Books 'n' Bloggers Swap Reveal!

YAY! It's time to reveal my goodies!

This swap is hosted by the lovely ladies at Chaotic Goddess Swaps. 

Here is some information about the swap

The Swap Objective

Send your partner THREE books:

A book you love
A book you haven't read but are interested in
A book from your partner's wish list

This time, I was paired with Lisa @ Lisa Loves Literature and she did an AMAZING job picking books for me! She really took the time to sift through my wishlist and got me three books that I really want to read!

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Demon King by Cinda Willaims Chima

Thank You Lisa! 

Check out what other people got here.

Stacking the Shelves #29 (1/31/2015)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Gifted

The Selection by Kiera Cass
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Demon King by Cinda Willaims Chima

Thank you to Lisa @ Lisa Loves Literature for being an awesome CGSwaps partner!

A Wizard Rises - Blog Tour

Thursday, January 29th marks the release of

Book III in The Golden Key Legacy...


A Wizard Rises

by

AJ Nuest

The homecoming celebration held in honor of Princess Faedrah is fraught with perilous frustration. Her nightmares have returned thricefold and, to her horror, a horrendous blight has spread like a plague throughout the kingdom. Compounding her worries, Rhys’ arrival in her world has been welcomed with the exact horror-filled reaction she expected. Her beloved has been cast into the dungeons, and no amount of arguing with the king and queen will prove he’s her fated love.

Magical powers were supposed to be a gift, or so Rhys McEleod had always believed. Too bad the second he landed in Faedrah’s world the legacy he inherited slammed into his body like a weight. He’s got zero control and his constant visions of Faedrah fighting an evil entity aren’t helping. At least her parents made the right decision and stuck him away someplace safe. Until he can figure out his next move, prove himself an ally and uncover the clues to stopping Faedrah’s nightmares, he’s got no choice but to wait…and learn exactly what he’s become.

It's a $0.99 SALE!!!

The entire The Golden Key Legacy

is sale priced!!!

A Furious Muse, Book I...

Since the day of her birth, Princess Faedrah Austiere has been defined by her place within the kingdom. As the single heir to the half-blood gypsy king and his prophesied white queen, she is fiercely protected, shuttered inside an ivory castle and well-trained in the art of war. Yet neither her obligations as future queen nor the black infestation threatening her kingdom fail to hinder the mysterious pull of the antique armoire hidden in her parents’ bedchamber. And stealing the golden key for a leap through time is the only way to confront the dark lord haunting her dreams.
One face. The image of one defiant, relentless woman has been stuck in Rhys McEleod’s head ever since he was old enough paint her luscious curves on the canvas. But the day she walks into his life off the street—sexier than hell and itching for a fight—he’s not convinced she’s the same women he’s envisioned since childhood. That is, not until he spots the golden key around her neck—an object he’d never fully shown in any of his paintings.

Now if he could just persuade his lovely muse he’s not the enemy. Unless the elusive Faedrah Austiere learns to trust him, he’ll never have her in his bed—the one place he’s convinced she belongs.

~ * ~

The Sacrifice, Book II...

The second Faedrah Austiere walked into his life off the canvas, everything in Rhys McEleod’s world stopped making sense. Not only does her story sound like a Grimm’s fairy tale, evidently he’s been cast as the villain. If that isn’t enough, the mirror inside that old, beat up armoire at her uncle’s condo is supposedly a doorway to another world. Ever since the pathway opened, something inside him has seemed…off. If what his muse says is true, they are headed for an epic showdown, but he isn’t about to let her go. Nothing is more important than Faedrah’s protection, even if her parents refuse to accept him.

Though certain their fates are bound by more than the golden key Princess Faedrah wears around her neck, it is paramount Rhys’ true identity be kept secret. Should news of his bloodline ever reach her kingdom, their entire quest to save her people could be lost. Their only hope to prove his loyalty is to steal the map to the dark lord’s Crystal Crypt. Yet her a plan endangers her beloved more than the accusations he faces in her kingdom and, to escape evil’s grasp, she and Rhys must take a leap of faith beyond her wildest imagination. 

Pre-Order the Final Installment in this epic time travel fantasy romance!

A Time of Reckoning

Releases February 26th!

 

Rhys had one job to do. One measly errand that shouldn’t have been a problem, given the nature of his powers. But when an old enemy reappears, detailing the result of his actions, Rhys is forced to make a choice between a future with Faedrah or dying before his time. Frustrated and out of options, he agrees to her suggestion they to leap forward in time to the future…even though a good chance exists his powers will be nothing but a memory in his world. Flying blind on a wing and a prayer, they prepare to fight for everything they love against a wizard of insurmountable power.

Faedrah does her best to gather their closest allies. The sides are squared in a war to control the future of both worlds. With the stakes so high, only one advantage has been cast in their favor. The sigil of utmost protection inherent in Rhys’ signature. If not enough to thwart the evil awaiting at the Austiere gates, she could find herself imprisoned in the future, while her kingdom and all those she has sworn to protect are lost to the mists of time.

~Join the Party on Facebook~

On Thursday January 29th, we'll be celebrating the release of

A Wizard Rises on Facebook!

Prizes, Contest, Author Giveaways!

Don't miss out! Click HERE to join in the fun!!!

Stacking the Shelves #28 (1/25/2015)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

For Review


Bright Fire by MJ Austin


Won

The Girl Who Never Was by Skyler Dorset
(Thank you Arcyrcling and Jen @ LRAtrandom)

Siege and Storm

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2
Publication: June 4, 2014
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads: Darkness never dies.Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Rating: êêêê

Review

I am seriously struggling to find words for this review, in a good way. This book is like the middle of a french braid, pieces from the beginning are still being woven in and at the same time we are adding new pieces, making the layers to this story beautiful and thought provoking. I think that my favorite part of this book were the characters. Alina and Mal both continue to develop and grow, not necessarily in the direction I thought each of them would, but in retrospect, it feels right. I think my favorite character is the privateer that we meet in this book. I'm really curious about what the Darkling and the Apparat are up to. The relationships in this book are complex and felt real to me. The action was intense. The plot moves at a somewhat jerky pace, but it works and kept me on my toes. 

Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha #1
Publication Date: June 5, 2012
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

Rating: êêêêê

Review

I was sucked into this book right away. I loved the way we were introduced to the characters and the world; it was like a light dream that slowly became reality. I loved the world that this book takes place it, yes it took me a little while to understand some of the language, but I was always intrigued and never overwhelmed. I loved the characters, they were well developed and consistent. The plot moved at a perfect pace, it kept me wanting more and kept my brain thinking. There were unpredictable twists that thickened the plot and made me hungry for more. This book has everything that a good quality fantasy novel needs. Literally, I finished the book and struggled to come up with words to describe how much I enjoyed it and how badly I wanted more. I am still speechless, hence the short review.

Stacking the Shelves #27 (1/17/2015)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

For Review


The Donor by Nikki Rae
Seeker by Arwen Elys Dayton

Purchased

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

New Year, New Look

I am so excited to reveal the new look of Follow the Yellow Book Road! I've been wanting something with a clean and simple look for quite some time now, but lack the skills to design and install something myself. Luckily, Jen @ Not Now... I'm Reading! was holding a giveaway for a premade design by Imagination Designs, and I won!! A huge THANK YOU to Jen and Lori for making this new look possible for me! I love it and couldn't be happier!

Book Blogger Hop #12 (week of January 16)

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Its purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new blogs, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Each week bloggers answer a different question. This week's question is: Do you write a review for every book you read or only review copies from publishers?

I write a review for every book I read. :)

Waiting on Wednesday #3 (1/14/2015)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J Maas

Publication Date: May 5, 2015

Summary from Goodreads: When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

31 Days to Better Blogging Challenge

Yup! This is another challenge. I feel like I might be biting off more than I can chew with challenges, so I am going to participating in this challenge but at my own pace.

This challenge is hosted by Parajunkee. The goal is to make your blog better. Each day there is a different task with tips.


Honestly, I want my blog to be better. I want it to be reader friendly and I'd like to increase my regular readers, so hopefully this will help!

A World Without Princes - Book Review

Author: Soman Chainani
Series: The School for Good and Evil #2
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Source: Purchased (at the Boston Book Festival)

Summary from Goodreads: In the epic sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, The School for Good and Evil, Sophie and Agatha are home, living out their Ever After. But life isn’t quite the fairy tale they expected.
When Agatha secretly wishes she’d chosen a different happy ending, she reopens the gates to the School for Good and Evil. But the world she and Sophie once knew has changed.
Witches and princesses, warlocks and princes are no longer enemies. New bonds are forming; old bonds are being shattered. But underneath this uneasy arrangement, a war is brewing and a dangerous enemy rises. As Agatha and Sophie battle to restore peace, an unexpected threat could destroy everything, and everyone, they love—and this time, it comes from within.
Soman Chainani has created a spectacular world that Newbery Medal-winning author Ann M. Martin calls, “a fairy tale like no other, complete with romance, magic, and humor that will keep you turning pages until the end.”

Rating: Did Not Finish

Review

Given how much I enjoyed book 1 (The School for Good and Evil), I was excited about reading another book set in this intriguing world. Unfortunately this book just never drew me in. At around the 50% mark, I've decided to call it quits because it was literally a chore for me to pick it up. When I did make myself pick it up, I'd read a few pages and then found myself distracted. It just wasn't doing it for me.

I was disappointed with the lack of character development. While this was a strength in the first book, it seems like there was none in the second book.

I was excited because at The Boston Book Festival, the author talked about this book's exploration of gender roles and made "A World Without Princes" seem as if  in this book the princes are literally gone. But that was not the case, I am confused by what the author was trying to do with gender roles; is he mocking them? is he trying to send the message that we need them? Ultimately, I felt like this book was un-doing all the good work of book one and I just wasn't interested anymore.

Stacking the Shelves #26 (1/10/2015)

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Purchased

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (40th anniversary edition with forward by Gregory Maguire)

2015 Discussion Challenge

I am so excited to join this challenge because one of my goals for this blog is to include more discussions.

This challenge is hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight! Sign up here.

My goal for this challenge is 1 - 12 Discussion Dabbler. 

This is a full year challenge that will have link ups and giveaways! Squee!!

Do you have any topics that you would like to see discussed on my blog?

The School for Good and Evil - Book Review

Author: Soman Chainani
Series: The School for Good and Evil #1
Publication Date: May 14, 2013
Source: Purchased (at the Boston Book Festival)

Summary from Goodreads: The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.
But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?
The School for Good & Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.

Rating: êêêê

Review

I love the concept and setting of this book. Children who are kidnapped, taught at a school to be good or evil and end up in a fairy tale? The beginning of this book does an excellent job of setting the scene and drawing you in slowly, like quicksand I didn't realize I was immersed until it was too late and I was sucked in.

The characters are extremely well developed. Sophie and Agatha (the two main characters) are amazingly well developed . The supporting characters were perfect for their roles as supporters, we knew enough about them to distinguish between them and understand them, but they never overpowered or overshadowed the main characters.When I attended Boston Book Festival and heard Soman Chainani speak about this book, I was immediately interested because he talked a lot about the idea of female villainity (and I am partial to female villains). He did a spectacular job developing this idea throughout the book.

The book moves at an excellent pace; before I knew it, it was 1 am and I was halfway through the book. I loved the classes that the students took at the school. There are a lot of thematic elements in this book as well as some stereotype bending. There were so many times that I stopped for a moment and thought to myself, "hmm that would be an interesting thing to discuss". I wish I wrote them down. I could easily see this book being used in school because it is fun and interesting to read, but has so much potential to teach.

The book is not without its flaws, there were two glaring things that stood out to me, and knocked this down from 5 stars to 4. While it is a book about friendship, I did not believe that Sophie and Agatha were best friends, however I enjoyed seeing their friendship grow. I also found the role of the adults to be somewhat questionable.

It's a middle grade fantasy fairy tale spin off, but it can easily be enjoyed by any age group. I will be starting book two ASAP!

Books 'n' Bloggers Swap

YAY! The Books 'n' Bloggers Swap is happening again! This swap is hosted by the lovely ladies at Chaotic Goddess Swaps. This is my second time participating in the swap and I am super excited to participate again.

Here is some information about the swap

The Swap Objective

Send your partner THREE books:

A book you love
A book you haven't read but are interested in
A book from your partner's wish list

Sounds fun, right?! If you're interested in getting involved, visit the Chaotic Goddess Swaps sign up page here (hurry, sign ups end Jan 12)

1 Year Blogoversary

It's officially been one year since I started Follow the Yellow Book Road!


If you have ever read a post, commented on a post, followed my blog, entered a giveaway, emailed me, tweeted or retweeted me, or supported me in some other way Thank You!

You all have welcomed me into this wonderful community of book bloggers and I love being a part of it.


When I started blogging, it was a way for me to organize my thoughts and connect with people who shared my interest in reading. I really had no idea what I was doing, but I've learned a lot.


And I've made a few friends! A special thank you goes to the following amazing people

• Aneta @ Angelic Book Reviews who posted my very first comment on this post
• Val @ The Innocent Smiley for answering my emails when I first started blogging and had no idea how to use block quotes! And for being one of my first consistent followers! 
• Monique @ Mo Books for being one of my first consistent followers and always willing to share your wisdom!
• Avery @ Avery's Designs for designing the current look of my blog and being infinitely patient with all my crazy requests.
• AJ Nuest for being the first author that ever connected with me, shared her work with me, and asked me to join her street team.
• Everyone who regularly follows and comments on my posts, Thank You!

Some of my book blogging accomplishments this year include:

• 229 total posts 
• 221 book review posts
• 135 total followers via GFC and Bloglovin
• approximately 13,000 pageviews
• 2 Book Events where I met the following authors: Sarah J Maas, Alexandra Bracken, Dawn Metcalf, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Soman Chainani, and Gregory Maguire
• My most visited post is the reveal of my blog design 

Thank you all so much for your support this year!

For those of you interested in helping me tackle one of my goals/resolutions for 2015, check out and participate in this Book BINGO Challenge!

Giveaway 

To celebrate, I am hosting a givaway!

To earn extra entries, here is a book cover challenge (if the rafflecopter chooses a book cover challenge entry as the winner, only correct answers will count)
*HINT: all covers in this challenge have been reviewed by me this year!

Prize: Any book that I have reviewed on the blog (max $20)

To see the complete list visit one of the archive pages

The Rules:

Open Internationally as long as the Book Depository ships to you

Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to reply before an alternate winner is picked

All entries must be made via Rafflecopter and are subject to verification

Follow the Yellow Book Road is not responsible for prizes that are lost or damaged in the mail

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank You!

Top Ten Tuesday #19 (1/6/2015)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and Bookish, and this week's Top Ten is Top Ten Most Anticipated Debut Novels For 2015.

Coldest Girl in Coldtown - Book Review

Author: Holly Black
Publication Date: September 3, 2013
Source: Purchased

Summary from Goodreads: Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown's gates, you can never leave.
One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

Rating: êêêê

Review

It's official, I am a fan of Holly Black and most definitely will continue to read her work!

I was sucked into this story right away. Our main character, Tana, wakes up after a party surrounded by the corpses of her friends. I loved that the setting was Springfield, MA.

The world building was fabulous! I think we all know that vampire stories seemed to be the in thing for quite a while, and unfortunately many of those stories were repetitive and unoriginal. Holly Black's story is a breath of fresh air. She has created an interesting and unique take on vampires, with a believable human response, and she has developed an impressively authentic world.

I loved the characters. The two major characters were extremely well developed, while they are not perfect, they are likeable. Their back stories are amazingly detailed and are delivered at precisely the right moments. The supporting characters are also well developed and interesting. The villain is detestable.

The book moves at a good pace, there are quite a few unpredictable twists and turns that thicken the plot. There were a few places where the book was a bit overly descriptive for my taste, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment.

The only thing that truly bothered me was the ending. It was beautiful and perfect, but I am left with lack of completeness.

2015 Netgalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Falling for YA. Basically the goal is to tackle your review books and get your feedback percentage up.

I participated in this challenge last year. My goal was 25 books and I completed 20 and my percentage is 100%. This year I am going to set my goal at 25 books and to maintain a percentage of 80% or better. I am also going to sign up at Edelweiss this year.

What challenges are you participating in this year?

If you're interested in a fun and easy book challenge, I am hosting a Book BINGO challenge this year.

The Glass Magician - Book Review

Author: Charlie N Holmberg
Series: The Paper Magician Series #2
Publication Date: November 4, 2014
Source: Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary from Goodreads: Three months after returning Magician Emery Thane’s heart to his body, Ceony Twill is well on her way to becoming a Folder. Unfortunately, not all of Ceony’s thoughts have been focused on paper magic. Though she was promised romance by a fortuity box, Ceony still hasn’t broken the teacher-student barrier with Emery, despite their growing closeness.
When a magician with a penchant for revenge believes that Ceony possesses a secret, he vows to discover it…even if it tears apart the very fabric of their magical world. After a series of attacks target Ceony and catch those she holds most dear in the crossfire, Ceony knows she must find the true limits of her powers…and keep her knowledge from falling into wayward hands.
The delightful sequel to Charlie N. Holmberg’s The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician will charm readers young and old alike.

Rating: êê

Review

This book is a mediocre continuation of the story from the first book in the series.

Unfortunately, our main characters do not really develop at all. Their relationship continues to be confusing and sort of takes over the first half of he book, in a somewhat annoying way.

While there is action in this book, the reason is unclear. Usually I do not complain about characters making poor decisions in order to move the action and the plot forward, however I really struggled with this because I really didn't understand what they were fighting against. The villains do not have a clear motive and lack character development to truly make them detestable.

The writing is ok, but similar to the first book the story drags in places. There was also a strange jerky transition where we switch POV for a chapter which felt unnatural, like it was a filler.

I am curious about what where the third book will lead and what will happen with the two main characters and the stories are quick enough to read in a day or two so it is likely that I will complete the series.