2014 will be the year to READ!!

Hello TBF readers!

I know, I'm crazy to be thinking about 2014 when there's still 6 more months left of 2013. Is it crazy to be talking about TBF 2014? Possibly. Will it harm anyone? Nope. We're just talking about it, right?

I am happy to announce to you guys some of the authors attending to the 9th Annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival.

• Leigh Bardugo: author of the Grisha series; Shadow and Bones, Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising      *Ruin and Rising will hit the shelves in 2014*
• Cecil Castellucci: author of Boy Proof, The Queen of Cool, Beige, Rose Sees Red, First Day on Earth, The Year of Beasts and Tin Star      *Tin Star will be released February 2014*
• Alexandra Coutts: author of Tumble & Fall      *Alexandra's debut book will be released September 17*
• Lisa Greenwald: author of My Life in Pink and Green, My Summer of Pink and Green, Sweet Treats and Secret Crushes and Reel Life Starring Us 
• Ellen Hopkins: author of the Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, Tilt and Smoke (the sequel to Burned)     *Smoke will be out September 10*
• A.S. King: author of The Dust of 100 Dogs, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, Everybody Sees the Ants, Ask the Passengers, Monica  Never Shuts Up and Reality Boy     *Reality Boy is released on October 22*
• Marie Rutkoski: author of The Kronos Chronicles, The Shadow Society, Jacks and Queens at the Green Mill and The Winner's Curse     *The Winner's Curse will be released March 2014*
• Andrew Smith: author of Ghost Medicine, In the Path of Fallen Objects, The Marbury Lens series, Stick, Winger, Grasshopper Jungle and Once There Were Birds     *Grasshopper Jungle & Once There Were Birds will be released in 2014*
• Margaret Stohl: co-author of The Caster Chronicles (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption) and author of the Icons series.
• Terry Trueman: author of--you guys should know Terry's books by now. Need a reminder, no problem! Terry wrote Stuck In Neutral, Life Happens Next, Inside Out, Cruise Control, No Right Turn, 7 Days at the Hot Corner and Hurricane.

During the summer, I will be announcing more confirmed authors for TBF 2014 authors. I'm just letting you know ahead of time to not expect authors to be confirmed every week.

I'm done talking so that means it's YOUR turn to talk! What books are on your to-read list this summer? Are you counting down to 2014? Or are you enjoying each day in 2013? What 2014 books do you need to read, right now? I'm dying to read City of Heavenly Fire, the last book in Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments. Elizabeth is excited to get her hands on Cress, the third book of The Lunar Chronicles by TBF alumni, Marissa Meyer. As you can tell, Elizabeth and I are way too excited for a new year!

Enjoy your summer readers!

Miranda

We need your feeback!

We hope you enjoyed the festival. Even though we were in gowns and tutus, we could not be more happy with the turn out... but more important than how we felt things went is how YOU think things went.

If you could take just a couple of moments to fill out THIS SURVEY, it would be brilliant. Especially if you are really interested in a certain author.

It is highly unlikely that we will get John Green to come, but even we would love that.

I mean, hello! Look at this video! Wouldn't that be fabulous?

 

Post-TBF

Wasn't TBF incredible?! There were so many happy memories at the 8th annual TBF; Stephanie wearing a prom dress had to sing and dance during the opening ceremony, the TBF game show with host Guy Smiley (aka Charles Benoit) and the lovely 33 contestants, seeing our TBF mascot, Terry Trueman in a tutu, chatting, getting books signed, take pictures with the amazing authors and so much more!

So, tell us fellow readers what your favorite memory of TBF 2013 is by commenting below.

Now, Elizabeth and I would like to acknowledge: Thank you to the wonderful TBF sponsors; this special event would not happen without your support. Thank you to all of the publishing companies for sending awesome authors to Rochester; I can say that there's something exciting going on every year. Thank you to the TBF 2013 authors; you jumped on a plane and came all the way to Rochester. Meeting our celebrities was a dream come true. Thank you to all of the TBF volunteers; TBF would've have gone smoothly without you guys. Thank you to the TBF committee; you poured your heart and time to make this amazing, wonderful day possible. And lastly, thank you to everyone who followed the blog throughout the year.

Elizabeth and I will come back and chat about TBF 2014 once we have more details. There is already a set date for next year: Saturday, May 17, 2014.

Until then enjoy summer vacation and to read lots of books!

Miranda & Elizabeth

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

I hope everyone had a great time at TBF on Saturday! I know I sure did. Just because the Festival is over though doesn’t mean that you can’t still check out more books by TBF authors. One book that you should totally get a hold of is Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.

Stephen has been cursed invisible since he was born – no one has ever seen him in 16 years, not even his mother (recently deceased) or his ever-absent father. That is, until he meets Elizabeth, who’s just moved to NYC, in the hallway of their apartment building – she sees him as plain as day. The only problem is that she doesn’t realize he’s invisible. When she finally does discover that Stephen is invisible, they both decide to try to figure out how to break the curse. But will they ever be able to find a way to do that?

I loved Invisibility. Initially you’re not quite sure how the story is going to turn paranormal/supernatural (although it’s clear it will), but when it finally does, it’s well worth the wait. Stephen and Elizabeth are also really fun to read, and are just plain interesting characters. I especially liked Invisibility because it was really different than either of the authors’ previous novels but still had the best aspects of their other works. I’d recommend Invisibility to fans of Andrea Cremer and David Levithan’s other books, as well as those who enjoy realistic fiction and fantasy, especially urban fantasy. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

 

Happy Reading!

Elizabeth

Interview with TBF author: Mark Shulman

1 DAY, 16 HOURS AND 59 MINUTES UNTIL TBF!!!!!

The next author you can check off of our list is Mark Shulman. He is the author of Scrawl, Are You "Normal" and Attack of the Killer Video Book Take 2: Tips and Tricks for Young Directors.

Miranda Reads: In your book Scrawl, the narrator is a sympathetic bully. Did you ever experience bullying when you were a teenager?
Mark Shulman: I was absolutely part of the bullying world, but on the receiving end. The character Tod is an amalgam of bullies and semi-bullies I knew at East High School. When I was younger, I went to the homes of these kids. By high school they'd hardened, or at least were trying to harden, or most likely, were being hardened by circumstances. They'd do mean things, hurtful things, but not out of total malice. It feels like that was just what some kids did for fun, the way some people go hunting. I was a favorite target because, well, because I was destined to become a New York City writer type. Not the most common 70s East High kid.

MR: We know that bullying is not approved whatsoever. In your opinion, do you think that bullying in schools has gotten out of hand since you went to school?
MS: Are you kidding? Bullying nowadays is being stopped in ways that I never would have dreamed of. We didn't harass by cell phone and Facebook, which is a different experience, but for me there were real physical threats. At East we had a place where kids went to fight. By "fight" I  mean a tougher kid would goad a less-tough kid to go to the approved smoking area, by the huge antenna on Ohio near Main, which was never patrolled. You were chicken and tormented if you didn't go. You were beat up if you went, but at least the beating was relatively benign -- a few kicks and punches. If you rolled into a ball, you didn't get hurt so much. So, that was high school.

MR: One of your five fun facts says that you love animals…to eat. Is there any animal or insect that you wouldn’t dare eat?
MS: Oh, lots. I was just saying that to get attention. I am a happy omnivore. I won't eat bugs, cauliflower, house pets, Brussels sprouts, liver, goldfish (live or cheese-cracker flavored) or anything on the endangered list. I have eaten, but never myself killed, hippo, rattlesnake, ostrich, elk, moose, steer, butterfly, raccoon, chicken, shark, frog, and trout. Okay, I did kill the butterfly. It was an accident. The window was rolled down and I was going 60.

MR: What author are you most looking forward to meeting at the 8th annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival?
MS: I'd like to be there when Marissa Meyer, Megan Miranda, and Michael Morpurgo meet each other.

Are you ready to cross off more authors? We have:

• Gennifer Albin: author of Crewl
• Coe Booth: author of Tyrell, Kendra and Bronxwood
• Margaret Peterson Haddix: author of the Shadow Children series, the Missing series, Running Out of Time, Game Changer, Just Ella and so much more! To see what else Margaret has written click here.
• Faith Erin Hicks & Prudence Shen: co-authors of Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong
• Robin LaFevers: author of His Fair Assassins trilogy, Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph
• Marissa Meyer: author of the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Scarlet
• Jennifer E. Smith: author of Comeback Season, Storm Makers, You Are Here, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This is What Happy Looks Like

Remember to check the blog for the last book reviews and author interviews!

Miranda

News, Annoucements & Interview with TBF author: Andrew Fukuda

2 MORE DAYS 'TILL TBF!!!!!

Ok, several things to say in this post, so please bear with me.

First piece of news. Unfortunately, due to an unforeseen issue, Margaret Stohl will be unable to join us for TBF 2013. However, she will be attending TBF 2014. Our thoughts are with you, Margaret.

TBF tidbit: J.R.R. Tolkien once said, "So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” In the past we've had authors unable to attend TBF at the last minute. Sure, we can be disappointed but should we allow it to ruin a wonderful and exciting day? In my opinion: It's your decision. With anything that's going on in your life, only you can decide to turn this disappointment around or not.

Secondly, if you are bring a bus, please fill out this form. Less stress = more relaxation.

Lastly, our author interview. On our author list, we can check off Andrew Fukuda. He is the author of Crossing (under the name Andrew Xia Fukuda) and the Hunt trilogy (The Hunt, The Prey & The Trap).

Miranda Reads: TBF readers are dying for the last book in the Hunt trilogy, The Trap. How long do we have to wait for it to be released?
Andrew Fukuda: Thanks for asking! The Trap is due to be released on November 5, 2013 - not too far away! I can't wait for fans of the trilogy to get in on what is an incredible finale, if I do say so myself. There have been so many tantalizing secrets that I've had to keep to myself for the past two years and I've been chomping at the bit to disclose them. Just a few more months!

MR: The Hunt trilogy has been compared to the Hunger Games trilogy. Let's pretend that you are a tribute for the Hunger Games. What strategies would you use to be the last one standing? Would you pretend to be weak and take the other tributes by surprise? Would you team up with the Career Tributes or work alone?
AF: Hmmm... Since I always root for underdogs, there's little chance I'd team up with the Career Tributes. It'd be tempting to work alone given how introverted I am, but there's strength in numbers, too, especially when aligned with good people like Katniss, Peeta, and Rue. In the end, I think I'd grow to love the PARK (Peeta, Andy, Rue, Katniss) alliance so much, I'd end up heroically laying my life down for the good of the other three. May the odds ever be in their favor.

MR: One of your five fun facts says that you grew up in Hong Kong. What was it like living there? How long did you live in Hong Kong? How overwhelming was it to move to America?
AF: Wow, I could write a 500-page memoir and still not do justice to those questions! I lived in Hong Kong for twelve very formative years, and I couldn't have asked for a more incredible place to grow up. I lived in the crack between two worlds - the colonial British world and the local Chinese world. As difficult as it was to straddle these two very different worlds, it made me, I think and I hope, all the deeper and broader for it. Suffice it to say, Hong Kong has a very special place in my heart. Moving back to the States for college was a total blast, not overwhelming at all.

MR: What author are you most looking forward to meeting at the 8th annual Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival?
AF: Probably Tom Angleberger. My sons LOVE his books and worship the man. If I can come home and say that I met the very author they worship and bow down to, my sons will never look at me the same way. I will no longer be just "Dad" to them but will forever be "the man who met Tom Angleberger."

You can also check off Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda series.

That's it for today. Come back to see more book reviews and author interviews as Elizabeth and I countdown to TBF!

 

 

Miranda

Great article yesterday in Rochester's local newspaper "Democrat and Chronicle"

Yay for positive publicity! And an especially big YAY for Stephanie! You go girl. :)

Check out this article in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle

Book writers, says author Terry Trueman, “spend a lot of time in little rooms quietly mumbling to ourselves and typing.”
But get teen readers together with the writers of books they like to read and it’s anything but quiet. At least the way the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival does it each year at Nazareth College.
Think brass band, pep rally and karaoke party rolled into one and you have a close approximation. And that’s just the first hour or so of the event, which kicks off Saturday at 8:45 a.m. with a parade. Authors arrive by way of stretch limo or classic cars accompanied this year by Bush Mango Drum and Dance.
They make their way into the college’s Shults Center along a red carpet, and eventually into the gymnasium, where pumped up teens gather to cheer, laugh, listen and dote on an introductory program where all the authors and illustrators contribute in a giant panel discussion. Turnout is usually between 1,500 and 2,500; this year 33 authors and illustrators are participating.
Trueman, a Seattle resident who has been to all seven previous Rochester festivals and has become its official “mascot,” encouraged organizer Stephanie Squicciarini to create the festival after they met at a Houston-area teen book festival years ago.
The teens and authors alike share in the enthusiasm, Trueman says.
“There’s a not particularly subtle effort on the part of Stephanie and her team to treat (us) authors as though we’re rock stars,” he says. “The red carpet, the marching bands, the cheerleaders — we don’t bump into that very often.”
And teens don’t bump into authors that often, particularly those who write for them (though Trueman says most young adult authors are simply authors whom publishers decide to market to teens.)
Teens “don’t always feel safe saying they love reading,” says Squicciarini, a teen specialist librarian at the Fairport Public Library. At TBF Live! (as the festival is also known), book worms can emerge from their cocoons. “They’re all together, celebrating reading,” she says.

“The best part about Teen Book Festival is that it’s totally OK to be nerdy,” says Carly Maldonado, a Syracuse University graduate student who has blogged about TBF throughout her teens and early 20s.
Adds fellow organizer Laura C.S. Jones, a professor of literacy education at Nazareth: “They also get to talk with authors who at one time felt the same way.”
Indeed, after all the hoopla of the opening ceremonies, authors break for workshops. Though the event draws adults, teens get seating preference over their elders. During these workshops and in between, they have plenty of opportunities to ask authors questions.
“Over the course of the day, teens develop a good sense of what it takes to tell a good story,” Jones says.
And get to see Squicciarini’s sense of self-deprecation. To encourage school groups to raise money to help the festival remain a free event, Squicciarini sets a goal each year and offers a reward if they surpass it. Two years ago. the reward was dyeing her normally red hair a wholly unnatural shade of pink.
This year the kids met the fund-raising goal of $8,888, so Squicciarini will appear in a prom gown and sing. Though there’s some question as to whether the latter will be rewarding.
“I haven’t sung in public since sixth grade chorus,” says Squicciarini, adding that maybe it would be a good idea to practice before Saturday.
But then, spontaneous singing seems to be a thing at this festival.
Maldonado recalls one of her favorite moments was when authors were asked in an opening ceremony to name the Broadway musical they felt best described their life.
“James Kennedy, when it got to be his turn, lept out his chair and sang the entire chorus of Oklahoma while running around the gym with the portable microphone,” Maldonado said. Kennedy, a Newberry-winning author, won’t be there this year, but you can bet the singing and enthusiasm will.