At the beginning of August tons of horror readers gathered in Evanston, Illinois at Double Clutch Brewing Company for a brand-new book convention called Books & Brews. This event was hosted by the ever-growing horror group Books of Horror on Facebook. I have been a long-time member of Books of Horror and was excited to hear they were putting together Books & Brews. This year over 40 horror authors attended the event!
The event was free, but I purchased a VIP ticket for early entry and extra swag. Books & Brews is also an all-ages event. It warmed my heart to see many bring their family members, including their kiddos. My VIP ticket did include one drink and one meal from the bar which were both delicious. (I may or may not have had too much to drink myself. Haha!)
It would take far too long to list all the amazing authors vending at the event but among some of the names you would have seen Josh Malerman, Nick Krause, Ronald Malfi, and Duncan Ralston.
I flew from Tennessee to Illinois to meet up with my best friend, Asia. We got to experience Books & Brews together and I am thankful I have these fun memories with her. She and I were excited to meet other indie horror friends plus authors we admired.
One of the many friends we were both thrilled to meet was indie horror author and reader, Chaz Williams. (Photo of the gang on the right!)
I attended the event this year as a "wandering author" of sorts. I thought it was super cool that the organizers did that, as it was not something I had seen at other book conventions. Two large screens in the main bar area displayed all the attending authors. It was one of the highlights of my trip to be able to see my face up on that screen with a book I was featured in. The wandering author idea is a plus for any up-and-coming authors who aren't ready for a tabling event.
Books & Brews was held in a brewery which was a bit different from past conventions I had been to. (Typically, cons are held in hotel event rooms or something similar.) I found this location to be intimate and cozy which put me at ease in terms of the vibe. I would note for anyone who struggles with tight/crowded spaces or maybe needs more accessibility, this is a typical restaurant layout space. Author tables were set up in an easy-to-navigate way and the organizers provided a map ahead of the event to show who was where.
Most of the event attendees who traveled to the location stayed at the Hilton DoubleTree hotel in Skokie, Illinois. It was a short ride to where the actual event was held in Evanston. I appreciated the convenience of everyone staying in the hotel. The togetherness of the shared hotel gave extra socializing opportunities. At any given time during the weekend, you could bump into a friend or author in the hotel lobby. The lobby was where everyone waited for Ubers, food deliveries, or were simply hanging out. Because of how casual and friendly the vibe was it felt even more like a family. Watching everyone hug and chat at the hotel warmed my heart. If you are not local to where the event is being held, I highly recommend staying at the hotel with other attendees. It is where the pulse of the community can be found.
As is typical for me, I fluttered around chaotically as soon as we got inside the event. I do not recommend this mode of con-going as it caused me to miss seeing many of the people I wanted to visit with. For serious readers, I recommend having a plan of attack before you get inside the event. Every author attending this event took time to chat with readers and sign books. The feeling of being accepted is typical with indie horror authors, so I was not shocked in the least bit. It truly is a big, spooky family and this event confirmed that for horror fans. A little bit of a shout-out to just a few of the amazing authors I got to chat with at Books & Brews: Gage Greenwood, Lisa Breanne, Jen Osborn, Thacher Cleveland, Ruth Anna Evans, Jay Bower, Matt Lutton, Andrew Najberg, R.E. Sargent, Steven Pajak, RJ Roles, Angel Van Atta, Kristal Shannhan and so many more I can't even begin to list them all!
If you were not able to attend Books & Brews this year or didn't hear about it until too late, never fear! There is already a second meet-up event created. As a fairly seasoned con goer, I recommend planning for next year now! (And saving up for your book-buying fund. Haha. You're gonna need it!) For 2025, Books & Brews will be held in McCordsville, Indiana. Be sure you are a part of the Facebook group (Books of Horror) to keep up with all things event-related!
I cannot say enough about the friendships and connections nurtured at book-related events. It is worth it to go for no other reason than to meet up with your book pals in real life. It is such a special feeling to be among your people. You will also meet new friends along the way who you otherwise might not have met.
I wanted to take a moment to recognize everyone who had a part in organizing and pulling off Books & Brews this year. It was no small feat to get this thing off the ground and ensure it was a success but y'all did it! It was my experience that the event organizers went above and beyond to ensure this was a warm, welcoming meet-up. It is never easy to get so many people together in this way. I saw the organizers running the event moving back and forth the entire day to keep things running smoothly. I think they earned extra praise for their hard work. I have additional gratitude to share for the indie horror community at large. We all showed up and showed out this year. I cannot wait to see my Books of Horror family again soon!
Don't forget to join Books of Horror on Facebook if you aren't already. As of writing this, the group is doing their annual Indie Horror Brawl which is tons of fun to participate in. It is always a good time to support indie horror.
Happy Reading!
-Kirsten, @TheSpineOfMotherhood
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