Repeat Review: "I Capture the Castle" by Dodie Smith

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 343 pages
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Release Date: 1998 March 15 (first published in 1948)
Source: Personal Collection
Buy the book: Amazon/Book Depository

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over a six-month period, first in a sixpenny book, then in a shilling book, and, finally, in a splendid two-guinea book, to hone her writing skills. And it is within these pages that she candidly chronicles her encounters with the estate's new, young, and handsome American landlords, the effects of her sister Rose's marital ambitions, her writer's-blocked father's anguished and ultimately renewed creativity, and her own hopeless, first descent into love.

By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle" - and the heart of the reader - in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

2nd Annual Back to the Books Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my stop on the Back to the Books Giveaway Hop! This Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Buried in Books. I had so much fun with this giveaway hop last year, I decided to do it again! Unlike last year, I have decided to do this one as an international giveaway. Yay! So, without further ado, here is what you can win.

Lightning Review: "A Million Suns" by Beth Revis

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 386 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: 10 January 2012
Source: Purchased for personal collection
Buy the book: Amazon/Book Depository

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. Everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to act on his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder learns shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a mystery that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier. Their success - or failure - will determine the fate of the 2,298 passengers aboard Godspeed. But with each step, the journey becomes more perilous, the ship more chaotic, and the love between them more impossible to fight.

Beth Revis catapulted readers into the far reaches of space with her New York Times bestselling debut, Across the Universe. In A Million Suns, Beth deepens the mystery with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion:

They have to get off this ship.

Team Kilt Giveaway Hop!

Hello, all! Today I've decided to do a little something special. If you've been hanging out in the YA book blogging community lately, you may have noticed a little something called the YA Crush Tourney. This is a tourney hosted by the awesome chickadees at The YA Sisterhood and is dedicated to showcasing some of the most crush-worthy guys in YA fiction. Basically, you vote for hot guys. Sweet, right? Well, today is an epic day. One of my personal favorites, Zachary Moore from Jeri Smith-Ready's Shade trilogy, is up against a formidable foe today. We of #TeamKilt (Zachary's amazing group of fans) are joining together to get as many votes for our beloved Zach as possible. In order to help out, I've decided to participate in the Team Kilt Giveaway Hop hosted by Karen at For What It's Worth.

So what am I giving away? Oh nothing, just...

Summer Lovin' Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Summer Lovin' Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Tifferz Book Review! My stop on the giveaway hop is for US/International followers, as long as the Book Depository ships to your country. Please see the terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter form for more details. For this giveaway, you can choose ONE book from the list below. I would do more, but I just finished a giveaway and I'm not exactly rolling in dough. Hee hee.

So here are some fun, summer reads I think everyone is bound to enjoy! Happy reading!

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012!

Day two of Armchair BEA is all about our favorite 2012 reads. To be completely honest, I haven't read a whole heck of a lot this year. I think my Goodreads challenge says I'm 8 or 9 books behind my goal right now. Yikes! With that said, I have read some amazing books this year! Here are just a few of my favorites:

Armchair BEA: Introductions First!

After hearing so many wonderful things about Armchair BEA (BookExpo America) last year, I thought I'd try my hand at participating this go around. There are bound to be heaps of amazing post, giveaways and other events, so be sure to check it all out here! To start things off, we've been asked to answer some questions about ourselves. Here goes!

Review: "13 Little Blue Envelopes" by Maureen Johnson

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 319 pages
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: 26 September 2006
Source: Borrowed from my Seestar
Buy the book: Amazon

When Ginny receives thirteen little blue envelopes and instructions to buy a plane ticket to London, she knows something exciting is going to happen. What Ginny doesn't know is that she will have the adventure of her life and it will change her in more ways than one. Life and love are waiting for her across the Atlantic, and the thirteen little blue envelopes are the key to finding them in this funny, romantic, heartbreaking novel. (Goodreads)

Review: "Legend" by Marie Lu

Legend by Marie Lu
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 305 pages
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: 29 November 2011
Source: Purchased
Buy the book: Amazon

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias' death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Review: "Shine" by Jeri Smith-Ready

Shine (Shade, book 3) by Jeri Smith-Ready
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: 1 May 2012
Source: Publisher
Buy the book: Amazon

Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves…even if that means betraying her own heart. (Goodreads)

Review: "Goddess Interrupted" by Aimée Carter

Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carter
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 27 March 2012
Source: NetGalley/Purchased
ISBN: 9780373210459
Buy the book: Physical Copy/Kindle

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet.

Henry's first wife, Persephone. (Goodreads)

February Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

It's about that time again! What time, might you be asking? It's time to share a bit on how my reading challenges are going, of course!

A lot has been going on this month, let me tell you. First of all, I was kind of in a reading funk, but that is now over, thank goodness! Also, I got a new job working at one of my favorite bookstores! Yay! I officially start on Friday (the 2nd) and I am nervous, but super excited. AND, this last weekend I was able to go to the Breathless Reads tour in California with my sister. I had an absolute BLAST listening to and meeting with Beth Revis, Andrea Cremer, Marie Lu and Jessica Spotswood. If you haven't met these wonderful ladies yet (or read their books), I highly suggest doing so. Like now.

Being so busy and preoccupied with a million different things, reading was a bit of a challenge for me. However... though I may have been in a reading funk, I did get some books read. Here's what I've been reading:

January Reading Challenge Wrap-Up

I thought I'd share a bit on how my reading challenges are going so far. I have to admit, I've only finished two books... and neither of them were for a challenge. Oops! But I do have a bit of an update for both challenges I'm participating in anyway, so here goes.

2012 Mythology Reading Challenge!

The 2012 Mythology Reading Challenge is hosted by For Those About to Read... and I am PUMPED! For as long as I can remember, mythology has been one of my favorite things. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Norse, Celtic, Polynesian, you name it! I adore mythology like I adore ice cream... that's a lot.

Here are my tentative picks (in no specific order and definitely subject to change):

Repeat Reading Challenge 2012!

So it begins! I am so excited to be hosting this reading challenge, you have no idea. There are heaps of books I've been dying to re-read, but the ever-increasing TBR pile is so demanding! I always felt like I was being indulgent if I wanted to set aside the new reads for an older one... this challenge definitely gives me an excuse to indulge! Haha! For more information about this challenge, click on the badge above.

I know I'm not the fastest reader, so I'm going to try for Level 2 (re-reading 10 books). As for which books I want to read, there are tons! I'm sure the list will change many times, but here are some novels I've been wanting to read again (in no particular order):

Repeat Reading Challenge Sign-up & Information

Have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you wanted to dive right back in? Maybe you keep thinking about reading a past favorite again, but you find it difficult to fit it in (possibly due to your ever-growing TBR pile). Perhaps there's a much anticipated sequel coming out and you'd like to re-read the first book again to refresh your memory a bit. TADA! In comes the Repeat Reading Challenge!  I decided to host this challenge as a way to help me (and you too, of course) re-read some of those books that simply beg to be read again. If you've been wanting to do the same thing, then this challenge is for you!

So... I'm sure there are a lot of questions. Hopefully the following information will answer most of them!