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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
JoanMaggie has commented on (13) products
Where the Moon Isn't
by
Nathan Filer
JoanMaggie
, March 03, 2014
This book is a Costa Book of the Year winner for 2013. (Published in the U.K. as The Shock the Fall). This is a remarkable novel told through the eyes of Matthew Homes, a young man struggling with mental illness. Matthew's older brother who had Down Syndrome has died and the events surrounding his death haunt Matthew. This book was an absorbing read and the reader comes to feel really invested in Matthew. The novel was written by a former mental health nurse and has the ring of truth to it. What might seem like a depressing topic in the hands of this writer is a beautiful and touching story. I was deeply moved by it and I recommend it highly.
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Snow Child
by
Eowyn Ivey
JoanMaggie
, January 09, 2013
This was an especially lovely story. It combines the realism of the tough pioneering lifestyle with the magic of a Russian folktale. The juxtaposition of the two conflicting styles tend to magnify each. The result is stunning. I must confess that this book made me cry--and I loved it!
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Call the Midwife 02 Shadows of the Workhouse
by
Jennifer Worth
JoanMaggie
, January 05, 2013
I really enjoyed the BBC series Call the Midwife and beliving that books are usually better than the series, I ordered the books. I was not disappointed. The books are much better at filling in the backstories of the characters. Although I knew the characters' stories, I still found myself moved when I read about them in the book. There is a wealth of information on obstetrics, public health, and history interspersed among the stories. Jennifer Worth is a master storyteller and you should not deprive yourself the opportunity of reading what she wrote. Highly recommended.
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The Family Fang
by
Kevin Wilson
JoanMaggie
, June 03, 2012
A roller coaster ride of a read. The Fang parents along with Child A and Child B create performance art that their children call mischief. The stories of the performance art productions are laugh out loud funny. However, the dysfunction of the family unit is very sad. After a lifetime of dealing with this dysfunction, the children are back home to regain strength after life has beaten them about the head and shoulders. How the family reunites after the children have gained experience in the outside-the-family-unit-world makes for a very poignant read. Get ready to laugh and feel sadness for the Fang family.
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The Cove
by
Rash, Ron
JoanMaggie
, May 19, 2012
Ron Lash is a gifted wordsmith and storyteller. I was able to feel the gloom of the setting and the emotions of each of the characters. The story is a sad but lovely one. The novel takes place in a small southern locale at the time of the First World War. Yet, the characters and their actions are as timeless as literature itself. I found the story to be emotionally moving and well worth reading.
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Good American
by
Alex George
JoanMaggie
, April 21, 2012
A warm novel that picks the reader up and sweeps her away through a century of American history. This books feels familiar because it tells the familiar story of the emigrant experience and the experience of life itself. Well worth picking up and spending time with.
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Life of Bright Ideas
by
Sandra Kring
JoanMaggie
, March 31, 2012
This novel is a sequel to the book, The Book of Bright Ideas but can be read as a stand alone. Both books are about the lives of two girls, Button and Winnalee, although they take place a decade apart. Button is the more 'buttoned up' girl and Winnalee more of a free spirit yet both have lives where the Fates have been less than kind. A Life of Bright Ideas finds them reunited and working together to heal the hurts the past ten years have dealt them. This book is a celebration of how friendship and family can work wonders in the healing process. I guarantee that you will feel better after reading this book.
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Whipping Club
by
Deborah Henry
JoanMaggie
, March 23, 2012
One decision made with the best of intentions but horribly wrong can impact a multitude of lives in the most negative of ways. This is the premise of The Whipping Club. A young Catholic woman when she finds herself pregnant out of wedlock, goes to a home for unwed mothers. After giving birth, Marian gives her child up for adoption. Marian will go on to marry her baby's father and start a new family but the secret of the surrendered child will color all of her ongoing family life. The story of the abuse that the little boy, Adrian, undergoes while in the care of the Catholic church's orphanages adds yet another note of desperation to the tale. The struggle to reunite this fractured family makes for compelling reading. Taking place in 1960's Dublin, this book shines a light on a period of history that I was unfamiliar with. Good history, well developed characters and a plot complete with intrigue makes this a book worth reading. Many thanks to the folks at Goodreads.com for the chance to preview this novel.
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Every Man Dies Alone
by
Hans Fallada
JoanMaggie
, February 22, 2012
This book is the fictionalized account of two Germans who in their own small way tried to stand up to the Nazi machine. Anna and Otto Quangel upon hearing of the death of their only son in the war, decide to fight back by writing postcards denouncing Hitler and his policies and dropping those postcards all around Berlin. The outcome is inevitable but the road the author takes on to get there makes for a fascinating read. There are many characters that the reader comes to know and keen observations on human behavior. The book is more than just the story of the Quagels, it is the story of how people act in an authoritarian regime. Some will change and some will continue as they always have. If you have read Suite Francaise, this is a good book to read as a pairing. In addition, the story of the true protagonists and the author makes this a compelling read.
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Started Early Took My Dog
by
Kate Atkinson
JoanMaggie
, January 18, 2012
Kate Atkinson nver fails to delight and this book just goes to prove it. I have read every Atkinson book and love each one. Sarted Early, Took My Dog shows Atkinson at her top form. The combination of wry wit, plot and good character development makes for an enjoyable read. PBS/BBC has done an admirable job of filming the trials of Jackson Broday but read the books to get a much more enjoyable experience.
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Signing Their Rights Away
by
Denise Kiernan
JoanMaggie
, October 04, 2011
The US Constitution is the oldest written constitution in the world. It has successfully provided the structure for governing the USA for well over 200 years. As great as this document is, it was written by a group of not-necessarily great men. This book looks at the lives of the famous and infamous men behind the Constitution. The biographies of each of the signers is very brief which makes it a great book for taking with you while you have to wait as you can pick it up and put it down without losing track of what you are reading. However, each man's story is very intriguing and if you are like me, you'll find yourself saying just one more before I go. This is a great introduction to some of those men who history seems to have forgotten. You may even find yourself looking to find out more about some of them!
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Zug Island: A Detroit Riot Novel
by
Gregory A. Fournier
JoanMaggie
, September 08, 2011
The Help (both book and movie) has reacquainted us with relationships between the races in the South. Often we forget that the North had its own problems with bigotry during this time period. I recommend this book as a way to remember how things were in this time period in the North. I commend Gregory Fournier for writing a realistic view of how things were. Jake (a white suburban young adult) has to make some fast money after being tossed out of the local university. He goes to work in a steel plant where he becomes friends with Theo, an African-American co-worker a few years older than himself. They become friends as much as the restrictions of the times allow. The adventures that they have help the young Jake realize how narrow his world is. The author also does an admirable job supplying some of the historical content necessary to understand what the attitudes were without becoming 'preachy'. Having lived in the area and time the book takes place, I can only say "Wow! Job well done." I urge anyone who has an interest in understanding where we have come from to pick up this book and learn of the times.
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Good Graces
by
Lesley Kagen
JoanMaggie
, August 14, 2011
This sequel to Whistling in the Dark proves that Lesley Kagen is a masterful storyteller who seasons her writing with the right blend of warm humor and period details. Sally and Troo O'Malley are a year older than when we last met them. Sally still is burdened with taking care of her younger sister because she promised her father that she would take care of Troo. The family dynamics have changed since Whistling in the Dark. The girl's older sister is married and the mother of an infant and the girl's mother is eagerly awaiting an annulment in order to marry her first true love. As was the case in the first book, neighbors and friends play a big role in helping and shaping these young girls. Into this unsettled family situation creeps a cat burglar who steals not only valuables but the the neighborhood's sense of security. The story takes place in working class Milwaukee in 1960 and the author uses a lot of details to set the tone. A really good read! My favorite quote from the book is "his mean justified his end". Read it and find your own favorite quotes. I guarantee you'll find one.
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
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