Cart
|
|
my account
|
wish list
|
help
|
800-878-7323
Hello, |
Login
MENU
Browse
New Arrivals
Bestsellers
Featured Preorders
Award Winners
Audio Books
See All Subjects
Used
Staff Picks
Staff Picks
Picks of the Month
Bookseller Displays
50 Books for 50 Years
25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
25 Books From the 21st Century
25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
25 Women to Read Before You Die
25 Books to Read Before You Die
Gifts
Gift Cards & eGift Cards
Powell's Souvenirs
Journals and Notebooks
socks
Games
Sell Books
Blog
Events
Find A Store
Don't Miss
Spring Sale
Big Mood Sale
Teen Dream Sale
Powell's Author Events
Oregon Battle of the Books
Audio Books
Get the Powell's newsletter
Visit Our Stores
Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
(0 comment)
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...
Read More
»
Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
(0 comment)
Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
(0 comment)
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
Customer Comments
JCBunnell has commented on (14) products
Coronets & Steel
by
Sherwood Smith
JCBunnell
, October 17, 2010
This novel was the very best kind of surprise; light and rich at once, like the froth atop a well-made espresso drink. As in Smith's dense fantasy epics, the characters are deftly and believably nuanced, but what readers have here is a brisk modern adventure akin to Elizabeth Peters' well-loved "Vicky Bliss" series -- if Vicky were an expert swordswoman with a missing identical cousin highly placed in obscure European nobility. Heroine and narrator Kim Murray has read enough of the right books to recognize a "Prisoner of Zenda" riff when she sees it, but that doesn't stop her from getting involved in royal intrigue, seeking out the truth behind the family history her grandmother had kept secret till now...and spending quality time with ruggedly handsome men, some more roguish than others. Add a sprinkling of ghostly presences and a pocket country with the odd habit of occasionally vanishing Brigadoon-like into the mists, and what you have is cross-genre appeal with a vengeance.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Contested Will
by
James Shapiro
JCBunnell
, June 19, 2010
The "who wrote Shakespeare" controversy may sound like a conspiracy theory only college professors could enjoy, but this book makes the subject interesting and accessible for a much wider audience. Shapiro focuses on people and personalities (including Sigmund Freud and Mark Twain!) over dry lit-crit and technical text-wrangling, with the result that newcomers to the issues will find themselves reasonably well grounded, and even those who disagree with Shapiro's conclusions may come away with new insights. The book most likely won't convince devoted Oxfordians to change their minds, but anyone with even a modest interest in Shakespeare's plays should find it absorbing and thought-provoking.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Rosemary & Rue October Daye 1
by
Seanan Mcguire
JCBunnell
, September 04, 2009
I can't claim neutrality where Seanan McGuire is concerned -- I lapsed into unabashed fan status years ago. But if I hadn't already been hooked, Rosemary and Rue would've won me over anyway. The writing is crisp and vivid, the settings -- both San Francisco and Elsewhere -- are beautifully portrayed, and the characters come across as genuine personalities, not cookie-cutter mythical archetypes. Better yet, there's a twisty yet plausible plot that leads to a satisfyingly self-contained climax rather than a movie-serial cliffhanger. This is urban fantasy as it should be and too often isn't, with real emotion rather than painted-on angst.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(12 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Beyond Heaving Bosoms The Smart Bitches Guide to Romance Novels
by
Wendell, Sarah and Tan, Candy
JCBunnell
, May 15, 2009
The title exactly describes what this book delivers: a sharply barbed, vividly opinionated survey of today's romance genre that's both entertaining and thought-provoking. It isn't a scholarly study (although it mentions a couple), a love letter to the genre (although its authors are long-standing and very well read fans), or a how-to-write primer (although there's a lot of useful material for those who'd like to break in). Those with no background whatsoever may wish for a more explicit glossary, but as a field guide to its chosen genre, I definitely recommend this.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(7 of 10 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Betty Crocker Cookbook Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today
by
Betty Crocker
JCBunnell
, March 28, 2009
For sheer all-around usefulness, you can't beat Betty Crocker. I literally wore out an older edition of this cookbook, and quickly found when shopping for a replacement that nothing else matches the range of recipes and clarity of presentation offered in this edition. There are many helpful new charts, tips, and photos; I've kept a few pages from the old binder, but I've learned more than I expected from the new material. Gourmets and foodies may look to trendier writers, but for everyday family cooking, there's no better basic cookbook than this.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Mad Kestrel
by
Misty Massey
JCBunnell
, March 28, 2009
This is a piratical adventure with its feet planted firmly on the foredeck -- lively but not over-the-top and clever without being self-conscious. Kestrel is a heroine with as much common sense as she has style, and the seafaring scenes will make your armchair sway as the waves get rough. It's rare for such a modern-minded yarn to so closely capture the tone of the good old-fashioned swashbucklers, but Massey has the ear to pull it off.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
The Night of the Solstice
by
L. J. Smith and Tom Smith
JCBunnell
, February 24, 2009
Though she's better known for her teen horror novels (including the newly revived "Vampire Diaries" series), this deft fantasy -- pitched to a slightly younger audience -- may be L. J. Smith's very best work. The premise is right out of Eager or Nesbit: four youngsters discover magical goings-on in the spooky house next door. But the setting is modern suburbia, Smith's knack for making the extraordinary plausible is second to none, and the plot careens like a finely tuned Six Flags roller coaster. It's a real joy to see this book back in print at last.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Stepsister Scheme Princess Book 1
by
Jim C Hines
JCBunnell
, January 17, 2009
Updated fairy tales are thick on the ground these days, but Hines' approach is distinctive. The humor isn't overly slapstick, the tone isn't overly modernized, and while there's a definite "Xena: Warrior Princess" cast to the action, there's also an emotional depth to the characters, heroines and villains alike, that one rarely sees in this corner of the fantasy spectrum. Put it this way: if Hollywood gets hold of this -- and the script sticks to the spirit of the book -- A-list actresses will be after these parts as much for the character moments as for the big-budget action scenes. (We can only hope....)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Dancing with Demons A Mystery of Ancient Ireland
by
Peter Tremayne
JCBunnell
, January 10, 2009
As with most of Tremayne's mysteries about lawyer-nun Sister Fidelma, what's impressive is that he does so many things at once, and does them well. The mystery plot is ingeniously twisty, the 7th-century setting is vivid and authentic, and the characters are both accessible and believably drawn. This is first-rate storytelling, with equal parts Irish charm and expertly paced suspense.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Temples Tombs & Hieroglyphs A Popular History of Ancient Egypt 2nd Edition
by
Barbara Mertz
JCBunnell
, April 11, 2008
Even if you don't think you're interested in ancient Egypt, Barbara Mertz's lively history of the land of the Pharaohs is likely to be entertaining reading. Far from being a dry list of dates, this is a knowledgeable, reader-friendly survey of what scholars know (and just as often, what they *don't* know) about the mummies, pyramids, and other accoutrements of Egypt's mysterious past. Those who own the decades-old original edition will want to upgrade to this copiously updated revision, which covers several of the newest and thorniest controversies among expert Egyptologists with concise erudition and able wit.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
I Am America & So Can You
by
Stephen Colbert
JCBunnell
, October 11, 2007
Actually, Colbert appears to have scammed Powell's out of $8 (a TV news report quotes a Powell's spokesperson to the effect that they sent him a check). In most cases, an author gets the same royalty whether the retailer sells his book at list price or discounts it, and the usual royalty on a $26.99 trade hardcover is $2.16 to $4.05 (which he will in fact get from his publisher on that very copy of the book, six months to a year from now, assuming he's earned out his advance). Thus, if he cashes that $8 check, you can make a case that Colbert has successfully committed extortion on national television.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(37 of 93 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Confessions of a Teen Sleuth
by
Chelsea Cain
JCBunnell
, June 07, 2007
There's much more than mere parody going on in this ingenious autobiography of girl detective Nancy Drew; Chelsea Cain's novel expands Nancy's horizons much as Laurie King's "Mary Russell" novels expand those of Sherlock Holmes. Yes, there's humor here -- but it's wry wit rather than slapstick comedy, and Cain knows her material as well as any Sherlockian. Longtime fans of Nancy and her fellow teen sleuths shouldn't miss this book -- and neither should those just meeting Nancy via the new feature film.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(13 of 24 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Bridge Of Birds Master Li 01
by
Barry Hughart
JCBunnell
, March 12, 2007
Many people will tell you this book is exceptionally funny -- and they will be right. Many people will tell you that this book is exceptionally breathtaking -- and they will *also* be right. This is a novel that's one part old-fashioned bedtime story, one part utterly authentic Chinese folk tale, one part Saturday afternoon movie serial (think Indiana Jones crossed with Jackie Chan crossed with "Lord of the Rings" crossed with "The Sting"), and about nine parts sheer genius.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(16 of 25 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Command Decision Vattas War 4
by
Elizabeth Moon
JCBunnell
, February 28, 2007
There are any number of military-SF writers out there, many of them very good. Some of them manage to successfully blend front-line fighting action with political intrigue. But Elizabeth Moon goes one step further, adding a completely convincing personal and civilian dimension to the conflicts she creates. This is a series that's gotten deeper and richer as it's progressed -- and that doesn't happen all that often. Highly recommended.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(10 of 16 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment