Pondering the Prose: October 2016

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Monday, October 31, 2016

Bay Area Book Events #19

This has become such a monstrously large list, that I have decided to only show events 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 include:
Barnes & Noble (various Bay Area Locations)
Book Passage (Corte Madera & San Francisco)
Books Inc. (various Bay Area Locations)
Hicklebee's Children's Books (San Jose)
A Great Good Place For Books (Oakland)
Kepler's Books (Menlo Park)

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 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 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.

November 2016

November 1st, 2016 at 7:00pm

Book Launch Party

Book: The Diabolic

Author: SJ Kincaid

Location: Hicklebee's Children's Books

Address: 1378 Lincoln Avenue, San Jose

Tel: (408) 292-8880

November 2nd, 2016 at 7:00pm

Book Launch Party for Tara Sim in Conversation with Sabaa Tahir

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25760792-timekeeper?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: Timekeeper

Author: Tara Sim

Location: Kepler's Books

Address: 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Tel: (650) 324-4321

November 2nd, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26196492-let-the-good-prevail?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: Let The Good Prevail

Authors: Noah & Logan Miller

Location: Book Passage (Corte Madera)

Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera

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

November 3rd, 2016 at 12:00pm

In Deep Live Radio Show

In Conversation with Angie Coiro

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28114515-the-wangs-vs-the-world?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: The Wangs vs. The World

Author: Jade Chang

Location: Kepler's Books

Address: 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Tel: (650) 324-4321

November 3rd, 2016 at 7:00pm

Book Launch Party for Local author

Book: Thou Shalt Kill

Author: Marietta Harris

Location: Books Inc., (Alameda)

Address:1344 Park Street, Alameda

Tel: (510) 522-2226

November 4th, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31851888-the-white-devil?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32284809-the-death-of-teddy-ballgame

Book: The White Devil

Author: Domenic Stansberry

Book: The Death Of Teddy Ballgame

Author: Robert Mailer Anderson

Location: Book Passage

Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera

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

November 5th, 2016 at 12:00

Sisters In Crime Annual Showcase

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29904070-bone-crack?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25845800-the-perfectly-proper-paranormal-museum?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28186294-cancelled-by-murder?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26568444-death-deals-a-hand?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27831942-a-bitter-draught?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18304248-a-wedding-to-die-for?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30351988-the-elusive-elixir?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23291058-smoke-screen?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28210685-what-gold-buys?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18914174-silent-night-violent-night

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28686806-address-to-die-for?ac=1&from_search=true

So many books and authors I don't have room for all the info!

Location: Books Inc., (The Marina)

Address: 2251 Chestnut Street, San Francisco

Tel: (415) 931-3633

November 5th, 2016 at 1:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29154543-the-wrong-side-of-goodbye?from_search=true

Book: The Wrong Side Of Goodbye

Author: Michael Connelly

Location: Book Passage (San Francisco)

Address: 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco

Tel: (415) 835-1020

November 5th, 2016 at 5:00pm

Book: The Wrong Side Of Goodbye

Author: Michael Connelly

Location: Book Passage (Corte Madera))

Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera

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

November 7th, 2016 at 7:30pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25790949-hold-a-scorpion?from_search=true

Book: Hold A Scorpion

Author: Melodie Johnson Howe

Location: Kepler's Books

Address: 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Tel: (650) 324-4321

November 9th, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25877250-the-boomerang-effect?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: The Boomerang Effect

Author: Gordon Jack

Location: Kepler's Books

Address: 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Tel: (650) 324-4321

November 9th, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25820956-invisible-fault-lines?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23341894-every-last-word?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: Invisible Fault Lines

Author: Kristen-Paige Madonia

Book: Every Last Word

Author: Tamara Ireland Stone

Location: Book Inc. (Palo Alto)

Address: 74 Town & Country Village

Tel: (650) 321-6069

November 10th, 2016 at 7:30pm

In Conversation with Jan Ellison

author of A Small Indiscretion

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20382027-a-small-indiscretion?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23492669-after-the-parade?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29372983-the-jungle-around-us?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: After The Parade

Author: Lori Ostlund

Book: The Jungle Around Us

Author: Anne Raeff

Location: Kepler's Books

Address: 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

Tel: (650) 324-4321

November 11th, 2016 at 6:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27414371-jess-chunk-and-the-road-trip-to-infinity?from_search=true

Book: Jess, Chunk, and The Road Trip To Infinity

Author: Kristin Elizabeth Clark

Location: Book Passage (San Francisco)

Address: 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco

Tel: (415) 835-1020

November 11th, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29099225-the-bob-watson?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: The Bob Watson

Author: Greg Bardsley

Location: Book Inc. (Palo Alto)

Address: 74 Town & Country Village

Tel: (650) 321-6069

November 12th, 2016 at 2:00pm

Special Book Club Seminar with Isabel Allende

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25152052-the-japanese-lover?ac=1&from_search=true

Tickets: $45 Includes signed book and wine & cheese reception

Book: The Japanese Lover

Author: Isabel Allende

Location: Book Passage (Corte Madera)

Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera

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

November 13th, 2016 at 1:00pm

Book: Lavender In Larkspur
Author: Patricia Garfield

Location: Book Passage (Corte Madera)

Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera

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

November 16th, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28220794-the-next?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: The Next
Author: Stephanie Gangi
Location: A Great Good Place For Books
Address: 6120 LaSalle Avenue, Oakland
Tel: (510) 339-8210

November 17th, 2016 at 6:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26259672-the-waiting-room?from_search=true

Book: The Waiting Room
Author: Leah Kaminsky

Location: Book Passage (San Francisco)

Address: 1 Ferry Building, San Francisco

Tel: (415) 835-1020

November 18th, 2016 at 6:30pm

Books Inc. Presents:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30051627-double-down?ac=1&from_search=true

This is a ticketed event: $17.55 includes tickets for two people and one copy of the book

Book: Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: Double Down
Author: Jeff Kinney
Location: Burlingame High School Theater
Address: 1 Mangini Way, Burlingame
Tickets at: http://books-inc-jeff-kinney.bpt.me/

November 18th, 2016 at 7:00pm

Book: The Bob Watson

Author: Greg Bardsley

Location: A Great Good Place For Books Address: 6120 LaSalle Avenue, Oakland Tel: (510) 339-8210

November 18th, 2016 at 7:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29936763-a-thin-bright-line?from_search=true

Book: A Thin Bright Line
Author: Lucy Jane Bledsoe
Location: Books Inc. (Berkeley)
Address: 1491 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley
Tel: (510) 525-7777

November 19th, 2016 at 1:00pm

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817493-news-of-the-world?ac=1&from_search=true

Book: News Of The World
Author: Paulette Jiles

Location: Book Passage (Corte Madera)

Address: 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera

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

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Saturday, October 29, 2016

Stacking The Shelves #53 & Sunday Post #16

I am combining two great blog hops: Stacking The Shelves (a Saturday feature by Team Tynga's Reviews), and Sunday Post (a Sunday feature by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer). Both of these features give people a chance to post about what books they received and also an opportunity to catch a glimpse of what others are excited about. I really enjoy see everyone's version of these features! If you enjoy my blog, please consider following me via Bloglovin, Networked Blogs, GFC, or by email subscription. If you leave a comment and tell me you are a new follower, I will follow you back! As always, all book cover images are linked to GoodReads so if you see a book you want to learn more about, just click away...

What I've been up to:

It was another great week of book events in the Bay Area! I was able to go to a book signing at the Barnes & Noble in Emeryville and meet Kiersten White (And I Darken) and Arwen Elys Dayton (Traveller). Due to the rain, one of the authors, Jessica Cluess (A Shadow Bright And Burning), had to cancel as her plane was delayed. I was bummed as I really liked her book and wanted to meet her. But there was a positive aspect to that rain: it also prevented may people from coming to the signing. I hope this doesn't seem selfish, but this made for a very cozy gathering. We got to talk to the authors and really have a great conversation about writing, and the different approaches they use.

The rest of my week was taken up with reading, writing blog posts for November, and getting ready for Halloween. I feel pretty prepared and ready for a fun-filled day at school on Monday as we have our Halloween parade and party.

New Books:
Bought:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24690795-traveler?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27190613-and-i-darken?ac=1&from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20911450-seeker

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23203252-a-shadow-bright-and-burning?ac=1&from_search=true

These are the beauties I got at the Barnes & Noble book signing! I have already read an ARC of A Shadow Bright And Burning, but I really wanted a print edition so I can lend it out to my friends and share this wonderful book with them. I was telling this to Kiersten White and she said she was so happy that people who get ARCs also buy the books when they come out. I told her I really wanted to support this book since I enjoyed it so much.

NetGalley:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30119375-haven?from_search=true

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28116719-daughter-of-the-pirate-king?ac=1&from_search=true

I saw Haven on so many people's Stacking The Shelves last weekend that I had to request it. And I thought that the title for Daughter Of The Pirate King was so intriguing that I had to request that one as well. I can't wait to dive in to both of these books! But I may need to wait in order to concentrate on my November writing project...

What new books did you get this week? Are you going to do NaNoWriMo in November (that's in 3 days: Yikes!)? Let me know in the comments, and have a great week.

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Labels: blog hop , book blog , stacking the shelves , Sunday Post | 15 comments

Friday, October 28, 2016

Blog Tour Review & Giveaway: A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith

Please Note: I was invited to review this book as part of Irish Banana's awesome Blog Tour for the author. This did not influence the opinions of my review in any way.

Synopsis:
A troubled girl confronts her personal demons in this time-travel thriller alternating between present day and 19th century Japan.

No one knows how to handle Reiko. She is full of hatred; all she can think about is how to best hurt herself and those people closest to her. After a failed suicide attempt at her home in Seattle, Reiko's parents send her to spend the summer with family in Japan, hoping she will learn to control her emotions. But while visiting Kuramagi, a historic village preserved to reflect the nineteenth-century Edo period, Reiko finds herself slipping backward in time into the nineteenth-century life of Miyu, a young woman even more vengeful than Reiko herself. Reiko loves escaping into Miyu's life . . . until she discovers Kuramagi's dark secret and must face down Miyu's demons as well as her own.

Review:

When I was invited to review this book by Irish Banana Blog Tours, I was very happy because I got to merge two things I love (Japan and reading) into one activity. I lived in Japan for over three years and loved it. And I also fully enjoyed this novel.

The book's title, A Darkly Beating Heart, aptly describes the main character. Reiko is one messed up girl. At first, I found it very tough to connect with the character. But, after some soul-searching of my own, I understood Reiko's story to be one of a girl who finds a way to finally take control of her own life.

What I Liked:

Setting: While I am a pushover for anything set in Japan, I also consider myself a bit of an authority on the country (I had my first child there). So I was checking to see if the details were correct. They were spot on! From the present-day culture that is obsessed with aidoru (Japanese pop stars), to the details of the quaint Onsen (hot springs) town where Reiko time-travels, the author got everything right. I know these places and how strange it is that such a modern society also ferociously clings to an idealized version of it's feudal past. Yes, everyone wore beautiful kimonos and yukatas, but they also brutally oppressed women and peasants.

Writing:

At first I did not like the character of Reiko. I think this was due, in part, because author Lindsay Smith was brutally honest about Reiko's dark thoughts. There was no attempt to garner sympathy for Reiko, and I was left to wonder why this person had such a chip on her shoulder. All is revealed over the course of the book (and then you may, indeed feel understanding of why she is so angry).

There is a caveat when you read a first person narrative that you can't always trust everything the narrator says. They may be leaving out important details or may, themselves, not know the full story. This is definitely the case in this book, and led to some surprising revelations at the conclusion of this novel. Once this happened, all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place which made me appreciate the craftsmanship of the author's writing.

What I didn't like:
When something terrible happens to Reiko in America, her parents quickly push her onto her Japanese relatives in Tokyo. While I understand that this was necessary to the story, I found it somewhat implausible that any parent would send such a troubled person, alone, to a foreign country. Reiko doesn't even speak Japanese, yet they expected her to cope with total immersion? I was surprised that her parents wouldn't have realized that she could not handle the sensory overload that is Tokyo.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book. It is not my usual type of read (I had to read a lighter rom-com afterwards to chill out). But with imaginative writing, the author manages to turn a vengeful, violent, bitter young woman into someone who the reader wants to, if not root for, at least find some peace.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27414389-a-darkly-beating-heart?from_search=true

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1626720444/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2&linkCode=sl1&tag=theiribanrev-20&linkId=4580e936390513e38c864dc3a8c4cde6

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-darkly-beating-heart-lindsay-smith/1122889649;jsessionid=6E2DD85ABBBE2175113B82B7CC8F4AEB.prodny_store02-atgap07?ean=9781626720442&st=AFF&2sid=Goodreads,%20Inc_2227948_NA&sourceId=AFFGoodreads,%20IncM000004

Rating:

Release Date: October 25th, 2016

Genre: YA Thriller

Source: Irish Banana Blog Tours

Format: ARC E-Book

Recommendation:

I found A Darkly Beating Heart to be twisty, dark, fun. Grab some yakisoba, and a milk tea, and enjoy this book.

About The Author:

Lindsay Smith is the author of Cold War-era espionage novels Sekret and Skandal, as well as the fantasy novel Dreamstrider. She writes on foreign affairs and lives in Washington, DC. lindsaysmith.net

And now for a giveaway...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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