Book Con 2019 – Day 1

Wow!  Day 1 of Book Con 2019 is in the books.  It was so amazing.  I met amazing people, some of my favorite authors, and new authors who might soon become favorites.

The Best Parts

• ARC drops!  I came home with 16 full books today (and that’s only day 1).  Thanks largely in part to my mom who accompanied me, I was able to score almost every book I wanted today.
• The atmosphere.  It was so cool to be surrounded by other like-minded bookish individuals.  There was never a shortage of conversation topics.  I loved every minute of it.
• Learning about what’s coming up for the rest of 2019 and 2020.  I was so happy to see what other books are coming out this year and next year.  My TBR (and Amazon cart) are literally bursting with books that I have to read.

Things I Learned

• I don’t care for “book bar” or “book wizard” events.  It’s super cool to get a free book that is “tailored” to you.  While I got books that I will definitely read, I was not aware of the fact that these events were not exclusively YA book.  I ended up with some adult fiction (which I probably could have been ok without).
• You don’t need a schedule to have a great time!  I had a wishy-washy schedule (it was mostly just a wish list), and I had an amazing first day.  I wandered around with my mom just lining up where I felt like it and grabbing stuff that interested me.
• You don’t have to get there at 6am!  I got to Book Con at 7:30 but they don’t open the doors until 10:00.  While it was nice to get there early and relax while we waited, it was not necessary.

The Best Advise I Received Before Going

• Bring water and snacks – super important.  You never know how long lines will be and you wouldn’t want to be caught without food and drink.
• Wear comfortable shoes (and clothes).  The floors there are super hard (under the carpet) and I’m relatively young.  My feet and knees are killing me from the walking around.  I can’t imagine what I’d be feeling like if I hadn’t worn my most comfortable sneakers.
• Be realistic!  You won’t get everything you want.  It’s just not possible.  So, the best advise I received was to be real with your expectations.  Be happy with anything you get because it was something you didn’t have before the day started.

Stay tuned for my Day 2 Overview coming tomorrow night!