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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
jaimehuff1 has commented on (9) products
Wildest Heart
by
Rosemary Rogers
jaimehuff1
, November 08, 2009
A sweeping, beautiful epic historical romance, "The Wildest Heart" by Rosemary Rogers kept me entranced throughout 739 pages. Yes, 739 pages. Beginning in 1872 with Rowena in India, onto 1873 when upon her grandfather's death she is sent to her mother's (whom she has never met) in London, and off to America upon her finding out her father is dying and has left her his ranch in New Mexico and a very wealthy woman. These pages take you through her life to 1878 without disappointing and no obnoxious down time. When I first saw this book, I was overwhelmed. A romance THIS long? How much can the author write about? Obviously plenty and without disappointing the reader. This is a TRUE romance in my book. Lady Rowena is beautiful, fierce, independent and strong. Her life was never easy, she is The Wildest Heart. I felt so much of a connection with Lady Rowena, dislike towards Todd Shannon, unsure about Lucas Cord and of course, I eventually fell in love with him, and all the players. I love when an author can build other characters without losing her key players. The late 1800s was a time of wild, raucous and outlaws, especially in the west. The author has woven the time period in beautifully. Just beautiful. I say this book is worth each and every page you read. I wasn't disappointed and I am sure other readers won't be either. I will even say this, this is definitely going into my re-read pile for another round. Be prepared to be captivated through the entire book
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Flesh & Fire Vineart War 01
by
Laura Anne Gilman
jaimehuff1
, October 25, 2009
The premise and idea was interesting. Spellbound wine in a world in which there seems to be three major groups: Vinearts (who control the wine, the spells, and answer to no one), the Princes (who think the Vinearts and the Washers should answer to them but understand the command) and The Washers (who seem to be priestly beings ensuring moral behaviors and that the Sin Washer's commands are upheld). Very creative, a fantasy about magical wine. I love it! As a person who loves wine.... I was game! Sadly, this book didn't maintain my interest and I REALLY had to force myself to finish it. It isn't because it is badly written, it's not at all. It's because it seemed dry, dull, and I felt absolutely ZERO connection to any of the key characters until the last quarter of the book. The first half of the book was so disconnected to the characters that when Jerzy and Master Malech start working together, I could care less that the Slave was being primed to become a vineart due to his natural skills. The characters had nearly zero personality, except for near the end. I have an idea that the next book in this series will have more focus on Jerzy, the student Vineart, Ao, the trader, and Mahault, the daughter of the lord maiar who wants to be a soldier, as a trio. I can not say I glowingly recommend this book, however, I also can't say I don't recommend it. I am very indifferent. The author's writing style is beautiful and descriptive and I believe that the Vineart War can definitely grow into a magical series. I certainly am willing to try the second book when it comes out with hopes it will have much more intrigue and less blandness then it's premiere.
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Alec Thrace and the Lost Medallion
by
M. D. Griffith
jaimehuff1
, September 23, 2009
I love when an author can take myths, legends, history and adventure and intertwine all of it into a book that is exciting and full of great escapism. Alec Thrace is a character that can be likable and annoying at the same time. He is a born leader but his perfection can be a bit annoying, just like in real life to us lesser humans. :) Alec Thrace and his two friends, Amazonian Alexia and fellow Atlantean Jasen head off in search of finding Alexander the Great's body and finding out what happened to Alec's father and to fulfill Alec's destiny. Personally, I cheered Alexia on. Girl power! I love the lore of the Amazons. It was easy to build a connection with the main character, Alec, and the others. The author has built a fantastic and realistic Atlantis hidden and protected from the rest of the world with abilities and science beyond the rest of the world's capabilities. At a time during the Roman invasions, Atlantis was thriving. M.D. Griffith writes with such vivid description that I couldn't help but be able to vision what the characters looked like. There have been times that I have read books that were OVERLY descriptive and this was not the case. Just enough to create extra visualizations in yourimagination. The weaving of major historical characters (Phillip of Macedonia, Ptolemy, etc) worked beautifully, the dialog was excellent and the action was spot on. I also really liked that instead of each chapter being by number, for example, Chapter 1, instead this book's chapter 1 is "Return of The Medallion. Summer of 323 BC). This is throughout the book! If you want to read some a fun journey packed with history, action, and mythology, "Alec Thrace and The Lost Medallion" will do the trick! This is the first book of "The Hidden Kingdom Series" and I can't wait for more!
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Dragon House
by
John Shors
jaimehuff1
, August 29, 2009
How do I write a review about a book that tugged, actually, YANKED at my heart strings as much as this book did and give it the credit that is due? I am not sure but I will do my best. The children of the streets of Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon, Vietnam) are the heart and soul of "Dragon House". Tam, a child who is dying from Leukiemia, and her grandmother Qui beg on the streets just so Tam can have medicine to ease her pain. Mai and Minh held under the "protection" of Loc, an Opium addicted, cruel man.. or I would rather refer to him as a pimp, he may not sell the children's bodies for sex but he pimps them to sell their goods. Minh doesn't speak since Loc beat him for saying the wrong thing and Minh only has one hand. He plays foreigners in games of Connect 4 for money. Mai who is his voice sells fans but mostly helps Minh obtain players. The key adult players are Iris, whose father an American veteran of the Vietnam war who wasn't around to raise her as he was battling the internal scars from the Vietnam war. When her father died, he left her the center he was building in Vietnam for street children. Noah, a childhood friend of hers who lost the lower portion of his leg in Iraq and who is battling his own scars, joins her at his mother's begging. Thien, Iris' father's assistant, a beautiful Vietnamese woman inside and out, finds beauty in each and everything she can. Then there's Sahn. He is also a survivor of the Vietnam war and has a disdain towards Americans after losing his entire family in the war but as a Police office with failing sight, he was to save the future of Vietnam. Every single one of these people save each other in more ways then one. They find their futures, their souls, their lives, hope, family and love. John Shors paints a vivid picture of survival, anger, cruelty, beauty and redemption throughout this entire book. He brings to life the trauma that the children who have to live and survive on the streets of Vietnam. Many of which never get another life off of the streets. Post war Vietnam is not a pretty place, don't ever expect it to be. There are horrific injuries sustained to victims of Agent Orange, street girls become prostitutes, opium addiction, and the same. There are many organizations out there trying to do what they can for the Vietnamese children, one of which is Blue Dragon Children's Children Foundation. (Here's the website: http://www.bdcf.org/)
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Saffron Dreams
by
Shaila Abdullah
jaimehuff1
, August 28, 2009
Arissa Illahi is a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, Pakistani, American, and Muslim. When the United States, and consequentially the world, was rocked by the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Arissa's life is turned upside down. Her husband, Faizan, was working at a restaurant in one of the towers and lost his life. Reeling with the loss of her love, Arissa is left struggling and trying to make sense of it all. She is also pregnant with a baby who is destined to have severe special needs and alone. She also becomes a victim of prejudice when attacked because she is wearing her veil. She sheds her veil and goes on a journey of heartbreak and empowerment all the while healing from being abandoned by her mother and building a beautiful relationship with Faizan's parents. Poetic and moving, the story of Arissa Illahi's heartbreak and strength comes alive in Shaila Abdullah's "Saffron Dreams". This novel is written in a memoir style, taking you deep in to Arissa's heartbreak and inner struggles. Attempting to bring forth what it must be like to be a victim in so many aspects due to the terrorist attacks. Imagine what it must be like to be in the shoes of a follower of Allah and have the world blame you for what you yourself is a victim of also. Shaila Abdullah's book is multifaceted, we are given a treat of reading beautiful words, a moving story and we are also educated at the same time. Although this is a work of fiction, Arissa's heartbreak is real. Her experiences are real. Her struggle with removing her veil and blending in with an America that is reeling and scared. Her surviving when Faizan did not, her decisions to continue with his novel, and the choices and struggles with raising their special needs son. I was moved to tears several times during this book, my heart ached for Arissa and I also found myself cheering her on as she and her son found their footing and moved through their lives, never forgetting who they are: Wife, Mother, Daughter, Son, Pakistani, American and Muslim. Shaila Abdullah's "Saffron Dreams" is a must read.
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A Taste of Guam
by
Paula a. Lujan Quinene
jaimehuff1
, August 16, 2009
I was given the amazing opportunity to review Paula A. Lujan Quinene's cookbook, "A Taste of Guam". I am always willing to try something new and being unfamiliar with cuisine from Guam, I had to do it! A little synopsis about the book and it's author, from her website www.paulaq.com: "A Taste of Guam.....sharing Chamorro culture through food. This book includes the author's collection of recipes: Chamorro BBQ, Other Island Favorites, Guam Desserts, Mix of America, and a Treasure Chest of Sweets. A Taste of Guam has the best recipe for guyuria (fried cookies dusted with sugar syrup, roskette (cornstarch cookies) and latiya (pound cake with custard and cinnamon). Paula spent countless hours measuring the ingredients and testing the recipes! This is one island girl sharing ALL HER RECIPE secrets! This Guam cookbook is a must have for those in need of great Chamorro recipes that actually work! You'll also find an islander's list of places to eat on Guam, a list of the village fiestas, and a short time-line of Guam's history." My thoughts: The cookbook was very easy to follow and seemed to share Paula Quinene's personality and personal history with each recipe. She broke down each recipe in to sets, in order as needed. Which I found to be a huge help and made organizing very easy. She was great about explaining the cooking process. Also, she even made sure to explain how certain dishes are pronounced. For example, Buchi Buchi pronounced "bu-chee bu-chee). I also love that she included places to stop at in Guam if you were to ever visit, a short history of Guam, major Fiestas of their culture, However, I felt that since the recipes are unique to other cultures there needed to be an explanation as to what certain ingredients are or even an acceptable substitute. For example, The recipe for "Ahu" called for Ahu meat. I googled it and couldn't find anything other then other recipes for "Ahu" and none of them mentioned Ahu meat, instead there were references for coconut meat. The other suggestion I have is how many servings the recipes make. Not a single recipe mentioned the servings (i.e. maybe it serves 4 or 8?). I understand that it must be difficult to come up with the amount as these are recipes in which are normally eyeballed and the author went through and remade the recipes and measured so that she may be able to write the cookbook. Since I had no idea what the serving sizes were, I had no idea how much to reduce everything by to cook for a smaller group. My pot of red rice was enough to feed an army. With those few suggestions aside, I don't want anybody to be turned off of the book. It's a GREAT cookbook with unique recipes that will make for a fun night of Chamorro food. I made the "Red Rice" and it was DELICIOUS! I made "Fina'Dinne" which is a traditional sauce served with BBQ, egg rolls, white rice, etc., this is more of a taste preference but I didn't care for it. I might try it again but reduce the amount of vinegar. My neighbor had some and LOVED it. Once again, that is a taste preference. I made the Crab Kelaguen. Yum. I read the recipe, thought it weird but wanted to try it. Holy cow was it fabulous! I just ate it on it's own. So delicious. I lastly made Estufao. Oh my goodness. Delicious. If you like Filipino Adobo, you will LOVE Estufao. Fabulous. I am definitely going to try some of the recipes, especially the Chicken Kelaguan and some of the desserts. I am going to play around with trying to cut down the red rice until I get it to a smaller size without losing all of it's fabulous flavor. I think Paula Lujan Quinene definitely has a market for this book and I have suggested it to other friends of mine who love to try different cuisines!
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Sacred Night
by
Valerie Connelly
jaimehuff1
, July 22, 2009
"Sacred Night" right from the beginning is action and suspense and doesn't slow down for a minute! The story begins with singer Emily Sanders and piano player, Dan Barton at Rita's Bar. Coincidentally they are both single parents. At one moment they are discussing co performing and the next a car crashes right through Rita's Bar, killing everyone inside except Dan and Emily. While at the same time, we are taken behind the wheel of the car that was driven through the bar. Dan and Emily wake up 20 years younger in a world which is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time while trying to make it home to their children. In the other universe of their lives, they are lying in a coma with their children left in limbo, doing everything they can to help their parents. In the same events, we are taken to the Amazon and meet Ahi, a Tokablaki chief who is going through the enormously grueling process of the Sacred Night ritual. Without giving too much away, this book takes us through adventures in the Amazon, the world of suspended Animation in which Emily and Dan are in, terroristic activities and suicidal killers, stopping alzheimers, drug dealing, and love. From the moment I began "Sacred Night", I was hooked! Valerie Connelly's story telling abilities scream loud and clear from page. I am impressed with her ability to take parallel events and not lose a reader! I was able to connect with all the characters, to visualize the events, and felt my heart pound with anticipation right up to the end.
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Coils of the Serpent
by
Raymond Clark Lutz
jaimehuff1
, July 11, 2009
Can science and religion co exist? "Coils of the Serpent" takes the reader through a scientific and Biblical debate like no other. Three friends: Dan, an easy-going agnostic scientific genius whose father was a theology professor who mysteriously died 25 years ago. John, a self made financial whiz who found his rock in Christianity after battling substance abuse issues. Lastly, Shannon, a biotechnology grad student who was raised Catholic but retreated from religion due to conflicts with her scientific beliefs, evolution and the subservience of women by the church. These three friends met through a book club and built a relationship where they gathered weekly at a coffee shop. Until a mysterious "homeless" man shows up and asks them "Does the book of Genesis teach about DNA?" That question takes these friends on an adventure while wrestling with the foundations of their belief systems, extremists, political corruption, intrigue, murder, and their personal feelings. Russ Hall, an FBI agent assigned to a missing person case of a troubled teenager named William Freeman. Freeman was sent to the Pacific Institute of Theology for Youth after running into some trouble and was though to be progressing quite well until he just "disappeared". This wasn't Agent Hall's first run in with the PIT (Pacific Institute of Theology), his first missing person's case was that of Dan's father, George Stanfield, 25 years ago when he was a new agent. Mr Lutz' thorough research and ability to explain the complexities of DNA makes this book an enjoyable read and I feel like I learned so much about DNA. I was hooked! I enjoyed the reeducation of the book of Genesis, the Gospels, Jesus, and the Crusades. The plot is amazing, I felt connected to the characters, and my imagination soared. I salivate at the thought of being able to sit it on a discussion of the magnitude Dan, John and Shannon had. As an evolutionist myself, I definitely questioned my beliefs. I ended this book exhilarated and ready to research. I only have one complaint, though, what about Mrs. Freeman? Although, we already "know" about Will, I would like to have read about Agent Hall following up with her. Raymond Clark Lutz' "Coils of the Serpent" will take you on a wild, scientific thrill ride of DNA, the book of Genesis, extremists and political corruption. I definitely recommend this book if you are open minded!
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A Wizard Sleeping on a Watermelon and Other Wondrous Sights
by
Mary Pansini La Haye
jaimehuff1
, July 02, 2009
What a wonderful book! Mrs. La Haye has a wonderful and creative mind and "A Wizard Sleeping on a Watermelon and Other Wondrous Sights" proves it! As a mother to a 5 year old who suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was 11 months old, I am very critical with the books I pick out for her. I need to look at the imagery, the language, and the visual stimulation. "A Wizard Sleeping" has passed and exceeded my expectations! "A Wizard Sleeping" goes through every letter of the alphabet teaching children a noun and an adjective with each letter. For example, "There's an ANTELOPE leaping in a cantaloupe field. Isn't that an AWESOME sight, to see an ANTELOPE leaping in a cantaloupe field?" Ending every letter with a question engages children and keeps their interest going. At the end, we review every noun in alphabetical order! On top of the vocabulary, the illustrations are outstanding! My daughter was able to see the images clearly and KNOW that it's a frog sitting on the dinosaur's tail. That's a HUGE feat considering my daughter has visual impairments! As an adult, I enjoyed reading it myself! I want to close this review by giving "A Wizard Sleeping On a Watermelon and Other Wondrous Sights" an A+ and highly recommend parents, teachers, and caregivers to purchase this book and read it to your children
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