This bookish feature is an original by me! I had the epiphany for this the other day when I was writing out my 15 bookish confessions. (See #7) A lot of times I like to go “beyond the book” and do something that will connect me with the book and characters a little more. It will pop up on Mondays! Be on the look out for which books caught my eye and made me go beyond just reading it!
“What if we camp out here all night… and still miss out on getting a wristband.”
pg. 28 (ARC)
This is one of the many questions that runs through my mind everytime I attend an author event. I haven’t been to many huge ones, but those that I did attend featured those lines where I felt like I was line FOREVER. So, today I’m gonna give y’all some tips on what might make the time in those lines go by a little faster! (These things worked for me, but may not work for everyone….)
- Take some form of entertainment: This one is important because you don’t want to be bored. It could be headphones, a book, your phone, anything.
- Make friends/take a friend: If you make line buddies they can save your place in line while you go and browse around and vice versa. This way you both can get all the things you want while waiting HOURS in line. I became really great friends with this one teen and her grandmother at TLA while waiting for Heartless and since her grandmother was there to pick up stuff for her she stayed in line and let me walk around and get what I wanted. (We were in line for 2 1/2 hours….)
- Take a snack: Take a snack and eat it way before the line is scheduled to move. Don’t be like me and have to wolf down a slice of Chicago pizza before you’re given a copy of Gemina at BEA lmao (Ahhh Amber and Jess and Ashley I miss you!)
- Get comfy: That could mean comfy shoes or even sitting on the hard ground. Whichever way it is, you may be there a while so be prepared.
- Always know whether the line is “official, unofficial, or unofficially unofficial”: Trust me, they DO all exist and you don’t want to get anyone mad. Not the publishers and not the people in those lines either.
- DO fangirl: I fangirled at BEA and tried to sneak attack Nicola Yoon in a selfie when she came to take a peek at her line and she saw I was excited and jumped in it with me. As mush as we’re THRILLED to see them, they’re THRIILED to see us excited to see them. I love that they’re so humble!
- Use social media: I know this is stupid after 6 years of blogging, but everytime I get a reply from a favorite author of mine, I still get a thrill. Especially if it’s someone that I adore like Adam Silvera or Marissa Meyer. I mean really, how do you NOT fangirl after something like that?
- Take pictures: Even if it wasn’t a super fun time, you will always remember being in line with the people around you. Take pictures because those 3 hour wait times (Geez Gemina and A Torch Against the Night lines I will never forget you lol) are probs when you or your friends will be the most loopy. The lines may not be fun then, but they will give you something great to think back on down the road.
- Divide and conquer: I’m not saying save spots in line for 521011520552 people, but still having someone wait in one line while you’re in another and then switch or save that spot next to you for them works wonders. (But also, be kind and courteous to those in line behind you. At least give a warning that there is someone else coming or something.) I was stressing myself out because my momma didn’t want to go to BEA with me(she was my line saver at RT that one time we went because those lines there were O_O), but Jess and Amber were amazing. We probs followed our schedule about 2% of the time, but we made it work for all of us.
In the end, these things saved me while waiting in line at TLA, BEA, and RT Teen Day. I’m sure there are more things to add, but these things stuck out to me! If you have anything else to add for me (because I plan to be in many other lines like ALA, TLA, BEA, and more in the future) let me know! I want to use it!!!
Here’s a look at some of the lines I’ve been in!:
I missed S.J. Kincaid’s Diabolic at TLA, so I HAD to get it at BEA. I made sure I got there early and made it to #2 in line. The other photo is of alot of bloggers in line to get into BEA. We spent that morning singing Disney songs and exchanging business cards!
In this first photo, I wasn’t in line for it, but I was waiting on friends that were… That line or 3 Dark Crowns at BEA was nuts. I was glad I was able to sit that one out…. And then there’s the line for Heartless at TLA that started forming at 9 a.m. and her signing was at 11:30 a.m…..
This first line was for Audrey Coulthurst and her new book Of Fire and Stars. As a diverse reads advocate and book group leader, I NEEDED IT. I knew there would be a lot of people in line for it, so I was prepared for the long line that there was. And lastly, I had The Unexpected Everything while I was waiting to go in at TLA. I had gotten there an hour early so I could book it to the Heartless line, and I needed something to help with the “boredom.” But when I pulled this book out, it was so summery and bright it was stopping traffic. People were asking me about it left and right!
What lines have you waited in for long periods of time?
Any memories you have?
Any pictures you have?
Have you ever had such a connection with a book that you had to go beyond just reading it?
Join me on Mondays with Beyond the Book!
Join me on Mondays with Beyond the Book!
I have yet to go to a popular bookish event! Though I have plans for BEA/BookCon next year. We'll see how I manage those long lines!