Alrighty, I’m going to do my best to keep this post about all the awesome bookish things we saw and did, but a little of the more general nerdy (awesome) things that we did might creep in.
Thursday was our big book day. We started by lining up the for Exhibit Hall early and then hitting the big booths first. Not to go into details, but Christine and I both got cool Hobbit Pins and Man of Steel tshirts, and then Christine bought a Sherlock t-shirt and I bought a K-9 bobble head at the BBC America Booth. Once we were sick of the overwhelming crowds we headed to the lower numbers and the bearable crowds.
And basically went to all the publishers in the 1100/1200 aisle area. Now, confession time, I am horrible at making conversation with strangers. I always hear other bloggers talk about how awesome it was to meet all these editors/marketing people they’ve worked with/heard about/etc at conventions but…I don’t do this. I mean, we go to the booths, and we chat about what the schedule that day is and such but I never mention to them that I’m a blogger. Mostly because, well, there’s hundreds, if not thousands of us, and I really don’t think meeting one more very awkward blogger is going to turn their days around.
So, mostly we just got in line for stuff. I believe the first thing we got in line for was the Prodigy giveaway. With a copy of the “Comic Con Exclusive” edition of Legend. Which, as far as I can tell, is just the paperback…with ugly Comic Con advertising at the top. But, whatever, we got to see Marie Lu again and she is very nice. And we finally met Stacee in person in this line, and that was a lot of fun.
The Penguin Teen booth had giveaways of ARCs every hour, on the hour. We skipped a few that we weren’t interested in but, did spend quite a bit of time there that day. I promised Elizabeth Richards I’d take a picture of the line for the Black City give out, and well, this is it.
We were in the middle of the line.
The Penguin Teen Booth (pre-giveaways)
We also checked out the Simon and Schuster booth, where they were giving out copies of the Blessed by Tonya Hurley and they had a contest to win a guitar that has something to do with the Blessed. I don’t think we entered as we were both flying home and, well, what would we have done with a guitar? And then we went to the Harper Booth and the Little, Brown booth and I seem to have only taken pictures of the Penguin Teen booth. Fail.
And eventually we got in line at the Macmillan booth for a giveaway/signing of Eve and Adam with Michael Grant. We were the first in line for that and as Michael started signing he was all “I should have some sort of saying to write in the books.” And then Christine suggested “Don’t mess with DNA.” And that’s what he went with.
After that we went to the Rift giveaway and signing. Andrea Cremer was looking steampunky and beautiful, as usual. And after that we did a little more shopping, I bought a Dalek serving tea, and we got one more giveaway from Penguin Teen before heading up to the Simon and Schuster panel. Which, apparently, if you entered the room early to get a seat, you didn’t get a ticket for the drawing/giveaways they were doing. Luckily, Christine traded a copy of a book we got earlier for a book that she really wanted and wasn’t too bitter. Really, though, Simon and Schuster, maybe ask everyone in the room if they have a ticket before you start the draw?
On Friday Christine and I got up the most horrid hour of 2:30am to get in line for Ballroom 20 and spent all morning there. Directly after the Firefly reunion panel, we raced across the hallway to the autograph area and just caught the end of the Remixed Fairy Tales and Superheros Lore signing. We just caught Marissa Meyer and Sarah Maas but, OH NOES, Rae Carson had already left! Just as we were overcome with sadness, she REAPPEARED! And, as we had just left the Firefly panel and were telling everyone how awesome it was, she wrote the following in my copy of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. I will cherish it forever.
Words of wisdom
We then got straight in line for the Paranormal Love Potion signing! I think I was just there to get my copy of Blood Magic signed and I was very excited when they gave out copies of Blood Keeper as well! Christine was there for Stephanie Perkins and Sylvia Day as well. It was all very exciting.
We then headed back down to the Exhibit Hall, bought a few things, and realized we hadn’t visited the Random House booth yet. So we rectified that and girl sitting with the YA books gave me copies of Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier and Mystic City by Theo Lawrence. Both of which I am very excited for. We left after that as we were exhausted and did not go to the Penguin panel even though we really, really wanted to. If we had gone I’m sure we would’ve just taken up seats and fallen asleep.
On Saturday we once again got up ridiculously early, got attacked by sprinklers and meandered our way into Hall H. And I was there until 5pm, I think. Christine stayed until 7pm. I decided to use the two hours by myself to wander the artists alley portion of the exhibit hall and ended up at this very purple booth, where the print that really drew my eye had previously been a commission. The artist tending the booth said that a YA author by the name of Lisa Mantchev had commissioned it. I was all, “I know who that is!” and she was all, “You’re the first person to know.” Anywhos, the print was purple, had books, tea, cupcakes, and steampunk. All of my favourite things. So I bought it. Check out more of the artist’s beautiful art here!
Pretty and Purple!
Then we went back to the hotel and slept.
And then there was sunday! The big YA panel! Now, long story short, lets just say I had to carry a lot of books down to the convention center. And after a brief trip to the Exhibit Hall we were in the panel room and Melina Marchetta was there (and others) and and and I may have gone a little round the bend. Guys, I just love her. Afterward, at the signing, I was so flustered, I’m pretty sure I just shoved my very large pile of books at her, apologized a lot, and then said “I love everything that you do,” and walked away. I most certainly did not say anything interesting or intelligent. I’m pretty sure I also turned beet red. It was ugly. But, all my books are signed! It was also so awesome to meet Victoria Schwab and Myra McEntire, fellow Doctor Who fans. And, you know, I like their books.
And and and!!! Veronica Rossi was there! For some horrible reason, I have yet to review Under the Never Sky here but it’s fantastic and I loved it so much. Sadly, my shyness took hold once again and I think all I said was, “Hi.” And “Thanks.” I had meant to wax lyrical about how much I loved Under the Never Sky.
I chatted with Tahereh Mafi a bit, but I’ve seen her like four times, so I had nothing new for her to sign. Same with Scott Westerfeld and Leigh Bardugo. I did manage to give Victoria and Myra the crocheted Weeping Angels that I had made for them, despite the shyness, so I felt good about that.
From the panel itself, I honestly don’t remember what was talked about that much. I’m pretty sure I just stared adoringly (like a creeper) up at Melina Marchetta and asked myself if this was real over and over again. I do remember that when asked about the recent discussions about how “dark” YA fiction has gotten, Melina said something about always trying to put hope in her books. Like there was a lot of death
Everyone is doing something strange in this picture.
and rape and war, but she felt that her books, and most other people’s books were also filled with hope.
The moderator, Nathan Bransford, also asked the authors if they were nerds as teenagers. Everyone except Tahereh said yes. She tried to convince us she was “weird” but it just sounded as if she was cool. Which holds true of her today.
After the What’s Hot in YA signing we sat in the hallway, to exhausted to do anything else, until the signing with Kiersten White and Maggie Stiefvater, and Gail Carigger. As we got in line for that one we realized that, as the schedule had claimed, Amber Benson was on this panel. We were actually going to get to chat with Amber Benson! I bought a book by her just so I would have an excuse to talk to her. And I think I was more coherent than I was when talking to Melina Marchetta.
Then we went back to the Exhibit Hall for a couple last pictures, and last stops at the publisher booths, and back to the hotel and we were asleep by 8:30. And that was Comic Con 2012!
Regrets:
1. The whole Crewel incident. I’m not going to go into details here, but I was very angry at Mysterious Galaxy.
2. We were in either Ballroom 20 or Hall H when the Macmillan booth was doing a signing with Marissa Meyer and Scarlet! No Scarlet for me. Sigh.
3.The book by Amber Benson that I bought was the second one in her series because they sold out of the first one quickly. Not sure what I’m going to do with that.
4. Not getting a ticket for the John Barrowman signing at the Simon and Schuster booth! I mean, sure, I snapped a picture, but I could’ve TALKED to him! Oh well. I think that was also the result of Hall H. So, it was worth it.
The biggest regret of any Comic Con is not seeing all the people we wanted to, or not seeing enough of them. All in all, I was pretty happy with the people we saw this year, I just wish there was more time for hanging out and that we weren’t all running all over the place. I’m so glad that Christine and I usually agree on what we want to see and do and so get to spend basically the whole time together. People in RL keeping asking me what my favourite part of the convention was and I WANT to say the Firefly panel but really it was getting to spend time with my internet friends. Christine and Michelle are just as good a friend as any of my RL friends and I’m sad I only see them once or twice a year.
I think we all look equally weird in this picture.
Giveaway!
So, we’re giving away a signed copy of Rift by Andrea Cremer! Plus random Comic Con swag that includes but is not limited to a Days of Blood and Starlight sampler, bookmarks, magnets, pins possibly? I don’t know! The prize is at Christine’s house! Possibly one of the awesome Shadow and Bone map posters? It’s a surprise!
Enter below! One entry per household. Open to US/Canada residents.