After a seven-year hiatus, BookCon, hosted by ReedPop, made its official return to the Javits Center in Hudson Yards from April 18 to 19.

The previous convention intended to take place in 2020 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. The hosts reportedly took the time to rework the event for its grand return this year.

Tickets sold out for the event twice within the hour for its separate ticket drops in September 2025 and December 2025.

The convention took place at the north side of the Javits Center. On level one, book lovers flocked to Indie Alley, presented by The Bookish Box. It gave readers the opportunity to discover indie authors. Each table was set to captivate readers of any kind as authors decorated their areas to match the aesthetics of their latest books.

Level one also had three major bookstores selling books for reserved autographs at the back of the hall. The sellers were Barnes & Nobles and two Brooklyn-based stores: The Ripped Bodice and Greenlight Bookstore.

Some of the bestselling authors available for reservation autographs included Victoria Aveyard, Cassandra Clare, Tricia Levenseller and Chloe Gong. Reservations for the authors opened a few months prior to the convention and sold out within the hour.

BookCon accepted exhibitor applications from businesses based in New York City and beyond.

Attendees could purchase bookish finds such as candles inspired by their favorite tropes, loose leaf teas to drink when they want to cozy up with a book, pieces for their next cosplay, blind dates with books and trinkets to fill their bookshelves.

Prior to the event, BookCon released a statement on its website regarding the use of artificial intelligence-generated products being sold at the event, stating that “incorporating AI-Generated elements, including but not limited to visual artwork, images, or graphics, animations and/or materials, are prohibited from being made available for purchase at BookCon.”

Violators would be banned from participating in this or any future events, giving book lovers assurance that it would be supporting human-created businesses without the concern of AI products.

However, multiple booths did feature the exact same products, specifically those with 3D printed fidgets and bookshelf inserts for sale.

Throughout the two days, BookCon invited authors to host a series of panels discussing not only their careers as authors, but also the future of their own works and the industry.

In the April 18 panel discussing her experience writing books for young adults, Veronica Roth quickly stole headlines as she announced the newest installment in her “Divergent” trilogy. “The Sixth Faction” will be the first of two books that will follow her main character, Beatrice, in a ‘what if’ storyline of a different faction being chosen. The first book is set to release on Oct. 6.

During “The Importance and Impact of Dystopian and Fantasy Fiction” panel, authors Tahereh Mafi and Gong discussed how important it is for young readers to consume dystopian fictions. While they write scary realities, Mafi explained that “life is not patient and it is not convenient.” She believes that it’s her job as a dystopian author to take whatever pain her readers are feeling and teach them how to process it.

In the “Spotlight on R.F. Kuang” panel, the author told readers that she is working on a new multi-timeline novel about fascism, as well as art that has five different characters and five different timelines, leaving fans excited about what to come from the author after her new book “Taipei Story” releases on Sept. 8.

On April 19, “The Heroines of Romantasy: Crafting Strong Female Leads finding love and facing danger” panel, featuring authors Aveyard, Carissa Broadbent, Rachel Gillig and Scarlett St. Clair, discussed the current struggle of the Romantasy being deemed less than other genres.

“I feel like it’s just a moving target of which genre is doing very well right now,” Aveyard mentioned. “So, which genre will we shit on? Because in YA, I used to get that question all the time. When are you going to write a real book?” The other authors on the panel all agreed that readers are the reason why this panel has such a high attendance, and it’s not a less than genre.

Attendees reported mixed reviews about the convention’s return. While many boasted about being able to attend the convention and meet some of their favorite authors as a “dream come true,” the Saturday morning crowd had a very different welcome.

While the show floor opened to guests at 10 a.m., with VIP getting priority entrance, those with general admission lined up as far as Pier 81 on Saturday morning.

It was a 10-minute walk from the Javits Center and a 30-minute wait to get inside according to comments on the BookCon Instagram.

Many food vendors claimed to guests that they had run out of food halfway through the day as they were only told to prepare for 1,500 guests on Saturday. The information left many guests to assume ReedPop oversold tickets for the opening day with long lines and packed walkways.

Only Saturday had extended hours as the convention hosted “BookCon: After Dark.” Attendees had the choice of dancing the night away at a fantasy ball, cozying up at the pajama party to “The Princess Diaries,” competing in a poetry slam, singing karaoke, playing bookish bingo, bedazzling and boozing books, watching a comedy show or solving a murder mystery.

Attendees that got tickets for both days claimed that Sunday was a lot more controlled. The rain forecast moved the line indoors and attendees were admitted in waves. Though there were still long lines, the wait time was shorter compared to the day prior.

Cosmopolitan reported that an issue prevalent on both days was the fight for the highly anticipated Advanced Reader Copies. Many online compared ARC drops to being in a mosh pit.

Some booths were underprepared for Sunday’s crowd due to the oversold tickets on Saturday, causing the booths to lack inventory on day two. Attendees were redirected to follow vendors’ Instagram accounts or go to their website to buy items online instead.

Despite the chaos, attendees had many opportunities to find their bookish community. The fourth floor featured a lounge area called “The Grove,” presented by Allurial, the monthly special edition romantasy book box. Along with a place to relax, The Grove gave people the opportunity to participate in book swaps and trinket trading. Allurial also had free tarot readings for guests.

BookCon also dedicated a Pride Lounge as a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. The lounge allowed guests one free pride book to take home with them to support the authors.

The center was also filled with different photo stations ranging from giant magical mushrooms to an ice rink.

Some guests were disappointed by the lack of diversity of highlighted genres, with the spotlight being placed on Romantasy. However, many guests appeared open to returning in the future, but requested BookCon create an area where attendees could add suggestions on how they might improve everyone’s experience.

At the end of the convention, BookCon announced it had its dates secured for next year’s convention. BookCon will return on April 10 and 11 in 2027.