In Book Heaven in Anaheim

I had fun this morning at the exhibit hall of the American Library Association Annual Convention in Anaheim. I picked up a few pre-publication preview books, and  lots of publisher information. I read more non-fiction than fiction, and most books I saw were Young Adult, which I do enjoy, and children's books. At the end of the conference, and maybe during the conference (I am not sure since I just dropped by on the last day) they sell display books at 50% and then most go down to as low as $5 for a hardbound and $2 for a paperback. I was on a tight budget today, so I only picked up free stuff. Here is a picture of the haul for the day:

 I was able to find a parking spot on a side street around the corner from the convention center, and I chose to forgo the $8 hot dogs in the convention center. I was really torn as to whether I should spend the time at the convention but I did enjoy it, and it was pretty painless. Next time, I would pack some crackers, because I was hungry when I got back home at 2:00pm.

I was fortunate to have a friend forward me a complimentary exhibit pass, but they are normally only $25 for an exhibit-only pass. I always keep an eye open for trade shows that have an inexpensive exhibit pass option. I noted that when the craft association came to San Diego, they made it very difficult for a member of the general public to get in. You had to prove that you were registered with the state as a craft retailer.

I want to do a shout out to Dave Kellett, artist and author of Sheldon and Drive, the SciFi comic. I had met him at ComicCon  two years ago, and I am a kickstarter backer of his movie STRIPPED: The Comics Documentary. He is a really nice guy. Despite my not buying any of his stuff today, he made me a personal drawing. I should have taken a picture of him drawing it, but I was not thinking clearly. I also met the # 2 guy at Wondermark, another of my favorites!

Since I do not have tickets to ComicCon this year, this was a nice treat.

Jackpot! of a sort.

I shared my love of the TED conferences a few months back. They, in general, are informing entertaining and thought-provoking. As a book lover I was intrigued by the fact that an in-person conference attendee (at over $7000) also is part of the TED book club described in this snippet from their web site:

TED Book Club: Enrollment in the TED Book Club, which sends inspired 2-3 book selections four times a year via Amazon Kindle software/hardware or physical books. While we send 12-15 titles per year, the Kindle option includes additional bonus selections (at least 10) available only electronically. Kindle software reader available for iPad, Mac, PC, and iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows 7 smartphones in addition to Kindle itself.

Since attending the conference is currently out of my reach, I really wanted to know what books all these movers and shakers were reading. (I know that being a mover and shaker is considered a good quality, even though it sounds a little odd).

Anyway, I searched a lot for the list of books, but could not find them anywhere, and what I found most peculiar is that few people talk about the list of books on-line.

Well, in yet another flurry of Google effort I hit pay-dirt with this web site.  

About Ideas: TED Talks, Books, Movies and Travel

 The author evidently goes to TED or TEDActive (the less expensive option at a secondary location). More importantly she lets her readers know when her TED Book Club delivery shows up. This new info will add fuel to the pile of books on my nightstand, and my book related web site Books and Big Ideas.  I am so excited!