BEA Recap: The Books

Book Expo is at once one of the most exciting and overwhelming events a bookworm can attend. At every turn, there are books, books, books. And readers, and panels, and amazingly bookish people--but the books! SO MANY BOOKS.

It's hard to go and limit acquisitions, though in the days of e-galleys it does get a bit easier to turn things down. Still, I came home with 15 books and my eye on several others:


Seduction, by M.J. Rose (Atria, May 2013): "Gothic tale" + Victor Hugo + Paris/(historical detail x paranormal)2 = must-read.

The Engagements, by J. Courtney Sullivan (Knopf, June 2013): I wrote about this yesterday as one of my most-anticipated books of June, and it was an absolute joy to meet Sullivan at her signing at BEA. She confided that she only owned one belt (the one she was wearing), and listened as fans told her their own engagement stories. Also, her own engagement ring is GORGEOUS. Just sayin'.

The Middlesteins, by Jami Attenberg (Grand Central, June 2013 | Paperback Release): I actually read the first 20 pages or so of this novel before my galley from Netgalley expired, so I was thrilled to meet the author and score a copy of the novel in paperback.

The Universe vs. Alex Woods, by Gavin Extence (Redhook, June 2013): You had me at "a celebration of curious incidents, astronomy and astrology."

The Bone Season, by Samantha Shannon (Bloomsbury, August 2013): The first in a planned seven-book series, this novel reimagines our world with aliens and turns the city of Oxford into a prison for clairvoyants. An ambitious debut, and I hope it works.

Seven for a Secret, by Lyndsay Faye (Amy Einhorn, September 2013): This is by far my biggest fangirl book of the show. I adored Gods of Gotham--smart, intelligent historical fiction with a captivating story--and Lyndsay Faye might be one of the kindest, most enthusiastic authors I met at BEA.

Burial Rites, by Hannah Kent (Little Brown, September 2013): Based on the true story of the final days of an accused murderer sentenced to death in Iceland in 1829. It's a unique premise, and I don't read much about Iceland, so I'm excited to see how this one pans out.

The Lion Seeker, by Kenneth Bonert (HMH, October 2013): Hailed as a great immigration saga. I don't know much about this besides its gorgeous cover and the buzz around it, but I'm intrigued.

Hild, by Nicola Griffith (FSG, November 2013): Hild was featured on a panel about fall buzz books, and the man who talked about it ranked St. Hilda of Whitby up there powerful female characters like Dany from Game of Thrones. Sold.

6 comments

  1. Great haul :) I hope you enjoy each and every one!

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  2. I have Hild from NetGalley now, and I can't wait to read it. Looks great! Enjoy your spoils!

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    1. That was one I hadn't heard of before BEA, but it just sounds so different from anything I've read before that I couldn't pass it up.

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  3. These sound great. I really want to read The Engagements -- so many people have raved about it that my interest is piqued. I got a galley of The Bone Season awhile ago and I'm not sure if I'm going to read it. I saw a comparison to Harry Potter which makes me both curious and nervous. It seems like it has to be quite the book if they've already got a seven book series planned.

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    1. I definitely heard The Bone Season compared to HP at BEA which makes me a bit apprehensive, but it could also be a good thing, maybe. I'm thinking that might just be because it's 7 books set in a world sort of like ours but not quite?

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