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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
katatrina has commented on (25) products
Hollow City
by
Dan Wells
katatrina
, November 01, 2012
This is a book for which you will want to stay up late. Dan Wells had already proven his chops with the John Cleaver novels, but this new story cements his place among the best writers today. It's the perfect mix of psychosis and thrill. I've gone from being eager to read it, to not wanting to put it down, to dying to know more, to dreading its end.
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Her Fearful Symmetry
by
Audrey Niffenegger
katatrina
, October 06, 2010
Niffenegger continues to prove that she is a gifted writer who can turn even the oddest science fiction content into dashing love stories. I never feel as though I am reading something that wouldn't happen. I was just as drawn into this book as I was with The Time Traveler's Wife, and I expect this to become one of my favorites. I did, however, see the plot twist coming, but that didn't make it any less shocking when it happened. I was pleasantly surprised to find this effort as good as her first.
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by
Mary Ann Shaffer
katatrina
, March 16, 2010
At first I thought I wouldn't be engaged in this book, as it is written as a series of letters back and forth from Juliet, the main character, to her new friends on Guernsey and her editor/friend, etc. But after a few letters, I found that the real problem was that I couldn't put the book down. I also couldn't find a suitable place to stop at night, since the book isn't divided into chapters, but letters. I always found that I wanted to read just one more. It had a depth that I didn't expect, and it was able to develop the characters more fully than I thought possible in its format. While I do wish that there had been more (but don't you feel that way about all good books?), I was suitably impressed and humbled and moved by this work.
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The Road
by
Cormac McCarthy
katatrina
, February 03, 2010
Cormac McCarthy is undoubtably one of the best writers of our time. Even though you are a part of humanity and know its flaws, he makes you see it more thoroughly, more clearly. It's not a pretty picture that McCarthy paints. I am never sorry that I have read one of his books, even when there is no happy ending and no bright rainbow after the rain.
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Dark Places
by
Gillian Flynn
katatrina
, January 11, 2010
Dark Places is one of the darkest, sickest, most creatively inspired, unexpected books I've read. Flynn's work is haunting and original and leaves you breathless. Not only did she manage to keep the suspense throughout the entire book, but she made her characters likable, readable and entirely real. As a fan of Sharp Objects, I look forward to seeing what Gillian Flynn will come up with next.
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Songs Without Words
by
Packer, Ann
katatrina
, May 19, 2009
Ann Packer is able to create characters that resonate with her readers, no matter what. The characters in this book were interesting and well-developed, and I enjoyed the back-and-forth of viewpoints and angles for the story. I think it was a well-crafted book, and I had been yearning for a book I couldn't put down. This was it.
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Tallgrass
by
Sandra Dallas
katatrina
, May 19, 2009
Insightful. Provoking. Complicated. Thoroughly researched and written from the point of view of a young girl, this book deals with what was happening in the United States during WWII. I'll be keeping an eye out for more work from Sandra Dallas.
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Newjack Guarding Sing Sing
by
Ted Conover
katatrina
, May 19, 2009
You have to admire Ted Conover for what he is willing to do and experience. His total immersion in a project brings insights and observations beyond an ordinary expose. I’ve read this book twice and still find myself marveling and how our prison system is run and what goes on behind closed gates. Conover’s writing leaves me breathless.
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Widow For One Year
by
John Irving
katatrina
, May 12, 2009
This is my favorite John Irving book and one of my favorite of all books. Irving introduces us to characters with such development, such life, that it is hard to stop being a part of the story even when the book ends.
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(4 of 9 readers found this comment helpful)
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Boy A
by
Jonathan Trigell
katatrina
, February 20, 2009
Although it's hard to imagine such a situation nowadays, when children are involved in shootings and violence seems almost common, this is an artfully crafted book. Written from various perspectives, the book gives small insights that made it more heartbreaking. I found myself stuck in a debate about how I would feel if this happened to me, from multiple points of view. A great novel.
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Mudbound
by
Hillary Jordan
katatrina
, August 05, 2008
This was just as good as NPR promised it would be. Hillary Jordan is great at delivering the different voices that this book is told in, and the story is rich and well-developed. Sometimes when a book is told in parts by different people, I want to skip ahead to the next section told by one of them, but in this book I didn't have that problem.
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(16 of 33 readers found this comment helpful)
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Giants House
by
Elizabeth Mccracken
katatrina
, August 05, 2008
Maybe what appeals to me is the description of the order of the library, or the fact that I can relate to the "spinster" librarian, but the dry, articulate voice of the narrator makes this book. I had to read it again to fully appreciate it. As a romance, it is poignant and respectable, not at all cheesy. You can completely overlook the uncomfortable bits.
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Slam
by
Nick Hornby
katatrina
, August 05, 2008
This was a good book. Nick Hornby always writes with humor that I enjoy, and even though I figured out later that this is supposed to be a young adult book, I didn't think it was beneath me. I think it was an interesting look at the choices and mistakes we make, and an interesting and laugh-out-loud way of dealing with them
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Namesake
by
Jhumpa Lahiri
katatrina
, August 05, 2008
This was a tremendous work, bustling with life and emotion. It was a story of growing up, of learning that being independent is really being close to your family, and about getting to know yourself. I wanted to read it again right away.
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(2 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)
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Entitled
by
Frank Deford
katatrina
, June 23, 2008
Frank Deford wrote this book so well that I wanted it to be much longer. What he does NOT tell is what makes this book so good. Although I'm not as in love with baseball as Howie Traveler, I still love it, and this book is a great summer read and a great inside look at the sport, the players, and how baseball can permeate your life.
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(10 of 17 readers found this comment helpful)
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Company
by
Max Barry
katatrina
, June 11, 2008
Max Barry really sums it up. This book is well written and funny in a sad way. Anyone who has ever been involved in a corporate environment will recognize certain realities here and will most likely want to become a successful author instead, but only if they can pull it off as well as Max.
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Amnesia Moon
by
Jonathan Lethem
katatrina
, December 21, 2007
I have to read every book that Jonathan Lethem writes. I read this and I knew that he was my new favorite author. I didn't want this book to end. His narrative and his characters are gripping, and I found that the story had seeped into my head long after I stopped reading. I don't know what to read next that will stack up.
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(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
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Sharp Objects
by
Gillian Flynn
katatrina
, November 04, 2007
This novel is gritty, real, and unexpected. I thought I had it all figured out but I didn't, and I didn't stop reading until I knew. This is the kind of book that seeps into your life and makes you think about it while you wash dishes, drive to work, or walk the dog. I will be on the lookout for more books from Gillian Flynn.
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(18 of 33 readers found this comment helpful)
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Among The Dolls
by
William Sleator
katatrina
, August 16, 2007
I first read this book as a young girl, and 20 years later I still remember the chills it gave me. It was such a fascinatingly thrilling story, and I am looking forward to adding this gem to my permanent collection.
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(8 of 14 readers found this comment helpful)
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Gun with Occasional Music
by
Jonathan Lethem
katatrina
, August 13, 2007
This book is a fun escape from whatever real life you're living, although you might find that it hits a little close to home. Written with humor, wit, and intrigue, this book is one that I'll read more than once.
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(8 of 22 readers found this comment helpful)
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Whole World Over
by
Julia Glass
katatrina
, August 13, 2007
Although I would have rather had a different ending to this book, I found myself thinking about Greenie, Walter, Alan, and Saga long after the book was done. It felt as though I had met and known these people for years, and I was sad to realize that I wouldn't get a chance to follow their lives longer.
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(7 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
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Then We Came To The End
by
Joshua Ferris
katatrina
, May 29, 2007
Even though I started to feel like I was part of the Borg Collective, this book was so well written that I forgot that the characters weren't part of my real life. Funny, witty, true, and touching, this book absolutely reflects office life and the people you meet, no matter where you work or what you do.
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(36 of 69 readers found this comment helpful)
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I Know This Much Is True
by
Wally Lamb
katatrina
, January 11, 2007
Wally Lamb has created characters who resonate long after the book is over. This is an intricately woven story, well-written and startling. I didn't want to put it down.
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(15 of 29 readers found this comment helpful)
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Jennifer Government
by
Max Barry
katatrina
, January 11, 2007
Max Barry is a hit. Jennifer Government uses the same wit, situational comedy, and winding plot that is a trademark of his amazing writing. It kept me laughing the whole time.
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(19 of 37 readers found this comment helpful)
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Winshaw Legacy
by
Coe, Jonathan
katatrina
, January 05, 2007
Jonathan Coe manipulates language and ideas in a way that is rare among writers. His has a brilliant command of language and the ability to bring a novel full circle, while integrating humor and fantastic cleverness.
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(6 of 11 readers found this comment helpful)
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