NYC Teen Author Festival

Who else loves Teen Author Festival week? This was my first time attending and I know I do! I was lucky enough to go to two events. The first was "I’ll Take You There: A Change of Scenery, A Change of Self", which I went to with Estelle and Alexa. The panel was moderated by David Levithan and featured Gayle Forman, Kristen-Paige Madonia, Bennett Madison, Jennifer E. Smith and Melissa Walker. I have to admit, I was most excited to see Gayle because of how much I love Just One Day but I ended up enjoying what they all had to say. They read passages from their books and talked about taking their characters out of their comfort zone and using new environments to help them figure out who they are.  By the end of the talk, I found myself most interested in Fingerprints of You which I bought the next day.  (I highly recommend this book!) 

Then after, we went to Japadog for dinner which was delicious! I got the signature terimayo hot dog which had teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed. I know it sounds like a strange combination but I swear it was yummy. And the green tea ice cream afterward was exactly what I was craving. 

The second event I went to was the Reader's Theater + Signing with Alexa that featured Eireann Corrigan, Elizabeth Eulberg, Jeff Hirsch, David Levithan, Rainbow Rowell and Nova Ren Suma. This was by far my favorite! It was absolutely hilarious watching the authors act out scenes from their respective books. Rainbow Rowell and Elizabeth Eulberg were especially funny and I love them both even more now. Their voices just perfectly captured how I imagined Eleanor (from Eleanor & Park) and Lexi (from Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality) to sound.

They all also poked fun at Go Ask Alice. Did anyone else know this book had a bad rep? Because I had no idea! I remember liking it back in middle school but it wasn't a favorite or anything. Hearing it read out loud though, at this age.. I can see why it does. It's funny how that happens. 

After the theater portion, I got my copy of Eleanor & Park signed by Rainbow Rowell. She was so nice! I loved how she signed it. 

Anyone else attend any of these events? I'd love to hear what you thought of them!