Indigo Chapters: Fall YA book preview

Last night I had the opportunity to visit the Chapters Indigo Headquarters here in Toronto for their Fall YA Book Preview. I’d never been to a book preview before this, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but OHMYGOD IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

Because of how careful they have to be with some upcoming releases, some of the novels pictured above were actually just books playing dress up with a dust cover. I guess you can never be too careful!

You’re probably wondering how I ended up there (I kept asking that myself actually). These events, I’d always thought, were reserved for veteran/well-known bloggers and promoters. Well, it turns out that I was wrong. Indigo posted about this event on Twitter a couple weeks ago and opened up tickets to the general public. I saw the post a little late, so by the time I went to the Eventbrite page, they were all gone. Not one to give up so easily, I sent a message to the team at IndigoTeen on Twitter asking if there was a waitlist and wham, bam, thank you m’am, I was on it! I followed up once or twice and on Monday, I got a message saying that a spot opened up! There may have been some jumping up and down. On my couch. Lesson to be learned here: Always ask!

First Impression

When we first arrived, there was a long table with bags full of books sitting on each chair. On the bar beside the table, they had pizza and a candy bar set up so that everyone could refuel before the presentation started. One of the things that Indigo does very well is staging. Their stores are always so beautifully put together, and the room set up here was no exception. I only regret that I didn’t take photos of the room (If you go through the #IndigoBookPreview on Twitter, you might find some).

We all sat down and the presentation began. It was very cool to be surrounded by so many people who are just as into YA as I am, and I even recognized a couple faces/twitter handles. We went through some big fall releases, talked about the feedback that these books were getting, what the stories were about, who they might appeal to, etc. Then on break, some took pictures in the photo booth, and we had the chance to meet everyone else in the room.

There was also a surprise in store for us.

Author E.K. Johnston decided to stop by and jumped in to help present the fall releases. She. Was. Hilarious. She spoke to us about her own fall releases (Including Star Wars: Ahsoka!). She was also kind enough to bring some ARCs of her winter release, Spindle, which she signed for us all and definitely sold me on. It now sits very high on my TBR pile (see below).

At the end of the presentation came probably one of the most exciting parts. On the bar they had a bunch of ARCs set up that we were invited to take home. Among them was… wait for it…

	The Thousandth Floor!!

That’s right! The book I’ve been drooling allll over on social media. Though I will still definitely buy the hardcover when it comes out (because hello have you seen that cover design?! It is beautiful. Gatsby meets High Rise.), I am excited about being able to read it before it comes out on the 30th!

This brings me to the next thing I want to talk about.

My most anticipated Fall 2016 releases

After last night, there are 5 novels that I plan to jump into over the next few weeks, all that will be released in the next few months. So to finish off this post, I’m going to talk about the five books that I can’t wait to read!

1. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (Release date: November 1st 2016)

I’m not typically a huge contemporary YA person (I have tried about 4 times to get into The Unexpected Everything and I am still having a hard time), but based on what people said about Everything, Everything, I need to give this novel a try. I took a look at the author’s note and I really like her style so far, so stay tuned for that!

2. The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron (Release date: September 13th 2016)

In a world where humanity’s memory is wiped clean every 12 years, one girl is able to remember everything. She begins to use this ability to solve the mystery of it all. If there is one thing that really gets me, it’s memory loss. My biggest fear is not losing those around me but being forgotten by them. Gets me every time.

3. The Thousandth Floor by Katharine McGee (Release date: August 30th 2016)

I’ve already mentioned this one, but The Thousandth Floor seems to have everything that I love in a novel. Broken characters, a futuristic version of our world, commentary on social hierarchies. Oh yeah, I’m about to devour this one.

4. Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley (Release date: November 22nd 2016)

The Effigies are four girls who can control the elements. Their job? Protect the world from an enemy known as the Phantoms. But when technology makes them redundant, they go their own ways. Until the day that the technology breaks in New York City, and the Effigies need to come back together. Only problem? They have 0 interest in coming together.

5. Spindle by E.K. Johnston (Release date: December 6th 2016)

The sequel to A Thousand Nights is a retelling of sleeping beauty. Though it’s a sequel, it takes place 1500 years after the first novel, and can therefore be read as a standalone (though you will find out about how A Thousand Nights ends.) E.K. Johnston presented this one to us herself, and she definitely sold me on it.

To conclude

I want to thank the Indigo Teen team for opening up this event to the public and allowing new bloggers like me the chance to participate. It was an amazing opportunity and one that I won’t forget any time soon. Now I want to hear from you:

What books are you most looking forward to this fall? Are you counting down the days until the new Sarah J. Maas novel comes out? Are you waiting for Leigh Bardugo to wow us with the Crooked Kingdom? Let me know below!