YA'll West 2019 (Saturday May 4th, 2019) (PLUS GIVEAWAY! (US Resident Only!))

Hey Everyone!

So Saturday I got to attend my 4th year in a row at YA'll West!  If you don't know what YA'll West  is, it is one of the biggest West Coast Young Adult book festivals.  It is the sister festival to YA Fest, which happens on the East Coast every year.  It is a lot of fun, has a TON of authors, panels, and a lot of free stuff that is given away each year.

I have really enjoyed my four years going to YA'll West, and have met SOOOOO many amazing writers and readers there!  Among the authors I have met there are:  Simone Elkeles, Tahereh Mafi, Melissa de la Cruz, Margaret Stohl, Kami Garcia, Christina Lauren, Libba Bray, Rainbow Rowell, Richelle Mead, Susanne Colasanti, Kody Keplinger, Ransom Riggs, David Levithan, Jessica Spotswood, Veronica Roth, Allyson Noel, Ally Condie, and sooo many more!!

I am getting older though, 28 years old this year, and I am starting to feel a bit old to be going to these events.  YA'll West is getting more and more crowded every year, and the free books and swag really bring out the beasts in the people, and honestly it takes the fun of going sometimes.  The generosity of the directors, volunteers, and everyone who helps put this festival together is unbelievable!  So AMAZING!  I am just not handling crowds like I used to, and to be honest, at times it gives me anxiety to be surrounded by so many people.  With the help of my husband, who has been every year with me, we have had some amazing author experiences, and even managed to get some really amazing super-anticipated Advanced Copies of books, not set for release for months.  But as fun as the event is, this may have been my last year attending.  I will see who is there next year, but as of now, I think this may have been it for me.  It makes me sad, because going to these events makes me happy; but the crowds are just killer for me.

But let's recap what happened this year, shall we?!

Of course, I spent the whole week getting together what books I wanted to bring, and packing.

In the end this was what I started with:

I was able to get everything but two things signed, and that was a short story I had from Lauren Oliver in Dear Bully and the second book in the Descendents series by Melissa de la Cruz.  Lauren Oliver was sadly sick and couldn't make it, and Melissa de la Cruz cut her signing short for some reason, so by the time we made it over, she was gone already.  Luckily I have met both authors numerous times, and already have quite a few books signed by each.

Saturday first author on my list was the fabulous Nicola Yoon!  With her second book being released as a movie adaptation this month, The Sun is Also a Star, she had quite a few people waiting to see her; which meant she was a wristband signing.  You have to get a wristband an hour before the bigger signings, otherwise you can't get in line.  Nicola Yoon was at YA'll West two years ago, but sadly I missed out on seeing her; mainly because I wouldn't be reading her debut novel (which also was turned into a movie!) until a few weeks after.  I have not had the chance to read her second novel, The Sun Is Also A Star, it is on the list though; but I was able to read Everything Everything a couple of years ago.  Everything Everything was the first book I read after a very long reading slump after my dad passed away.  It was also the first book I picked up the second I was done with all classes from university.  In fact, I finished it the day before I graduated with my bachelors.  I was very excited to meet Nicola, and managed to get in line early to be semi-near the front; because the time she was signing was the same time as another author I wanted to meet.

Me (left) and Nicola Yoon

My Signed copy of "Everything Everything"

My Signed Copy of "The Sun is Also a Star"

She was very sweet!

After meeting Nicola, I had to run downstairs, because Jennifer Donnelly was also signing at the time!  

I have not read anything by Jennifer Donnelly yet, but she has a book that has been catching my attention for two years now.  Just hadn't gotten to it, but that cover has been catching my attention at Target for so long; that when I saw she was going to be at YA'll West, I just knew it was meant to be!  

From Goodreads

I mean seriously??!! Look at it!  It's a take on Beauty and the Beast; which of course, me being a HUGE Disney fanatic, of course I have to read it!! Plus isn't just so beautiful?

So I got my own copy, and got it signed while I had the chance. I will hopefully be able to read it very soon!

Me (left) and Jennifer Donnelly

Love her inscription!

After both signings, we got in line to get our wristbands for Sarah Dessen and Tahereh Mafi.  Those went quick, and afterwards I had a bit of time to look around.  We got in line to spin a prize wheel at The Bookish Box, but the line was long, I ended up leaving my husband and friend (who came along with us) so I could start lining up for Tahereh Mafi.  The 1 o'clock signing time was my busiest time of the day!  I had four authors I needed to catch!  And two were wristbanded, which meant longer lines to wait in.  Luckily with the help of my amazing husband and friend (who is also a big reader!) we were able to do some team work, and make it happen!

The plan was I get in line for Tahereh Mafi, my husband and friend in line for Sarah Dessen, I would go down after Tahereh and take my husbands spot, he would run to get in line for the biggest giveaway (for me anyway) of the day (the only one that I was really interested in!  The lines were just too crazy, that it wasn't worth it for me, to watch people fight over books.  I'd rather just buy them when they come out!), and I would get my Sarah Dessen book signed, run downstairs to Jennifer E. Smith's table, while my friend went to Melissa de la Cruz's line to get stuff for both of us signed, and then we would run to relieve my husband!  

Well we ended up getting really lucky!!

The big giveaway of the day, for me, was they were giving away an ARC of Sarah Dessen's new book The Rest of the Story.  I have been a HUGE fan of Sarah Dessen for the last fourteen years, when I first picked up a copy of This Lullaby at my high school library.  To get an early reading copy of my favorite authors??? WOW!! It was unimaginable!

The giveaway was being held at 2pm, and the line started forming immediately after the 1pm giveaway happened.  How a lot of these time slots works, is that people get in line, and at a certain hour, the line moves and they just hand you a copy of whatever book they are giving out, and once they run out thats it.  Well we were told that they had about 150 copies to giveaway, and with how the lines had been looking all day, I was scared it wouldn't happen.  With four signings happening, the hour before, and still needing to get in line, I was scared.  But I figured it was worth a shot, and my husband was an absolutely amazing sport about it!  

When I got downstairs after Tahereh Mafi, I relieved my husband, who started running to the other side of campus to get in line for the ARC.  The girl behind us said, "You know Sarah is giving everyone in line a copy of the ARC, when you get your things signed?"  I was like, "!!!!!!!!!!"  I thanked her so profusely, called my husband, and told him he didn't have to anymore, and to come back!  Sorry, that sounds probably silly, but I felt so bad for sending him places, and it was just so perfect, and made me so happy to not have to stay in another insanely long line.  Not to mention I got an amazing book that I never would have dreamed to get in advance of its release date!

So here are the photos from the 1pm signings...

Tahereh Mafi and me

Signed copy of Tahereh Mafi's "A Very Large Expanse of Sea"

I read Tahereh Mafi's A Very Large Expanse of Sea" this week!  Check out my review HERE!

Sarah Dessen and me

I got to meet Sarah Dessen back in 2015 at Festival Of Books 2015, which was such an incredible experience, because during that event I brought a copy of every single Sarah Dessen book that existed at the time, including a special UK publication of a short story she released years before.  I had this HUGE stack of like fifteen books, which got me some dirty looks from the people in line behind me, and placed them in front of her.  I apologized for having so many, and Sarah answered with the sweetest answer I have heard an author say to this date, "Oh my god!  You have nothing to be sorry about!  You are the reason I get to do this! Thank you so much!" and she signed every single copy! Personalized!  Yesterday I had three copies to get signed, Once and for All, Saint Anything, and a paperback copy of my favorite Along for the Ride (of which I have a signed hardcover 1st edition at home already).  I told her about my experience at Festival of Books, and how much I appreciated it, and she replied, with once again such a gracious answer, "You know a few years ago, people weren't coming to my table with books, so I appreciate this so very much."  She is just so unbelievably sweet! :)

After Sarah Dessen we ran downstairs, and I headed straight for Jennifer E. Smith's line!  I met Jennifer E. Smith last year at YA'll West, and had The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Geography of You and Me, This is What Happy Looks Like; as well as Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In-between signed.  This year I got her latest novel signed, Field Notes on Love.

So it's kind of a funny story, but a few weeks ago when my husband and I were flying back from New York City, I actually saw Jennifer E. Smith at JFK Airport, running through trying to catch her flight. I wasn't sure 100%, because I wasn't able to ask, but a couple of days later I asked her on Instagram if she had flown from JFK that day?  She replied yes!  Such a small world, right?!  Well, anyway I told her that story yesterday, and we both laughed about it.  She asked me how I liked New York, and me loving New York SOOO MUCH, was super stoked to talk about it!  It was a lot of fun talking to her! :)

I loved talking to Jennifer E. Smith, it was my favorite conversation of the day!  

After Jennifer E. Smith I met back up with my group.  Sadly my friend wasn't able to meet Melissa de la Cruz, because she left early for the day; so after that our busiest hour was over.  

I didn't have my next signing until 2pm, so my husband was sweet enough to run to the car, and drop off the books that had already gotten signed for the day.  So my friend and I ran around to tables to see what we could get our hands on.  

We had some car trouble (due to me leaving the lights on accident), so my husband ended up staying at the car for the rest of the day.  He was so amazing, and insisted on us staying, while he took care of AAA.  I brought him lunch along the way, while my friend got my Alexis Bass signed.  

The last signing of the day was Jessica Brody for me.  She was at 4pm; so between running back and forth to the car, we did have a little time to go to the booths, and pick up things.  I was able to get a few ARCs along the way.

And before we knew it was 4pm!  So I went to Jessica's Brody's table, and got my three books signed by her!  She was really nice, just like the last time I met her at Pasadena Loves YA.

Jessica Brody and me (with my new Shadowhunter tote bag!)

To end the day, we ran to the Bookish Box booth, because they were doing their annual raffle giveaway, where they away subscription boxes and shirts, and swag items.  I have tried every year, and had not been able to snag a box, but this was my year!  They only gave away three boxes this year, and I was the second winner!!!

I won the March box, which contained To Best the Boys by Mary Weber, a poster from the book, a Leigh Bardugo shirt, a Deathly Hallows Pin holder flag, a gorgeous Laini Taylor pillow case, a Harry Potter silver necklace, a special edition pin, and a bookmark.  SOOOO many goodies!!  You can check them out HERE!

It was a great day, to say the least!  

Here is what my overall haul looked like:

My husband won this cup at the Bookish Box spinning prize wheel

Got a couple of posters

And I got a new shirt!!!

The Bookish Book Box booth always has the best shirts!! And they sell Plus Size, in very flattering women's shirts!!  Not those super hot, cheap Hanes shirts, that don't breath at all, and make boobs look even bigger, and has a neck collar that chokes you!  These are cute!  You can check out their shirts HERE!

And it's purple!!!!  EEEEEEE!!!!! :)

SO NOW TO THE GIVEAWAY!

I want to giveaway some goodies from my trip to YA'll West!!

I know I haven't done a giveaway in ages!  But just to get truly back into The Romance Bookie, I wanted to a Thank You Giveaway for anyone who still reads The Romance Bookie.  Not saying people ever read me, necessarily, in the past, but I just think these items should go to a good home, and be put to good use!  These are all items that I managed to get at YA'll West 2019!

Here's what I'm giving one lucky USA Resident:  (I'm SOOOO sorry to the international readers, shipping costs are astronomical!)

-To Best the Boys by Mary Weber (released March 2019)

 GoodReads Description:

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University.  Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list.  The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive.  And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father's microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist.  As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure.  But when her Mum succumbs to it as well?  Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands-- through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by the side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm's labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize.  Except not everyone's ready for a girl who doesn't know her place.  And not everyone survives the maze.

-A Size Medium Leigh Bardugo quote shirt, that says "Hope was the wind that came from no where to fill your sails and carry you home." (from King of Scars).

-***UPDATE 5/21/19*** (I ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED THE CUP, so it sadly won't be included in the giveaway ;(, I'm sorry!) A Plastic Beverage to-go cup that says "Wednesdays are for Reading"

-To Best the Boys poster

-Meet Cute: Some People are Destined to Meet poster

-A 2019 book sampler from Penguin Random House

-An Owlcrate Tote Bag

-And then some small book swag items.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Romance Bookie :)