ALA Annual 2009: By the Numbers

6: Authors Met
Justina Chen Headley was so pleased to hear feedback about her books, and was a delight to talk to. David Levithan laughed at my Team Peeta t-shirt. Melina Marchetta gave a wonderful Printz Award acceptance speech, and then was just as wonderful in conversation. E. Lockhart shared details about her upcoming books after presenting a knock-out speech exploring the inspirations for her award-winning The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Libba Bray and Sara Ryan remain separated at birth.

4: YALSA Events Attended
The Happy Hour and Fashion Show was a hoot and a half, not to mention a great time to reconnect with friends and colleagues. Thanks to the generosity of School Library Journal, I got to attend the Edwards luncheon for the first time, and got treated to a stellar speech by Laurie Halse Anderson. The Morris Award Presentation and YA Authors Coffee Klatch was another first-time event for me, but I'll definitely be attending this again! And finally, the Printz Award Reception was full of wonderful, compelling, funny speeches, followed by a fantastic reception.

3: Board of Directors Meetings Attended
This is a bit of a cheat, since I had to attend the Board meetings as an ex-officio member. But I greatly encourage all YALSA members to attend occasional Board meetings and read the available documents and minutes. The YALSA Board of Directors are the people who are setting YALSA's course, and being aware of what's being discussed or showing up to voice your opinion is your benefit as a member.

3: Boxes of Books Shipped Home
I'm eagerly awaiting getting my boxes of materials. True, there were much fewer ARCs available than in past years, as well as less swag as a whole. Yet I thought I still came away with several books that I'm excited about and that I'm looking forward to reading.

2: ARCs Already Read
Waiting for reviews, that will hopefully come next week, are two new books from fantastic authors. First, there's The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson, acclaimed author of A Room on Lorelei Street and The Adoration of Jenna Fox. And then there's Shiver, the widely-discussed novel from Maggie Stiefvater. Both were fantastic, and I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts with all of you!

2: Great Roommates
I've been rooming with Liz Burns (of Tea Cozy) and Sophie Brookover (of Pop Goes the Library) for years, and they're not only considerate roommates but great friends. They always provide another way of thinking about issues and are founts of knowledge.

1: Presentation Made
I spoke about historical fiction at YALSA's Genre Galaxy on Friday. I had a great time talking about this often-unappreciated genre, and had a fantastic time at this event.

I hope everyone who attended Annual had a good time, and I'm excited to be back to blogging, my batteries recharged and my bookshelves overflowing.