þooƙʂ ʈo ɪɳƒɪɳɪϯƴ: ALA Recap Day 1: Entering the Fray

Guuuyyss! Hey there! :) I've only been gone from the blog for about a couple of days, but it feels like it's been FOREVER since I touched a computer. (Two days is a VERY long time for someone who's a computer freak like me.)

If you've been following me on Twitter, you'll know I've been at ALA this entire weekend! :D I also met some great bloggers, got AMAZING titles (which I cannot stop thanking the wonderful publicists for!), tortured my shoulders for two days nonstop, and just in all, had a REALLY great time. :) ♥

Prepare yourself for a long(ish) post ahead! O-O

____________________________________________________________________

Day 1 (AKA June 23, 2012, the MOST overwhelming day EVAR)

IN THE BEGINNING...

Okay, well, as any ALA day would begin, I woke up freakishly early to get ready and drive to ALA with dear old father and cousin Kevin.

Oh joy! Time to pay the twelve dollar parking fee!

We got there about half an hour early before the exhibit hall opened, which was great because we went to go get our badges and prepare to enter the fray!

9:00 AM arrived and we all were just wandering aimlessly around the publisher's booth until it was time for Marie Lu's signing (which is the author of Legend, that super kick butt book that EVERYONE needs to read).

LURKING ABOUT AND WHAT NOT

I was walking around and snagging a copy here and there, and there it was: HARLEQUIN. I've got mad love for this publisher, and at that time, I was feeling pretty ballsy and not like an awkward turtle. So what did I do?

I talked to the publicist! (LE GASP.)

Me in BALLSY mode.

She was like so freaking friendly. I never got the chance to ask her for her name, but she had some AWESOME recommendations, which she was so kind enough to let me have a copy of:

The Goddess Test (E to the friggin' EEP) and an ARC of Speechless by Hannah Harrington. (She also wrote Saving June, which I have not read but is supposedly one of those emotional reads.)

Awesome publicist lady pointing with to awesome reads.

Dad, Kevin, and I wandered about for another 10-15 minutes. I do remember getting an ARC of What's Left of Me (the galleys were gone FAST) at HarperCollins.

10-15 minutes passed and it was time. What did I do? I went to my FIRST signing ever. No, like seriously, this was my first author signing. (ALA is my first book event, YAY!)

MARIE FREAKIN' LU TIME.

Gah, I don't even remember how early I got to the signing (which started at 10 AM) but this, my friends, is where I meet... KRISTIN! Dude, Kristin is like awesome and everything on Twitter so NATURALLY, I was like shy to approach her.

I eventually did though, and it resulted into a hug and happy smiles and awkward greetings. :D We stood in line for the first signing of the day, and unfortunately, it took longer than usual.

~~Damn line cutters.~~ Nonetheless, Kristin and I got our books signed! :D We also had to pay for another copy of Legend for $10 in order to get an ARC of Prodigy, which was pretty lameballs for me since I had an e-copy of Legend in the Kindle. :P

Ew, it's me. But YAY! It's Kristin! :D

Yeah, I'd cross my face out too BUT I post this for the sake of Marie Lu. ♥

Oh haiii, Kristin with awesome hair and lovely Penguin books! ;D

After finding Kristin, we decided to become lurking buddies! (Which basically means we wander around, looking and trying to resist awesome titles.)

Our parents attended Libba Bray's The Diviners signing for us, which was awesome sauce.

Lunch time came, and we parted ways for a bit. I ended up attending Morgan Matson's signing for Second Chance Summer. No pictures for this signing because I was kind of rushing, but Morgan is SUCH a nice person. Ohmygosh. <3

OTHER SIGNINGS AND MORE LURKING

Random pic: ALA was a tad packed.

Okay, now my memory is a little fuzzy from this point of the day because I remember that:

A) I was tired as heck already, and it was only a little after noon.

B) The sandwich I ate made my stomach sour, so I had like miniscule sized stomach cramping throughout the entire day.

C) Since I was tired, I was in an incredibly dazed mode, which I just nod and shake my head. I also tend to become much more quiet.

Now, what I do remember (in no particular order):

A) I got a copy of The Raven Boys! (Dad got TOO lazy to go get it signed, so he just grabbed one. Thanks, Dad, lol. But seriously, thank you Dad! ♥)

Random pic: S&S display. ENSHADOWED!!! ♥

B) Kristin and I acquired more books at different booths, which for the LIFE of me, I cannot remember right now.

(I DO remember the people at Disney's booth were SO amazing. They were super kind, and just plain sweethearts. They gave me and Kristin a stack of each of their titles! <3)

C) I saw the line for Tahereh Mafi's signing. INSANELY LONG I TELL YE. No Unravel Me ARC for me. :P

D) Kristin and I went to go wait about an hour early for Melissa Marr's Carnival of Souls signing. The wait was WORTH IT. We ended up getting a sweeeet shirt, a mask, and of course, an ARC of Carnival of Souls.

Me waiting and Kristin getting her copy signed!! :D

Showing Melissa my name so she could personalize the signing!

Talking to Melissa Marr = AWESOME. :D And my cousin Kevin in a mask. XD

After this signing, Kristin was tired and we parted ways until tomorrow! And for me, I had one last signing to go to... THAT'S RIGHT. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

E) After waiting another hour for Throne of Glass's signing, I finally got it signed and I chatted for a bit with Sarah J. Maas!

:DDD

After that, I headed home. :) It was a very tiring day and I needed to rest up for the next day! (So did my dad. Poor him, he drove back and forth for me for two days straight! GO DAD.)

My book haul of the day: