Book Fair at UCLA

I don't use the camera phone much, so my finger did end up at the bottom of that picture, I'm afraid. The shot doesn't do any justice to the huge crowd. There were areas with graphic artists, POD publishing houses and then areas for larger publishers, book stores, etc. I ended up getting a signed copy (by the author in person who was at the book fair) of a new book, The Cleaner, a debut novel by Brett Battles. Bless him for braving the heat! I started reading it on the plane, so far it's a page turner, the plot is intriguing, the characters well presented, pace is fast - which is a must have for a thriller, at least for me.

The picture is also a test of mobile blogging, something I haven't used for ages, if I did use it at all the first time I signed up for it. Unfortunately I had to re-engage with the system and couldn't post the picture immediately from my camera to here this afternoon. UCLA is a lovely campus and I was there with an "expert guide" as well. When I needed to use a bathroom she knew exactly how to get me to a nice, nearby, indoor restroom. One of the scenic detours we took on the way to the fair was through the botanical garden. I took pictures of this incredible flowering plant with my digital camera. I have no idea what it is - couldn't find the plaque.













Closer view of the blooms:










I won't go into more detail about the bead shop purchases I mentioned earlier, but you can see pics at my beading blog, if you're so inclined.