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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
Julia Callahan has commented on (12) products
This Is Where I Leave You
by
Jonathan Tropper
Julia Callahan
, August 08, 2009
Tolstoy wrote of all unhappy families being unhappy in different ways, well here's an unhappy family for the ages. In Tropper's book a vaguely Jewish family is forced to sit Shiva, trapped in a house for seven days, after their father dies. Chaos ensues. But it's not just funny or just painful, Tropper somehow captures the little joys, the pain, the humor, the hurt, the bordem and the anguish of life as the family tries to survive their time together. Best book I've read this year.
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Life Sucks
by
Jessica Abel, Soria
Julia Callahan
, May 19, 2008
Being a vampire isn't what it looks like in the movies. Think about it, you don't immediately get fabulously wealthy, you still have to pay rent, and you can't go outside in the light of day. Plus, if you're like Dave, your master is a psychotic capitalist from the old world (Transylvania) determined to make your life hell. But for Dave, the one part of the day (actually night) he looks forward to is when Rosa, a vampire wannabe who has no clue that vampires are real, comes into the Last Stop (the convenience store Dave will spend all eternity working the night shift at). Rosa and Dave eventually strike up a friendship and possibly more, but not without some roadblocks. One of which happens to be Dave's 'brother,' they were made by the same vampire, Wes. Wes is a hot blonde surfer who loves women, and loves killing them for sport. Dave, on the other hand, is a vegetarian who gets his plasma from a blood bank and refuses to kill. Who wins in this epic battle. Read and find out.
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Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by
Junot Diaz
Julia Callahan
, April 19, 2008
Oscar is maybe the last true romantic left on the planet. He is a fierce lover of women, though his major problem lies in them loving him back, and he is a writer of Science Fiction, which may contribute to his solid role as the friend and confidante. But for Oscar Wao and his brief life, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and he may be the last person willing to give it all up for love. A wonderful and moving book about not fitting in, and finally having something to live and die for.
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Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
by
Junot Diaz
Julia Callahan
, February 19, 2008
As I was reading this book I was skeptical that Junot Diaz would be able to end it in any way that wouldn't make me hate it. Much to my joy, he ended it in the only way it should have ended. Oscar is a great protagonist, you feel so much for him, but unlike most protagonists, it's not just that you're rooting for him. You feel sad, embarrassed, even angered by him, until the end when you realize that he may just be the most perfect person ever. What a pleasure this book was to read, I loved it.
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Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper
by
Diablo Cody
Julia Callahan
, February 16, 2008
Anthropological stripping is Diablo Cody's chosen profession, or it was before she became a big hit screenwriter. Quirky wit that she's becoming known for makes this book an absolute pleasure to read. She's fearless in what she'll discuss. She obviously is very ambivalent about the actual profession of stripping and its implications for women, but she has utmost respect for her fellow strippers...just don't call it exotic dancing. It's not hard to see why she's making waves in Hollywood...and why she's soon to win a little gold statue.
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Da Vinci Code
by
Dan Brown
Julia Callahan
, February 16, 2008
The story is compelling, I'll give him that, but really this book is nothing more than a historically inaccurate high-speed chase. It's fun for a little while, but gets tedious and tiresome...and the cop-out ending made me literally throw the book across my bedroom. It's a search for the holy grail that finds nothing remotely grail-like.
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(17 of 31 readers found this comment helpful)
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Atonement
by
Ian McEwan
Julia Callahan
, February 16, 2008
Literally the best book I've read in years. The film prompted me to read this book (much to my embarrassment), and I was just overwhelmed by how great the book really is. McEwan weaves an amazing tale of lust, love, actions, consequences, war, peace, and the true place of the author. The commentary on the nature of fiction is played out in a profoundly moving and utterly disturbing way. Atonement is simply unmissable.
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(20 of 28 readers found this comment helpful)
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Maus II a Survivors Tale & Here My Troubles Began
by
Art Spiegelman
Julia Callahan
, February 08, 2008
The follow up to the ever amazing and re-readable Maus, this book is about the contrast between how dark humanity can be and how hopeful it can be. An amazing tale of Holocaust survival, perhaps the best piece of writing on the subject to date. It's well worth purchase and constant perusal.
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(10 of 25 readers found this comment helpful)
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Maus I: A Survivor's Tale
by
Art Spiegelman
Julia Callahan
, February 08, 2008
Holy Crap this is amazing. It is the most literary of graphic novels and really uses the medium to its fullest capability. It's heartbreaking, it's tense, but mostly it's an amazing story about how someone's world can go into darkness without their consent.
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(14 of 31 readers found this comment helpful)
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Another Bullshit Night in Suck City: A Memoir
by
Nick Flynn
Julia Callahan
, February 07, 2008
Nick Flynn has this amazing way of disarming you as the reader. He jumps around in time and talks about events he wasn't around to witness, but you never really feel like you are jumping around in time or witnessing a secondhand account. This is one of the best books I've ever read.
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(8 of 21 readers found this comment helpful)
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Everybody Into The Pool
by
Beth Lisick
Julia Callahan
, January 27, 2008
God I love this book. Beth just says it like no one else can. She's funny, yet so full of humanity it's hard to resist her. This collection of stories about growing up in the Bay Area deserves to be read and cherished multiple times over. No subject is taboo with Beth. Whether talking about infamous ladies lunches or abortion, her prose is razor sharp and right on. She's the kind of author you want to join for a night of drinking.
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(4 of 5 readers found this comment helpful)
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Helping Me Help Myself One Skeptic Ten Self Help Gurus & a Year on the Brink of the Comfort Zone
by
Beth Lisick
Julia Callahan
, January 27, 2008
I'm a huge fan of all of Beth's work, but this goes above and beyond. Of course it is completely hilarious and had me laughing out-loud on multiple occasions, but it also gives some good advice about how to choose who to take advice from. She's up front and honest and it is clear that she took this project seriously, as she rarely goes into a seminar or author with a prejudice of any kind. My favorite section was her experiences on Richard Simmons' 'Cruise to Lose,' priceless!
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(7 of 13 readers found this comment helpful)
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