BEA 2011 has come and gone and I’ve come home with armloads of treasure, some of it collected especially with you in mind, reader friends.

On the left you see a stack of books, all of which I picked up just for you (I even met one of the authors and managed to get that book signed!)  You’ll have a chance to win these books over the summer and fall via giveaways either on iggi&gabi or on YA Cafe. Stay tuned.

More exciting yet, I’ve put together two awesome bags o’ swag.  Each includes an adorable tote, two ARCs, an iggilicious journal and much more!  I assembled these bags especially to commemorate a sooper-seekrit, sooper-exciting blog milestone that will be coming up within the next week or so.  Don’t worry.  I’ll let you know more details on how to win these bags-of-awesome when the time comes.  All you gotta do is keep your eye open for updates.

OK, reader friends, that’s all for today.  Missed you tons!  Did ya miss me?

Today I’ve decided to join the 5 Best Books meme hosted by Indie Reader Houston.  This week’s theme is 5 Best Books I picked up at BEA, but I wanted to make it more specific.  I picked up a ton of books at BEA and it’s tough for me to know which ones are the “best” until I read them.  Instead, I’m listing the 5 books that are on the nightstand right now as we speak, the 5 books I absolutely cannot wait to read.  Here’s my list.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
I read The Invention of Hugo Cabret and loved it.  About a year ago I had the opportunity to meet Brian Selznick and hear him speak about this new book.  I’ve been waiting anxiously for it ever since!

The Wikkeling by Steven Arnston
This is perhaps one of the most beautifully designed books I picked up at BEA.  The art is gorgeous, including several color plates in the middle and silhouette illustrations throughout.  Many of you who know me, know I love books that pay attention to every detail of the reading experience.  I have a feeling, this is one of those books.

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg
I am a huge fan of The Mystery if Harris Burdick and the line-up of authors contributing to this anthology is nothing short of awesome.  Oh and let’s not forget Van Allsburg’s gorgeous illustrations.  If the stories are as amazing as the drawings, this will probably make my list of all-time favorites.

The Future of Us by Carolyn Mackler and Jay Asher
I love Carolyn Mackler’s books.  I’ve read every single one and I’ve been waiting for what feels like an eternity for the next one to come out.  The fact that she’s teamed up with Jay Asher (author of Thirteen Reasons Why) makes this book all the more exciting.  Also, I love books that are co-authored because I like seeing the different author voices work together.

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, adapted by Seymour Chwast
The Canterbury tales are among my favorite pieces of literature of all time.  What could be cooler than reading a version of the tales in graphic novel form?  Needless to say, when I saw this at BEA, I jumped on it.  And the cover image of the Wyf of Bathe riding a motorcycle… hello?  That just rocks.

For more 5 Best Books, check out Indie Reader Houston’s blog.  You can also join the linky at her blog and share your own 5 Best Books list.

Welcome Back to YA Cafe, where book lovers can gather and chat about teen literature.  I’m your barista, along with Ghenet from All About Them Words.

Each Friday we pick from a menu of topics and share our thoughts on our respective blogs.  We’ve also got plans brewing for interviews, events and even some exciting giveaways, so stay tuned!  Join the discussion by responding in the comments, on your own blogs or on twitter using the hash tag #yacafe.

Today’s Special: “Why Do You Write YA” Blogfest!

Ghenet and I decided to do something a little different.  We’ve been doing all the talking so far and we thought it would be fun to hear from you, so we decided to host a blogfest!  Since so many of you write for teens, we want to know: Why do you write YA?  Post your response on your blog on June 10th.  Use the button on this post to sign up so we’ll know where to find you.  Then on June 10th, hop around using the list of links and find out why other writers write YA!

We whipped up this button to help you spread the word. 🙂
We hope you’ll join us!

 Why do you write YA?  Tell us on your blog on June 10th!

Wow, it’s been a crazy weekend and with BEA coming up, it’s going to be a crazy week.  Between BookExpo and my teaching schedule, I’ll have to take a few days off from posting, but I promise I’ll be back soon with lots of iggilicious BEA news.

iggi and I will both be at BEA, so if any of you are there, look for me. I’ll be the person with the Iggi button on her badge.