Book Expo, the best week of the year. And yes, in my head, I wrote that line in Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle’s best Treat Yo Self voice.

Book Expo 2019 was my second time attending this book convention centered around the publishing business. I was fortunate enough to be approved for a blogger pass, having the opportunity to meet various bookish people, from publishing staff to my fellow book bloggers. Last but certainly not least, one of the best parts of Book Expo was being able to pick up so many of my anticipated 2019 and 2020 releases.

In 2018, I combined my Book Expo haul with my Book Con haul, but I decided not to attend Book Con in 2019. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Book Con because it was my favorite bookish experience as a reader before I became a blogger. I decided not to attend in 2019 for a variety of reasons. I felt I had spent enough money on Book Expo between my pass, travel and other expenses. I knew I would likely be physically and mentally exhausted from the 3 days of Expo (which I was correct about, being that I could barely feel my upper back and shoulders Saturday morning after ten hours of sleep). Book Con has honestly gotten crazier and crazier each year, especially for ARC giveaways and signings. If I had attended this year, I likely would have gone for some panels (which are often uploaded to Youtube), socializing, and maybe another book or two.

However, as you’ll be able to see by my haul, having books to read won’t be a problem for a while! I am absolutely head over heels in love with my Book Expo haul. Out of the 40 books that I picked up over the week, I only went for books that I knew I want to read or sounded like something I will actually read. It’s definitely easy to be caught up in all the free books and hype. I am so beyond ecstatic and thankful that I got all of my must-have ARCs. I ran a Twitter poll on Friday to best decide how to break down my haul, and the most popular answer was my haul for each Book Expo day. I’ll also be including the current release date for each title.

Wednesday

Rise by Ellen Goodlett (Rule #2) – June 11, 2019

Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart (Grace and Fury #2) – July 2, 2019

The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess – July 9, 2019

Past Perfect Life by Elizabeth Eulberg – July 9, 2019

American Royals by Katharine McGee – September 3, 2019

Pretty Guilty Women by Gina Lamanna – September 3, 2019

Some Places More Than Others by Renée Watson – September 3, 2019

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow – September 10, 2019

The Tenth Girl by Sara Fanning – September 24, 2019

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo – October 1, 2019

Mooncakes by Wendy Xu & Suzanne Walker – October 2, 2019

Survivors of the Holocaust by Kath Shackleton & Zane Whittingham – October 2019

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw – November 5, 2019

Scavange the Stars by Tara Sim – January 7, 2020

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper – February 4, 2020

Thursday

The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall – August 13, 2019

The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames – August 27, 2019

Permanent Record by Mary H.K. Choi – September 3, 2019

Butterfly Yellow by Thanhhà Lai – September 3, 2019

Unpregnant by Jenni Hendricks & Ted Caplan – September 10, 2019

Stargazing by Jen Wang– September 10, 2019

A Match Made in Mehendi by Nandani Bajpai – September 10, 2019

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett – September 17, 2019

Slay by Brittney Morris – September 24, 2019

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys – October 22, 2019

All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney – November 12, 2019

Throw Like a Girl by Sarah Henning – January 7, 2020

The Map from Here to There by Emery Lord – January 7, 2020

Friday

 The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen – July 30, 2019

The Revolution of Birdie Randolph by Brandi Colbert – August 20, 2019

The Lies of Mariposa Island by Jennifer Mathieu – September 17, 2019

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston – October 1, 2019

The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey – October 8, 2019

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds – October 8, 2019

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren – October 22, 2019

Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett – October 29, 2019

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh – October 2019

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer (A Curse So Dark and Lonely #2) – January 7, 2020

How to Build a Heart by Maria Padian – January 22, 2020

Samplers

While I’m not really the biggest fan of samplers, I am excited to have Pumpkinheads (at least I have some form of my most anticipated graphic novel), Rebel (which is signed & personalized!), and Goblet of Fire (I like using it for bookstagram).

Bookish Swag 

Since my focus was on all the books I wanted, I didn’t really prioritize book swag this year. The most common swag at Book Expo and Book Con comes in the form of tote bags, buttons/pins, and posters and artwork. My favorite swag from below includes the Marissa Meyer inspired tote, the Permanent Record buttons, and most of all, my signed & personalized Wayward Son poster! Never fear, its already safely protected in frame.

What are your most anticipated releases for 2019 and 2020? What do you think I should read first? Did you attend Book Expo or Book Con? Share in the comments!