Review: Hedgeland by A. Nyland

Hedgeland by A. Nyland

198 pages - - I received this book (digital format) free of charge in exchange for an honest review and participation in the blog tour.

Amazon Product Description:
Hedgeland, an urban fantasy of time travel. Dr April Neuland, a Professor of Ancient Languages turned non-fiction writer, has been plagued by dreams all her life, dreams of her past life in the Celtic Otherworld. Meanwhile, in a parallel dimension of April's past and Caridwen's future, Worthing, a Future History Professor, has allied with the Military to access Future Internet communications and use new technology to influence April to write an ebook novel revealing where she, in her past life as Caridwen, hid the Kiste, a device to travel through time and space. Hedgeland weaves all three time/space frames: Caridwen, Worthing and April. Hedgeland is the first in the Hedgecraft Sequence, but is a fully self contained novel with no cliff hangers.


My thoughts:
This is unlike anything I have read lately.  I was drawn into Caridwen's life rather quickly, but I had a hard time always making the transition between the others lives and hers.  It took me a bit to get into, but once I got the hang of the interchanges I enjoyed it.  I was shocked by the complexity of the story, it was unexpected.  I enjoyed the characters.  I can't wait for the next book!

Blogger was down - yes it was sad, but really!

I just wanted to take a quick moment out of my day to comment about the time when blogger was down.  WOW - sooooooooo many people who are using a FREE service to interface with hundreds of people, most of which are ALSO using a FREE service, are complaining about a lag time of - according to a number of others, 20.5 hours.  REALLY - you clocked the time the service was down?????? 

A service that we enjoy at absolutely NO COST.

I have to admit that I was sad that blogger was down, because wanted to work on my blog -and because, well I personally have no real life - apparently I am not the only one - but I used the time to catch up on my google reader - READ some books, and actually enjoy some GUILT FREE time away from my book blog.

So....what I am trying to say is THANK YOU BLOGGER for providing a place for people like me to spend loads of time!

I LOVE my blog - I love that I get to talk to other readers and authors about reading and books.  I love that I get to hear about books; new, old, and in between that have made an impact in some way on someones life.  I am so excited that I have be fortunate enough to meet some crazy and amazing people in the blog world.  I am thrilled to have a stack of books that I have won or gotten for review - directly from blogs and bloggers.

Waiting on Wednesday!

What am I waiting on this Wednesday?  Well, I would love to be waiting for more time to arrive, but as that can't possibly happen and as I have so many books 'waiting' to be read this Wednesday I am actually waiting on a book signing.  Richelle Mead will be in Minneapolis, MN next weekend (5/22/11)!

Over the winter, she had planned a stop here, but we got a blizzard - shocking! In Minnesota? Say it isn't so.

The previously planned signing was to take place the same weekend that the Metrodome collapsed from the weight of the snow on the dome.   Flights were cancelled and Richelle got stranded - not in MN - so....

Now she's coming back and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited!

My friend Kathy (Inside of a Dog) and I will be attending this long awaited book signing.  It should be fun.

Anyone who lives here in MN and plans to attend - please comment, we can chat in the signing line!

Blog Carnival Winner!

Winner!!!

Congrats Louisa P!

The winner has chosen e-books of both Foresight and Second Sight.

They have been notified and their information has been forwarded to the author!

Thanks to all who entered!

Winner! The Dive Doctrine by Patricia V. Davis

Congrats Alicia T!

They are the winner of a copy of The Diva Doctrine by Patricia V. Davis! 

The winner has been contacted via email and their mailing information has been forwarded to the author!

Thanks to all who entered!

Review: The Misadventures of Phillip Isaac Penn by Donna Peterson

The Misadventures of Phillip Isaac Penn by Donna Peterson

Amazon Product Description:
Everybody calls Phillip Isaac Penn, Pip. And usually they yell it at the top of their lungs. Sure he might forget to close the classroom mice's cage door, or leave his mother's hair dryer in bathtub (hey, it's unplugged), and he might even make it so that Liar Lizzy gets caught, but that doesn't make him bad. It's just not easy being a kid.


*I got this book from Cedar Fort using NetGalley - free of charge in exchange for an honest review and participating in the tour.


My thoughts:
This is a wonderfully entertaining story about a week in the life of a young boy who seems to spend most of his time getting into trouble.  It is a story that will have all adult readers remembering at least one young man they have known.  Pip, as everyone calls him, seems to radiate trouble which just compounds upon itself.  The descriptions of Pip's feelings about the situations he gets himself into are great.  I love how he seems to "get" a lesson of some sort out of each day and still end it with his firm belief that the things that happen aren't his fault because it's just not easy being a kid.
Each chapter in the book is one day in his life.  As a reader you start to feel sorry for Pip.  I found myself laughing, shaking my head, making the "that's not fair" face, and cheering all at different points throughout the story.  
The book is short, the humor is abundant and Pip is a fantastic character.  I would recommend this as an elementary read aloud for certain.  It would be fun for students to start or end the day hearing about Pip's adventures.