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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
Melanie has commented on (4) products
Shades of Grey
by
Jasper Fforde
Melanie
, February 16, 2010
What a delightful book! I wasn't sure what to expect as I had read The Eyre Affair previously and hadn't enjoyed it very much. However, Shades of Gray was a lot of fun! I loved the pop-culture references from before the Something That Happened and Fforde's amazing world-building. This world, a colourtocracy, where one's trajectory in life is determined by what colours can be perceived, as well as by the Word of Munsell and its Rules or risk going to Reboot, is so precise in its details that I couldn't help but be sucked in. The story kept me wondering what had happened before to spawn such a way of life, what facets of everyday life I was next going to be privy to and how the pieces of the bigger mystery all fit together. One complaint is that most of the characters were rather black or white, if you'll pardon the pun, almost clichéd, in that you have the mean, greedy Prefects, the wise Apocryphal man, the obnoxious love interest and the naive but smart protagonist. That said, I did find the latter, Eddie Russett, very likeable. All in all, Shades of Gray is a book I'd recommend wholeheartedly, especially to those who enjoy comic novels by the likes of Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt, etc.
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500 Cups Ceramic Explorations of Utility & Grace
by
Lark Books
Melanie
, March 06, 2007
I wanted to like this book, you know. I really did. It's a substantial, heavy book, filled with almost nothing but photographs and I thought that I would happily get a good few hours worth of fanciful entertainment. I read the introduction, all about how practical objects such as the lowly, everyday cup, mug or tea bowl can be made to transcend its workaday essence and become a work of art. So far so good, I thought. The images accompanying the text were of almost unbearably delicate celadon porcelain cups, incised with leaf and butterfly motifs, in soft pastel tints, as well as robust, earthy mugs in rich ochres, rusts and creams by Elaine and Tom Coleman. And as you see the cover image, Shibori Cup by Elizabeth Flannery, is very handsome as well, reminiscent of ancient mediterranean pottery, at least it is to me. I heard myself ooh-ing and lovingly turned the page. And turned the page. And turned the page again. Hmmm, my delight was not as frequent now as I looked at page after page of dull brown tumblers, strange, misshappen teacups, waffled, scalloped rims and objects that bear only a passing resemblance to anything that might hold liquid. Some were shaped like heads, others cut full of holes. Many sat on what the artists called "saucers", but were more like bricks, slabs of clay or dimpled ceramic bubbles than anything that might hold any spilt tea. And others still were so creepy in their organic-ness, that I found myself grimacing at the thought of having to drink any beverage from them. Don't get me wrong. I did quite like several of the cups. At least a couple dozen were just lovely. A few I would definitely love to have in my own collection. But maybe I just don't get the concept of art. Especially when it pertains to objects so inherently sensible as cups. I just feel that these can and should enhance the coffee or tea drinking experience. Shouldn't one be just as happy to hold and look at a mug as to sip the delicious hot caffeinated drink it contains? I mean if it's meant to look good... And maybe that's my problem. As much as I know that appreciation of Art with a capital A is significantly subjective, to me, art should at least look good. Please my senses. But in the case of 500 cups, too many of the offered vessels prompted a negative feeling in me. Hence my disappointment. However, perhaps the featured artists would be just as gratified to have occasioned any kind of reaction in their audience. In any case, I'll still be looking for other titles in Lark's '500' series. Just looking for pretty objects to dazzle my eye...
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I Had the Strangest Dream The Dreamers Dictionary for the 21st Century
by
Kelly Sulliv Walden
Melanie
, March 06, 2007
I already own two dream dictionaries and although they are very interesting, the interpretations they give to dream symbols seem kind of far-fetched and pretty arbitrary. Which is why I liked this book much better. In I Had The Strangest Dream..., Kelly Sullivan Walden bases her interpretations on Jungian theory, interweaving Buddhism, Hinduism and Shamanism with Jungian archetypes, with which I was already familiar. For the most part, the meanings she gives in this book make sense to me. I also like that she takes the time to discuss different types of dreams. She classifies dreams into eight distinct categories, as well as gives great examples for each: * Processing Dreams (aka the Personal Assistant) * Venting Dreams (the Pool Man - who dredges up unresolved issues) * Integration Dreams (the Artist - who recovers suppressed dimensions, "colours", of yourself) * Breakdown/Breakthrough Dreams (the Construction Worker - who helps you accept change) * Recurring Dreams (the Secret Agent - who has important info to tell you) * Precognitive Dreams (the Fortune-Teller) * Prophetic Dreams (the Angel) * Wish Fulfillment Dreams (the Genie) One caveat, however. It seems to me that the symbol interpretations are largely targeted towards North-American sensibilities in general, and English-speaking, relatively affluent, urban dreamers living in the United-States in particular. The author often relies on americano-centric puns and word games. While many of the included symbols may be taken at face value, others are intimately connected to language and culture. Also, Sullivan Walden had added the very latest in dream symbols to this book. These include BlackBerry, DVD, e-book, metrosexual, Oprah Winfrey, internet, Instant Messenger, Viagra, bling bling and many other "new" expressions, with what I thought were hilarious results! I must admit I was skeptical of these at first and couldn't believe she had included some of these words (I mean, Donald Trump?!) but it is true that if you are in contact with these concepts everyday, as many of us are, you'll probably dream of them eventually. So, if you're interested in understanding your dreams, this book is definitely a good one to add to your collection.
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Simply Beautiful Beading 53 Quick & Easy Projects
by
Heidi Boyd
Melanie
, August 26, 2006
[t]Simply Beautiful Beading[/t] is perfect for [kw]beginners[/kw]. All of the projects are relatively quick and easy, and allow you to learn many [kw]basic jewellery making[/kw] techniques. Included are handy tips, as well as descriptions of beading materials and project extras, which provide more inspiration to the budding beader. Best of all, the photographs are clear, colourful and gorgeous, giving the crafter a good idea of what the finished product should look like. Enjoy!
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