Alexa's Adventures #13 | Book Events, Road Trips & Foodie Outings

I realized over the weekend that it's been a little too long since the last time I shared about what I've been up to lately, so I decided I needed to remedy that. I've always enjoyed being able to look back on these posts and see what I've been up to, and this one in particular is jam-packed full of fun things and my favorite people. 

Laini Taylor's "Muse of Nightmares" event at Books of Wonder

After deciding we should make a day of it, DJ, Kristin & I (and Andrew & Macky) met up for brunch at Bluebell Cafe. After the husbands left for the day, the three of us grabbed some caffeine before heading over to the bookstore to attend the event with Laini Taylor and Melissa Albert. It was such a treat to listen to their discussion, and I loved getting to see Laini again! She is totally one of those authors who inspires me to write (though I can't even imagine ever being able to write as wonderfully as she does).

Sarah J. Maas' "Kingdom of Ash" event at Symphony Space

It was not even a question that I was going to be at Sarah's NY event for her Kingdom of Ash tour, and I was lucky enough to snag tickets to go along with Rachel & Kristin. We got to hear Elizabeth Evans read part of the book out loud, before Sarah came onstage and answered a couple of questions (and made us both laugh and tear up). We saw a lot of familiar faces, and we also got the brief chance to see her and get our books signed! It was definitely a magical night.

Weekend Trip to the DMV

My sisters and I went down to the DMV area on a road trip at the beginning of November! Mel & I were mostly there to accompany Rachel as she visited her best friend Rose, but we had fun popping into the Hirshhorn, grabbing coffee at La Colombe and visiting Blagden Alley, wandering the area and grabbing drinks and dinner, visiting Bluemont Vineyards and ending the weekend with Korean BBQ with Rose's family. It was a fun, relaxing trip all in all, and I was glad to hang out with my sisters!

Julie C. Dao's "Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix" event at Books of Wonder

It was lovely to attend Julie's event (with Tochi Onyebuchi, Emily X.R. Pan and Patrice Caldwell), and to hear these authors speak more about their books and writing. The panel ran a little bit too long for my tastes, but I'm so glad I got to see Julie again (she is seriously the loveliest) and get my finished copy of her book signed! 

Jo Koy's "Break the Mold" tour event at The Egg

My sisters and I went on a mini-road trip to upstate New York. We did a little Christmas shopping, and had an early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Afterwards, we headed on over to The Egg (which is a really cool venue) to see Jo Koy's stand-up comedy act. He made us all laugh so hard we cried, and I think it was something we all needed that weekend for sure!

Jennifer L. Armentrout's "The Darkest Star" event at The Strand

We celebrated DJ's birthday a little early with dinner at Saigon Market, before making our way over to The Strand to be at this event. It was really fun to see Jen (and Kass Morgan and Zoraida Cordova) answer all sorts of questions about writing and books. We also all ended up on an impromptu shopping trip too, which resulted in taking home some new books!

Instagram Empty at NYPL

I had the privilege of attending an event at the New York Public Library with Kristin before the building opens to the public. We had delicious pastries for breakfast, and then were given the freedom to wander the Rose Main Reading Room when it was still quiet and unoccupied. I loved being in there (it's one of my favorite spots), hanging out with Kristin and taking all the photos.

Miscellany:

- Rachel & I have gone out for dinner and dessert twice since the last time I posted! We visited Rubys Cafe (excellent food, so-so lighting at night) and Milk Bar (one of my favorite dessert spots, as well as visiting Ed's Lobster Bar (the poutine and meatballs we had were delicious) and Matcha N' More (A+ aesthetic and food).

- Macky & I had another D&D session with Andrew & Kristin. I think we've played at least four rounds of our long-running game, and it's been so fun. We're a much more cohesive team and we're starting to learn more about everyone's back stories and it's so great! I can't wait for our next game.

- Emily, Kristin, Rachel & I grabbed ice cream at Kaylee's Creamery. It's actually not too far from my office and has a very minimalist aesthetic (that I'm into). I also really loved the ice cream I had while I was there - pot of gold and coffee cake - and I want to go back for more.

- Lili, Rachel, Macky & I met up for brunch at Mom's Kitchen and Bar, and then walked to Chip to get dessert. I love brunch, and it was fun to grab some at a spot not too far from where we live. The food was really good, and the milkshakes were excellent and I'm now officially obsessed with the cookies from Chip too.

- Rachel, Mel & I met up with our Manang Annabelle at Grace Street. It's been much too long since we've seen her, so it was lovely catching up! Plus, Grace Street has really good drinks and food and I absolutely loved having some of my favorites while we were there.

- The first snowfall of the season happened. I thought it was going to just be a sprinkling of snow, but it actually turned out to be heavier than that! It didn't delay my commutes (though I know it was terrible for a lot of people), and even though I'm generally not a fan of winter, I thought it was still kind of magical as the first snowfall.

- I went to see The Crimes of Grindelwald with my siblings. I actually liked the film, though I'm also still not fond of Johnny Depp as Grindelwald and I have a number of questions (that I expect to be answered in the next installments). It's still visually appealing, the story is very twisty but intriguing and I'm a sucker for Newt Scamander (and his Nifflers).