September 2023 Monthly Adventure
BookPeople is a well-known local independent bookstore in Austin, TX and they routinely hosts some great events. However, I've actually never been to one of their events before since I don't live on that side of town and am rarely in that part of the downtown area. As I was looking for activities to do in Austin during the month of September for this blog post, I came across the "BookPeople Presents: Matthew McConaughey - Just Because" listing on Eventbrite decided to make this my September adventure.
Background
Growing up with a mother that LOVES books and also an English teacher, I found myself at a lot of book signings and receiving author-signed children's books as gifts. When I saw BookPeople was hosting an event with pre-signed copies of Matthew McConaughey's new children's book, Just Because, I quickly became interested in attending. I previously read his book Greenlights with my alumni group's book club and really enjoyed it. While I don't have any children, I knew Just Because would make an excellent gift to give to a family member's, friend's, or co-worker's child.
Purchasing Tickets
By the time I saw this event from BookPeople on Eventbrite, there were only a few tickets left. I was surprised to see that not only did ticket holders get a signed copy of Just Because, but they also get to meet Matthew McConaughey! A signed copy of a book written by an Oscar winner and Austin's most famous celebrity resident and a professionally captured photo with him -- all for about $20? I couldn't pass on this opportunity! I texted my friend to ask if she would be interested in going to which she replied, "ummm....yes!", and we were immediately working on purchasing tickets.
I sent her the event link, so we actually purchased our tickets separately just because (see what I did there) it was more convenient. There were multiple groups (A-F) that the tickets were being divided into. With only groups E and F available, we chose group E. This event was set to last from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM with more logistic information coming via email closer to the event. That likely meant we would actually line up at a specific time based on our group. They were doing group photos of up to four people, so we were able to have the option to take our picture together or separate when the time came to take the photo!
Meeting Matthew McConaughey
After receiving our email from BookPeople about event logistics a week prior, my friend and I made plans to arrive shortly after 9:00 AM to get lined up. Due to the demand of the event, there actually were not specific times for each ticket group to arrive. Rather, people could begin lining up at 8:30 AM regardless of their ticket group. All ticket holders needed to be in line by 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 9, 2023. We were guaranteed to meet him, but we wanted to get in line early enough to not be outside for too long as the temperature continued to rise.
Standing in line wasn't too bad because we were in the shade for about 90% of the wait as the line was wrapped around the building. However, as the morning progressed, the sun was moving to the side of the building and sidewalk not covered by shade and it was getting warmer. It turns out we were outside a bit longer than anticipated because Matthew McConaughey was running late by about an hour. However, things were moving very quickly once he arrived and we were in the air conditioned BookPeople store after a couple of hours standing outside! We were given purple wristbands at the door to wear that showed proof of being ticket holders. We also received our copies of Just Because which came with signed bookplates*. Then, we were directed up the stairs take our photos with Matthew McConaughey.
Once inside the small event room, we were able to set our bags on a table behind the photo backdrop and then get in place for photos. McConaughey was nice, going with the flow and posing based on what made sense for the size of each group or individual person. My friend took her photo first and asked if they could throw up the Hook 'em Horns hand sign to which he said "throw it up" and then it was my turn to take a photo. He said hello to me and I told him it was nice to meet him. Like my friend, I threw up a Hook 'em Horns but didn't tell him that I was going to do that. However, he immediately saw my left hand go up and did his iconic backwards and angled version of the Hook 'em Horns with his right hand.
After the pictures, my friend and I grabbed our belongings and went back downstairs to search for our pictures to download. I also browsed the children's book section in hopes I could find the same books I saw up front by the check-in table that I could purchase for my nieces. I wasn't able to locate the books again, so I will be returning to BookPeople on a less hectic day to try to purchase the books.
*A bookplate is basically a sticker that is signed ahead of time by an author and can be placed in the book later on. This helps speed up large book signings like this.
Just Because by Matthew McConaughey -- Mini Book Review
Of course I read Just Because even though I'm not the target audience! It's important to know about this book since I plan on gifting it to someone one day and I want to make sure it goes to the correct person based on the what's most relevant to the child that receives. Plus, each children's book has its own message (usually a life lesson) and I wanted to learn more about what Matthew McConaughey was sharing in his children's book. Here's my mini book review of Just Because:
Released on September 12, 2023, Just Because, written by Matthew McConaughey and illustrated by Renée Kurilla, is a short children's book that helps kids understand that there is an alternative way to view a situation. Someone could be outwardly expressing one emotion but feeling a completely different one inside. People do not have to be consistent in how you perceive them to be; there's more than one side to a person. In Just Because, McConaughey emphasizes that we all have our own way of doing things, and sometimes we have different pathways to achieving similar goals. There isn't always a right or wrong answer or person. "Why? Just because". The text is simple and not always scenario-specific, so Kurilla's illustrations add important context to help explain the meaning and showcases a diverse range of characters throughout the book. McConaughey's new children's book, Just Because, teaches children that contradictions are part of our everyday life and are not necessarily a bad thing. We are all learning, growing, and "full of possibility". This is a great message for young children and I think this would be good book for kids probably in the age range of 5 to 9 years old. However, Matthew McConaughey's message is universal and can be appreciated by people of all ages.
Wrap-Up
What an exciting morning that was! I got back to my roots and went to a book signing -- though it was a bit different from the ones I'm used to. I supported a local, independent bookstore while meeting a celebrity with one of my best friends. We ended the busy morning with a brief stop at Anthropologie (just a few doors over from BookPeople) and rolled up to Sonic to purchase some cool, refreshing drinks after a warm morning outside. This was such a cool experience and now I have alerts on for all BookPeople events so I can be informed about future opportunities to meet book authors. On to the next Monthly Adventure!
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