[Recap] Hachette Date A Book Blogger Night 2015

What: Date A Book YA Bloggers Night 2015
When: Monday 17th August 2015, 5:30-7:30pm
Where: Hachette HQ (aka. the land of awesome, like OMG JUST TAKE ME!)
Why: Because books rock and so do book people! :D
How: The faeries!

Okay! Let's see if I'm bothered enough to see this through to the end. Heheh... heh. Well, so there was this thing on the other night in Sydney Australia (I live there!) called Date A Book YA Bloggers Night, held over at the Hachette HQ. I so wish I could just live there, like if I had the choice between being eaten alive by a pack of rabid ANY OF THESE, and living at Hachette HQ (or really any bookish anything), I'd choose the latter without a doubt.

This was their second annual Blogger Night and it was, by far, bigger and better than the first! Now, being confined in a small space with a bunch of people I may or may not know, whether online or by brief offline encounters, wasn't the most appealing idea for me to spend my evening (especially as I was stuck between night shifts... and still am). Hey, just being honest here! My friend had bailed on me, and I didn't want to be the awkward chickadee standing by the corner eating a pile of snakes and staring at everyone creepily, or latching onto a group of people, clutching to them FOR DEAR LIFE because OH GOD DON'T LEAVE ME! I'm exaggerating here, but you get what I mean.
 
Luckily I managed to get a fellow book blogger, Sas (Tea Mouse Book Reviews), along for the ride and I ended up having a fantastic time. :) Into the fancy building and up the lift and we were met with this beautiful book display once again...

Source: ♥

GUYS! THERE WAS POPCORN!!! :D

AND CUPCAKES!!! (And fruit and lollies)

Let's not forget about the bookish light feature, YArot card table (which I DID NOT visit :(), spooky poem display (it was lit up green but I didn't snap this until later) and our special guests, fellow b/vloggers and book lovers... and of course the lovely Ashleigh, Kim and the rest of the team! After a bit of sightseeing and catching up, we were instructed to take our seats and the night's proceedings began...

First off, we were met with Sophie Hardcastle, a gorgeous and sweet Aussie girl who had written a memoir about her experiences with mental illness. This was the first time she was talking about her book, Running Like China, in front of an audience and she did a fabulous job! She later told us that she was extremely nervous but you couldn't tell at all. I was already mentally adding her memoir to my shopping cart when much to my surprise and delight we were all offered a copy to take home!

 
Next up, Ashleigh and Kim engaged us in an exciting presentation of new and upcoming releases with Hachette that we MUST have on our radars.

• Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver {review} {gr}
  I loved this book! She's one of my favourite authors (Before I Fall was one of the first YA I read). So excited to meet her later this year! <3 #dreamcometrue
  
  
• Thunderwith by Libby Hathorn {gr}
  This is an Australian classic repackaged for the next generation of YAs to read. I definitely do not read enough Aussie classics, so this one's on the wishlist!
  
  
• Wolf By Wolf by Ryan Graudin {gr} // November 5th 2015
  Set in an alternate 1956 where the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world... nothing more had to be said for me to bump this right to the top of my wishlist. Still need to read The Walled City, which I've been busting to read from the get-go.
  
  
• Hello, Goodbye and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith {gr} // September 1st 2015
  I fell in love with Statistical Probability (one of the cutest and most feel-good reads ever!). This is an exploration of a relationship under trial (that just before college/uni, moving away time) - definitely a must-read for me!
  

• The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong {gr} // October 13th 2015
  Everyone knows about this author (she wrote the Darkest Powers trilogy, among adult titles). This title sounds especially gripping and intense!
  
  
• This Raging Light by Estelle Laure {gr} // January 7th 2016
  Name drops: John Green, Rainbow Rowell, Jandy Nelson, Jerry Spinelli. Contemporary YA = <3... I'm so excited to get stuck into this!!!
  
  
• Mosquitoland by David Arnold {gr} // September 10th 2015
  Another promising contemporary YA title.. all I know about it is there might be a road trip involved! And family issues. And quirkiness!
  
  
• Court of Fives by Kate Elliott {gr} // August 18th 2015
  My ears perked up as soon as they associated this with Little Women and Game of Thrones!
  

• Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger {gr}
  Set in the same 'world' as The DUFF. 'Nuff said. Excitement! The premise actually does sound really fun. I expect this to be a quick read (much like The DUFF was for me).
  
  
• The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich {gr}
  I have high hopes for this one! I love the concept of it and love books told through many different mediums.
  
  
• Changers: Drew by T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper {gr} // ??
  The concept reminds me of Every Day by David Levithan. Sounds like an eye-opening and entertaining read!
  
  
• Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick {gr} // May 10th 2016
  I MUST READ THIS!!!
  
  

• Only Ever Yours by Louise O'Neill {gr}
  What I love about many dystopia fiction is that it addresses real contemporary issues. We are very much in a man's world, especially in other parts of the world where the objectification of women is normal and okay by the majority in that society. Seems like a gripping, thought-provoking read. Will definitely need to grab a copy!
  
  
• Asking For It by Louise O'Neill {gr} // September 3rd 2015
  As a firm feminist (which just means a believer in equal rights between the sexes), titles like these really scream out to me. Been getting some good buzz!
  
  
• Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard {gr} // February 6th 2016
  I haven't read Red Queen yet, but this series has been gaining a lot of buzz! I'll get on board the train as soon as I can! >_<
  
  
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo {gr} // September 29th 2015
  I have NOT read Ruin and Rising yet, so I feel a bit guilty to have won an ARC of this on the night. BUT! I endeavour to get stuck in this AS SOON AS I CAN!!! So excited to read this, do not doubt that for a second!

After this tantalising display of what's to come, Holly Black finally, finally came to the stage and OH MY GOD was she charismatic and funny and so IN HER ELEMENT, talking about her inspiration for her first book/series Tithe, and her newest title The Darkest Part of the Forest... which I still have not read. But hey, I read the first page on the train ride over to the city, so that's a thing! If I ever have to do a presentation again in the future, I will need to employ her doings - that was one of the most entertaining slideshow presentations I've ever been privy to.

I met Holly Black - OMG! #canibeyou

And what's a recap of an awesome event without the bragging? I got ALL OF THE STUFF! My only regret is not grabbing all of the gorgeous cupcakes. (They were delish!) I bumped into Jaz and a few other people who I actually don't really know... or maybe I do! Oh well. I got out of the house. I consider that a success alone. *pats self on the back* Last year I felt too overdressed, so this year I came wearing a T-shirt and jeans, blending in well with all of the teenagers as usual. ;)

Click image to embiggen

Awesome stuff I now have to find space for in my room:

• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo ARC
• Laughing Out Loud by Kody Keplinger
• This Raging Light by Estelle Laure ARC
• Pompidou Posse by Sarah Lotz ARC
• Running Like China by Sophie Hardcastle (signed!)
• All I Know Now by Carrie Hope Fletcher
• Ruin and Rising tote bag, Date A Book mug (!) and some Holly Black swag
• Nair hair removal cream, dry shampoo (not pictured - oops!), Biore pore strips, a container, some makeup (I'm set for the year LOL) and stick-on fingernails
• Lindt sweet popcorn chocolate bar and Charlie's fruity muesli cookie

I also got my Holly Black books signed. :) Yeah. I don't have many. Don't judge! I'll get around to it, I promise...

So yeah, that's it! I made it! Only took a couple of hours. Until next year!