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Author Archive: "Powell's Staff"
Posted by Powell's Staff, September 27, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
 At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: I'm a huge fan of bell hooks and Audre Lorde. Do you know of any great books on race and gender by black female authors? –Crystal
A: Try Rebecca Walker's Black White and Jewish — she is the daughter of Alice Walker and has a strong, distinctive voice. And if you haven't already, go out and get yourself a copy of Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston; it is a classic and an essential piece of work. –Rhianna
 Q: I am about to start a trial separation with my wife of almost 23 years. Are there any self-help books out there offering advice to the man trying to make it work when his wife has basically given up? –Bill
A: I have three favorite manuals that I've relied on for help with getting through seemingly impossible times in my life. They are: Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Beyond Reason by Roger Fisher, and Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart.
Now I know the first two texts are often used in the business world, but I think you will find them to be invaluable tools for talking about "the tough stuff." They provide practical advice for communicating with detachment and compassion. The third selection, When Things Fall Apart, is an especially useful personal guide for staying centered amidst chaos. I hope that these are helpful to you! –Aubrey
Posted by Powell's Staff, September 20, 2013 1:00 pm
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: I am on the hunt for books! Historical fiction — from medieval times to pioneers — is wonderful, although I'm not a fan of war tales. Stories with a little bit of an "epic" feel to them are especially fabulous. I'm also definitely not afraid of being afraid — ghosts, mysteries, vampires, werewolves, murders, zombies? Bring 'em on! –Jamie
 A: For guilty pleasure reading, you can't go wrong with the Outlander series, about a woman who travels back in time to 18th-century Scotland. More highbrow but equally entertaining are Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Tudor England), The Long Ships by Frans Bengtsson (vikings!), The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (Dracula!), and Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund (19th-century America with a literary edge). For vintage, epic historical fiction, you can't beat Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. –Rhianna
For historic novels, time-travel style, try Connie Willis's Doomsday Book and her Blackout series.
Year of Wonders isn't epic; in fact, it takes place in one small town, but author Geraldine Brooks has a wonderful touch with 17th-century England. And it's a wee bit spooky.
Ellis Peters's Brother Cadfael series will give you mysteries in a historic setting. Again, not epic, but she's written so dang many books in the series it seems epic!
Posted by Powell's Staff, September 13, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: With the passing of Elmore Leonard, I realized that I have never read any of his books. Which would you recommend starting with? –Roxane
 A: You're dipping into Elmore Leonard! What a treat! Try Get Shorty. Stock is tight on this title at the moment, but used copies can turn up at any time, and more new copies should be available within the next couple of weeks. Rum Punch and Maximum Bob are also two of my favorites. –Tom
Q: I just read Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn and loved it. I really enjoyed her other two books, Gone Girl and Dark Places; she reminds me strongly of one of my longtime favorites, Greg Iles. I'm looking to read something (or multiple somethings) that are in a similar vein — books about strong but damaged characters who are working on a mystery that ultimately ties back to their personal lives in a meaningful way. I'm not interested in anything overly brutal or graphic, but I definitely want that suspenseful edge. Any thoughts? –Justyne
Posted by Powell's Staff, September 6, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: I'm a bookseller, so I don't usually have a hard time finding books to read. But I've been reading mainly adult fiction for years, and I just recently began dipping my toes back into the world of YA to see what's new. I thoroughly enjoyed A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly, Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I love coming-of-age and school stories — I recently read and loved The Bellwether Revivals by Benjamin Wood and The People of Forever Are Not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu. I like my heroines fierce, smart, and flawed. What can you recommend? –Emma
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Posted by Powell's Staff, August 30, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: I am going to Tasmania in September and would love to read a good book by a Tasmanian author. Do you have any suggestions? –Dalma
A: I'd wholeheartedly recommend Richard Flanagan. All of his works are excellent, but my favorites are Gould's Book of Fish and The Sound of One Hand Clapping. –Shawn
 Q: I have only a week left of my summer break and I am looking for a great book to read. My taste in books leans more towards nonfiction. Some of the books I've read recently that I've enjoyed include Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? by Mindy Kaling, and Girl Walks into a Bar by Rachel Dratch. As you can see, I enjoy humorous biographies. I also enjoy fiction. Some of my favorites include 11/22/63 and Joyland by Stephen King and Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I want to find a book so good that I won't be able to put it down — something funny, compelling, and touching. Any recommendations? –Jorge
A: Some other great, funny literary voices: Jonathan Ames (What's Not to Love?), Kelly Oxford (Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar), David Sedaris, and Sloane Crosley. –Kevin
You won't go wrong with Bossypants by Tina Fey. –Tom
Posted by Powell's Staff, August 23, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer, Q&A.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: Can you suggest some books on food and travel writing similar to Anthony Bourdain's work? – Joseph
 A: Marco Pierre White (The Devil in the Kitchen), Bill Buford (Heat), Adam Richman (America the Edible), Ruth Reichl (Comfort Me with Apples, Tender at the Bone), Michael Ruhlman (The Soul of a Chef). If you're not already familiar, you may also want to check out The Best American Travel Writing and the Best Food Writing series, published annually and very popular. –Jeremy
Jeffrey Steingarten's books, The Man Who Ate Everything and It Must've Been Something I Ate. Also, Luisa Weiss's My Berlin Kitchen. And I heartily second the recommendation for Bill Buford's Heat. –Mary Jo
Q: I need to buy a book (or multiple books) for my nephew for his birthday. I know he is a big Annie Dillard fan and devours anything by Chuck Klosterman. He was also a religious studies major in college and still rereads Eliade, Otto, and books on medieval Christian mystics. I know that's a pretty eclectic sampling, but what would some suggestions be? –David
Posted by Powell's Staff, August 13, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: I am going to London for a month and really need some book recommendations. Some books I've enjoyed lately are: Mirror, Mirror off the Wall by Kjerstin Gruys, No Impact Man by Colin Beavan, the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth, the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling (my all-time favorite books), and all of John Green's books (especially The Fault in Our Stars). –Berkeley
 A: A favorite of mine is China Mieville's Un Lun Dun, which shows the underbelly of an alternative and eccentric London. Also try Mind the Gap by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon. Imagine Oliver Twist living in today's Tube tunnels. –Tracey
It won't be released until September 10, but try Rainbow Rowell's book Fangirl. It's about a young woman in her first year of college who writes fan fiction for her favorite fantasy series. Also, the author's first young adult title, Eleanor and Park, is amazing. –Jen
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Q: I'm looking for books that are a retrospective or academic analysis of creative projects. The books should include things like an explanation of the process that went into creating and executing the project, information about the tools and resources used in the project, commentary from the creator of the project, and feedback from others about the project. Do such books exist? I'm especially interested in books concerning creative projects that involve literature and multimedia. –Michelle Rae
Posted by Powell's Staff, July 31, 2013 10:00 am
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
Q: I love intense memoirs by American women. I've read lots of them, including books by Cheryl Strayed, Lidia Yuknavitch, Mary Karr, Jeannette Walls, Dorothy Allison, Haven Kimmel, and others. Are there any coming out now or soon that I may not have heard of yet? – Xenia
A: Have you read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson? – Tom
Christa Parravani: Her, Emily Rapp: The Still Point of the Turning World, Sonali Deraniyagala: Wave, and Domenica Ruta: With or Without You. – Jeremy
I enthusiastically second Tom's Winterson rec. Also in the memoir/novel genre-blending camp, check out Eileen Myles's Inferno (A ...
Posted by Powell's Staff, July 26, 2013 2:00 pm
Filed under: Ask a Book Buyer, Q&A.
At Powell's, our book buyers select all the new books in our vast inventory. If we need a book recommendation, we turn to our team of resident experts. Need a gift idea for a fan of vampire novels? Looking for a guide that will best demonstrate how to knit argyle socks? Need a book for a vegetarian who loves Radiohead and Flight of the Conchords? Email your question to askabuyer@powells.com. We'll be posting personalized recommendations regularly.
 Q: The last two books I read were The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer and Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie... loved them both. What should I read next? – Annie
A: The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud or Life after Life by Kate Atkinson. – Shawn
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Q: I'm wondering what my best choice is for Dante. I'm willing to purchase more than one book if necessary. What I'm looking for: 1) "best translation" (whatever that means) of The Divine Comedy, 2) illustrations by Gustave Doré, 3) if possible, decent footnotes, 4) pocket size (kidding!). – Jason
A: A ...
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Ask a Book Buyer: China Miéville, Books for Tough Times, and More
