a cute Christmas-y type book and The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily seems poised to be just as cute.

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (goodreads)
Seven Days Of You by Cecilia Vinesse (goodreads)
The Twelve Days of Dash and Lily by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (goodreads)
The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet by Natasha Farrant (goodreads)
Holding Up The Universe by Jennifer Niven (goodreads)
The Lovely Reckless by Kami Garcia (goodreads)
Leave Me by Gayle Forman (goodreads)
Frostblood by Elly Blake (goodreads)

After an amazing day at BEA it was time to get pizza! I couldn't leave Chicago without getting deep dish pizza and it did not disappoint. It was delicious and we had a lot of fun that night!

I forgot to mention that my roommate at BEA, Dawn, also provided me with a copy of her next book the first night she arrived (which was after day one). I, for some reason, decided to include it in day two haul. I loved her first book (Anne and Henry) and am so excited to devour Overdrive!

Overdrive by Dawn Ius (goodreads)

She also surprised me with the fact that I am in the acknowledgements. I was incredibly touched and want to say thank you to her again! It's been great to gain another amazing friend out of this and I am so thankful to have met her. (Side note - if you like fast cars, sexy romance, and Las Vegas this needs to be on your TBR list immediately).

I, also, apparently forgot to include a picture of my pass within my first day recap. They mistakenly put me as 'retailer' when they registered me. It proved quite interesting while on the exhibit hall floor.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for the recap of my final days at BEA (and final thoughts on BEA in general)! If you were there let me know in the comments. If you weren't there - which author would you have liked to say hello to?

Book Expo America 2016 - Day One

Book Expo American is the equivalent to a book lover's paradise. This year may have offered a change in pace with it's location but did not fail to deliver it's usual bookish awsomeness.

The Chicago setting offered up a lot of changes. The first being McCormick Place.  A convention centre even more spacious than Javits in New York City. This larger space combined with visibly reduced attendance offered up a less crowded and more comfortable exhibits hall. Getting to walk around and scope out the publishers booth was much easier and it offered me plenty of opportunity to see what the publishers were heavily pushing for the upcoming season (and beyond).

Day one was a much quieter day for me, with no signings on my schedule I was able to browse around and talk to a few of the publishers in attendance. There was plenty of buzz for The Thousandth Floor at the Harper booth and I left there incredibly eager to read it. They also cemented my need to read The Female Of The Species with their gushing comments.

My first day, as you can see below, ended up being a mix of different genres. That was pretty on par with the entire convention. There didn't seem to be a specific genre that was prevalent, and nothing hitting at something being the next big trend.

Replica by Lauren Oliver (goodreads)
Female Of The Species by Mindy McGinnis (goodreads)
How To Hang A Witch by Adriana Mather (goodreads)
The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (goodreads)
A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess (goodreads)
Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally (goodreads)
The Movie Version by Emma Wunsch (goodreads)
The Wonder by Emma Donoghue (goodreads)

Day one of BEA was relaxed, and quite a change of pace from it's usual New York City bustle. I left filled with bookish excitement and eager to start my second day at the convention. I spent the evening relaxing with room service since I had arrived late the previous evening and was still pretty exhausted from travel. The upside was that room service was delicious and the hotel was great.

Be sure to check out my day two recap on Thursday and day three recap on Friday.

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer (goodreads)

This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling that sounds amazing! I am really excited for this (which should surprise nobody). I love the idea of someone from 'our' world being transported to this magical cursed world and playing the part of 'Belle'.

Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth cover (goodreads)

I am very intrigued by this new series by Veronica Roth. The sci-fi feel, and potential for hate to love romance is something I am definitely into.

The cover was just recently revealed and it is pretty intriguing too.

Is that gold seeping from the walls? They look like wounds made from a blade and there is something eye catching up that bright colour against the dark background. 

TV/MOVIE

Captain American Civil War

I just got to see this last night and it was pretty amazing. Still firmly #TeamCap after watching it (though the movie did a good job of making you see both sides). The movie broke my heart for so many reasons, most of them due to Bucky Barnes. Sebastian Stan is killing it in this role, and I cannot wait to see what is next for all of these characters. If you are a Marvel movie fan, you'll love this. I think it's probably the best Captain America movie to date. Oh, and the new Spiderman is actually pretty perfect. He and Ant-man are both HILARIOUS in this movie and provide some much needed comic relief during some pretty impressive fight sequences. The introduction of Black Panther was also done really well, and they did a great job casting wise with him too.

OTHER

Book Expo America

I leave for BEA on Tuesday and I am SO excited! I am getting to see friends, meet a bunch of awesome authors, and see a brand new city. It's going to be pretty amazing. As mentioned in my BEA post - the blog should have little to no disruption while I am going so please do check back during the week for reviews and other posts.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Headed to BEA!

It is BEA time again and I will soon be Chicago bound to, once again, be part of all the bookish fun.

This will be my first time visiting Chicago and I am pretty excited to see a new city (as much as I love NYC).  I am also really excited about seeing some bloggers, friends, and some of my favourite authors. I am already super excited about some of the signings going on during the event.

A few books that I am really excited about (hopefully) being there are

- Caraval by Stephanie Garber
- Stalking Jack The Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco
- The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee
- The Female Of The Species by Mindy McGinnis
- Glitter by Aprilynne Pike

If you see me around the showroom floor, please do say hi. I am awkward and shy at first, but do genuinely love meeting new book friends. My favourite part of attending BEA is getting to see people I would otherwise not be able to meet so I hope to get to say hello to as many of you as possible.

The blog will operate as (mostly) normal while I am gone with some reviews and such going up. There may be a little disruption, but it should be minimal so I hope you'll continue to visit while I am gone.

I will be sharing things from BEA via Twitter and my Instagram if you want to see what I am up to while in the windy city!

Will you be attending BEA? Do you have any tips on what to do, see and eat in Chicago? Let me know in the comments. 

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Cover of Caraval by Stephanie Garber (goodreads)

I have been obsessed with this book since I first heard of it. It sounds like a wonderful book filled with magic, sisters, romance and a dangerous but fantastic game.

Amazing cover, right? It is eye catching and fits the story (especially after reading the first 2 chapters over at Entertainment Weekly). If this one is not already on your autumn radar be sure to add it. I have a feeling it is going to be one of the hottest titles at BEA as well.

TV/MOVIE

Disney Live Action Peter Pan 

Entertainment Weekly announced that Disney has a live action Peter Pan movie in the works. I want this to be amazing. I need this to be amazing. I need a perfectly cast Peter and Wendy. I need it to make my Peter Pan fangirl heart swell with happiness. I am excited to hear more details and see what casting choices they make.

iZombie Season 2 Finale

iZombie delivered another jaw dropping, game changing season two finale that left me impatient for the third season. Filled with clever puns (including a Rob Thomas - the musician, not the writer - cameo) and lots of action. There was romance, death, and plenty of set up for an exciting third season. If you haven't checked out this show yet DO SO IMMEDIATELY. You have time to catch up before the new season starts. It's got some of the most smartly written dialogue and a very addicting plot.

OTHER

Book Expo America

Three weeks from today my vacation will start and a few days after that I will be headed to Chicago for Book Expo America. Be sure to let me know if you are going in the comments.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Becoming Bonnie by Jenni L Walsh (goodreads)

I've been waiting for this to go up on Goodreads since I saw the deal announcement. I cannot wait for this. I've been looking for a really well done Bonnie and Clyde story and I have high hopes that this will be it. Go add it and join me in pining away for it from now until it's May 2017 release.

TV/MOVIE

Guilt TV Show

This Amanda Knox inspired TV show caught my eye recently because Anthony Stewart  Head was recently cast. It'll air on Disney's new Freeform network (home of Pretty Little Liars and Shadowhunters) and it sounds like it could be pretty good if done right. It is shooting in London which already means I'll love the backdrop to this murder mystery. The premise is that an American goes to school overseas and is accused of killing her roommate. Anthony Stewart Head is playing the stepfather of the accused from what I understand. You can find out more on the Freeform website.

Lucifer Season 2 Renewal

I was thrilled when it was announced that Lucifer would be getting a second season. The cast is my favourite part of this show, along with it's humour and willingness to not take itself seriously. I cannot wait for more Chloe and Lucifer scenes!

OTHER

1 month until BEA

We are a month away from BEA! I am really excited to meet everyone. Will you be at BEA? Let me know in the comments!

What are you obsessed with this week?

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Little Wrecks by Meredith Miller (goodreads)

This deal announcement caught my eye as the book has been compared to The Virgin Suicides. Not much was revealed in the synopsis other than it would explore mental health and sexual violence. I am curious enough to want to find out more about it.

TV/MOVIE

Luke Evans and Hugh Jackman Gaston Sing Off

It's not a secret that I adore Beauty and the Beast. It's also not a secret that I am insanely excited for the live action movie coming out in 2017 that features Emma Watson as Belle.

This adorable video was sent to me from a friend who knew I would enjoy it and now I am sharing it's smile inducing charm with all of you.

Luke Evans and Hugh Jackman are challenged to a Gaston sing off to prove who is the best Gaston. In my opinion the only winners are us who get to enjoy this amazingness.

It's made me want to watch Luke Evans' in Beauty and the Beast even more now. I am sure he's going to be a fantastic Gaston!

OTHER

BEA Countdown

We're just about a month away from BEA and I am SO excited. I cannot wait to see friends and meet some of my favourite authors and get to see Chicago for the first time. This is about when I start to get antsy and impatient. It does feel that this year has kind of crept up on me though because we're much closer than I anticipated.  Will I be seeing you at BEA? Let me know in the comments.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Cover for Sarah J Maas' A Court Of Mist and Fury (goodreads)

I've been excited to see the cover for A Court of Mist and Fury since finishing A Court of Thorns and Roses. That book was one of my favourites of 2015 and I am VERY excited to get my hands on this sequel.

My eyes are immediately drawn to the tattoo on Feyre's hand. Those who read the first book will know the significance of those markings and what it means for Feyre in this sequel. I am really excited to see the expansion of this world, and that little glimpse of (what I assume is) the Night Court has me really excited.

TV/MOVIE


Penny Dreadful Season 3 Trailer

It's no secret that I love Penny Dreadful. It's one of my favourite shows. The acting is some of the best on television right now, and the storyline is consistently sharp and mesmerizing.

This trailer has me on edge waiting for May 1st when it premieres. This trailer also gives me plenty of #Ethanessa feelings. The whole "you seek my soul,  you my body but both are promised to another" feels like she would mean Ethan (at least for me). He would be the 'other' that she refers to ... at least I hope. The end gave me chills with Vanessa stating "you think you know evil". This season cannot come fast enough.

The Path Trailer

Aaron Paul is one of my favourite actors. He was incredible as Jesse in Breaking Bad. Now, he and Hugh Dancy (who is also insanely talented) have been cast in a Hulu show about being inside a religious cult. This goosebumps inducing trailer has my full attention.

Hugh Dancy's delivery of the end line about them letting him lead them into the light is the perfect note to end it on. It gave me shivers and sets an unsettling tone for the series. I'll definitely be watching this. Those in Canada will be happy to know that Shomi has secured rights, but there is no word yet on when they may air the series.

OTHER

ALA 2016

I am going to Orlando to join my fellow book nerds at ALA. Registration opens this week and I am so excited to be registered. After registering all I have left to do is secure my transfers to and from the airport and work out a schedule for the days I'll be going to Disney (or Universal Studios). I am so excited to meet up with Kelly (from Kellyvision) and to see what authors might be there. I am also insanely excited for BEA 2016 in Chicago (which I am already registered for).

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

BOOK

Cover for The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (goodreads)

This is so incredibly cute and I pretty much need to read this immediately. There is something about Morgan's books (and covers) that remind me of summer and everything sunshine. I am sure this one will be no exception as the cover is already off to a great start. Why is it not May 2016 already?!

Condemned by Amy Brashear (goodreads)

I saw this deal announced in Publishers Weekly and it immediately caught my attention because it sounds amazing. The deal has this novel pitched as...

A retelling of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood from the point of view of Carly, best friend to Nancy Clutter.

This sounds amazing and has a lot of potential to be REALLY interesting. In Cold Blood is a classic and I am always curious about how retellings are reworked to create something new.

TV/MOVIE

American Horror Story: Hotel key art

I basically love everything about this. EVERYTHING. If you click on this it should be high resolution and you can see all the little details. The cast looks fantastic and this season cannot start soon enough. #FinnWittrockThough #swoon

Throne of Glass TV news

No secret that I am a bit* of a Sarah J Maas fangirl. You can imagine my excitement when it was announced that her Throne of Glass series has been optioned for TV! Getting to see this epic story (and world) come to life on screen will be amazing if done right, and I have every faith that it's going to be a fantastic adaptation. I will be most curious about casting, and hope that they go for mostly unknowns, as that is going to be the key part of the show. Here is hoping we don't have to wait too long for some more news, and that it's on our television screens very soon.

*okay, so perhaps HUGE fangirl is more accurate.

OTHER

BEA and ALA 2016

I just purchased my flight ticket to Chicago for BEA 2016! I am super excited to be attending both ALA and BEA this year. It'll be my first time attending ALA and I cannot wait to see what authors will be in attendance and meet up with all my fellow bloggers again.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Book Con and Other BEA Week Events

Last year's Book Con was a mess. Describing it as a mess may in fact be putting it lightly. This year, from what I understand, was no different. My experience this year, however, was of a much more relaxed Book Con.

My primary goal in going to Book Con was to see both Gayle Forman, and Marissa Meyer's panels. I didn't want to venture too much on the show floor, or attempt the autographing area.

I took a quick browse of the floor before venturing into the panels. The morning allowed me a quick peek at what was being promoted without a huge crowd. Most people were in line to get wristbands for the bigger panels being held in the Special Events Hall so I was able to move around freely.

I ended up getting some pretty amazing samplers! Ones for books I was really excited about.

They were handing out Lady Midnight teasers for Cassandra Clare's new Shadowhunter series. I was also able to score a copy of On The Merits Of Unnaturalness by Jaxon Hall (Samantha Shannon).

I have been DYING to learn ANYTHING about - Marissa Meyer's Heartless. I need this book. Seriously NEED. This sampler was handed out during her panel though. Not on the floor.

After taking a quick browse I went and sat in on the panel featuring Gayle Forman, Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen. These three ladies are all smart, insightful, and wonderful. They discussed friendships mostly, particularly in how they related to the books they had just written. Jenny Han's mention of her own 'bff' Siobhan Vivian was sweet, and each of them had plenty to say about friendship breakups and how they are just as devastating as romantic ones. They expressed the importance of friendships, and how female friendships tend to be more intense than those of their male counterparts.

If you want to check out the full panel, you can do so thanks to Penguin Random House putting them up online.

I decided to stay to check out the next few panels (after a quick lunch break) so that I could be front row for Marissa Meyer and Leigh Bardugo's panel.

The next panel was offering up a sneak peek at the Star Wars books that are coming out. On the panel there were 

Alexandra Bracken - The Princess, The Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy (A New Hope)

Adam Giowitz - So You Want To Be A Jedi? (The Empire Strikes Back)

Tom Angleberger - Beware The Power Of The Dark Side (Return Of The Jedi)

It was a pleasant surprise to see Alexandra there as I was very excited about Passenger. The panel ended up being funny, and was a great choice. I am a casual fan of Star Wars, but I found this panel to be a lot of fun. Tom Angleberger's comments on Leia and how she should have been given more respect for her contribution to the rebellion were a particular favourite.

The last panel had Marissa Meyer and Leigh Bardugo playing Truth Or Dare. Both ladies were incredibly funny and charming. Highlights were Leigh Bardugo rapping while pretending to be the Darkling, Marissa Meyer acting like Carswell Thorne and tons more. If a video of this pops up I will link to it, but I do not believe it was recorded. Getting to hear a little bit about Heartless was amazing. I am already dying to meet Catherine, Jest (I believe that is his name), and the King of Hearts after Marissa's little tease. My heart is probably going to be crushed as this is the origin story of the Queen Of Hearts (and we know what happens to her). The chapter in the sampler is STUNNING and has made me ravenous for the rest of the book. 

Pretty much Book Con only increased my need to actually meet Gayle Forman and Marissa Meyer some day.

I also had the chance to say a quick hello to Mackenzi Lee. She was working during BEA but we got a few minutes to discuss her book and other fun things. Not nearly enough time, but that is the nature of BEA. She also gifted me with some AMAZING swag for her book!

Speaking of amazing swag, the Spencer Hill Press booth had the most amazing buttons! I love them and immediately grabbed some while walking the exhibit hall.

The other events I took part in while in New York City were a blogger dinner and the celebration of the release of Proof Of Forever and Paper Lantern Lit's anniversary.

The blogger dinner, which Tiff from Mostly YA Lit organized, was TONS of fun. I mostly got to chat with Nikki from There Were Books Involved. It was great to meet a new blogger, and we fangirled over Sarah J Maas quite a bit (Dorian in particular). This was one of my favourite things about BEA week as I got to see how excited everyone was to be surrounded by fellow book lovers, and it was just a nice way to spend part of the evening.

The Paper Lantern Lit event was just as fun. I got to fangirl over Rebecca Serle and discuss the upcoming TV show (and how great I think Bella Thorne is going to be). Rebecca is seriously the kindest person, and I was happy I had finished Truly Madly Famously so I could gush in person. I wish we had talked more about Vampire Diaries but mingling had to be done.

I also got to say hello to Eleanor Herman who wrote Legacy Of Kings. She's lovely. I told her how much I enjoyed the book and that I was definitely on Team Hephaestion and Alexander kissing! If you haven't checked out Legacy of Kings, DO IT!

I cannot wait to go to BEA next year (it may end up being ALA instead because of the fact it's in Orlando! Universal Studios Blogger Day!!) as it only invigorates and inspires me to do better on my blog. 

Lastly, before ending my recaps, I got to meet the awesome blogger behind a Sarah J Maas Philippines Twitter/fansite. Her Twitter handle is @ThroneofGlassPH and she made these AMAZING bookmarks.

A huge thank you to her for them. They are AMAZING! Be sure to follow her Tumblr and her Twitter!

All said and done I had an amazing BEA/Book Con. I am sad that I did not get to meet Sarah J Maas again (hopefully next BEA or she does an event in Canada) as I would love to gush in person again. Her panel at Book Con was one of the things I was incredibly sad to miss by leaving NYC on Sunday.

Let me know in the comments if you'll be attending either BEA or ALA next year! 

BEA Day Two and Three

Day two proved to be another early one. I am one of those weird people who like getting up early for BEA and waiting in line and talking to other bloggers while I wait. I was excited to get a copy of Passenger and knew it was going to be a busy signing so I made sure to arrive early for that as well.

Spending time chatting with Kelly (from Kellyvision) in line is always fun, and I met so many other bloggers as well. I could attempt to list them all but I am pretty sure I would end up forgetting a lot of them. Needless to say, if I met you during BEA let me know so that I can be sure to follow you.

The Thursday was the day I got a copy of my most anticipated read of BEA - Rebecca Serle's Truly Madly Famously. It also happened to be the first book I read while I was waiting in lines. Rebecca is lovely, and adorably sweet. I loved getting to chat with her about Stefan, Vampire Diaries in general and to gush over Jordan in person.

One of my fellow Ottawa Blogettes, Emilie, told me that she managed to snag a copy of Kill The Boy Band on day one, so I was determined to secure one for myself. Scholastic was extremely kind, and helpful. I was lucky that they still had a few copies when I asked. This one has been on my radar since the Publishers Weekly announcement so I was BEYOND thrilled to have a copy.

The Passenger line was a crazy as I anticipated and the cover is even more stunning up close. I am hoping to dive into this one as soon as possible (that pesky review schedule getting in the way). Alexandra Bracken is also really funny.

Heather Demetrios is one of my favourites and her Dark Caravan series is one I am very eager to continue. They are steamy (and apparently the third book features a fly carpet make out scene!). I was excited to get to talk to her again, and secure a copy of Blood Passage. Her signing line was REALLY long and one of the busiest I had waited in. We ended up being moved over to a new table as the half hour time limit ran out and the next signing had to start.

Kate Scelsa recognized my name and blog as we had done an interview together for the 2015 Most Anticipated feature I ran on the blog. She was thrilled that I was the first book she signed as I was the first blog to feature her as well. It was such a great moment and I cannot wait to read this book. BEA always makes you realize that your blog doesn't exist in a vacuum and that it is being seen.

I ended the day by getting Lair Of Dreams by Libba Bray. The Libba Bray signing was, in all honesty, a bit of a mess. It was not organized or controlled in any manner. There were a few tense minutes when the unofficial lines merged to create an official line and everyone got shifted and moved out of place. Luckily, the publisher was able to get it under control quickly, but everything prior to that was rather mishandled. It shouldn't have been the chaos situation that was it.

An observation that was prevalent by the end of the second day was that the autographing area lines were much more controlled and better organized than in previous years. They had proper overflow areas so that the main walkway was not blocked by people trying to line up. I do think previous concerns were actually listened to in this case. I found that area better handled than the in booth signings.

My day two haul....

Truly Madly Famously by Rebecca Serle (goodreads)

Kill The Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky (goodreads)

Fans Of The Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa (goodreads)

Infinite In Between by Carolyn Mackler (goodreads)

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken (goodreads)

Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios (goodreads)

Lair Of Dreams by Libba Bray (goodreads)

The final day of BEA, and the most busy for everyone it seems. Once again a much sought after signing was being held first thing in the morning. Margaret Stohl was signing copies of Black Widow and I knew I wanted to be there. This line wasn't as intense as Truthwitch or Passenger but it was still pretty busy.

I had been given a pass that allowed me to line jump one of the autographing area signings as a Christmas gift from my sister and mother. I knew I was going to use it for Six Of Crows as that seemed to be the biggest signing. I made a great decision in using it for that line was it was incredibly long, and I heard that they ended up running out of books before they got to everyone who wanted one at the signing. 

Suman, who runs the Harper Collins Canada Frenzy Twitter account (and who is also an all around amazing person), has been singing the praises of Dumplin' loudly and I couldn't ignore her advice. I made sure to grab a copy at one of the galley drops and it's high on my list for books I want to sneak into my reading schedule early. I haven't heard a bad thing from anyone who has read it and I fully trust Suman's opinion so I am expecting to fall madly in book love with this one.

My last BEA signing was for The Accident Season. Vikki, from Penguin Canada, had mentioned this one and gushed over how excellent it was. I wanted to make sure to get a copy so I could read it based on that alone. 

Here are the novels I picked up during day three of BEA....

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl (goodreads)

Until Friday Night by Abbi Glines (goodreads)

Dumplin' by Julie Murphy (goodreads)

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle (goodreads)

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (goodreads)

Outside of BEA was just as fun as the event itself. I got to spend Thursday night at a dinner with Kelly and some other people from Spencer Hill Press. A low key, more relaxing evening which was just what I needed. BEA is much more exhausting than you anticipate and the notion of a BEA hangover is real.

The Friday evening was spent at a huge blogger dinner that Tiff from Mostly YA Lit planned. Full details of that will be in tomorrow's post, along with Book Con details and the recap of the Paper Lantern Lit anniversary celebration/Proof Of Forever launch party.

If you attended BEA - what was your favourite non BEA thing to do while in NYC? If you didn't attend BEA, what would be your must see while in New York?