Thursday, May 10, 2012

Summer Lovin'... Had Me a Blast

When I found out Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby, and Morgan Matson were kicking off their Summer Lovin' tour in LA, I immediately re-read Flannery's recap of the YA or Bust! tour to get tips.
  • Arrive early
  • Bring a camera to record the authors
  • Take notes
I was reminding myself of those tips as I peeled down Ocean View Blvd at 7pm -- for a 7pm signing. Luckily, the event hadn't started yet. The Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose was packed by the time I got there. I was planning on using my phone to record the authors, but, uh, I forgot to charge my spare battery and had just enough juice to get text updates about the Spurs-Jazz game from Noelle. (Thanks, Noelzy!) And because I know you're dying to know, yes, the Spurs won. :) The only other camera I had was my Fuji Instax, so yeah, no video. As to the third tip, notes... I fully intended to take them. On to my faulty memory recap!

The first thing I noticed was just how stylish each author was. Jessi was rocking a sundress and boots (no, they weren't red, but they were very cool), Jenny had a cute dress with killer heels (very Carrie Bradshaw), and Morgan wore a shift dress and flats that Zooey Deschanel would bat her eyelashes off for. Each author introduced herself and then read a passage from her book. Morgan started it off with a passage from her new book, Second Chance Summer, which was the only book I hadn't read, though I definitely plan to. Jenny read from We'll Always Have Summer, which was just released in paperback with a special bonus -- Conrad's letters. Jessi read from In Honor, which I had just devoured the day before.

After the reading and before the Q&A with the audience, Jenny decided they needed to play Marry, Date, Kill. The choices? Voldemort, Nagini, and Dobby. Ha! Before I give you their answers, I'll give you some time to ruminate on what your answers would be.

*************************** PINKY, ARE YOU PONDERING WHAT I'M PONDERING ***************************

Jenny, the instigator, made Morgan answer first. Morgan decided to kill Nagini, date Voldemort, and marry Dobby. Her explanation: You can't date a snake and Dobby is the sweetest.

Jenny answered her question next and decided to kill Nagini, date Dobby, and marry Voldemort. Explanation: She would marry Voldemort and change him.

Jessi decided to kill Nagini, date Voldemort, and marry Dobby.

The next round of Marry, Date, Kill was even better. Choices? Peeta, Gale, and... Finnick! Dun dun dun! I think the audience actually gasped when Jenny made Finnick the third option.

Morgan: Date Finnick, Marry Peeta, and Kill Gale.
Jenny: Date Finnick, Marry Peeta, and Kill Gale.
Jessi: Marry Gale, Date Peeta, and Kill Finnick.

Jessi's answers got the most reaction from the audience and the other authors. When Jessi said Gale was her favorite, Jenny responded (paraphrasing), "What's there to love? He's barely even IN the first book!" Morgan said that she was glad there was a table between her and Jessi. Jessi, though, stood by her man. I knew Jessi would pick Gale. I mean, hello, have you read In Honor? Anyone who owns this shirt would love Gale.

The Q&A followed, but really, how can you follow Marry, Date, Kill? This is my excuse for not remembering the questions -- except my own that is. I asked who they would cast as Finnick (because that's the question I ask everybody). Some suggestions were tossed out, like Chris Hemsworth, but Morgan wondered if that would be "too much Hemsworth." If I had taken notes, this is where I would have written "THERE CAN NEVER BE TOO MUCH HEMSWORTH."

After the Q&A, the wonderful staff at Once Upon a Time got us cupcakes. This was in addition to the swag provided by Simon & Schuster.

At the table, each author also had a little something for us. Morgan had Second Chance Summer postcards, Jenny had Burn for Burn chapter samplers, and Jessi had bottle cap keychains with a picture of a boot. I actually brought dduk, a Korean rice cake, for Jenny because that's how we Koreans roll (and I thought it would be funny). I got my books signed, including my Burn for Burn ARC. I was worried that only books purchased at the store would be eligible for signing, but Once Upon a Time is the coolest bookstore ever and they said that as long as we bought one book from them, we could get as many signed as we wanted. I ended up buying 5 books. They gave me the books in a reusable tote and I nearly exploded from the You've Got Mail / Shop Around the Corner of it all.
I had a lot of fun at this signing and loved meeting other bloggers, like the girls from Read Now Sleep Later. Alethea and Thuy even had these gorgeous bookmarks for their blog, which I shamelessly asked for. I will definitely try to attend the next signing at Once Upon A Time for Marissa Meyer (Cinder) on June 7th. Come!

29 comments:

  1. That Marry, Date, Kill game must have been brutal, especially the second round!:)

    P.S. All of this sounds like a lot of fun.

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  2. Great recap, I feel like I was there with you, Mazza! The authors sound so entertaining and I love that they played Marry, Date, Kill, they gave great answers!

    Bonus points for Noelzy! ;)

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  3. I love his recap, I want to marry and date it! And have little recap babies.
    Mazza and Nolz yous are my girls!
    X

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  4. P.s I love that Jenny Han secret koreaned you

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  5. Mate, WHAT IS WRONG WITH GALE?
    I love him... but 'kill Finnick'?! Are you joking? Nah.

    I love this recap, Magster. I wish I was there.

    Loving the Noelzy cameo too... getting involved as always. ;)

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    Replies
    1. *whispers* I would've gone with Jessi's picks after my first reading of the books.

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  6. This sounds so fun! I'm very jealous. Great recap :)

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    1. Thanks, Belle! But "Pash, Pick, or Pass" sounds so much cooler. :)

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  7. Oh wow I love the recap Maggie! Sounds like you had a fab time! I have been thinking about the second marry, date, kill and I still can't decide!

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  8. It seems that you had a lot of fun. I know I keep saying this, but sometimes living in SW Europe really sucks. I wish I could come with you or Flann to one of these things. Or better yet, with you AND Flann. That way I wouldn't have to be jealous all the time.

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    1. Sometimes living in Southeast Asia sucks too. :(

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    2. MAJA. Please come to the States so this can happen!! I will even go up to Flannery's neck of the woods even though she'll probably make us go camping or something crazy. LA, baby!

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  9. I feel your pain, re - living up to Flannery's recaps. How does she do it? We may never know. (I suspect she has some sort of recording device implanted in her eyeball.) This event sounds like a lot of fun, and it's awesome that you got to meet some other bloggers. Thanks for the recap Maggie!

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    1. I always suspected this but now I know... Flannery is really Vicki from Small Wonder.

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  10. hi maggie! it was so fun meeting you on monday. i am just writing up my brief recap now but yours is way better. and your camera was a huge hit!

    hopefully we will see you at some other events soon. maybe leigh bardugo at skylight or fierce reads in la verne next month? :)

    -thuy

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    1. Thuy, I can't wait to see your recap! I will definitely let you know about the other events.

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  11. Always happy to make a new bookish friend! *high five!* I think an Asian food party is in order... sometime this summer. I am full of Thai food right now so I might be a little high (on Pad Thai! not the other thing ;) Great recap!

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    1. Alethea, have you ever been to Toi on Sunset?

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    2. i haven't been to toi in SO LONG. is it still tasty?

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    3. Best food you can get at 3am! Haha. Seriously, their brown rice is the best I've ever had.

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  12. Great recap, Maggie! Thanks for sharing this. Looks like you had a lot of fun during the event. Love the picture that you posted. I'm tempted to get an instax because it's so cute and I bet it's fun to get your photos right away - it's just that film is so expensive! And I rarely use my lomo cams as it is. Also, I think it's awesome that you took note of their outfits and described them in this post. That's something that I would have done as well. :P

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    1. Chachic, I got my camera and film from a friend in Korea. The film is so cheap online there! I love my Instax though. It's such a fun little camera.

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  13. I love how you thought about my event suggestions and then fucking tossed them all out the window. Good choice, as I totally loved this recap from the fashion forecast to the swag bag. I cannot even fathom how anyone could kill Finnick. I think he'd be a blast to date, ifyouknowwhatimean. Amiright or amiright? I got your postcard today! Look at you being all efficient at sending things. Rub in it a bit more why don't ya?

    P.S. I haven't read any of these authors books. I think I am missing out BIG TIME. I have Shug to read and I put In Honor on hold at the library.

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    1. Flann, I totally Ace Ventura'd my way through this signing. I got there late, but then they said there were seats in the front, so I went to the front -- and blocked everyone behind me. I ended up on the floor, where I sadly belonged.

      I think you'll like Burn for Burn.

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  14. This is my first visit to the blog, but there was so much awesome involved in this post your going straight in the google reader.

    First let me say how incredibly jealous I am that you got to go to this, I so wished I lived somewhere close to California so that I could see these ladies. This is the first re-cap I have found of the events so thank you!! All that swag looks awesome, and I love Jessi's signed message in your copy of In Honor.

    That is the best game of Date, Dump, Marry I've seen in a while. And you're right, there can never be too much Hemsworth, but I don't know if he's right for Finnick. And it might be a little strange that Gale and Finnick look so much alike. But I'd take any excuse to watch Chris Hemsworth, so bring it on.

    And thank you for the shop around the corner reference. This post was pure bliss.

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