Portland Book Blogger Conference
Blogger peeps at the Portland Book Blogger Conference!!
From left to right: Juli (Suzi) from Whimpulsive, Gabe from Reading Local, Wendy from Caribousmom, Gilion from Rose City Reader, Ali from Worducopia, Kristen from We Be Reading, Teddy from So Many precious Books, So Little Time, Bethany (in front) from Dreadlock Girl, and Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’?
This last weekend bloggers from Oregon, Washington, California and Canada joined up and we had a grand time! I roomed with Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin’? and let me tell you....she is completely as way cool as she seems. I chatted her ear off and she just sat there and took it!!! She was just fab, and let me stay with her for the weekend. I was going to just drive up for the day and she (most graciously) offered to let me room with her.....her treat!! Yes, she is even way cooler in person than online. If you ever get to meet her you will be blown away by how down to earth she is, but that never compromises just how cool she is. THANK YOU TRISH!!!!!
We loved our tour of Powell's Books, following around our amazing tour host, Bruce. He gave us the history of the coolest bookstore ever!! I have been to Powell's so many times, and never knew to look at it in the light that Bruce shared with us. Here are some of my personal highlights:
The Powell's City of Books Column
One of the signature walls, this is the Fantasy/Science Fiction wall
Tour of the Rare Book Room
First Edition of The Hobbit (for $9,000)
Bruce telling us all about the Lewis and Clark Journal (worth $35,000)
(Check out Trish and her photo skills!!)
It has an original map to make it over to Oregon!
We all gushed over this other book Bruce showed as well, the pages look normal until you bend them
then you can see the incredible fore edge paintings!! We gasped.
After a good lunch and chit-chat time we meandered over to the Multnomah County Library Rare Book Room with Jim Carmin.
Trish geeked out over this hand painted Geek Love cover. Too cute!
He then showed us a Book of Hours woven in silk, here is the cover
Silk pages? I know....crazy.
More pretty pages: handwritten pages. Yep, these are HANDWRITTEN!
A Happy Pair book
Illustrated by HBP. Do you know who that is??? Beatrix Potter!!
After more than our fair share of rare and beautiful books Gabe introduced us to Molly Gloss, which whom we talked for a couple of hours. What a delightful meeting! (thanks again Gabe for making that possible!)
Here are the book bloggers I got to meet, next time why don't you come too??
Wendy from Caribousmom
Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
Gilion from Rose City Reader
Gabe from Reading Local
Teddy from So Many precious Books, So Little Time
Juli from Whimpulsive
Kristen from We Be Reading
Ali from Worducopia
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August 26th, 2009 - 16:29
Oh my gosh!!! That is so cool! I wish we would do something like that in Minnesota! What a great post!
August 26th, 2009 - 16:29
I almost came myself at Gabe’s invitation, but at the last minute I was offered a chance to spend the weekend at a cabin in the mountains, and, well, I jumped on it.
August 26th, 2009 - 16:30
THIS LOOKS AWESOME!! SO SO fun!! I have got to get myself in that store someday
August 26th, 2009 - 16:32
This was seriously so much fun! I never thought I’d be interested in rare books, but they truly are art. I only wish I could have spent more time with all the bloggers, even you, Bethany, with whom I spent the most time.
August 26th, 2009 - 16:41
How cool! What great pictures!
August 26th, 2009 - 16:41
What a fabulous day! The hand written pages are amazing. What a great way to enjoy meeting other bookish friends
August 26th, 2009 - 16:56
Great pictures Bethany!!!!! You are really good at that. Hope you’ll be at BEA next year1
Totally agreed on how cool Trish is.
August 26th, 2009 - 16:58
Wow! How fun to see all the rare books. I love Powell’s.
August 26th, 2009 - 17:09
wow – so FUN! looks like a great time was had by all.
August 26th, 2009 - 17:23
Great pictures – I was still gushing about the book with the fore edge painting when I got home – The Hubster has been anxiously waiting for photos of what I was trying to explain.
It was great to get to meet you and all the rest of the folks in person. Hope we can manage another get together soon!
August 26th, 2009 - 18:47
I so love that all of you could get together like that! I met my first book blogger Friday- Heather from A High and Hidden Place (who rocks, by the way.) It is so much fun to hang out!
I would love to visit Powell’s one day if I ever make it out to the northwest! You are making me want to have a Southeast book bloggers meeting. Hmmm…
August 26th, 2009 - 19:45
awwww, i’m so jealous! great pictures, and am glad you guys had a good time! =)
August 26th, 2009 - 21:34
I’ve been looking forward to seeing your photos, and they didn’t disappoint. Thanks so much for scheduling the Powell’s tour, it was terrific!
August 27th, 2009 - 05:05
Wow! those are amazing books. I would have never thought there would be such a fun, unique trip in store by going to Portland to view books!!! Wish I were there to look for myself.
August 27th, 2009 - 16:02
I love all of your pictures! I’m totally bummed that I didn’t get to hang out with all of you, but Terry and I were down at the Shakespeare festival. It looks like you had a lot of fun!
August 27th, 2009 - 16:54
How cool is that? For some reason we have a shortage of bloggers in the Dallas area (at least that I know of), so I’m envious that those of you on the coasts can meet so easily. Although, I think I might have to breakdown and figure out how to get to BEA next year. So glad you guys had fun!
August 28th, 2009 - 05:58
Hi, just visiting from Pen And Paper, thanks for visiting. This looks like my idea of Heaven, how I wish there was something similar in England – oh well, I live in hope.
August 28th, 2009 - 06:18
How cool that you could all meet and tour powells and see rare books!What gorgeous pictures Bethany!! The handwritten book was amazing as well as all the other pics. Thanks for sharing this with us!
August 29th, 2009 - 06:11
HOw cool and how much fun! Thanks so much for letting me share just a little bit. The rare books are amazing.
August 29th, 2009 - 06:56
why do i live on the east coast!?!? i want to visit powells and hang out with all the cool kids! next year’s road trip? the pacific northwest!
August 29th, 2009 - 15:35
I was gasping over the book edge paintings too! Well, gasping over pretty much all the pictures actually. They look wonderful!
August 29th, 2009 - 17:54
Very cool!!!
September 3rd, 2009 - 10:57
I am so jealous!! I love Powell’s and would have loved to have met you all in person!!! Someday I will be back out west to my true “home” and hopefully, I can join you then!
In the meantime, I believe a Midwest Book Bloggers Convention is in the works! A couple of us have been talking and I can’t wait to announce it this weekend!!!!
August 30th, 2010 - 21:26
Wow ! Sounds fun ! I actually live in Portland and it would have been cool to bump into you guys at Powell’s !