RECAP: LA Times Festival of Books 2022

Folks the last event recap we did was for Yallwest 2019. So it has been a hot second.

But, I went to the LA Times Festival of Books on April 23 and wanted to recap if for you all (and for myself because I like going back to these types of posts).

If you want a one minute recap, I made an IG reel which I’m pretty happy with!

(also I set up a BookShop.org page and I am not entirely sure how it works, but this post will have links to purchase the books I mention and if I do it correctly, I should receive a tiny commission if you purchase using the links!)

Book festivals are back and I could cry!! In all honestly I knew I missed book festivals during the pandemic but I didn’t realize just how much until I was on the USC campus wandering around surrounded by book people. It was a tad overwhelming because it felt more crowded than it had in past years, but maybe I’ve only gone to day two? Either way the booths were crowded and there were a lot of people everywhere.

But, here is my recap of the day!

Night before

I went to a concert with Bree it was awesome but I got home at like 11 something and then had to pack up all my stuff I was very tired.

Morning

I ate breakfast, packed snacks, got dressed at drove to the festival.

The Commute

I only live like 30 miles from USC but LA traffic being LA traffic, I had no how long it would take. It took me an hour or so with the worst traffic being right outside the USC parking. Also, I listened to One Direction’s last album on the drive over because I’m listening to the Every Single Album Podcast and they are doing One Direction albums at the moment.

At the Fest

I finally arrived around 10:40 and met up with Jordan (check out her blog!) at the YA stage to catch the end of a middle grade panel. My first panel wasn’t until 12:30pm so I was just following her around for a bit. She wanted to get books signed by Veronica Roth so I waited in line with her. Pro tip – these lines are a great way to catch up with people. Also, to snack.

Panel One: Memoir: Family, Food and How it Shaped Me

Authors: Grace M. Cho, Elizabeth Nyamayaro, & Hannah Howard

So I only went to this panel because The Stacks Pod’s host Traci Thomas was moderating it and I love her show. And wow this was a great choice. I had not heard of any of these authors prior to attending this panel and as always, Traci led a great conversation. The authors talked about the ways food connects us and how food is a human right. The authors all shared personal stories (the joys of being a memoirist) and I honestly felt like I was at a fancy college lectures. It helped that a lot of the rooms at USC are fancy. They also discussed their craft and snacks they love, and food that reminds them of home. All in all this was such a good conversation and I’m glad I was able to make it.

Also, Traci is a fabulous moderator and always asks the best questions. Y’all should check out her show because it’s great.

After this panel I met up with Jordan again at the YA stage and caught the end of a YA thriller panel. I hadn’t read any of the books these authors were talking about, but it was an engaging panel.

Panel Two: Rising Stars of Romance

Authors: Casey McQuiston, Claire Kann, Elissa Sussman, & Ali Hazelwood

I met up with some fellow bookstagarmmers in this line and we got to watch the panel together. Some I was meeting for the first time and a few of them I knew. I was so excited to meet Kim (bookbruin on IG) because we chat books (& UCLA basketball) all the time.

This panel was so great. All the authors were had such great answers to the questions. I did think the questions were not the best, but the answers were still great so I guess it was fine.

Shoutout to The Ripped Bodice for doing all the romance planning for the fest. Check out their website!

Signing!

After the panel the authors were going to sign books and the line was super long! But I waited in line with Kim and Anna (OneFootInABook on IG) and we had a great time chatting books and whatnot.

Look it’s been a hot second since I’ve met my favorite authors so I was awkward at best meeting all of them.

I got to chat with Casey and tell them that Alex is one of my favorite fictional characters of all time and how I reread RWRB at the start of the pandemic via audio and we chated about the audio. Also, Anna had a Billy’s Pancake house shirt which was super cute. See Bree’s review for RWRB here.

I didn’t have Elissa’s book because I don’t own it, but I was reading it from the library so while I walked past her I (awkwardly) told her that I was enjoying it.

Clarie Kann was super sweet and I know I rambled meeting her so moving on.

I got to take a pic with Ali Hazelwood and told her how much I love her book (see my review here) but it was a tad hectic. But, she was so sweet to take pictures with people because the signing line (for her especially) was so long.

Second Signing

Because the signing line was so long I missed the second Ripped Bodice panel (idk why I thought I would have time for both?)

But, I still was able to meet Denise Williams and Jen DeLuca and get books signed by them. Definitely rambled while meeting both of them as well!

End of the Day

Then Jordan and I took a picture on the USC campus because a fanfic we adore and is part of the reason we’re so close takes place on USC.

Misc Thoughts!

What’s funny to me is I went to this event by myself. I knew I was going to meet up with Jordan and a few other people, but I assumed I would be reading on my kindle for part of the day and just chilling. Which I would have been fine with it. But, I was so social and got to talk to so many book friends! I got to meet some book people that I’ve been following for awhile and some new people and it was just such a good time.

I just never thought I would be the person who would walk up to a panel line and know a whole group of people and chat for hours with people I’ve only just met.

Overall, I had such a blast and it was such a wonderful day. It was one of those days where I was having so much fun that I completely forgot to take pictures with half of the people I was hanging out with and at most of the events I went to. I did take some subpar video clips with all ended up in my IG reel lol.

Misc Highlights

The kids who asked questions at the middle grade panel asked some of the best questions I’ve ever heard asked to an author!
Seeing a girl wearing the Taylor Swift cardigan