Teens@Random

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Archives for Sep 2009

• Random Hour #55: What's on Your Bucket List?

  Sep 30, 2009

  Bookworms are traditionally considered people who like to stay home. While I can certainly see why at first glance one would jump to this conclusion, I actually don't agree. People who love to read are really the ones who love adventure. A book can take you places that an airplane never could, and while in a physical sense you may be at home curled under the blanket, your mind can be in far off distant lands.

  I believe that I have two sides of my personality in this respect, and as much I sometimes would consider myself a homebody, another part of me loves to go out and explore the world. The adventurous side of me yearns to travel to exotic places and learn about new cultures, and since this isn't always realistic, I can always pick up a book and read about those places. This way, when I finally do have a chance to visit I will have already done my homework.

  There are so many places that I dream of traveling to and I plan on having my passport stamped from each and every one of them!

  What about you? What travel experiences are on your bucket list?

  by HeadBuzzer | 11 comments |
  Filed under: Random Hour

• Castration Celebration reviewed by SharonLuvsCats

  Sep 28, 2009

  Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner as reviewed by SharonLuvsCats

  Rating: 5 castrated cat purrs
  
  
  From amazon:
  When the girl who's foresworn men meets the boy who's devoted himself to picking up women, there's bound to be drama-perfect for a sixweek summer program devoted to the arts. Olivia's summer goal: to write a musical that censures men with wandering eyes. Max's summer goal: to hone his acting skills, along with his talent for attracting the ladies. Before camp is over, they'll perform Olivia's musical onstage and in real life-though the ending may turn out differently than either expects.
  
  
  Thoughts:
  I had to crack open my thesaurus to find enough words to describe Castration Celebration. Here is the long list of descriptive words I came up with, crude, funny, comical, hilarious, offensive, sardonic, and sarcastic. Drug use, casual sex, and castration jokes galore, Castration Celebration is not for the easily offended.
  
  I am not easily offended and I enjoy books that have a weird sense of humor. I absolutely loved Castration Celebration! It was one of the funniest books that I have read in a while. My favorite parts of the book were the dialog between Olivia and Max. The two of them together and their witty conversations cracked me up. I love how Max goes out of his way to try and get a date with Olivia and she pretty much plays mind games with him. It was fun to see what kind of crazy things Max was willing to do for a change with Olivia. Max starts off as such a jerk so, it was nice to see him change.
  
  Olivia was adorable and I really enjoyed her entire inner dialogue. Olivia was such a strong and intelligent female character. I was routing for her character the entire time. It was also really interesting to see Olivia developing her musical throughout the book.
  
  Aside from Olivia and Max, I didn't find any of the other characters to be particularly engaging. They were just all kind of there. I enjoyed reading about Max and Olivia so much that it did not really bother me. Still, it would have been nice to see the other character be a bit more three dimensional.
  
  I loved the idea that there were really two stories going on in Castration Celebration. There was the story of Olivia and her friend and the story of the characters in Olivia's play. Olivia's play had some of the funniest dialogue in the book. I loved all the songs that Olivia wrote and really wish that someone would turn her musical into a movie. The two stories also blended really well together with Olivia's play reflecting her own personal experiences. I guess there is something to the whole idea of truth being stranger than fiction.
  
  I would recommend Castration Celebration to anyone who enjoys strange and crude humor. I would not recommend Castration Celebration to the easily offended or to less mature teens.
  

  by HeadBuzzer | 3 comments |
  Filed under: Buzz Blogger Team Castration Celebration

• Win an ARC copy of Muchacho!

  Sep 25, 2009

  

  
  

  Muchacho is an inspiring YA debut from the author of Dangerous Minds. Eddie Corazon is angry. He's also very smart. But he's working pretty hard at being a juvenile delinquent. He blows off school, even though he's a secret reader. He hangs with his cousins, who will always back him up-when they aren't in jail.  Then along comes Lupe, who makes his blood race. She sees something in Eddie he doesn't even see in himself. A heart, and a mind, and something more: a poet. But in Eddie's world, it's a thin line between tragedy and glory.
  
  
  
  Have you ever felt this way about someone or seen the potential in someone who has been struggling? Share a story of someone whom you have always thought of highly of but is holding themselves back for some reason. Share your story with us and you could be one of five lucky winners for Muchacho!

  
  

  Winners List: Friday September 25, 2009
  
  

  superbee	I have a friend from High School, whom I always knew was smart, but he often failed to do well in school because he would simply blow it off (such as not turning in a paper). It wasn't until he decided what he really wanted to do with his life, be a nurse, that he began to put effort into his schooling and showed the potential I knew he always had!
  Cmeister3	I had a good friend once who was very passionate about being able to pass along what he knew to others. He wanted to be a teacher someday. But he never wanted to apply himself and go after that dream. There were always excuses that prevented him from going down that path. I believe he would make an incredible teach, and still keep my fingers crossed that something will come of him!
  coderedcoderedjkjk	My brother is the one I want to talk about. He's incredibly smart and show a lot of potential in that area, but he just can't focus. He always forgets about his assignments and has to take the F. If he got over that, then he could be another Albert Einstein or Bill Gates. The immense amount of disorganization is really holding him back. I try to help with stuff, but I can't go to school and do the work for him. Potential just isn't enough. You have to want to use it.
  cosmicdustbella	Three years ago my friend began to seriously draw, and at first, she didn't think that she was any good. She was always self-conscious about her drawings, but she let me see a few and I could tell that she was really talented, and she just needed to hone her skills.
  kiskasnow	I know someone who has seen a side of me who many people don't get to see of me. And I've seen a side of him that most other don't get to see. He is one of my best friends and I trust him with my life. He has had a lot of issues and I talk him through his and he talks me through mine.

  by HeadBuzzer | 2 comments |
  Filed under: ARC Friday Giveaway Muchacho

• James Dashner Visits This Monday September 28th!

  Sep 25, 2009

  

  It's almost October which means all the spook and fun is about to begin! Author James Dashner of the upcoming book, The Maze Runner will be here to chat with you next week about the release and more!
  

  The Maze Runner takes place in the Glade-a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls. When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he's not alone. When the lift's doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to this place. Just like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they've closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.
  
  
  Drop by his thread now to leave your questions, comments, and a warm welcome to the Random Buzzer boards!

  We're very excited to have James Dashner come on board and chat with us next week- take a look at his message for you before his arrival!
  
  Hey guys,
  
  Thanks for stopping by to check out my book, The Maze Runner. I worked on this story off and on for four years, so it's really exciting to see it finally come to life on bookshelves across the world. It's always been a dream of mine to be an author, so I'm having way too much fun!
  
  You're probably looking for a couple of clues to see if this book is something you'll like. Well, I'd really hate to give anything away, so I better be careful. But if you like stories with a lot of interesting characters, intriguing mysteries, and adventure-with a nice sprinkling of terror here and there-you should check it out. (Of course, I'm biased, but hopefully you'll agree with me!)
  
  Thank you for giving my book a chance. It's my sincere wish that you'll be glad you did! Please feel free to contact me and let me know what you think.
  
  
  Happy Reading!
  
  James
  

  by HeadBuzzer | 2 comments |

• Random Hour #54: Letting Go

  Sep 23, 2009

  My family is getting ready to move next week so I've spent the last couple of days going through boxes of old things, deciding what to keep and what to get rid of.  Sometimes it's difficult to decide what we should leave in the past and what we should take along.
  
  It has always been hard for me to throw things away. I've kept birthday cards, letters from ex-boyfriends, papers I wrote in school, clothes that have far exceeded their expiration date. I've compiled quite the collection through the years and, while I know that I probably don't need most of these things, letting go of them had always felt like throwing I'd be throwing away memories.
  
  I once heard this quote; "Maybe the past is an anchor holding us back. Maybe, you have to let go of who you were to become who you will be".
  
  Sifting through all of my things has made me realize that things don't make up a life.  The experiences we encounter along the way will remain with us, and letting go of these things will make room for tons of new great experiences in the future.
  
  What about you? Do any of you have trouble letting go of things? And how do you decide what to keep and what to throw away?
  
  
  
  
  

  by HeadBuzzer | 5 comments |
  Filed under: Random Hour

• Being Shy in the Book World

  Sep 22, 2009

  A discussion with SharonLuvsCats:
  
  This post was initially planned out as how amazing and awesome the Book Expo America was, but once I began thinking about what to write I realized that this post was so much more.
  
  I've met so many amazing people online. The Book Expo America was just the event to give me the chance to finally meet many of them in person. I have always been a very shy person. I've been using the internet for over 10 years now and have just only started meeting people face to face. This brings me to the main topic of this post, how book reviewing on blogger has improved my life. I really never saw this coming!
  
  When I started my review blog last summer I never imagined that it would go on to take up such a huge part of my life. I've always been a very shy person and in a lot of ways I still am, but book blogging has really helped me to come out of my shell. Who would have thought that such a solitary hobby could have such an impact? You would have thought that sitting alone with my laptop writing countless reviews would only work to make me even more shy. As it turns out, however, the young adult book blogging community is a lot more social than I initially thought. With websites like Random Buzzers, Twitter, and Facebook it was very easy to stay in touch with other members of the blogging community. The young adult blogging 
  community is also very friendly and open to new people and ideas. Nowhere was this more obvious than at the Book Expo America.
  
  My close proximity to New York City is a true reward because it makes it possible for me to attend events like the Book Expo America. Before I started my blog, I would go down to the city maybe once a year if not at all. NYC is the shy person's worst nightmare with its massive crowds of strangers as far as the eye can see. Since starting my blog, I go down 
  to the city at least once a month.

  by HeadBuzzer | 1 comment |
  Filed under: book expo america buzz bloggers facebook random buzzers twitter

• Chat with Libba Bray and a Giveaway!

  Sep 18, 2009

  

  If you haven't already had a chance to chat with author Libba Bray on the buzz boards make sure to stop by her thread to leave your warm welcomes, questions, and any comments that you'd like for her to respond to.
  
  As a special thank you for stopping in, if you ask Libba a question and let us know here you will be entered to randomly win one of 5 autographed copies of her best-selling book The Sweet Far Thing.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Winner	Responses
  Nicole21	Thanks for taking time from your day to answer our questions. Where do you get inspiration for your stories? I'm excited to read Going Bovine with a character described as a "death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf!"
  Whiskers	Hi! I have a few questions. I was wondering how you get the ideas for the books you write? Do you prefer to write trilogy's or just one book on a character? I heard the first book in the Gemma Doyle Trilogy is going to be a movie, are you excited or do you think a movie kind of ruins the image of a book? Thanks for your time. :)
  EOWYN21	Libba, I loved your Gemma Trilogy books! I couldn't put them down when I read them. I hope that Going Bovine is just as good. I do have to ask though, What inspired Going Bovine because it is such an interesting topic?
  Jeditears09	Just welcoming you to randombuzzers! :D A question: How do you stretch plotlines out long enough for a full-length book? I find that difficult.
  Booksobsession	Hey Libba! I was wondering what acitivites you like to do when you are not writing? Thanks!

  by HeadBuzzer | 2 comments |

• Win an ARC copy of We Were Here

  Sep 18, 2009

  

  
  

  Life usually doesn't work out how you think it will, though. And most of the time, running away is the quickest path right back to what you're running from.
  
  There are times when everyone wants a quick escape from life. This is definitely the case for Miguel in We Were Here by Matt de la Peña. It is a story of a boy and his journey to find himself. Miguel thinks the perfect escape for his troubles would be to get away from his brother, his mother, and himself. Do you ever get these feelings of wanting to just start completely new and begin all over again? Where would you start? Let us know your fantasy escape and where you would go and you could win an ARC copy of We Were Here.

  Winners List: Friday September 18, 2009
  
  

  shanrich96	I would love a chance to get away from everything and everybody. I would love to do a road trip and find out of the way destinations. It would be fun to travel and see places that very few people get a chance to visit.
  vroengirl08	I've never been particularly adventurous, so my fantasy escapes only really include trips to my computer and getting lost in the words of a story. Whether I'm writing or reading, I'm escaping from any troubles I have and I love that I can do that whenever I want.
  Churchpeppergirl	If I was trying to escape from my troubles, I would change my hairstyle, hair color and fashion style so that nobody would know the old me. I would also move to a another state or even country.
  Susan259	a friend and I used to say we would chuck everything and move to Montana and live on a huge ranch with a bunch of animals and not worry about the rest of the world.
  Pinkdaisy	Yes. I often have these feelings. I think of when I go to college as a possible escape. Since I'm a senior in high school, I will get to start over next year. Yay!!

  by HeadBuzzer | 0 comments |
  Filed under: ARC Friday Giveaway We Were Here

• Random Hour #53: Going Bovine

  Sep 16, 2009

  In Libba Bray’s new novel, Going Bovine, we discover that sometimes when you realize that your life might end, is the moment that you really begin to live.
  
  After being told he only has a short amount of time to live, 16 year old Cameron sets off on an epic road trip across America accompanied by a video game addicted  dwarf and a garden gnome who thinks he’s a Viking king. On this journey Cameron encounters some wacky characters, does things he never thought he would do, all while having the time of his life.
  
  This book reminds us to stop and smell the roses, to take that crazy road trip, to say yes to every new opportunity, to worry less and laugh more.
  
  The best times in my life have been when I’ve thrown caution to the wind, done something that I never thought I’d do, traveled to new places, and met interesting people.
  
  It’s like that famous quote “Don’t be worried that your life will end, be afraid it will never begin”.
  
  What about you? What reminds you to stop and smell the roses?    
  
  

  by Buzzgirl | 0 comments |
  Filed under: Random Hour

• Fat Cat reviewed by SharonLuvsCats

  Sep 14, 2009

  Fat Cat by Robin Brande as reviewed by SharonLuvsCats
  
  Cat smart, sassy, and funny—but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment—on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living—and eating—like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.
  
  As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this newfound male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice. . . .
  
  I really wanted to love Fat Cat. When I first read the summary I thought that Fat Cat sounded like a really unique and fun read. While the plot make have been unique, I don’t feel that it was executed very well. I honestly don’t even have much to say about Fat Cat.
  Fat Cat started off well. I enjoyed reading about Cat and her body image issues. Overall, Cat was a very intelligent and likeable character. In particular I enjoyed reading about her relationship with her little brother. The moments shared between Cat and her brother were very touching and sweet. I also liked how Cat eventually becomes a vegetarian. I’m a vegetarian so I thought it was a nice touch.
  The biggest problem with Fat Cat was that it really started to get very preachy at some point. I already knew that junk food was bad for me before reading Fat Cat. I didn’t need to be lectured about the negative effects of it! This just annoyed me so much that it keep me from enjoying much of the second half of the book. I eventually started to skim through the second half because I still wanted to see the outcome. Once I started skipping over some of the nutrition advice I actually started to enjoy Fat Cat again.
  Overall, Fat Cat started off really well but, somewhere along the line it turned into an issues book. I would recommend Fat Cat to anyone thinking about making a change in their diet or wanting to learn more about nutrition. As for everyone else, I would tell them to skip it unless they want to feel guilty for eating Oreos!
  
  
  Fat Cat by Robin Brande
  Publication date: 10/13/09
  Rating: 2.5 purrs
  
  

  by HeadBuzzer | 3 comments |
  Filed under: Buzz Blogger robin brande