"Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made Of..." Oh yeah, and books too!

Soooo, it has definitely been awhile. I know, I always seem to start my posts out that way, don't I? That's because I'm a slacker. There's no denying that. Add to that the fact that life has been busy, and I have been lazy. I can't even really tell you where the first half of this year has gone. I feel like it's been a whirlwind, with the last week of my life being the most whirlwind-like of all. So I suppose I will start there.

I just got back today from my trip to New York for the Book Expo of America, which I attended with Stephanie. We flew in

to Boston, which I have to admit...I loved IMMEDIATELY. No joke. I fell in love with Boston so quickly, and the love only grew as we wandered around. Granted, Steph and I are both extremely directionally challenged, which presented problems at various times throughout the week as a whole. But that did not keep me from loving Boston. The Freedom Trail and I became great friends, if only because if I followed it there was a good chance it would eventually lead me to one of the places I hoped to get to. It was cold in Boston, and we froze our asses off at Fenway that night at the Red Sox/Cubs game. But it was totally worth it. I decided that if I ever leave the Chicagoland area to move to anywhere else in the contiguous US (which is doubtful, because let's face it, how could I leave this places where everyone I love is???), it would absolutely be to go to Boston or somewhere close to it. I could gush more, but perhaps I'll save that for later.

After Boston, we were off to New York. After a 4 hour train ride. Yes, 4 hours. It went surprisingly fast, though, and we soon found ourselves right smack dab in the middle of Manhattan in search of our hotel. My first reaction to New York City? I hated it. I didn't get it. Really. I absolutely did not see the appeal of New York over my beloved Chicago. It was dirty, super crowded, and garbage is EVERYWHERE. After the trip to New York, I have to say I have a newfound appreciation for the alleys of Chicago. They serve a great service to the public, as they prevent us from having to walk down streets piled high with garbage bags. Ick.

Despite my initial hatred of NYC, I have to say by the end of the trip, I had warmed up to it quite a bit. I think one of the turning points for me, besides realizing I was actually capable of navigating New York fairly independently, was probably heading to the World Trade Center. There was something about being there, where this horrific tragedy had occurred, seeing the new towers being built, that was just incredible. I clearly remember where I was and what my first reactions were upon hearing the news on Sept 11--as just about everyone else does--and to be there at the site of it was just...I don't know if I even have words. I had a really hard time going through the memorial museum, but I am so glad I did it.

As for BEA, the entire reason Stephanie and I went to New York in the first place, I have to say, it was pretty am

azing. I got to meet so many amazing authors, was able to bring home an overabundance of books, and it was just such a great experience. It was really overwhelming at first, because it's SUCH a huge conference, with so many people. We spent the vast majority of our time there standing in lines waiting for a 2 second signature and hello from an author. And yet, it was still completely worth it. I got to meet Sarah Dessen (dream come true!), Ann M. Martin (SERIOUS dream come true!), David Levithan (swoon!), and even crazy Theresa Giudice from Real Housewives of NJ. I was exposed to new authors for the first time, and in addition to getting to meet them, I also met some other awesome people while standing in line. It was really a great experience, to be around so many other people who LOVE books so much. Like one of the speakers at one of the author breakfasts said, it is so rare to get that many book lovers in one room. It seems like we become more of a rare breed every day, which is sad. So it was great to be around people like that. There were some crazies we ran into as well, but you get those everywhere. What can you do?

One of the things that came out of the trip for me was the feeling that being involved with reading and writing is really, REALLY what I want to do. There were moments when I envisioned myself

behind one of the signing tables. A day like that, if it ever happens, is probably incredibly far off, but I still daydreamed a little. It would be such a dream come true to be a part of that experience from a different angle. I want to be a part of the YA mafia! Of course, that would require me writing a book first. Still working on that one. Should get back to that maybe, eh? Another thing that I thought about as a result of the conference was starting a separate book review blog. God knows I read enough of them, reviewing them might just come naturally. Thoughts? If I started a book blog, would any of you read it? Let me know what you think...

For now, I'm off. I have tons of trashy TV to catch up on after being gone (like the Glee finale!), as well as unpacking to do. I have an entire suitcase of books (literally) that I somehow have to find room for on my already filled-t0-capacity bookshelves. I think Patrick might kill me. Oh well! It's like book he

aven for me, room or not!