It finally happened! I attended an in-person author event this year! I’ve missed book events so much—the last I went to was in February 2020—so I was so excited to find out that Laura Taylor Namey would be having an event to celebrate the release of her newest novel, When We Were Them. It’s definitely been a long time since I’ve written an event recap, but let’s dive in!
Tree from Words About Words joined me for this event and we decided to make an entire trip out of it! We went down to San Diego early and stopped by a couple used bookstores and grabbed dinner before heading over to Mysterious Galaxy. I’ve been to events at this bookstore before, but they moved locations right before Covid hit, so it was exciting seeing their new space set up.
Laura started the event by sharing her inspiration for When We Were Them. A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow was written for a culture—her Cuban heritage through her mother. When We Were Them was written for a neighborhood—Crown Point—and what it was like to grow up in San Diego as a beach girl. We got insight into the two timelines of the story and how Willa has a more innocent outlook in the past and a jaded one in the present. Friendship is at the heart of this novel and Laura also discussed how even too much of a good thing can be bad, how everything needs balance.
Laura was so kind—and we talked bookstagram and of course her books while she signed my copies. Shout out to my friend Brittany (from @BookishlyBritt) who was there in spirit. Her love of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow bumped it up in my tbr at the beginning of the year and I’ve been obsessed with this charming read ever since.
A big thank you to Laura Taylor Namey and Mysterious Galaxy for the lovely event! P.S.—Keep an eye out for a giveaway! I got an extra paperback of A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow signed and will be giving it away to one lucky reader soon.
