Since I'm unable to head to BEA this year, I'm participating in Armchair BEA!
I'm an avid book lover and reader as well as a librarian, so it only makes sense that I have a collection of signed books.
My collection of signed books has grown over the past few years and I have the entire top shelf of my bookshelf dedicated to my signed books. I've been to book fairs, author events, and last year at ALA I came back with tons of signed books! I'm working on my list of authors to visit at this year's conference. Since author signings are one of the best parts of book conferences, I thought I'd share some of my favorite signed books.
The Midnight Mystery by Betty Ren Wright
-I got this book signed at a big author festival I attended in 5th grade. I remember being so excited to meet the authors and this was the first book I ever met the author and got signed, so it holds a very special place in my collection.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, Illustrated by Lane Smith
-This was one of the best moments of ALA last year for me. Both Mr. Scieszka and Mr. Smith were signing so this book is signed by both the author and illustrator which makes it even more special to me. This was one of my favorite books growing up and one I continue to book talk to kids today so having the chance to meet these guys in person was a great librarian moment!
The Year The Swallows Came Early by Kathyrn Fitzmaurice
-I reviewed this book for TeensReadToo.com and the author sent me a lovely note thanking me for my review. We kept in touch a little and did interviews on each other's blogs, so when we found out we'd both be at ALA, I knew I had to be in the signing line for this one. This was a very cool moment for me both as a librarian and reviewer because Ms. Fitzmaurice saw me in line and recognized me and we were so excited to meet in person. We got a picture together and she told the person taking our picture how she loved the review I wrote, which was very cool! She's incredibly sweet, the book is great, and it was a highlight of my ALA experience last year.
So Not Happening by Jenny B Jones
-I don't remember how I first came across Jenny (and yes I can call her by her first name because I'm cool like that!). Her books were in my library, I had teens reading them, I checked them out and thought the books and her blog were hysterical, and started checking in with her blog posts and making comments. We've chatted back and forth and she's someone who I would say is a friend as well as an author. We give book recommendations to each other and she helped out with my library's summer reading program and sent along So Not Happening with a great inscription "Thank you for all you do to promote YA and encourage reading"-it makes me smile every time I see it! I even picked up a signed copy of a book by one of her favorite authors at ALA last year and it was so fun to send it along to her! I haven't met Jenny yet, but she's coming to my library in a couple of weeks for our first author festival and I can't wait to meet her in person!
Evermore by Alyson Noel
-Another book I reviewed for TeensReadToo.com and this time my review ended up as a blurb on the back of the book! Ms. Noel had done an author chat with my library the year before Evermore came out and we had e-mailed back and forth a few times and she helped out with our library's summer reading event a couple of years ago by providing signed book plates for the teens. She let me know the review I wrote was on the back of the book and sent me a copy she signed for me. I even included Evermore in my wedding photos in a picture where I'm reading a book and telling my husband to "wait" while he stands behind me with his hand in the air and rolling his eyes. I haven't met Alyson in person but I hope to someday! She's also the author I own the most signed books from-I also have a signed ARC of Cruel Summer she sent as a thank you for including her books in our summer reading program at the library and I bid on and won a marked up copy of Saving Zoe which is still one of my favorite YA books.
Of course I love all my signed books and I'll be adding to my collection so I'll need to make more space on my shelves. Do you have any signed books that you love? Any author you'd love to add to your collection?
I'm an avid book lover and reader as well as a librarian, so it only makes sense that I have a collection of signed books.
My collection of signed books has grown over the past few years and I have the entire top shelf of my bookshelf dedicated to my signed books. I've been to book fairs, author events, and last year at ALA I came back with tons of signed books! I'm working on my list of authors to visit at this year's conference. Since author signings are one of the best parts of book conferences, I thought I'd share some of my favorite signed books.
The Midnight Mystery by Betty Ren Wright
-I got this book signed at a big author festival I attended in 5th grade. I remember being so excited to meet the authors and this was the first book I ever met the author and got signed, so it holds a very special place in my collection.
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, Illustrated by Lane Smith
-This was one of the best moments of ALA last year for me. Both Mr. Scieszka and Mr. Smith were signing so this book is signed by both the author and illustrator which makes it even more special to me. This was one of my favorite books growing up and one I continue to book talk to kids today so having the chance to meet these guys in person was a great librarian moment!
The Year The Swallows Came Early by Kathyrn Fitzmaurice
-I reviewed this book for TeensReadToo.com and the author sent me a lovely note thanking me for my review. We kept in touch a little and did interviews on each other's blogs, so when we found out we'd both be at ALA, I knew I had to be in the signing line for this one. This was a very cool moment for me both as a librarian and reviewer because Ms. Fitzmaurice saw me in line and recognized me and we were so excited to meet in person. We got a picture together and she told the person taking our picture how she loved the review I wrote, which was very cool! She's incredibly sweet, the book is great, and it was a highlight of my ALA experience last year.
So Not Happening by Jenny B Jones
-I don't remember how I first came across Jenny (and yes I can call her by her first name because I'm cool like that!). Her books were in my library, I had teens reading them, I checked them out and thought the books and her blog were hysterical, and started checking in with her blog posts and making comments. We've chatted back and forth and she's someone who I would say is a friend as well as an author. We give book recommendations to each other and she helped out with my library's summer reading program and sent along So Not Happening with a great inscription "Thank you for all you do to promote YA and encourage reading"-it makes me smile every time I see it! I even picked up a signed copy of a book by one of her favorite authors at ALA last year and it was so fun to send it along to her! I haven't met Jenny yet, but she's coming to my library in a couple of weeks for our first author festival and I can't wait to meet her in person!
Evermore by Alyson Noel
-Another book I reviewed for TeensReadToo.com and this time my review ended up as a blurb on the back of the book! Ms. Noel had done an author chat with my library the year before Evermore came out and we had e-mailed back and forth a few times and she helped out with our library's summer reading event a couple of years ago by providing signed book plates for the teens. She let me know the review I wrote was on the back of the book and sent me a copy she signed for me. I even included Evermore in my wedding photos in a picture where I'm reading a book and telling my husband to "wait" while he stands behind me with his hand in the air and rolling his eyes. I haven't met Alyson in person but I hope to someday! She's also the author I own the most signed books from-I also have a signed ARC of Cruel Summer she sent as a thank you for including her books in our summer reading program at the library and I bid on and won a marked up copy of Saving Zoe which is still one of my favorite YA books.
Of course I love all my signed books and I'll be adding to my collection so I'll need to make more space on my shelves. Do you have any signed books that you love? Any author you'd love to add to your collection?
I have a dedicated shelf for signed books too. And I'm hoping my nieces and nephews do, because they get a lot of them for birthdays and Christmas. My copy of the True Story of the 3 Little Pigs is one of my favorites too, although I only have Jon Scieszka's signature.
ReplyDeleteMy niece was only five months old when I went to ALA last year, but I got her a few signed books for her collection-she's spoiled with books!:) I think this year at ALA I'm going to try and get some just signed in general, no personalization, so I can use them for summer reading prizes at the library.
ReplyDeleteI have A Princess Diaries signed book, from Meg Cabot! I LOVE Meg.
ReplyDeleteOh, by the way, I gave you an award! Check it out here:http://chick-lit-girl.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-in-blogsphere.html
A singature just makes a book that extra bit special :)
ReplyDeleteA fun stack! I'm hoping to get to ALA next January (wish I was going this year). Lots of good books here.
ReplyDeleteI have several books signed by Meg Cabot from when she was on her Pants on Fire tour. I also have all three Gemma Doyle books by Libba Bray!
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of signed books as well, from when I worked at a children's bookstore. But my favorite is a signed book Horseradish by Lemony Snicket. We had bought it for my daughter's 6th grade graduation, and my husband had already signed it from us when we brought it to Daniel Handler for him to sign...right below where my husband signed "Love Dad and Mom" he wrote (in the same color ink) "and your REAL father, Daniel Handler (allegedly Lemony Snicket)!"
ReplyDeleteChickLitGirl-I'd love a book signed by Meg Cabot!
ReplyDeleteNikki-ann-It really does-I think that's why I can't stop myself at book signings!
Melissa-ALA is crazy and I could attend signings all day! I hope you get to go-keep me posted-I'll be at Midwinter.
Karen-Libba Bray will be at ALA this year signing Going Bovine since it won the Printz-I might end up in her line!:)
Fourth Muskateer-That's hilarious! What a special book for your daughter! I love when authors sign something fun like that!
Oh I love all my signed books but to name a few special would be:
ReplyDeleteThe Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
The Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Marr including Radiant Shadows in ARC
Spoken from the Heart by Laura Bush
Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead
This is my first visit here...came via Molly's interview with you. Fabulous, btw.
ReplyDeleteI simply must organize my signed books! Right now they're in a stack on top of a filing cabinet, mixed in with some ARCs I've read.
Thanks for inspiring me to do this!
Cari_tx-What a great list of signed books!
ReplyDeleteLaurel-Thanks for visiting! Mine are all on a shelf, but the collection is growing, so I'll need to organize soon too. Have fun organizing them!:)
I love signed books!
ReplyDeleteMy collection includes the entire Hunger Games trilogy, a copy of Deathly Hallows signed by Mary Grandpre with a bookplate signed by J.K. Rowling, all of Maggie Stiefvater's books, Matched by Ally Condie, Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, Across the Universe by Beth Revis, A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin, Beautiful Creatures by Garcia & Stohl, Abandon by Meg Cabot, and The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.
Corey-
ReplyDeleteThat's an impressive collection! Aren't signed books fun?:)