Here at Powell's, nothing gives us greater joy than sharing our favorite books with our customers
—
and having our customers share theirs in return.
So, annually we ask you to determine which titles should earn the coveted Puddly Awards, Powell's version of the Oscars.
Thanks to all who voted for this year's titles!
Nothing makes us appreciate our customers more than the annual Puddly Awards.
Every January, we ask you to name the best book you read the previous year, you respond in droves, and in February we publish the results:
an eclectic, smart, surprising list of 50 great titles.
When we're on the hunt for our next favorite book, year in, year out, we begin our search on the Puddly Awards page.
Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynn Customer Comment from library goddess
I love when an author's craft is so convincing that I'm tricked as a reader. Gillian Flynn is that masterful. Her writing will entice you to delve deeper into yourself as you become entangled in the lives of the characters. A thriller!
List Price $25.00 Your price: $13.00
Used - Hardcover
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2
The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern Customer Comment from Ariel Valladares The Night Circus is simply a beautiful book that draws you in and you never want to leave. Brilliant storytelling, vivid writing... Readers travel a journey of suspense and wonder, magic and light, immersed in a world we have all dreamed of but never thought we'd get to experience. A classic from the very first page.
List Price $15.00 Your price: $8.00
Used - Trade Paper
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3
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
by Cheryl Strayed Customer Comment from mtmum
Inspiring, soul searching and gut wrenching all at once. It is difficult to imagine being out on the trail but impossible to put Strayed down until every step has been taken. The author is brutally frank about the highs and lows of her journey, and I felt I was there for it all.
List Price $25.95 Your price: $14.00
Used - Hardcover
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4
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green Customer Comment from Amanda Townsend
This is John Green's best book yet. It takes you through a range of emotions and makes you think about death and what kind of life you want to lead. It's also a love story between two teenagers, but it's so much more than that. The Fault in Our Stars is definitely a book you will want to read twice, despite the hole it will leave in your heart.
List Price $17.99 Your price: $10.00
Used - Hardcover
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5
Beautiful Ruins
by Jess Walter Customer Comment from Ken Olsen Beautiful Ruins shows Jess Walter's considerable gifts for language, humor, and storytelling in a compelling novel that will have you booking a ticket to northern Italy and searching for Richard Burton films. Walter has superb delivery and a keen eye for our romance with nostalgia, Hollywood, and other vaunted venues. If it's not on your nightstand by tonight, you're missing out on one of the best reads of 2012.
Bring Up the Bodies (A John MacRae Book)
by Hilary Mantel Customer Comment from Art Librarian
I'm a self-confessed historical fiction nut, but this book (and its predecessor, Wolf Hall) elevated the genre to unexpected heights. The flow and excellence of the language, the details of life in Tudor England, the machinations of politics and life at court, and the knife-sharp characterizations of both well-known and lesser players are all exquisitely portrayed…
List Price $28.00 Your price: $14.00
Used - Hardcover
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7
Fifty Shades Trilogy: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed 3-Volume Boxed Set
by E. L. James Customer Comment from Shannon Kauffman
One of the best books of all time. It has universal appeal in that there's a bit of everything, from naughty to nice and even some action in the mix. Grey has it all: looks, money, and even a whole roster of issues that make him so utterly human. It's fantastic... and it stands alone. I'd recommend this series to anyone...
The Round House
by Louise Erdrich Customer Comment from dafoldoe
…I love that Erdrich again captures contemporary Native life so effortlessly — minus the usual stereotypes. In this effort, she has chosen to bring attention to the high rate of violence facing Native women today.…The beauty of the writing was just striking at times, the story moving and unforgettable.
List Price $27.99 Your price: $14.00
Used - Hardcover
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9
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand Customer Comment from itpdx
Wow! This is the story of an amazing and resilient man. And it's so well told! Hillenbrand brings us into the stadium of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the interior of a B-24 bomber limping back to base, a raft drifting across the Pacific, Japanese POW camps and the mental struggles of recovery.
List Price $28.00 Your price: $14.00
Used - Hardcover
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10
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
by Robin Sloan Customer Comment from Cedate Shultz
As a bibliophile I can only imagine encountering book stacks that reach the heights of those in Mr. Penumbra's store. What the new clerk finds in these stacks, however, is nothing short of a wild romp through a world shrouded in mystery. What secret is it that the loyal patrons of this nocturnal store seek? Step across the threshold and find out...
List Price $25.00 Your price: $13.95
Used - Hardcover
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While you were casting your Puddly votes, we also asked our coworkers to name the best book they read in 2012.
Check out the top 50 picks that won our adoration.
Results were calculated based on the number of votes submitted for a given title, not a specific ISBN (edition, binding, et al.).
For example, all the votes for Gone Girl — be it for the paperback, the hardcover, the audio book, the first edition, and so on
— count toward its placement in the final list.
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