April 20, 2026 · Iyana Jones and Sam Spratford

BookCon 2026: Where Fans Reign Supreme?

On the morning of April 18, a line wrapped around the Javits Center—twice. By 10:30 a.m., a frenzied energy hung in the air as patrons tensely waited in line, while others briskly walked around to find another way inside. Some queuers donned hockey jerseys reminiscent of the ever-popular hockey romance genre, while shirtless “shadow daddies” sported wings sprouting from their back. Yet others proudly wore elf ears and Etsy-style pins expressing their love of reading.