Meeting Libba Bray and Maggie Stiefvater!

So, Libba and Maggie did a signing together last night! Libba Bray is my favorite author. I have read, loved, re-read, and loved some more all of her books. I really like Maggie Stiefvater too (though, I’d met her once before in New Orleans). I’d been so excited for this signing. I cancelled a tutoring job. I also couldn’t eat all day (and I love to eat) because I was so excited for the reading. The books pictured above are the ones I got signed!

It was a bit of a drive to get to the bookstore (The BookMarket, in Glenview), but it was so worth the drive. Also, it’s a fantastic bookstore! It was a nice, small crowd there too which always means more time for the authors to do their thing and more time to spend talking with them during the signing! Plus, I got to meet up with my new friend, Eti, again (who is working on a blog of her own: In the Key of Books), and we had so much fun geeking out YA style. Plus, we were both brave enough to ask questions in the Q&A part of the evening. Go us.

Libba and Maggie together are fantastic! I wasn’t sure if I was at a book signing or a comedy show at points, and frankly this had me questioning the greatness of all other book signings I’ve ever been to. I seriously don’t think I have laughed that much in a long time. And that alone is enough reason to go meet them if you ever have a chance. Then they did these dramatic readings of their new books, and this gave me goose bumps.

There’s nothing quite like hearing an author read out loud their own work. But even better was how when Libba was reading from The Diviners, Maggie would do the voice of the guy/possible love interest, and vice versa Libba did the voice of the guy/possible love interest in The Raven Boys. It just became even more clear than it already was (from YouTube) how much these ladies were more than just writers; they were performers who had complete attention of the whole room (including a little baby who kept laughing –usually at the right moments). 

My wonderful friend, Eti, took these pictures for me. Please note though that it was raining all day and don’t judge the frizzy hair.

This would be me and Libba Bray! She hugged me when I told her she was my favorite author and that I have been reading her books since I was a teen(!):

This is Maggie Stiefvater and me(!):

These are what some of my signed books look like (Notice the crazy flower Libba Bray drew on Beauty Queens after making a mistake and apologizing profusely for it –I just felt lucky to have so much signage!). Also, I love when authors draw things when they sign (also notice, Libba’s martini glass and Maggie’s raven):