Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Teen Week Trivia Time!!!

Today we continue rooting for our very own Simone Elkeles to win the YALSA Teen Top 10!!! If you haven't done so already, please go to: http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/teenstopten.cfm
and vote for Simone and her debut novel, How to Ruin a Summer Vacation!

Today, I am giving away a copy of Simone's second (and my favorite!) book LEAVING PARADISE. The blurb goes a li'l something like this:

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

I have to tell you folks, this is one the BEST YAs I've read in years. It's truly one of those stories that just stick to you and you wind up recommending it to everyone you know! So far, I've bought this book for each and every one of my teenage sister's friends. I can totally see this book being made into a movie.

How do you win your own copy you ask?


Answer the 10 Buzz Girl Trivia questions below in the comments section CORRECTLY
(Hint: All the answers can be found in previous blog postings on Books, Boys, Buzz)


1. Which Buzz girl is a mid-westerner and HATED to write as a teenager?
2. Which Buzz girl has aspirations of being a fashion designer when she was younger?
3. Which Buzz girl's first completed novel was 863 pages?
4. Which Buzz girl HATES onions with a passion?
5. Which Buzz girl has a kitten named Harper?
6. Which Buzz girl created a super-hottie named "Austin Bridges the III"
7. Which Buzz Girl's pen name for her first books is "Kate Harmon"?
8. Which Buzz Girl's first "novel" was inspired by Nicholas Sparks?
9. Which Buzz Girl has a "wee" bit of a Mark Wahlberg fetish?
10. Which Buzz Girl is *slightly* obsessed with the young yet awesome star of the Transformers movie?


If you're a regular blog reader, these will be easy...the clock is ticking! I will pick the winners at midnight tonight PST.


Answer the trivia questions above and vote for Simone:
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/teenreading/teenstopten/teenstopten.cfm

--------------------------------------
Dona Sarkar-Mishra
http://donasarkarmishra.com/
HOW TO SALSA IN A SARI - January 2008
SHRINK TO FIT - August 2008


6 comments:

TinaFerraro said...

Dona, I LOVE your trivia quiz! (Although, gee, for the life of me, I can't imagine WHO among us as a Mark Wahlberg obsession. ;))

You know I'm a HUGE fan of LEAVING PARADISE, as well. I'm so glad we're going to get a chance to "share the wealth" by giving it to the winner!

Me said...

Excellent Dona! I love it!

I think Buzz girl #10 will find it funny that I first read that question as: "Which Buzz Girl is *slightly* obsessed with the young WET awesome star of the Transformers movie?"

Hmmm, wet is good. =)

Anonymous said...

Hi Dona,
Well, I know most of the Buzz girls and still don't know all the answers. Here's a guess.
1- Simone
7- Marley
9- Tina
I can't remember who wrote that 863 page book, but I do remember reading about it.

Janie

Marley Gibson said...

Must...resist...answering...trivia...questions...

I read LEAVING PARADISE over the weekend to the point where my hubby said, "That must be really good. I've been talking to you and you haven't blinked." Well, it WAS that good. I loved the hero and heroine and if fans can make demands...I demand a sequel!!!

Marley = )

Simone Elkeles said...

Aww...you guys are just too awesome! Thanks so much, Dona, for talking up Leaving Paradise! That book means so much to me, and I hope a movie director is reading this so I can get it made into a movie! I'd love to see who they cast as Caleb.

PS- I just watched She's the Man and I think Channing Tatum would be a wonderful Caleb! Dont'cha think? What a bod!

I've been talking to schools all week. On Monday I talked to Vernon Hills High School and today I talked to both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South High Schools. I had a GREAT time meeting the students at both schools! Tomorrow I'm off to Fremont Middle School....so I might be a little late on my post but I'll be here!

~Simone (with a HUGE thank-you to my buzz girls for their support this week!)

Dona Sarkar-Mishra said...

Our winner for the day is JANIE!!!!
Thanks for playing folks!! JANIE, please email me your mailing address and a copy of Leaving Paradise will be headed your way!