Teen Author Carnival 2015 Recap + Haul

Well, hello there darlings! I’m back from my New York trip and already well-rested enough to share the exciting experience that the past week has been. New York had always been a top destination on my travel bucket list and it was such a joy to finally step foot in the city and do as New Yorkers do.

I came in during Memorial Day weekend and my family went right ahead and toured New York as much as we could then. Travel recaps will be shared on my photo blog so head on over there if you’re interested in that. (Already have a recap of my first day in NYC so far!) Meanwhile, I will talk about the awesome book events I attended while in the city on this blog, starting with this year’s Teen Author Carnival.

jefferson market

Louisse of The Soul Sisters and ThroneofGlassPH and I met up late in the afternoon of the 26th of May around the Bryant Park area to head to Jefferson Market Library together. We arrived really early (we may have been too excited) so we checked out the YA section and envied the great titles that we never get in the local libraries here in Manila. As the start of the event approached, since we were the first few people there, we helped setup the area.

jefferson market library jefferson market library 2

More attendees gathered downstairs so Louisse and I went there. We saw Susan Dennard and Jennifer E. Smith and chatted with them for awhile. We also bought the books we wanted to get signed at the Books of Wonder table. Finally, at 6:30 pm, the first panel started.

teen author carnival 2015

We sit in on the Hulk Smash of Emotions panel consisting of Elizabeth Eulberg, Adam Silvera, Katie McGarry, Kody Keplinger, Jesse Andrews and Tiffany Schmidt. Andye of Reading Teen moderated the Q&A with the authors.

hulk smash of emotions teen author carnival 2015

Everyone on the panel was entertaining to listen to and also informative in talking about the emotional process that goes into their writing. I personally enjoyed Elizabeth Eulberg the most (she is just as fun as the contemporary books she writes) who I thought was very hilarious.

with elizabeth eulberg

I may have stalked her after the panel to take a photo. (Please don’t mind me aiming a blue pen at you like a weapon.)

the road less traveled panel teen author carnival 2015

The next panel Louisse and I attended was The Road Less Traveled featuring Alexandra Bracken, Alex London. Melissa Grey, Susan Dennard, Virgina Boecker and Jennifer L. Armentrout. Claire LeGrand moderated this panel and her questions focused a lot on world building. Since all the authors in the panel had different fantastical/paranormal elements in their books, it was fun to hear and compare their different writing processes.

with kody keplinger with leila sales

After that was the signing part of the event. I first lined up for Kody Keplinger who wrote one of my fave YA books ever, The DUFF. She was so nice to talk to- very chatty and friendly as she signed my copy of Lying Out Loud. I also met Leila Sales and I told her how much I loved This Song Will Save Your Life and about how my Epic Recs partner, Josephine of Word Revel, also loved it. She was very happy to hear it and I was very happy to have the opportunity to meet her.

with rebecca serle with katie mcgarry

The beautiful Rebecca Serle who is just the sweetest took the photo with Leila. I missed their panel but heard about how Rebecca fell from her chair and she joked about it with me. Next, I lined up for Katie McGarry to sign my copy of Take Me On– one of her two books that I still haven’t read. I’m so excited to get into it because she had mentioned during the Hulk Smash panel that it was the book that was the most emotional for her to write.

with adam silvera with dahlia adler

I also took photos with some of my favourite authors to follow on Twitter: Adam Silvera and Dahlia Adler! Both of them were super wonderful and I’m so psyched I finally met them. Finally, here’s my haul from the event~

teen author carnival book haul

I had brought my copy This Song Will Save Your Life with me from home and only bought Lying Out Loud and Take Me On. Hardbacks are so expensive! Also, many thanks to Julie from Bloggers Heart Books for giving me her ARCs of Nantucket Red and The Sound of Letting Go at the event. They were books she’d wanted to take off her shelves that I was very happy to take in on mine.

Overall, Teen Author Carnival was fabulous. Compared to the intense and crowded signing events I’m used to in Manila, it was so chill and refreshing. Everyone had a chance to chat with their favourite authors and all the authors were so down to earth and approachable. I’m definitely thankful I was able to attend the event even just this once. Up next- my BEA recap. ;)

Were you at the Teen Author Carnival too? Which panels did you go to? Did I mention any authors you would like to also meet one day? Let me know in the comments!

13 Responses

  1. I was at Teen Author Carnival as well. I’m glad to see that you loved the event. The panels were awesome. The authors were amazing.

    Grace @ Books of Love

  2. That looks awesome! And honestly, as grateful as I am for Fully Booked’s selection, it still leave something to be desired. And hooray for Leila Sales! I loved that book so, so much, and thank you for lending This Song Will Save Your Life to me!

  3. OMG YOU WERE AT TEEN AUTHOR CARNIVAL? HOW DID WE MISS EACH OTHER? I AM SO SAD ABOUT THIS.

    I only decided to meet three authors, because I couldn’t justify buying books! I brought a couple from home with me, and bought The Girl at Midnight for Melissa to sign. I was so happy I got to meet her because I loved her book and she wasn’t going to be at BEA. I also met Leila Sales and Susan Dennard. Meeting Susan was one of my favorite moments of the whole week! She is an absolutely lovely person IRL and I’m so glad I got to finally meet her. And gah, I kind of wish I’d met Adam now! (Also totally missed Dahlia, dang it).

    I was pretty overwhelmed and frazzled that night so I stuck with my friends, but it was so much fun and the panels were awesome (we even attended both the same ones–HOW DID WE MISS EACH OTHER, HAZEL). So glad you had a great time, too!

  4. This was so fun! I agree about Elizabeth Eulberg! She’s a riot!! And so sweet! Great recap! Love my face in the Hulk Smash pic. Bahaha

  5. Hey girl! Welcome back:) I hope you had a blast in New York!
    You met Kody Keplinger! Did you hug her tight on my part?:) I’d love to meet her one day! She inspired me a lot through The DUFF.
    And Katie McGarry is such a sweet person, isn’t she?
    Thanks for sharing those beautiful photos luv!:)

  6. I’m enjoying your blog, Hazel. Love your total enthusiasm for all things bookish and YA. I live in Australia and while we have have some fab writerly events, would love to attend something like teen author carnival in the US some day. Which of your haul of books do you recommend to start with?

  7. I saw your picture of this on Instagram- that area (was it a library?) is just so incredibly beautiful. I love that entire set up, and the shelves with the artwork at the top are gorgeous. I WANT TO GO THERE.
    This sounds like such a nice, calm and fantastically enjoyable event! So glad it made a nice change from what you’re used to and was super worthwhile! And you got to meet so many great authors!

  8. Hooray for TAC! It’s usually such a fun event, and I’m a little sad I missed it this year :( I’m so glad you had a wonderful time though!

  9. As one of the organizers of TAC can I just say THANK YOU! Thank you for coming, for sharing your experience and for being so sweet! We love to hear that people enjoyed the event and if you have any suggestions, we’d love to hear them!

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