After nearly 2 months, I am finally posting another Musing Mondays blog post! I’m not sure what happened, but there was a hiccup in the amount of blog posts I put up throughout August and September. It probably had to do with my vacation, job hunting, and freelance work. Hah. Probably.

But I’ve definitely missed making these posts, and I’m very happy to have returned to writing them!

For those of you who don’t know, Musing Mondays is hosted by the awesome MizB every Monday. This is a blog hop where participants have to answer one of the pre-set prompts of (I’m currently reading…; Up next I think I’ll read…; I bought the following book(s) in the past week…; I’m super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish-news)…; I’m really upset by (book/author/bookish-news)…; I can’t wait to get a copy of…; I wish I could read ___, but…; OR I blogged about ____ this past week…). And you also have to answer an additional random question which is different every week!

This week have 2 things that I am very excited to tall you all about! So I will do that first, and then answer the random question!

I’m super excited to tell you about…

1. The Word on the Street Toronto 2016

I had the amazing opportunity to attend The Word on the Street in Toronto this year, as a volunteer with the magazine which I interned for earlier this year. Our booth was placed right in the center of things, too! Simon & Schuster Canada were just a few steps away, and I could see Harper Collins’ booth from where we were sitting.

Another exciting thing was all of the authors which were around all day, signing books and doing readings and giving talks. Aaaand another exciting part was of course, the piles upon piles of books! There were so many of them! I was very sad to have a nearly empty bank account due to only doing freelance work at the moment. But I was able to buy one book.

I am currently taking the introductory course for a Publishing Certificate online, and our first assignment is that we have to choose a Canadian bestseller, and track it for four weeks. And the book which I selected is Still Mine by Amy Stuart!

The reason why I selected that book is because I’d been following Amy on Twitter for a while, and because I’ve seen the book being promoted all over the place. I also really like the cover, as well as the blurb! And as luck would have it, Amy was also attending The Word on the Street, in order to talk about her debut novel and bestseller, Still Mine! I could not believe my luck. And even if I cannot use that experience in my assignment, it was still one of the funnest things I had ever done. At 11:20, I left my boss at my booth, and wandered toward the Great Books Marquee, where Amy would go on at 11:30. Being the silly person that I am, I had forgotten my regular glasses in my boss’s car, and rather than trying to find her car, or bug her to go get them for me, I just kept on my prescription sunglasses…even when going inside for the Great Books Marquee. I must have looked like such a prude!

I also took a seat at the very back, and was then asked by a volunteer to move up, so as to make the seats look less empty. My social anxiety did not appreciate having to move, when I’d seated myself somewhere where I would draw less attention to myself, as well as my sunglasses-indoors look. But I understood why she did it, and I moved without any (spoken) complaints.

The introduction was done by Susan G. Cole, the Senior Entertainment editor at NOW magazine, and she was just great! I wish I could have even just half of Susan’s confidence and stage presence! And then Amy Stuart went on, read us the first chapter from the book, and then did a Q&A session with Susan G. Cole and the audience. Afterward, Amy Stuart was available for signings, and conversation. I was first in line, and felt a little awkward about it, but I had to get back to my booth ASAP. So I handed her my book, started feeling even more awkward, then explained why I was wearing sunglasses indoors, so that she wouldn’t think I was a jerk or weird or something. Then she signed my book in purple pen, and commented on the fact that the pen ink matched my sunglasses!

I would have said more, but I haven’t read the book yet, and the window where I could have mentioned my school project and having chosen her book for it had passed. So I thanked her, and walked (awkwardly) away. For the rest of the day then I either stayed at the booth or wandered and groped (I mean, perused through) books. I also nearly met my contact at Simon & Schuster, while making friends at other publishing houses which were there.

It was a very long day (we left my city at 7:45 AM, and got back at 8:15 PM), but it was also a very fun and fulfilling day! Even though I was jealous of all of the people walking away with totebags filled with books, I was happy to be there at all, surrounded by so many books, and so many other people who love books as much as I do.

2. Banned Books Week 2016

The second thing which I am excited to talk to you all about, is Banned Books Week! Before this year, I did not even know that such a day existed! Shame on me. But now that I know, I am very happy and excited about it! It’s great that we’re taking a whole week to discuss books which have been banned, and bring them out of the shadow and into the light (oh yes, I am so poetic).

In order to celebrate all of the books which have been banned, and those which are even now struggling to remain on bookshelves, all throughout the world, I have worn my banned books socks from Out of Print. (Note: this blog or blog post are not sponsored by Out Of Pint. I just like to let people know where I’ve bought things. I know that I appreciate it when others do the same, for those who want to buy the displayed item/s.)

I did not buy the socks directly from Out of Print, but rather received them as a surprise in the monthly bookish box Owl Crate (and no I’m not sponsored by them either). I thought they were pretty neat, and was very happy to realize that they’d be very fitting to war today, on the first day of Banned Books Week! I received an email Simon & Schuster asking that we share our favourite formerly-banned book! So I chose, photographed, and posted a picture of my socks, and The Lord of the Rings! Sure it counts as books in this sense, but I don’t have it as one entire book.

And now for this week’s question:

What is currently on your TBR pile?

I sadly already answered this question in my last Feature & Follow post, but I will copy it all over here! Note: This is not my complete TBR pile, but rather the books right at the top, a.k.a. the books from my TBR pile which I will get to first.

Thank you for reading my post! And what book events have you recently been to? And if you haven’t been to one, is there one that you would love to go to? Also, does your TBR pile look as ridiculous as mine?