I went with several book-loving friends, and we started by visiting the Kids Center because Little Critter was there! My friend got her picture taken with him, while I got my picture taken with the mascot of a nearby library system.
Next we moved on to the Teen Scene, and this was the best! We participated in Author Speed Dating. We sat at a table, and every six minutes a new author would sit down with us and chat. Everyone I met was so incredibly nice, and I ended up buying a lot of books because they did an excellent job with their book talks. We were about to leave to check out everything else when author Kurt Dinan told us we couldn't leave because he was able to play Heads Up, and we needed to be there to join him. After telling us a hilarious story, he convinced us to stick around. The game was fun, and I got to meet even more amazing teen authors.
After leaving the Teen Scene, we browsed the sponsor tables. I found out Cincinnati has a calligraphy guild, and one of the members wrote my name in gold ink on a bookmark for me - and it's so beautiful! Following that, we slid into a panel with Jim Obergefell, author of Love Wins: The Lovers and Lawyers Who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality. It was an amazing talk, and I will admit to tearing up more than a few times. After that panel was one with Jenny Lawson. And let me tell you - she is absolutely hilarious in person. I knew she was funny in her books, but she's just as amazingly ridiculous in the flesh. I loved getting to meet her and have her sign my book later.
After the panels, we visited with the young adult authors in the author pavilion. I'll admit it - I spent 140 dollars on books. But it was so worth it!
I had a fantastic time, and I cannot wait for next year!
Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~
