Speaking Volumes

BookExpo America (BEA) is like being a kid in a candy shop for book lovers. See the picture. Well, that's me organizing my bounty into piles after the show, kind of like a trick or treater on Halloween. Oh, what fun! 

BEA was held at the Javits Center in New York, May 25th-May 27th. It's the biggest publishing event in North America. All the big boys are there but there is also great representation from small presses. It's a book lover's dream as many of the publishers hand out galleys of the best of what is due to be published and also, lots of great book giveaways. And authors, authors, everywhere. Autograph signing tables and in booth signings keep fans happy throughout the show. I saw Dr. Ruth, John Grisham, Micahel Connelly, Sara Gruen, to name a few,  On top of all this, there are some great panel discussions, celebrity breakfasts and lunches and if you were there on the first night, the keynote speaker was none other than Barbara Streisand.

I attended my 4th show last Thursday going by bus (what a convenience) provided by CLC and the show sponsors (thank you). You'd think by now I'd have it down pat. You aren't allowed rolling carts on the floor so you either need to carry all of what you pick up or you can bring a suitcase and park it in packing area, fill your bags or backpacks, run back and forth to the suitcase , empty the bags and start all over.. You can even ship your finds home. As I was only attending one day, my strategy was to keep it simple, one backpack, one bag, about all this packhorse librarian can carry. Not long into my browsing I knew the plan was not going to work. Luckily I came across the big red bag from McGraw that someone had thrown away. Three bags full; that was absolutely the limit!

A small sampling of my finds: 

The Tattooed Lady: A History Amelia Klem Osterud, Speck Press c2009.
This book is stunning with its look at a small group of brave women who dared to show some skin and travel the country performing on carnival stages. Thank you, Speck Press!

This Book is Overdue Marilyn Johnson, MP3 Tantor Media c2010.
Yep, this one is about my profession, librarians both quiet and offbeat. Read all about us.
Thank you Tantor Media for this one! 

Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten Free Melinda Dennis, MS & Daniel Leffler, MD, Aga Press, c2010.
So many of our patrons are looking for information on this subject so this one is timely. 50 experts share their combined knowledge of problems associated with gluten and celiac related disorders.
Thank you Aga Press! 

Dear Dad KY-Mani Marley, Farrah Gray Publishing, Inc, c2010.
"Dear Dad, is an arresting narrative of a son locked out of his iconic father's shelter for the first half of his life and forced to survive the poverty-stricken, predator-infested streets of one of Miami's most violent ghettos, Liberty City. Initially estranged from his siblings and cut off from any financial benefit of the Marley Estate, young Ky-Mani's gritty ascent from a bullet-riddled life to the world stages he now commands as a Grammy-nominated recording artist are chronicled in this gripping biography." from the publisher.
Thank you Farrah Gray Publishing and thanks Ky-Mani for the opportunity to hear some great music.

I'd also like to thank our director, Su, and all the staff who held the fort while Mercedes and I made the journey.