Get Your Cards Read
Take a break from books and visit the St. Martin’s booth (3056), 10 a.m.–noon, today for a Tarot card reading to celebrate the publication of The Book of Speculation (June), Erika Swyler’s debut novel, which Sara Gruen (Water for Elephants) calls “ dazzling.” Gruen raves, “I was immediately swept up in this quirky, raucous, and bewitching family saga.”
Meet Meg Cabot—Everywhere!
Meg Cabot, author of the blockbuster series The Princess Diaries and other bestsellers, is omnipresent at BookCon, so there’s no excuse for missing a chance to meet her. At 12:30 p.m. today, she joins fellow superstar authors Cathy Maxwell, Kristan Higgins, and Robyn Carr for the panel, “Spotlight on Romance: Reader Love,” moderated by NPR’s Petra Mayer, in Room1A06. At 3:30 p.m., she’ll be autographing her newest book, From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess, at Table 2. Tomorrow, 12:30–1:30 p.m., Cabot talks about this new book in a discussion, “A New Chapter in Genovia,” with Sam Maggs, editor of TheMarySue.com, in Room 1A21. Following that, Cabot winds up her BookCon activities with another autographing, 2–3 p.m., at Table 6.
Live Long and Prosper
Pop culture guru, frequent performer at Nerdnite and Nerdtacular, and author of Fun with Kirk and Spock, Robb Pearlman, is at BookCon to celebrate his new guide to long life and prosperity: The Wit and Wisdom of Star Trek. Trekkies should trek over to Cider Mill Press’s booth (2642) at 11 a.m., where Pearlman will be signing the new book, which features classic quotes, photos, behind-the-scenes trivia, and personal recollections from the cast and crew of the original Star Trek series.
Be BFF’s Forever
Sarah Dessen, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Han take the stage in Room 1A23, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., to discuss friendship, power, and the ties that bind, on and off the page. Dessen and Han have new books out, Saint Anything and P.S. I Still Love You, respectively, while Forman’s most recent, I Was Here, was published just this past winter. The creator of ForeverYoung.com, Sarah Pitre, will moderate this trio of teen favorites.
Finish Up with David Baldacci
Apparently 27 international bestselling books for adults aren’t enough for David Baldacci. Last year he smashed into the world of fantasy with The Finisher, his debut book for younger readers, which introduced Vega Jane. She’s back in his new novel, The Keeper, due out in September. But fans don’t have to wait that long. Baldacci will be signing books twice today: 12-1 at the Scholastic booth, (2919) and 4–5 at Table 9. He also takes the Downtown Stage with other heavyweights of the fantasy world—Maggie Stiefvater, Jackson Pearce, and Kevin Sands—to discuss magic, mystery, and much more in the panel, “Wands Not Required! An Exploration of Epic Fantasy Worlds,” moderated by David Levithan.
This article appeared in the May 30, 2015 edition of PW BookCon Daily.
