Hyperventilates.

So. I haven’t been around much. At all. Yeeeaaah. I’m sorry. Just feeling pretty unmotivated. But, I’d love it if you join the Fanboy and Gothgirl contest.

Anyway. That’s not what I’m here for. I’m here because.

CATCHING FIRE COMES OUT TOMORROW!

I AM SO EXCITED. Going to the bookstore tomorrow morning with a few friends to buy it. :D :D :D And for those of you who don’t know, Catching Fire is written by Suzanne Collins and is the sequel to The Hunger Games. Which is an amazing book. So go read it.

In other news, hopefully I’ll get some reviews up soon. 

Contest: A signed copy of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

My first contest! This one is for a signed copy of The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga (paperback).

Summary:
Fanboy has never had it good, but lately his sophomore year is turning out to be its own special hell. The bullies have made him their favorite target, his best (and only) friend seems headed for the dark side (sports and popularity), and his pregnant mother and the step-fascist are eagerly awaiting the birth of the alien life form known as Fanboy’s new little brother or sister.
But Fanboy has a secret: a graphic novel he’s been working on without telling anyone about it, a graphic novel that he is convinced will lead to publication, fame, and — most important of all — a way out of the crappy little town he lives in and the bullies that make it all hell for him.
Just when he thinks he’s doomed to be alone, Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, an outrageous, cynical girl who shares Fanboy’s love of comics as well as his hatred for jocks and bullies. Fanboy can’t resist someone who actually seems to understand him, and soon he finds himself willing to heed her advice — to ignore or crush anyone who stands in his way.
But Kyra has secrets, too. And they could lead Fanboy to his dreams…or down a path into his own darkness.

To Enter:

• Answer the question: If you were in a comic book, what would your superhero/supervillian name be and why? (+1)
• Bookmark, Stumble, Twitter Favorite, etc. this post (+1 e. / 3 per person)
• Link to this post in your sidebar (+2)
• Become a follower (+2)
• Subscribe via RSS or Email (+2)
• Add me to your blogroll and provide a link (+2)
• Already a follower (+3)
• Already subscribed (+3)
• Post about this contest on your blog (+5)
• Comment on any of my book reviews – must be a thoughtful comment, not just “Nic job!” (+5 e. / 3 per person)

Deadline is September 3rd, 2009.

US ONLY. (unless you can get someone in the US to mail you the book)

This is a wonderful, funny book so I hope you all enter!

Waiting on Wednesday (7) : Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Release on: August 25, 2009

First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . .
The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.
Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.
David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.

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I love David Levithan and I’ve heard great things about this book! Crazy excited!

Additional Links:

David Levithan’s Website

"Waiting on Wednesday" was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Review: The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
Hardback, First Edition
Release Date: March 22nd 2005 from Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 240
Best enjoyed by: Females, Ages 13+
Rating: B

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Life’s definitely not easy for Ruby Oliver. In ten days time, she’s been shunned by her friends, lost her boyfriend, and has become a social pariah. To make matters worse, Ruby has to see a shrink to talk about her problems. But Doctor Z doesn’t seem of much help when she asks Ruby to compose a list of all the boys in her life and said list gets copied and distributed throughout the school. Armed only with her talent for making lists, Ruby has to get through her sophomore year, prove her new reputation as a slut false, and maybe win everyone back.

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Two months ago I reviewed The Boyfriend List, but two things happened. The first was that I received the third Ruby Oliver book in the mail (more on that later) and the second was that I was dissatisfied with my original review. So now I’m redoing it.

The Boyfriend List is basically a collection of short stories about different boys Ruby has known, but most chapters also have what is going on in the present. At times it was hard for me to switch back and forth so quickly, but other times it was interesting to read about the version Ruby knew of the boy and compare him to the boy he is now.

Ruby’s narration was very realistic, as was the dialogue, and she felt like a real teenage girl. The one thing I couldn’t understand about Ruby was her obsession with Jackson. He’s obviously a major jerk. He dumps her for her best friend! Ag.

As I said before, one of the reasons I wanted to redo this review was because of the third Ruby Oliver book, The Treasure Map of Boys. I got an ARC of this book in July and loved it. I was so amazed by how much more developed the book was than its predecessors. Ruby became an even better character and the plot was great. Wondering what had changed, I reread the other two books and found them to be much better than my initial reaction.

The Boyfriend List is a fun read with a very realistic narrator and rings true to most high school girls. Recommended to teen girls, especially if you liked the Georgia Nicolson books.

Additional Links:

E. Lockhart’s Website | E. Lockhart’s Blog | Read An Excerpt | Goodreads | IndieBound | Borders | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie.

Received:

• Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (ARC) (I actually got this while I was away and have already read it.)
• Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
  

Bought:

• Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (reading now, quite cute)
• Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (Writing reminds me of Libba Bray.)
• My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (felt the need to buy it. I love this book)
• The Devouring by Simon Holt
• The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

Other:

• The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Gothgirl by Barry Lyga (for a contest)

So what did you get in the mail this week?

Debrief : Week of August 2

Debrief is a new blog feature I will do every Saturday to talk about all the things I did on the blog in the past week and my goals for next week.

Sunday (8/2/09) Away.

Monday (8/3/09) Away.

Tuesday (8/4/09) Posted about the Nonfiction Challenge (which you all should join).

Wednesday (8/5/09) I posted my Waiting on Wednesday with Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation.

Thursday (8/6/09) I posted my review of Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens.

Friday (8/7/09) I posted my review of How Not to be Popular.

Saturday (8/8/09) Nothing.

My goal for next week is to post three reviews.

Review: How Not To Be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler

How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler
Hardback, First U.S. Edition
Release Date: January 8, 2008 from Random House, Inc.
Pages: 352
Best Enjoyed by: Female, Ages 13 +
Rating: B

Maggie Dempsey has made a promise with herself not to be popular. Moving around all her life has meant her leaving behind all the new friends she’s made. But it’s the move from Portland to Austin that really makes her miserable, as she has to leave her beloved boyfriend, Trevor. No longer wanting to deal with the pain of loss, she decides that by dressing weirdly and becoming a total loser, she won’t have to worry about making friends and therefore the unhappiness when she moves again.
But what happens when her plan backfires?

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I was pleasantly surprised to find that I enjoyed How Not to be Popular, having thought the whole thing would be too predictable. But while the plot wasn’t anything amazing, Ziegler made up for that by making the book really funny. It was hilarious to read about Maggie’s outfits and other mortifying situations. I also liked that her thinking was the reverse of most new girls, who are so worried about fitting in at a new school. Not that Maggie was exactly true to herself by acting like a complete loser, but she was able be herself eventually.

I liked the supporting characters too. They were actually important to the story and were done quite well. It was nice to see that they weren’t completely scared of the popular kids and didn’t turn into superficial barbies just to fit in. I liked that a lot.

All in all, How Not to be Popular was a quick, fun read. There’s romance, comedy, and a great cast of characters. Recommended to those who enjoy humorous contemporary reads.

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Additional Links:

Jennifer Ziegler’s Website | Jennifer Ziegler’s Blog | Goodreads | IndieBound | Borders | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Review: Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
Paperback, First U.S. Edition
Release Date: August 15, 2009 from Grove Creek Publishing
Pages: 296
Best Enjoyed by: Females, Ages 14 +
Rating: B

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Zoe’s life is spinning out of control. Her parents are more concerned with her younger sister, Abria, who suffers from autism. Her brother Luke is smoking weed with little concern of the consequences. And Zoe is relying on drinking, hooking up, and partying to escape her hectic home life.
But then Matthias comes along. Good, sweet, attractive Matthias. Abria’s guardian angel. Untouchable. But when Zoe finds herself falling for the angel, she breaks the rules and creates her own destiny with him. But can it break the gap of Heaven and Earth?

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I think one of the reasons this book was so well done was because Jennifer Laurens has firsthand experience with dealing with autism. It really added a lot of emotion when Zoe would talk about Abria and her contradicting feelings toward her sister.
The family issues in this book were really intense and again, extremely well done. Unlike some stories, there were many layers of problems and nothing was easily fixed, even when the characters had accepted their problems.
The romance was also sweet and somewhat predictable, but honestly, there are only a handful of books I could name where I couldn’t figure out who the main character would end up with—if there was anyone at all. The writing was also good, though nothing spectacular.
I think my only dislike was the dialogue, which sometimes seemed to cheesy. Also, a minor thing, but it irked me a bit when Matthias would constantly tell Zoe to look in her heart for the answers. Just seemed overdone.

Heavenly was a heartwarming read and the ending really surprised me. There’s a sequel coming out, which surprised me because I thought it was a fine ending, but upon reading the excerpt from it, obviously some twist is going to happen. Recommended to those who like a little bit of fantasy, romance, and family issues.

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Additional Links:

Jennifer Laurens Website | Jennifer Laurens’s Blog | Read an Excerpt | Goodreads | IndieBound | Borders | Barnes & Noble| Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday (6) : Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse by Kaleb Nation

Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse

Release on: September 9, 2009

Bran Hambric was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind -- until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddened creature, speaking of Bran’s true past and trying to kidnap him.
Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created…and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete.
Haunted by the spirit of his mother’s master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past...before it is too late.

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I heard about Kaleb through Maureen Johnson and was immediately excited for this book. For one thing, there are gnomes. Also, Kaleb is still in college and he has a whole series of books! That really inspired me. Can’t wait to get a copy of this one!

Also, check out the trailer for this one. I don’t really watch book trailers, but I love this one. And the music in the background? Kaleb composed it!

Additional Links:

Read An Excerpt | Kaleb Nation’s Website & Twitter

"Waiting on Wednesday" was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

The Nonfiction Challenge

While my blog is called I Am Nonfiction, it can be said that I do not read much nonfiction, unless assigned for school. Most of what I have found is dull and uninteresting. However, many people I know love nonfiction and I’m wondering if I’m looking in all the wrong places. So this is my quest for good nonfiction, preferably books that teens can enjoy too.

I’m not sure if people will be interested, but I thought that I would post about this and see if other would like to join. My rules are below, but you can add more if you’d like.

The rules:

1. Read ten nonfiction titles and review them. No audiobooks. You must read them.
2. Sign up with the Mr. Linky at the bottom with a link to your post about this challenge. If you don’t have a blog, no worries. Just say you’re interested in the comments form.
3. With each review I post for one of my nonfiction books, there will be a Mr. Linky for you to post yours.
4. Reviews do not have to be on a blog. You can use Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.
5. This challenge will end August 4th, 2010. You can join anytime before then.

My plan is to read one book a month. I haven’t found any interesting titles yet, so if you have suggestions, I would love to hear them. As I said before, I’d like to find ones that teens can enjoy too, since this is a YA blog and all.

I wish you the best of luck if you’re participating.

Blog Update : I’m Back!

So the last three posts were all scheduled from while I was away. Not many, I know. But here’s to say I’m back and will be having a contest coming up sometime this month and quite a few book reviews including Eyes Like Stars, The Demon’s Lexicon, Going Too Far, Swoon, all three Ruby Oliver books, Silver Phoenix, The Awakening, How Not to be Popular, Evermore, and more. (The whole list can be seen here, though some of the reviews will be published when the paperback edition of the book comes out.)

Anyway, I’ll try and post a review tonight. Have one that’s almost finished. Stay tuned kiddos, and sorry for the huge break.