Young Adult Author Mega-Signing

Photo courtesy of Books of Wonder

Some days are made for wandering and this past Sunday was one: sunny and brisk. We had an itinerary  so we weren’t technically wandering. We were walking with a purpose.

Our first stop was  Books of Wonder on 18th Street in Manhattan. As you YA readers know, David Levithan is everything YA: an author, an editor and an event planner. Through his efforts, this past Sunday Books of Wonder hosted a YA Author mega-signing, which turned out to be a mega-hit. Susan and I arrived at 1 P.M. for Beth Kephart’s 1:45 PM signing. It is a cute little store and as you enter, there are books staring you in the face…books that we would potentially want to buy. I quickly grabbed Kephart’s Small Damages and bemoaned the fact that they ran out of Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park. (Don’t feel bad, when Susan heard a salesclerk say she’d check to see if there were any more copies, she hung around and grabbed the remaining one.) I’m glad she did, because Ms. Rowell was so sweet when I asked her to sign it.

I gave Susan my opinion on what book to buy and then I accosted Beth (who, as you know I’d never met before) as she was about to go out to get something to eat before her signing. Needless to say, that never happened. Beth, I hope you weren’t starving during your signing.

But then we had some time to kill and you know how dangerous that can be for book lovers in a bookstore. I snared a copy of Beastly Feasts by Robert L. Forbes and illustrated by Ronald Searle. Those face out covers really do attract readers. I merely glanced at the poems inside and that was that.  I had to have it. And I finally succombed and purchased the Caldecott winning The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinckney. I love his artwork and I’ve been wanting it forever. Susan found a copy of a story book she loved when she was a kid. Her hand was shaking because she never thought she’d find another copy of it, anywhere.

Our day didn’t end there. After buying a ton a books, you need a cup of coffee, right? We went to 71 Irving Place, a coffee bar a few blocks away from Books of Wonder, on 18th Street, and had the best, and I mean the best, chocolate croissant. They had rice krispie treats that you couldn’t fit in your mouth, but we found those after the croissant. I should have bought one to take home. 71 Irving Place has a nice atmosphere and it’s crowded so you know it’s good. I highly recommend it.

A dissappointing trip to The Strand followed (although Susan did find something to buy) and off to dinner…The Meatball Shop on 9th Avenue around 22nd Street. This is not your basic slider/sloppy joe shop. Nope. You get to choose the type of meatball (veggie, beef, special) and the type of sauce (I highly recommend the Spicy meat sauce). Two meatballs satisfies most appetites. We topped that off with one of their special ice cream sandwiches. You pick the cookie and the ice cream. Try the brownie cookie with your favorite ice cream. From book to banquet, Sunday was just a great day.