The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Hey readers!

Happy Halloween! For those who think they're "too old" for trick-or-treating, there's a book to keep you company; The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith. Here's a description:

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I have to admit that I loved Hadley and Oliver right off the bat. They're so perfect for each other that I think Edward and Bella have some competition for the "YA Perfect Couple" award. At one point in the story, an elderly woman said to the couple, "...when you're young and in love, a seven-hour plane ride can seem like a lifetime..." and she was definitely right. It was incredible that Hadley and Oliver had just met because the connection was so strong and believable. I was easily convinced that it was true love. One of the many things I liked about the book was that it's not all about "love at first sight" but a second chance in love. Jennifer Smith expresses very positively that having a second chance can be just as powerful as the first.

I highly recommend The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight for those who like a quick, easy read. You have nothing to fear. Just enjoy the thrills and chills of love at first sight.

To check out more of Jennifer Smith's incredible tales of love,  go to her website http://www.jenniferesmith.com/

Miranda

Find all of Jennifer's books available in the Monroe County Library System here.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I remember the first time I saw Cinder very vividly. I was in Barnes and Noble at about 7 or 8pm last January, and on my way out, I spied a very interesting book cover that showed a red high-heeled shoe with a slightly transparent foot inside it. The cover caught my attention so much that I picked up the book and asked my mum to wait a moment so that I could read the inside description. And once I’d read the summary, I knew I had to read Cinder.

Sixteen-year-old Cinder knows that being a cyborg is not easy. Even after five years as one, she still can’t accept the prejudice. Her stepmother literally owns her, and no one would ever want to be associated with a part-robot freak. Despite the wiring, or maybe because of it, Cinder is a marvelous mechanic, and one day, she finds Prince Kai at her market booth asking her to repair an android. She says yes, and little does she know how that answer will influence her life. Between avoiding the plague (yes, there is a new one) and avoiding political intrigue, Cinder has her work cut out for her. Not to mention the prince’s invitation to the ball…

I love fairy tales, both the original ones and their retellings. I also LOVE sci-fi. So when I found out that two of my favourite parts of YA were merged in Cinder, I was captivated. It took me a while to get around to reading Cinder once I’d gotten it from the library, but once I started it, I couldn’t set it down. Literally. I started it around 8 or 9 at night and didn’t put it down until 11 or 12, once I’d completed it. Cinder is one of those unique books that you don’t usually come across, one that blends genres and makes something fresh and new.  I loved that Cinder blended a traditional fairy tale with a sci-fi world. It’s made even better by the fact that the story is set in an Asian culture. All of these aspects give the book a feeling unlike anything else. I was also very impressed to find that Cinder was a mechanic; almost every other re-telling of “Cinderella” that I’ve read has a typical Cinderella --- girly, wimpy, not too interesting as a character. Cinder works to overcome prejudice she experiences and other major issues in addition to fixing robots and electronics. The prince’s ball doesn’t really even come into play until towards the end of the book, and although it does have importance, it isn’t the main focus of the story, like so many other adaptations I've read. I really am really impressed with this book, and I eagerly look forward to its sequel Scarlet.

Cinder is the first in a planned series of four books called the Lunar Chronicles. Scarlet comes out early next year. (I’ll be reviewing it before then though, so check back soon!) You can find Marissa Meyer on the web at http://www.marissameyer.com/ . This will be Marissa Meyer’s first year at TBF. I can not wait to meet her there. I hope you’ll come to hear her speak in May as well!

Happy reads!
Elizabeth

Find all the books by Marissa that are available in the Monroe County Library System here.

His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers

Hello Readers!

The TBF Committee, Elizabeth and I want to thank you for helping us raise money at the Read-A-Thon! You guys are WONDERFUL!! We are so excited for TBF 2013 and we hope you are too. If some of you are anxiously waiting for May to come, don't look any further. The fun is just getting started! For teens on Facebook, help TBF get 1500 "likes" by 1/1/13, the TBF Committee will have to dance Gangnam Style at the opening assembly, in front of everybody! So spread the news to your friends!


Okay, back to the book review.

I read His Fair Assassin: Grave Mercy about a dozen times since it came out in April 2012. So you can imagine my reaction when I found out the author, Robin LaFevers, was coming to TBF 2013. This book is recommended for older teens however younger teens are allowed to read it too. Here's the description:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

One of the many things I love about Grave Mercy is the time period. It is set around the Middle Ages and the Renaissance in Brittany. When I read Grave Mercy, the writing is so crisp that I feel like I'm time-traveling. Besides it being a historical fiction novel, the book has a little of everything; a little piece of mystery, suspense, action and romance.

For fans of Katniss Everdeen, you'll be cheering for Ismae and other heroines through the entire book. Like Katniss, Ismae is strong, independent and stubborn. They believe that expressing any type of emotion and asking for help is weak. However, both characters are extremely kind-hearted, protective and admirable. Ismae is such a wonderful heroine that I wish she was my best friend!

On that note, put Grave Mercy on your TBF to-read list and you're be ready for an adventure and one sleepless night from reading underneath the covers!

For more info on Robin LaFevers and His Fair Assassin series go to http://www.robinlafevers.com/ You can also "like" the Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/#!/HisFairAssassinSeries?fref=ts

Miranda

Find all Robin's books available in the Monroe County Library System here.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

I’ve been wanting to read this for months ever since I saw it while browsing on the Banes and Noble website a few months ago. The book just sounded really interesting, & unlike any other vampire books I’ve come across over the past few years.

Gene lives in a dystopian world where vampires are in charge and humans, or hepers as the vamps call them, are supposed to be almost extinct due to overhunting. Gene, a human, has somehow survived for seventeen years, but he lives in constant fear of making a slip-up that would reveal what he really is. And if that were to happen, so would his imminent death. It is soon declared that there is to be a Heper Hunt, much like the ones that had taken place over a decade ago. Seven vampires are to be randomly chosen from the population. So when the lottery is held and Gene is chosen, he knows that he needs to either find a way to better disguise himself or be killed. He has to survive at least five days amongst blood-thirsty vampires while training, and then who knows what will happen to him after that.

Although The Hunt bears a resemblance to The Hunger Games in a few ways, I’m very happy to say that this is one of the most original books that I’ve read recently.  After finishing the first 50 pages, I could barely put it down. All throughout dinner, I was impatiently waiting and wondering what would happen to Gene and the rest of the characters.

Andrew Fukuda is also extremely innovative in regards to the vampires’ culture.  I’d have to say that in almost every single vampire book I’ve read, the vampires fulfill the Dracula-based stereotypes. However, in The Hunt, the vampires are a brand new type of creature. These vampires do not smile, laugh, or cry. They are able to drown while swimming and are carnivores, not simply blood-suckers. This was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the book  for me --- constantly wondering what Fukuda would throw at the reader next.

The Hunt is only the first book in a planned trilogy, with the second book  (The Prey) coming out early next year. Both books will be available at TBF.  Visit the author's website http://andrewfukuda.com/ too. I hope you’ll read both books and come to meet Andrew Fukuda at the festival in May!

Happy reading!

Elizabeth

Find all the books by Andrew that are available from the Monroe County Library System here.

Read-a-thon Fundraiser for TBF!

Tomorrow, Saturday, October 13th, is the Read-a-thon to support TBF at Barnes and Noble in Pittsford. The Read-a-thon will run from 1-5 p.m.

Also, Barnes and Noble is running a book fair, with proceeds to support TBF. You can read more about how this works here.

Please come out tomorrow to say hi to our readers and shop at Barnes and Noble!

52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody

Hello readers!

It’s Miranda, one of your new TBF bloggers.

So I just finished reading 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody, author of My Life Undecided and The Karma Club. For Meg Cabot fans, this book has your name on it! Take a look:

Being America’s favorite heiress is a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it.

Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.

In a hilarious “comedy of heiress” about family, forgiveness, good intentions, and best of all, second chances, Lexi learns that love can be unconditional, money can be immaterial, and, regardless of age, everyone needs a little saving. And although she might have 52 reasons to hate her father, she only needs one reason to love him.

It was so much fun being inside the mind of Lexington. She’s a bit of a drama queen but has a really kind heart. Brody did a fantastic job having Lexi grow throughout the book. She became independent and more down-to-earth.

In the book, we get a glimpse of what a celebrity’s life might be like and it’s not all that glamorous; her father doesn’t pay any attention to her, she has numerous “babysitters” and she pretends to be someone she’s not in front of the paparazzi. As she works through her 52 jobs, Lexi noticed things she never had; a loving, happy family, faith from others and genuine love.

So add this book to your to-read list. By the end of the book, you’ll have 52 reasons to love Jessica Brody! Promise.

Miranda

Find all the books by Jessica that are available in the Monroe County Library System here.

Hello from Miranda!

Hello everyone!

First of all I would like to congratulate Carly, our wonderful TBF blogger, for getting into grad school! We’re so sad that you’ll be away from TBF and we won’t be able to read your blog posts. But we’re so happy for you, starting a new chapter in your life. We hope for the best for you and know that you’ll be greatly missed!

Second, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Miranda, one of the official TBF bloggers. I will be joining forces with Elizabeth, your other fabulous TBF blogger. I’m super excited to be working with her!

I absolutely LOVE TBF as much as you guys do. I look forward to this event all year long as if it was my birthday (I even think that it’s better than my birthday). One thing you might want to know about me is that I’m an inspired writer and I love to read. TBF gives me a chance to meet different authors from all over the country (and sometimes Canada!). I love it when I get the opportunity to ask the author questions about his or her books and for writing advice.

My first time going to TBF was in 2009. This was the year authors like Jenny Han, Sara Zarr and David Levithan were here in Rochester. My mom convinced me to go with her to the festival because I was a living, breathing bookworm. I was amazed by the crowd and how excited they were. One memorable author that made me laugh so hard during the “opening author panel” was our very own TBF “mascot”, Terry Truman. I remember that he had a dressed up zucchini with him. It was really bizarre. It was cool listening to different authors during their “breakout author session” and heard about their inspirations for their books. My all-time favorite event at TBF was the autographing session at the end of the day. All the authors were really nice and upbeat.  It was, also, a huge excuse for me to gush to the author about how much I love their books. After I left, I was too excited for next year’s TBF.

Enough about me, I want to learn more about YOU! Tell me who you’re really looking forward to meeting at TBF 2013 and what TBF book you are currently reading.

Make sure to check out the blog for interviews from the authors, some giveaways and tons of book reviews from Elizabeth and me!

I’m really excited to get to know you guys!

Miranda

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

This book is a wonderful example of why you should not judge a book by its cover. I just got a hold of Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti last Thursday, & only because my librarian told me to read it for TBF. I didn’t really wanted to read it because it looked like another light YA romance, what with a guy & a girl on the cover. But I said, “Alright, I’ll give it a try,” & boy, am I glad that I did!

Noelle hates lunch. Every single day of high school, she has been bullied, either for her limited amount of unfashionable clothes or for her insufficient lunches. It’s not Noelle’s fault that she’s one of the only poor kids in a rich kids’ school. It’s also not her fault that her mother is not much of a mom, or even much of a responsible adult.  And Noelle is still being brutally bullied despite her attempts to blend in. On top of that, Noelle really likes Julian, one of the few boys who’ve never bullied her, even though she’s already someone else’s girlfriend. Noelle just wants to fit in, to be normal. But she slowly comes to realize that in order to be “normal,” she might have to learn to just be herself.

Keep Holding On is more about Noelle’s development as a character than her love life, although there’s plenty of that in the book too. I genuinely really liked Noelle as a character. She understandably began as a meek, quiet girl, and throughout the story blossoms into a self-aware young woman. She is an extremely admirable and likable character; I think that I’d really love to have her as one of my friends.

Keep Holding On is not only a great book in terms of its characters, but also in terms of its themes & the subjects it discusses. Noelle and some of her other classmates experience relentless bullying. Noelle also experiences parental neglect. I think that the author’s note & resources found in the back of the book are also a very great aspect of the book, even though they do not deal directly with the plot. If you know of someone experiencing bad emotional or physical issues or abuse/neglect and they need help, please have them look at these resources and find help.

I am very excited that Susane Colasanti is going to be at TBF this year, and I really hope I get to meet her. She has written several other books as well. Visit her on the web at http://www.susanecolasanti.com. I’m looking forward to reading her other books and reviewing them too, so stay tuned!

Happy reading!

Elizabeth

Find all the books by Susane that are available in the Monroe County Library System here.

Welcome to our new TBF authors!

Hi, we would like to welcome you to the new official TBF blog! If you have any questions, please ask one of us. Mrs. Cathy Kyle, the Teen Librarian from the Chili Public Library and Mrs. Kimberly Rouleau from Mercy High School.

Now that you know us, please welcome the really important people! Our new teen bloggers! We are very proud to introduce Elizabeth and Miranda.