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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
Max has commented on (40) products
Redefining Realness My Path to Womanhood Identity Love & So Much More
by
Janet Mock
Max
, October 22, 2014
READ THIS BOOK! Honest, sometimes painfully so, Janet Mock's accessible memoir is a beautiful account of growing up as a transgender woman of color. She does not shy away from some of the more painful parts of her history, and yet you feel that you get to witness her healing. The book is very accessible to those with little knowledge of the transgender community. As someone who thinks a lot about trans issues, I was utterly compelled by the way she is challenging and complicating the genre of trans autobiography, and really the way we tell the story of trans identity. I cried, I felt elated, and I could not put it down.
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Full Dark House
by
Fowler, Christopher
Max
, September 22, 2013
This mystery is quirky, sardonic, and canktankerous, and a thoroughly fun ride. I had two cross-country plane trips that I was planning on sleeping through but I couldn't put this book down. Best news yet-- it is one of a long series! I can't wait to read the rest.
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Night Watch Night Watch 01
by
Sergei Lukyanenko
Max
, June 08, 2013
So very very Russian. And so very difficult to describe, but equally difficult to put down. You will meet the "Others", who join either the side of light or dark, and are trained to use their supernatural capabilities. The two camps navigate an elaborate truce that requires balance between gains by one party or the other. Part elaborate strategic chess game, part gripping mysteries (as the main character unravels what is at stake in the various tests put to him), part classic Russian philosophical and ethical meditation, this is a difficult series to classify. But you will find it so much more interesting and complicated than your average fare.
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The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, #1)
by
Michael Scott
Max
, June 07, 2013
Super fun summer read that is entertaining, plot-driven, and light. There is enough of a mystery to unravel (what does the villain want, what role are the twins-- the main characters-- destined for, etc.) that you will want to keep reading. Best of all, it is the first in a series, which means that you can stay immersed in the world.
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A Wild Sheep Chase
by
Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum
Max
, May 19, 2013
Weird and wonderful, part detective story, part postmodern novel. The characters are fascinating and quirky, and you will want to read to the end to unravel the mystery of the mutant sheep.
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Outlander
by
Gil Adamson
Max
, April 27, 2013
This is an amazing and amazingly dark novel, about a woman who saves herself. Reading this novel, I realized that I am able to predict the plot twists and turns of most books that I read, and yet this one had me at the edge of my seat and I had no idea what would happen next. The main character is so well-drawn and interesting you will want to follow her adventures until the last page and beyond.
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The Wheels on the Bus
by
Paul O. Zelinsky
Max
, February 25, 2013
This is a phenomenal pop-up book, definitely the best for kids I've ever seen. It takes the wheels on the bus song (currently my two year old's favorite tune) and illustrates it with creative, fabulous art and moving parts. It is my son's favorite book at the moment, and I can see it working for a range of ages. A really great gift idea- I'm going to be giving this at birthdays for awhile.
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Mr Penumbras 24 Hour Bookstore
by
Robin Sloan
Max
, February 10, 2013
It is one of those books you can't put down. Part mystery, part ode to the book, part romp through technology, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore is magical. You'll find yourself equally engrossed in the characters and in untangling what the heck is going on. I took it on a trip to the east coast for the weekend- it was the perfect length.
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Ghosts in the House!
by
Kazuno Kohara
Max
, January 20, 2013
This is one of the best kid's books I've read in the past year (and my kid agrees.) It has a quirky sense of humor, which means that (unlike most of his books) I don't mind reading it five times a day. And the art is simply phenomenal, looks like it is woodcuts? Really an adorable book, that takes the scary out of ghosts and witches, and particularly perfect if your kid is going through a fearful phase. My kid is a little less than two, and he's loving it, but I bet kids who are a bit older (and who get the sense of humor even better) would love it even more. Regardless, it works for a variety of ages.
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Santa Olivia
by
Carey, Jacqueline
Max
, January 07, 2013
Rollicking good fun. I was sick this week and was so glad to have some light incredibly engrossing reading. The political and cultural world are (for the most part) convincingly realized, and you just can't help but root for the main character. Loup Garron, trapped in an oppressive world, demonstrates resistance and inspires hope. Who doesn't like a good novel about a bad-ass girl fighting back? Buffy anyone?
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Lost Quilter
by
Jennifer Chiaverini
Max
, January 03, 2013
Chiaverini is a New York Times best-selling author, and the book is a good read in a hard- to- put- down type way. And it certainly does not pull its punches on the racism that inheres in slavery and its effects on the main character. If anything, the book does a great job of illuminating the way that slavery thwarts, perverts, and ultimately almost destroys the possibility of a nuclear family. However, I did still feel like it was still sentimentalized and individualized, as opposed to slotting this individual story within the broader institution of slavery. It also seemed like the Northerners got let off the hook slightly. Certainly a good read and occasionally thought-provoking, but mostly it is gripping because you care about the character and want to know what will happen to her at the end.
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Animacies Biopolitics Racial Mattering & Queer Affect
by
Mel Y Chen
Max
, January 01, 2013
Alright, this is an academic book, which will not be everyone's cup of tea. But if you slog through the jargon, this is a brilliant book that weaves together disability theory, queer theory, linguistics and critical race theory to creatively challenge us to rethink our basic assumptions. Chen is a linguist who uses linguistics to ask the question of how we create an animacy hierarchy (like human- animal- vegetable- mineral, for example), and how culturally specific that is. So, for example, the sentence "The hikers that rocks crush" sounds strange in English because of the ways that we understand rocks to be fairly low on the animacy scale. Chen uses this insight to look at how we value particular lives as worth living (what does it mean, for example, to call someone in a coma a vegetable?) and the boundaries between various categories on the animacy scale, including the boundary between human and non-human animals. My favorite chapter is about lead, where Chen discusses how the lead in toys from the panic in 2007 redirected attention away from the domestic problem of lead in older buildings (mainly affecting poor children of color in the U.S.), and away from industrial pollutants in China and how they affect locals in China, to the problem of affluent white children and lead in toys. The final chapter, which touches on Chen's battles with chemical sensitivities to discuss the boundaries of the body is also fantastic. This is a classic queer theory book, in that it shifts your perspective and gives you new ways to think about the world. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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World War Z an Oral History of the Zombie War
by
Max Brooks
Max
, December 27, 2012
I don't read books about zombies, or war for that matter. This book sat on my bedside table for months until I finished every other novel I had, and I finally picked it up to check it out. I am so glad I did! It was utterly gripping, complexly political, and beautifully realized. While there is not a long enough focus on any character to become attached or see development, in the composite picture built up through vignettes the world is itself a character, and we witness its ending and rebirth. You will not be able to put this book down.
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Hangmans Daughter
by
Oliver Potzsch, Lee Chadeayne
Max
, December 05, 2012
I could not put this novel down, it was utterly engrossing. The combination of a mystery, witch trials, historical detail, and a romance was completely compelling. The characters are great-- particularly the hangman and his daughter-- but it is the story which is ultimately the star. You will enjoy every twist and turn.
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Papertoy Monsters: 50 Cool Papertoys You Can Make Yourself
by
Brian Castleforte
Max
, December 04, 2012
This is full of awesome (and awesomely cute) monsters. You fold on the dotted lines and glue and voila. I gave it to some 8 year olds who thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. They enjoyed it so much I gave it to my father and brother last Chanukah, and they loved it too. There are a variety of levels of difficulty in the book, ensuring that there's a monster for everyone!
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Reamde
by
Stephenson, Neal
Max
, November 09, 2012
This is an excellent thriller by Stephenson, not super scary but with lots of action spanning the globe and a kick-ass female protagonist. Expect computer games and viruses and terrorists and dope smugglers and the Russian mafia, all masterfully woven together in this epic tale. Perfect for a long winter spent reading snuggled under the covers, at 1000 pages you don't have to worry about burning through it too quickly (although there were sections I read far past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down.) Enjoy!
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All the World
by
Liz Scanlon, Marla Frazee
Max
, October 09, 2012
I am quite picky about children's books- I find many saccharine or inane. This book is beautiful-- the art, the language (which has a poetic rhythm), and the sweet message of family and connection. Best of all it is absolutely beloved by my 19 month old, even though it is certainly designed for slightly older kids. It is so rare to find a book that both he and I love, I can't recommend it enough.
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Are You My Mother?
by
Alison Bechdel
Max
, September 14, 2012
"Are you my mother?" is a brilliant graphic novel memoir charting the relationship between Alison Bechdel and her mother. Bechdel skillfully weaves together scenes from her childhood, stories about her lovers, and her unfolding understanding of her relationship with her mother. In the process she moves queerly back and forth through time to present a variety of snapshots that comes together in a beautiful and intense portrait of a life in process. The brutally honest and personal is combined with psychoanalytic theory, Adrienne Rich, Virginia Wolf, scenes of her mother's acting, and Bechdel's experiences unfurling herself in therapy. If you loved the literary and intelligent Fun Home, you will love this book. This is one of those books I have to keep buying because I keep giving my copy away as a present.
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My Brother
by
Jamaica Kincaid
Max
, August 30, 2012
Kincaid's combination of lyrical prose and brutal honesty makes for a voice that is uniquely hers. This memoir of her brother's death of AIDS is completely unsentimental, at times verging on harsh, but only in the very best way. Kincaid writes truly about death, disease, and poverty in the post-colonial landscape of Antigua. Mixed in with her brother's death we see scenes of Kincaid's childhood, as she beautifully unfolds a tale of a brother she did not know. I can't stop thinking about this book, I feel a bit haunted to tell the truth. My Brother is the kind of book you want all your friends to read, so that you have other people to puzzle over it with you.
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Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone
by
Deborah Madison
Max
, August 22, 2012
I've had friends ask me what one vegetarian cookbook they should buy-- this is always the one I recommend. This is the joy of cooking for vegetarian cooks, meaning that it is virtually encyclopedic in its scope, and completely reliable. I find the section on savory tarts to be particularly good (tomato tart = yum!) I often use these recipes as bases for experimentation when I'm feeling creative as well. I have a large collection of cookbooks, and this is one of the ones I continually return to. I highly recommend it!
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The Mysterious Benedict Society (Mysterious Benedict Society #1)
by
Trenton Lee Stewart
Max
, August 15, 2012
If for some reason you haven't encountered this book already, you MUST read it now. I mean, only if you like to read young adult page-turners that involve a mystery solved by children in deadly danger. For all of us who were nerds as kids, or tomboys, or just, a bit...contrary, this is the book where us 'other kids' get to be heroes. It also is a phenomenal book to read out loud. My (adult) friend broke his leg badly and was laid up in bed for a month staying with us and we read it before bedtime to him. None of us wanted to go to sleep. Hooray Mysterious Benedict Society!
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I Want My Hat Back
by
Jon Klassen
Max
, August 14, 2012
Like children's TV, one of my gold standards for a really brilliant kid's book is that it has to work for adults and kids at the same time. And not just because I'm going to read it 20 times a day for the next six years, but because it means that he'll enjoy it for longer as he grows and develops. I love this kid's book and so does my 18 month old! It is funny, dry, and a little bit dark. It works particularly well with silly voices. And the art is fun. Highly recommended! (although I would say in general that it probably would be even better for a slightly older kid.)
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Claire DeWitt & the City of the Dead
by
Sara Gran
Max
, August 13, 2012
This book is equal parts mystery, novel, and paean to New Orleans. The main character is beyond quirky, moving through the mystery she hopes to solve by interpreting her dreams, feeling out the vibe of the missing man by lying in his bed, and convincing bullets that they want to hit their targets. She is a detective but only through completely reinterpreting the role of the detective and the genre of the mystery novel. The tone of the book is funny, weird, unsettling, and occasionally heart breaking, sometimes on the same page. And the quality of the writing is just lovely. Post-Katrina New Orleans is its own character in the novel, at once exposed and twisted and steeped in tragedies large and small. I would have given this novel a 5, but I think as the series goes on and the character continues to develop it is going to get even better. I highly recommend this novel if you want something engrossing but not total fluff, with a lyrical and totally unique voice.
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Is the Rectum a Grave?: And Other Essays
by
Leo Bersani
Max
, August 12, 2012
Bersani is a seminal figure in queer studies, and this retrospective collection of his essays treats topics ranging from AIDS to queer aesthetics. The essay for which the book is named is my favorite. Accessibly and intelligently written, the essay weaves in historical and political details of the mainstream response to the AIDS crisis, which psychoanalytic and queer theory. Embedded in its historical moment, this essay brilliantly explores the larger theme of the power of sex to shatter our selves. A stand out in queer theory, from a stand out career.
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Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic
by
Alison Bechdel
Max
, August 11, 2012
I rarely ever give out five stars on my reviews, but this is a tremendous memoir. I decided to reread it before I read Bechdel's newest, "Are you My Mother?" In the form of a comic, Bechdel takes you through the complicated family dynamics and how she her own realization of queer identity fits into her family. Woven through with allusions to literature, the characters communicate (or fail to) through books. Weaving in and out of her childhood and her college coming out story, everything from temporality and pacing to gender expression in this book is decidedly and compellingly queer. This is beautifully written, beautifully illustrated, and perfect for anyone who loves literature, memoirs, or a queerly told story.
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House of Silk UK
by
Anthony Horowitz
Max
, August 10, 2012
I will say two things for this book: it is certainly a page-turner, and you certainly feel like you have discovered a lost Sherlock Holmes mystery. Horowitz gets the voice right, and weaves in details of the world (from the book Watson reads that Holmes has suggested that he read in previous mysteries...) It is meticulously plotted and detailed, and really quite gripping, I stayed up late just to finish it type book. That being said, I have two caveats, one major, one minor. The minor: the copy-editing in the book sucks. Like really really sux. I've seen worse, but it was frequent enough to be distracting and annoying. The second involves a spoiler, so all I will say is that I was disappointed when the purpose of the House of Silk was revealed, and find the politics of the novel to be questionable at best and playing off old tired damaging stereotypes at worst. Since the revelation of the purpose of the House of Silk is the denouement, we are discussing the last twenty pages, so the majority of the book is quite enjoyable. But this really should have been rated a 5, and these two aspects of the book bumped it down quite a bit.
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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by
Mary Ann Shaffer
Max
, August 09, 2012
This is not the type of novel I tend to read. Epistolary novels that seem driven by a romance narrative are not my general cup of tea. My mom gave it to me right after my son was born and I discovered if I read aloud he fell asleep to the sound of my voice and I was running through novels like water. It is an utterly charming book, however, saved from being too saccharine by the backdrop of WWII and the various deprivations and tragedies that it introduces in the character's lives. This is a novel about creating family, and love, and literature. One of the greatest forms of love in the book is the way various characters are completely in love with books Perfect summer reading, you will fly through it and enjoy every second.
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Mither Mages 01 Lost Gate
by
Orson Scott Card
Max
, August 08, 2012
Okay I'm going to be brutally honest-- this is not Orson Scott Card's best. Card seems to be making up his mind about his main character and who he is as we move through the book. Still, even when he is not at his best, he's pretty impressive. He creates a totally engrossing creative world somehow without making you feel like you're ever bogged down in exposition. And we watch along with the main character as his power and potential unfolds. You read cause you want to know what happens next, and how it will end. Which is precisely makes me want to read on in what is certain to be an entertaining new series.
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Night Circus
by
Erin Morgenstern
Max
, August 07, 2012
What would a circus geared for adults look like if you could use magic in its design? The creative vision of this book was so engaging, as the author reveals the contents of the various tents as the circus grows you really feel what it would be like to visit it. She describes the circus so vividly in fact, that my feeling when turning the last page is that I wanted to pick up and go for a trip. The plot is fun (if a bit slow in places), and the characters are interesting (particularly if you're into VERY dysfunctional families). But in the end, the circus is itself perhaps the best character. A GREAT summer read, you will fly through it and enjoy every moment.
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Alanna: The First Adventure
by
Tamora Pierce
Max
, August 06, 2012
This is one of those books you read in three days (okay, it took me three days cause I'm a single parent, it would probably take the rest of you two.) I felt like I was just flying through it, in that satisfying I-don't-want-to-put-it-down what-happens-next type way. The main character is a young girl who cross-dresses in order to be trained as a knight. With a cool magic sword, bullies (that get their butts kicked), and mysterious obsidian black city, you really can't lose. Geared for young adults, the prose occasionally is a little tell-don't-show, but you'll have too much fun reading this on a lazy Sunday afternoon to care. And if you like this one, there's several more in the series.
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Hark! A Vagrant
by
Kate Beaton
Max
, August 05, 2012
This is a book of comics, like the kind you'd get in the Sunday paper, if your Sunday paper were political, quirky, feminist, and snarky. From Canadian historical figures to the Austen sisters, these pages are populated with historical figures (or time periods) that are gently satirized. Some of my favorites: what would happen if Sherlock Holmes made the competent Watson babysit one of the more bumbling depictions of Watson? Or the strip: Hipsters Ruin Everything, which discusses how hipsters from the 18th century ruined a political/fashion movement. I highly recommend this book for any history buffs as the best fun yet intellectual gift you'll give yourself.
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The Rabbits
by
Shaun Tan
Max
, August 04, 2012
This is the most amazing children's book I've ever seen. The story line is about the effects of colonialism on the native population. Told through rabbits. Seriously. It made me cry. And the art consists of these gorgeous paintings that are dark, and disturbing, and incredibly beautiful. I am literally haunted by this book. If you believe in children's books, a la Maurice Sendak, that describe the world in its complexity look no further. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
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The Rabbits
by
Shaun Tan
Max
, July 28, 2012
This is the most incredible book for children about colonialism that you will ever see. Dark, haunting, real, and the most breathtaking art you've ever seen. This is one for the folks that think Maurice Sendak had it right, and that children don't need the world served up sugar coated. One of the more compelling books I've seen this year.
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Queer Art of Failure
by
Judith Halberstam
Max
, January 01, 2012
Ranging in topic on everything from Spongebob to feminism, this book tackles the accepted wisdom of queer studies and takes provocative counter-intuitive stances that will make you think. Advocating for a queer art of failure (against either a nihilistic version of queer studies or a progress narrative) this book outlines a queer politic. Particularly accessibly written for an academic book, this is well worth your time. While some readings feel slightly more stretched to me, everything in this made my brain sing.
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Child Thief
by
Brom
Max
, September 24, 2011
Dark and compelling, this novel (with fabulous illustrations by the author) re-tells a more twisted version of Peter Pan. Imagining Peter Pan as a child thief with an agenda, the worlds of gritty reality and neverland collide painfully. Like a train wreck, it is difficult to look away. I couldn't put it down.
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Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Last Gleaming 08
by
Joss Whedon, Jane Espenson, Scott Allie
Max
, September 06, 2011
For those of you who already <3 all things Joss Whedon, you've also probably already read the finale to this arc of Season 8. For those of you who are Buffy show fans but haven't checked out the comics, let me say that they are worth your time. In true Whedon fashion, he does not just continue the same types of adventures with the same characters you already love. He grows them, creates a new story arc with new tensions that manages to completely push the boundaries of the Buffy-verse yet again and still delve deeper into the familiar beloved aspects of the show-- witty dialogue, deep relationships, powerful and complex female characters, and creative and imaginative story-telling.
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Transmetropolitan Volume 01 Back on the Street
by
Warren Ellis
Max
, September 05, 2011
If you only ever read one graphic novel, this is it. The story follows Spider Jerusalem, a radical journalist bent on exposing the hypocrisy of politicians, cult leaders, and journalists. As he wreaks a path of complete havoc through a world that is only a slightly satirical futuristic version of our own, you will find you cannot look away from the story, or from the character, who is completely horrible and lovely all at the same time. You will fall in love with these books, not be able to sleep, not be able to put them down, and have to buy extra copies when the set you lend out never makes it's way home. I am actually envious of all of you who will discover this character for the first time. FYI: Not for the faint of heart-- this book contains profanity (LOTS of profanity), graphic sexual references, disgusting politicians who should be squashed like the insects they are, and depictions of violence-- mostly of the kicking and punching variety, but some with actual bloodiness. I couldn't watch Kill Bill, but could handle this just fine though.
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Smile Baby Faces
by
Roberta Grobel Intrater
Max
, September 04, 2011
My son is 6 months old now, but he's been loving this book for the last two months. It is the only book that he smiles and reaches for when I pick it up to read to him. He finds the babies' faces captivating, and wants to look at each page fully before he lets me turn the page. I like the book (and this whole series) because it is racially diverse, and the focus on babies faces leaves gender for the most part to the imagination. I highly recommend this book for your kidlets, and also Sleep and Splash, the other two in the series we have as well (Sleep is particularly nice because it walks you through a bedtime routine including tucking them in and kissing them, so I use it as part of my bedtime ritual and go through the motions of getting him his blanky when the babies in the book get their blankies.) Enjoy!
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Memoirs of a Man's Maiden Years
by
N. O. Body
Max
, September 03, 2011
This is a flat out fascinating read that should be a part of every gender studies and Jewish studies course, and is worth picking up on a rainy afternoon even if you don't happen to be taking a class at the moment. This is eminently readable memoir (despite the occasional deployment of a cliche.) The introduction by Magnus Hirschfeld and the way the author interacts with sexology makes this book a good choice if you're interested in the sexology movement and the time period in Germany. For a memoir that is frank about sexual attraction and the struggles the author undertook to figure out his gender identity, the way in which N.O. Body concealed his Jewish identity is all the more mysterious. The puzzle of N.O. Body's true identity is unlocked by the well-written foreward and afterwords. Yet, the unfurling nature of N.O. Body's identity, and the ways in which religion, sexuality, and gender identity all collide in the story leaves the reader with the feel of a tantalizing glimpse of a complicated life, about which you wish you could know more. This is a book you will continue to try and tease apart after finishing it.
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Magic For Beginners
by
Kelly Link
Max
, September 01, 2011
Brilliant, strange, and disturbing short stories by Kelly Link. The tone ranges widely throughout the work, meaning there is something for everyone in this collection, from the subtly political to the darkly funny. My favorite story was Magic for Beginners, about adolescence in a troubled family narrated alongside the plot of a fantastical tv show that has as much life and reality in the story as the main character's conflict with his parents. The father of the boy is an author himself, and to reveal anymore would be to deprive you of the chance to watch the story unfold yourselves, but suffice to say that the layers and boundaries of what is fiction in the story are both dense and slippery. A really lovely collection-- I read the whole thing in chunks feeding my son and kept wanting him to eat longer so I could read more. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.
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