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My name is Ardis and I am an avid reader and budding writer. I want to share my love of books with others. I work with kids and am interested in finding and creating books that will ignite the reader in everyone. Contact me at: ardis.atkins@gmail.com

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MsArdychan's bookshelf: read

I Owe You One
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Love, Hate & Other Filters
The Wartime Sisters
The Belles
The Gilded Wolves
Hey, Kiddo
Blackberry and Wild Rose
Queen of Air and Darkness
Firestarter
The Retribution of Mara Dyer
The Evolution of Mara Dyer


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Tuesday, February 28, 2017

ARC Review: 10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31019571-10-things-i-can-see-from-here
Please Note:  I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from the publisher's First In Line program.  This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis (From GoodReads):
Think positive.
Don’t worry; be happy.
Keep calm and carry on.


Maeve has heard it all before. She’s been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it’s not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom—the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through—is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver.

Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn’t seem to worry about anything. Between her dad’s wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?


Review:
I really appreciate that this year I have been part of Random House's First In Line program.  It has given me access to several fantastic YA books.  10 Things I Can See From Here is no exception.  I was weary of it's serious subject matter (anxiety and addiction) at first.  But I was won over by winning characters and a story that made me care deeply about what would happen.
 
What I Liked:
Characters:
Maeve is the main character in the book.  She has major problems with anxiety but there is so much more to her than that.  I loved that Maeve had such conflicting emotions about the adults in her life.  She loves her parents, but sees how self-involved they are, too.  She is also an artist and a wonderful older sister to her twin half-brothers.  Even when things get rough, she feels responsible enough to put her worries aside to be there for those she loves.

Salix is the girl that Maeve meets when she temporarily moves to Vancouver to be with her dad.  Again, I liked that she was not perfect.  She did not really get how all-encompassing Maeve's anxiety was.  There were several scenes where Salix oversimplifies what Maeve is dealing with and offers trite solutions.  Instead of getting frustrated with her, Maeve accepts that Salix will probably not ever truly understand.  

Another aspect of this relationship that I love is that Salix's is NOT there to save Maeve.  Maeve must deal with her problems on her own.  Salix is a great support, but she also has issues of her own to work on.

Parents:
One of my pet peeves in YA is the trope where the parents are practically missing in the story.  Not so in this book.  Maeve's dad and step-mom are front and center in this book.  What I appreciated was that these were fully-formed characters with good points and lots of flaws.  Maeve sees what is going on in her parent's lives, including addiction, divorce, job insecurity, and anger issues.  These parents are not perfect, but the book shows that they really are trying.

Love Story:
I found the romantic parts of the book to be lovely and realistic.  In many books, the characters usually seem to know instinctively what to do in the kissing (and more) area.  Of course, the reality is that many people fumble through their first relationships and sexual encounters.  I thought the book got to the heart of what it means to be young and experience love and lust for the first time.

What I Was Mixed About:
Possible Triggers:
The main character, Maeve, struggles with anxiety.  To show this, the book goes into great detail about accident and death statistics, and other horrible scenarios Maeve thinks about that fuel her worries.  While I understood why the author did this, I think reading this might actually trigger an anxiety attack!  Obviously this was not the intention, but I know people who will react just as Maeve does.  Perhaps a warning?
 
Tone:
The book's tone is uneven at times.  While there are many difficult moments for poor Maeve to deal with in the story, there are also sections that are meant to be funny, but seem out of place in this book.  When she is anxious, Maeve constructs elaborate obituaries for various things happening in the story.  Since there is an actual death in the book, I thought the obits were in poor taste.




Rating: 




Release Date:  February 28th, 2017

Genre:  YA Fiction / YA LGBTQ Fiction

Source:  Random House "First In Line" program

Format:  Paperback book

Recommendation: With it's serious subject matters of anxiety and addition, this was tough to read, at times.  But one is rewarded with great characters, a sweet romance, and a compelling story.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31019571-10-things-i-can-see-from-here

https://www.amazon.com/10-Things-Can-See-Here/dp/0399556257/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487632844&sr=1-1&keywords=10+things+i+can+see+from+here

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/10-things-i-can-see-from-here-carrie-mac/1124063867?ean=9780399556258

https://www.bookdepository.com/10-Things-I-Can-See-from-Here/9780399556258

 
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Monday, February 27, 2017

Bay Area Book Events #36

Due to the enormous size of this list, I only show events about four weeks in advance.  The master calendar will continue to show all the events I can find that are listed on each bookstore's site.

Bookstores in this list may include:  
Barnes & Noble (various Bay Area Locations)
Book Passage (Corte Madera & San Francisco)
The Booksmith (San Francisco)
Books Inc. (various Bay Area Locations)
Pegasus Books (Berkeley & Oakland)
Hicklebee's Children's Books (San Jose)
A Great Good Place For Books (Oakland)
Kepler's Books (Menlo Park) 
Diesel, A Bookstore (Oakland)


I am attempting to make this a one stop place to find book signings in the San Francisco Bay Area! I will mostly focus on YA books, but I will also include some general fiction if I think it will be of interest.  I do not list non-fiction books (There are simply too many events of those to list).  I think this is an extensive list, but there is always the possibility that I missed an event (Hey, I'm human). If you think there is an event that I should include, please leave me a note in the comments section. Thanks.

All  book graphics have links to GoodReads so you can check them out.

As always, it is a good idea to call the store a day or two before to confirm that the scheduled event is still on.  I have learned that these events change constantly.


Tuesday, February 28th, at 7:00pm
Launch Party

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31491762-scheduled-to-death?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Scheduled To Death
Author:  Mary Feliz
Location:  Books Inc., Mountain View
Address:  301 Castro Street, Mountain View
Tel: (650) 428 1234

Tuesday, February 28th, at 7:30pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31849925-the-book-of-etta?ac=1&from_search=true

Book:  The Book Of Etta  
Author:  Meg Elison   
Location:  The Booksmith
Address:  1644 Haight Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 863-8688
 

   


Saturday, March 4th at 2:00pm


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22060619-enter-title-here?ac=1&from_search=truehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25760792-timekeeper?ac=1&from_search=true


Book:  Enter Title Here
Author: Rahul Kanakia
BookTimekeeper
Author:  Tara Sim
Location: Books Inc., Santa Clara
Address:  2712 Augustine Drive, Santa Clara
Tel:  (408) 727-1500    


Wednesday, March 8th, at 7:00pm


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30687236-celine?from_search=true


Book:  Celine
Author:  Peter Heller
Location:  Book Passage, Corte Madera
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel:  (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909  

Friday, March 10th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25893693-lilac-girls?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Lilac Girls
Author:  Martha Hall Kelly
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909
Monday, March 13th, at 7:00pm


Book: The Lost Sketchbook of Edgar Degas
Author:  Harriet Scott Chessman
Location:  Books Inc., Palo Alto  
Address 855 El Camino Real #74 , Palo Alto    
Tel: (650) 321-0600

Monday, March 13th, at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23447923-the-inexplicable-logic-of-my-life?ac=1&from_search=true

Book:  The Inexplicable Logic Of My Life
Author:  Benjamin Alire Saenz
Location:  Hicklebee's Childrens Books
Address:  1378 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose
Tel:  (408) 292-8880  
 
Monday, March 13th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30687788-ill-will?from_search=true
Book:  Ill Will
Author:  Dan Chaon
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909
Tuesday, March 14th, at 7:00pm
Launch Party


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30531531-every-wild-heart?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Every Wild Heart
Author:  Meg Donohue
Location:  Books Inc, (Laurel Village)
Address:  3515 California Street, San Francisco
Tel: (415) 221-3666
Tuesday, March 14th, at 7:00pm
Launch Party
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31213521-the-hour-of-daydreams?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  The Hour Of Daydreams
Author:  Renee Rutledge
Location:  Books Inc., (Alameda)
Address:  1344 Park Street, Alameda
Tel: (510) 522-2226
Tuesday, March 14th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30255942-a-piece-of-the-world?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  A Piece Of The World
Author:  Christina Baker Kline
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909
Wednesday, March 15th, at 6:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30688143-the-one-eyed-man?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  The One-Eyed Man
Author:  Ron Currie
Location:  Book Passage (San Francisco)
Address:  1 Ferry Building, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 835-1020
Wednesday, March 15th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25893693-lilac-girls?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Lilac Girls
Author:  Martha Hall Kelly
Location:  A Great Good Place For Books
Address:  6120 LaSalle Avenue, Oakland
Tel:  (510) 339-8210
 
 

Wednesday, March 15th at 7:00pm
Molotov Editions Launch Event

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32284809-the-death-of-teddy-ballgame?ac=1&from_search=truehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31851888-the-white-devil?from_search=truehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18767107-peace?ac=1&from_search=true

Books:  The White Devil, The Death Of Teddy Ballgame, Peace
Authors:  Domenic Stansberry, Robert Mailer Anderson, Gillian Conoley
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)  
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909

Thursday, March 16th, at 6:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30688435-exit-west?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Exit West
Author:  Mohsin Hamid
Location:  Book Passage (San Francisco)
Address:  1 Ferry Building, San Francisco
 
Tel:  (415) 835-1020
Thursday, March 16th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30256105-the-last-of-august?from_search=truehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22752127-the-serpent-king?from_search=true
Books:  The Last Of August, The Serpent King
Authors:  Brittany Cavallaro, Jeff Zentner
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA
Tel: (650) 324-4321
 
Thursday, March 16th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30655763-in-this-grave-hour?ac=1&from_search=true

Book:  In This Grave Hour
Author:  Jacqueline Winspear
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera)
Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909



Thursday, March 16th, at 7:00pm
Book:  Renegade Red Book Two
Author:  Lauren Bird Horowitz
Location:  Books Inc. (Mountain View)
Address:  301 Castro Street, Mountain View
Tel: ( 650) 428-1234

Friday, March 17th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30753477-temporary-people?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Temporary People
Author:  Deepak Unnikrishnan
Location:  Diesel, A Bookstore
Address:  5433 College Avenue, Oakland
Tel: (510653-9965
 
Friday, March 17th, at 7:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33282947-see-you-in-the-cosmos?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  See You In The Cosmos
Author:  Jack Cheng
Location:  Books Inc., Opera Plaza
Address:  601 Van Ness Street, San Francisco
Tel:   (415) 776-1111
Saturday, March 18th, at 1:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30531531-every-wild-heart?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Every Wild Heart
Author:  Meg Donohue
Location:  Book Passage (Sausalito)
Address:  100 Bay Street, Sausalito
Tel: (415) 339-1300
Saturday, March 18th at 2:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30259131-when-tides-turn?from_search=true
Book:  When Tides Turn
Author:  Sarah Sundin
Location:  Barnes & Noble (Antioch)
Address:  5709 Lone Tree Way, Antioch
Tel:  (925) 978-1031 
Tuesday, March 21st, at 6:00pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30201150-next-year-for-sure?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  Next year For Sure
Author:  Zoey Leigh Peterson
Location:  Book Passage (San Francisco)
Address:  1 Ferry Building, San Francisco
 
Tel:  (415) 835-1020
Wednesday, March 22nd, at 7:00pm
An Evening with Red Hen Press
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29872968-after-the-dam?ac=1&from_search=truehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31812103-kinship-of-clover?ac=1&from_search=truehttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7044534-song-of-two-worlds?ac=1&from_search=true
Books:  Song Of Two Worlds, Kinship Of Clover, After The Dam
Authors: Alan Lightman, Ellen Meeropol, Amy Hassinger
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera) Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.
Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909

Wednesday, March 22nd, at 7:30pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30971707-all-grown-up?ac=1&from_search=true
Book:  All Grown Up
Author:  Jami Attenberg
Location:  The Booksmith
Address:  1644 Haight Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 863-8688


Thursday, March 23rd, at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30295497-eat-the-sky-drink-the-ocean

Book:  Drink The Sky, Eat The Ocean
Author:  Kirsty Murray
Location:  Books Inc., Berkeley
Address:  1491 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Tel:  (510) 525-7777

Thursday, March 23rd, at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27835606-the-heartbeats-of-wing-jones?ac=1&from_search=true

Book:  The Heartbeats of Wing Jones 
Author:  Katherine Webber
Location:  Books Inc., Opera Plaza
Address:  601 Van Ness Street, San Francisco
Tel:   (415) 776-1111
 
Thursday, March 23nd, at 7:30pm
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33350691-show-her-a-flower-a-bird-a-shadow?ac=1&from_search=true
Book: Show Her a Flower, A Bird, A Shadow
Author: Peg Alford Pursell
Location:  The Booksmith
Address:  1644 Haight Street, San Francisco
Tel:  (415) 863-8688
 

Friday, March 24th, at 12:00pm
Literary Luncheon
Registration required
Tickets $55 (Includes meal & signed book)
Book:  The Tea Girl Of Hummingbird Lane
Author: Lisa See
Location:  Book Passage (Corte Madera) Address:  51 Tamal Vista Blvd.

Tel: (415) 927-0960 or (800) 999-7909

Saturday, March 25th, at 2:00pm
In Conversation with Ron Hansen
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22889835-the-book-of-aron
Book:  The Book Of Aaron
Author:  Jim Shepard
Location:  Kepler's Books
Address:  1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Tel: (650) 324-4321  
 
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