Hachette YA Blogger Night Recap

Tonight was a very special book event - the annual Hachette YA Blogger Night! I was invited to the first one last year which was fantastic, and this time it was just as amazing, if not even better. Not only was it a great opportunity to meet with other bloggers and YA lovers in person (matching twitter handles to names!), but also a time to meet the lovely Sophie Hardcastle and Holly Black. Ashleigh and Kim were wonderful hosts, and I think I speak for everyone when I say the night was a big success!

First of all, it's at events like this that the bookish community can really come together - and aside from the fangirling and general book conversations which occurred, the #DABNight hashtag actually trended at #1 across the country!

😍 😍 #DABYANight @HachetteAus @DateaBook #AusYABloggers #LoveOzYA pic.twitter.com/t47915D60R

— Diva Booknerd (@divainpyjamas) August 17, 2015

Sophie Hardcastle

After following the smell of popcorn from the elevator to the offices and then getting some snacks/socialising - it was time for one of the special guests of the night, Sophie Hardcastle to speak about her memoir. It was quite moving to hear her story of dealing with bipolar disorder and how she came about writing her book, and I am looking forward to reading it soon. I also got to meet Sophie and get it signed which was lovely too. 

Running Like China Releases 25th August 2015

What's new and coming up

One of the most exciting things about going to a publisher's is learning of all the books they're excited about, and what there is to look forward to!

1. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

I personally really loved this book when I first read it (and you can see just how much in my review). The best news? Lauren Oliver will be visiting Australia later in the year! 

2. Thunderwith by Libby Hawthorn

This was first published in 1989 but is making a comeback with a new jacket. I love Australian contemporary YA so this is definitely going on my TBR.

3. Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

This is another one of those books set in a short period of time (12 hours), and I'm interested to see how it pans out since I've heard lots of good things about Jennifer E. Smith's novels. 

4. The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong

Now this sounds like a pretty intense thriller - and I'm up for it!

5. The Dead House by Daen Kurtagich

A psychological thriller that has interview transcripts, medical records and other interesting pieces of information woven in. I love multimodal fiction, and this looks like it's going to be a hit! The 'urban legend' sound of it almost reminds me of Night Film by Marisha Pessl.

6. The Raging Light by Estelle Laure

I can already tell this is going to be an emotional contemporary - definitely one to pull at the heartstrings I'm sure.

7. Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger

As a companion novel to the DUFF, this seems like it has the potential to be just as fun as its predecessor

7. Changers by Drew T Cooper & Allison Glock-Cooper

When I was hearing about this book tonight it did remind me of Every Day by David Levithan, but I can see where this will also have it's major differences. It's the first book in a four-part series, and I'm really looking forward to it. 

8. Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick

I recently read and reviewed Love May Fail by Matthew Quick which was really good, and so this new book of his definitely has now found its way onto my list of books to keep an eye on. Quirky contemporary with unexpected turns definitely is something I'd be interested in reading.

9. Mosquitoland by David Arnold

This roadtrip novel already seems to stand out from the rest just from its description, and so I am eagerly awaiting reading it for myself!

10. Court of Fives by Kate Elliot

Historical fantasy usually gets a big tick from me, so Court of Fives certainly has my attention.

SERIES

Yep, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is getting so much hype at the moment (and no wonder why - it looks amazing). Some people were lucky enough to win ARC's tonight, so hopefully they love it!

Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard, the sequel to Red Queen is a DEFINITE MUST-READ for me once it comes out! (next February). That ending was a killer so we must know what's next in store for Mare!

Hachette will be publishing the third book in the Reckoners trilogy! I haven't gotten around to starting this series yet myself, but now that I know about it - why not?

Author Spotlight: Louise O'Neill

I'm so glad this spotlight was on because it reminded me how  much I really want to read Only Ever Yours and Asking For It as well. Both are shaping up to be very poignant reads from the sounds of things. 

Author Spotlight: Ryan Graudin

This is another author whose work I really need to read! In particular, the new alternate-history novel she has coming out called Wolf by Wolf sounds absolutely fascinating. Definitely one to watch out for! We were shown a video with Ryan talking about it and reading the first lines, and just from that I'm hooked already.

Basically,

 

Keep your eyes out for those page-turners coming soon!

Holly Black

UNFORTUNATELY, my copies of The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Coldest Girl In Coldtown didn't arrive in time for the event today (though knowing my luck they're probably what's waiting for me at the PO). Even so, it was so exciting to see Holly Black in person (with her super-cool hair and accent). She shared some really interesting insights into how she researched fairies to use in her novels, and how her creative family background influenced her. 

There were references made to creepy doll searches, and even Robert Pattinson (though not necessarily in the same sentence). Aside from her infectious laugh, she also had some other things to share like the fact that she'll probably never write a contemporary novel, and her views on character relationships. It's always inspiring to hear authors speak about their works, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have seen Holly Black in person! She's so charismatic, lively, and passionate - and those are characteristics which can make for a very talented author which she is.

Book People!

 Bloggers/Booklovers I met in person for the first time:

• Cassie @ Cassie The Weird
• Sass @ Supergirl Sass
• Elspeth @ Arabella Strangely
• Keely @ My Spin on Books
• Gina @ Behind The Pages

Bloggers it was lovely to see again:

• Kat @ Cuddlebuggery
• Joy @ Thoughts by J
• Sunny @ A Sunny Spot
• Jess @ My Reading Dress
• Jaz @ Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
• Pavan @ Keep It Fictional

The Haul

I got some books from Keely and Kat, as well as some goodies in the gift bag!

Overall

Thanks again to the amazing team at Hachette Australia for hosting the event again this year! I had an awesome time and can't wait it to come around again next year :)