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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
shaunstvn has commented on (2) products
Familiar Stranger
by
Berry, Christina
shaunstvn
, September 06, 2009
I will admit: I didn't know where THE FAMILIAR STRANGER was going to go. After reading the plot synopsis on the back, I kept thinking, "Hmm... is this going to really grab me... or is it just going to play out like a Christian soap opera?" Thankfully, it didn't take me very long before I realized that new author Christina Berry had put together some very suspenseful ideas with Melody Carlson-esque characters. And I definitely couldn't stop reading. The plot opens out simply enough: typical all-American family: Craig's a dentist, Denise is a home maker caring for their two sons. They go to church, they have a nice house, and of course the marriage has its rocky moments. But then Denise gets a phone call during church saying that there's been a terrible accident. Her husband is in the hospital and in a coma. The family rushes to his side, and that's when things start twisting: Craig's lost his memory completely. And as they start to figure out his life from the ground up, they both start discovering that their typical all-American family is not quite what they all thought it was... The writing is pretty crisp and things move along at just about the right speed -- Berry gives us enough mystery to keep us wanting to figure it out, and enough of the raw emotions to keep pages turning. Actually, that's the one place Berry really shines: in the emotions. The characters are fully formed, and the pain that Craig and Denise work through as they re-discover their lives feels real. And with some truly creepy plot twists, there's enough to keep things interesting. The only thing I was really worried about going in was the unique story structure. Each chapter is split into scenes from His point of view and Her point of view -- sometimes the same time period being covered by both of them to give us both sides of an exchange. At first, I thought I was going to be confused or annoyed reading the book that way -- but after the first chapter I got used to it, and actually found myself enjoying the uniqueness of the whole idea. Overall, THE FAMILIAR STRANGER is definitely a strong debut from Berry. And if she keeps writing such vulnerable characters dealing with such real heartaches, she will be an author to keep an eye on in the future.
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Dreamhouse Kings 03 Gatekeepers
by
Robert Liparulo
shaunstvn
, February 05, 2009
As soon as I saw GATEKEEPRS on the shelf at the local bookstore, I grabbed it and ran -- stopping momentarily to throw some money at the man behind the cash register. As soon as I was able to sit down at home, I devoured this latest offering from Robert Liparulo. And as with the previous two books in THE DREAMHOUSE KINGS series, I was not disappointed. This book opens up right after WATCHER IN THE WOODS -- almost so close to that ending, that I had to go back and refresh myself on what had happened at the close of WATCHER. There's even a warning right up front that says to read the first two books before starting in on GATEKEEPERS. And that is definitely recommended. It's almost like the series is one large story having to be broken up by books because otherwise it would be ridiculously long for one single book. I'm not going to talk much about plot here, other than to mention that this installment brings out a couple answers to nagging questions that had been burrowing around in my mind after the first two, and the ending will leave you wishing you didn't have to wait until July for book four. Liparulo definitely knows how to amp up the action and suspense. Things are never easy for the King family as they deal with mysterious strangers, red tape, and danger in every world they visit through their house. This is a must-read for any fan of suspenseful and terrifying fantasy. Don't leave this one on the bookshelf. Read and don't stop until you've come to the end, gasping for the next one. I know I'm going to be waiting and watching for book four with a lot of anticipation.
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