Waking up on Book Expo day is like waking up on Christmas morning, knowing I’m about to enter a wonderland filled with amazing newly-released books (putting the panic about books going ‘under’ to bed) meeting celeb authors, the spectacle, the excitement, the mingling with my top editors at all the big houses…how the majors set up their massive booths like living rooms. PR genius create bigtime shows for their authors, and I find amazing picks for you to add to your bridal registry.

The first from the 2012 show has to be Rachael Ray’s new cookbook Burgers, which created a line around the room, and Jane Seymour looked gorgeous signing a paper clock item for her new book. No book, but the chance to meet Ms. Seymour, who did have the Open Hearts necklace on.

The cookbook Queens of publishing, like Chronicle and Shadow Mountain, had gorgeous cookbooks that have to hit your registry list to create a packed kitchen library of books, and I spotted terrific travel guides and cultural titles.

Book Expo can be a bit of scrum, with publishers piling up giveaway books in pre-edited bound form (called galleys) that librarians and book editors like myself are invited to take, and when those freebie piles are spotted, there’s a lot of diving and pushing to get a copy. I only take the ones I know I can review for my bridal audience, and understand the publisher’s frustration when attendees grab everything in sight, like Willy Wonka’s chocolate garden room at the factory. I’ve found some great stuff at Expo and included fab find books in my Bridal Guide roundups, featured authors in my Creators Syndicate columns and more, but most of all just like being in the book mecca to hang out with my editors and pore over the new releases, beam at the sight of buyers sitting down with the special teams groups to place mega-orders of books.

Here is one of my own books, which I was invited to sign at Book Expo two years ago! And I noted a bunch of the fitness and wellness books new from my publisher GPP to feature on my many bridal blogs.

My book reviews went up on so many of the top bridal blogs, as well as on my Aisle Files column at New Jersey Bride, and you can look forward to my next report from the 2013 Book Expo at the Javits, where I’ll find the best books on cooking, home, travel, floral design, fashion, DIY brilliance, and especially awesome novels and novel series that will transport you out of wedding world, relax you and get you totally into a new series or author. That’s a terrific wedding present!