BEA 2015 - Day 2 (Thursday, May 28th)

While we didn't have as many parties planned for Thursday (actually none!), we managed to have a very nice breakfast and attend quite a few meetings. We also managed to walk almost 25,000 steps despite sitting for a long time at breakfast and then at a Broadway show in the evening.

On Thursday morning, Kathy and I headed back to Bubby's on the Highline for a wonderful breakfast. We ate at this trendy restaurant last year and enjoyed it so much that we decided to go again this year. I had a huge breakfast of eggs, toast, hash browns, and coffee; and I figured I'd be good to go for the rest of the afternoon at BEA!

The steps to the Highline are right outside Bubby's door, so Kathy and I climbed up for our walk to Javits. I absolutely love walking on the Highline and seeing all of the gorgeous scenery as well as the plants and flowers. The weather was perfect, not too hot or too cold, and we leisurely strolled... which is really saying something for us -- we tend to walk very quickly even in New York. Even though we had just eaten, Kathy and I couldn't pass up the shaved ice cart called People's Pops. I had a Rhubarb Vanilla one and Kathy had a plum one -- they were really small and totally delicious so we didn't feel too guilty!

We arrived close to noon at BEA and it was definitely in full swing. The show floor was much more crowded than Wednesday afternoon, but it still seemed a little less exciting than past years. Maybe it was that there were less exhibitors or maybe the layout was just better, but this year didn't seem quite as frantic. I think Publisher's Weekly said it best when they described 2015 BEA as "sluggish."

Kathy and I walked around the floor a few times and picked up some good books. Because it costs so darn much to ship books from Javits (about $60 a box!), we were rather selective. I don't know if there less giveaways this year or we were just missing them, but I didn't feel like we were gathering as many books as usual. We even went to the autographing areas (which we usually stay as far away as possible from), and I managed to get signed copies of Adam Carolla's DADDY, STOP TALKING, Laurie Amy Schlitz's THE HIRED GIRL, and Lauren Tarshis' I SURVIVED THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE, 1871. Plus we picked up some autographed copies of books at the publisher's in-booth signings.

Thursday was a pretty big day for meetings. I finally met with Ann-Marie Nieves from Get Red PR and the fine folks at Wunderkind PR. I listened as they talked about what upcoming books they will be promoting, and I made sure to chime in when I heard one I liked! It was nice to put faces with the names of some individuals I have been working with for years.

Kathy and I decided to leave BEA a little early and head to the TKTS booth in Times Square to see what shows we could get discounted tickets for that evening. We had been asking for recommendations all day, and the two winners were SOMETHING ROTTEN! and FUN HOME. FUN HOME wasn't available so we got SOMETHING ROTTEN! for 40% off.

This musical was nominated for 10 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and I have to say it was well worth the money! I absolutely loved this show. It was entertaining and hilarious, and it had tap dancing. There is one scene that brought some members of the audience to their feet! I swear I could see this show over and over again... and that's not something I usually say!

After the show, Kathy and I headed back to our hotel. We were pretty excited after the show and definitely not as tired as we were on Wednesday night... although we did walk almost 25,000 steps! Good thing we both had comfortable shoes!