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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
jj2jiang has commented on (3) products
The Host
by
Stephenie Meyer
jj2jiang
, June 10, 2010
Since the beginning of time, people have wondered what the future holds in store. Now, Stephenie Meyer has given us her proposal in her newest novel: The Host. Fascinatingly imaginative, The Host tells of a future of alien invasion, where the aliens that invade our world take control of human bodies and replace their minds. One insertion surgery, and the mind of a human is gone. That is how it is supposed to work, but when an alien is inserted in teenage human Melanie Stryder, the transition does not got right-leaving Melanie's and an alien's mind in Melanie's body. When the two desperately set off in search of a man Melanie loves, fresh conflicts arise for the already-struggling characters and the story gets even more twistedly complicated. The Host explores themes of acceptance, especially the theme that acceptance is the first step towards ending hate. Intriguing and entertaining, this is a novel that makes us rethink the lives we live today and the ways of humanity. The Host is a readable book for young adults and adults looking for a science fiction novel. However, I believe the story of The Host would be more powerful with better writing; there were many aspects of Stepehnie Meyer's writing that I found could use improvement. Stephenie's idea of alien souls is wonderfully intriguing, but the novel turns to focus too much on romance. Many parts of the story tend to drag on as well, unimportant and boring details tediously take up page space. I also found the themes in this novel not to be very strong and maybe even a little under-developed.This could have been an extremely powerful novel if thoughtful themes were core of the story, not romance and page-filler. Though Stepenie Meyer's The Host is, overall, not a good work of literature, this novel did serve to entertain me for a few days.
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Little Brother
by
Doctorow, Cory
jj2jiang
, June 10, 2010
The worst terrorist attack ever to happen on U.S. soil- the bombing of Bay Bridge. It changes the whole world of security, and Marcus and his friends, having been at the wrong place at the wrong time, are caught up in the consequences. After being captured and dumped in a secret prison, they are mercilessly interrogated for days by the Department of Homeland Security to prove that they are not terrorists. San Fransisco, as Marcus finds when he is finally released, has been transformed into a police state where every citizen is treated like potential terrorist. It's all the work of the DHS, and Marcus, seventeen-year-old networking genius, is determined to take them down- tech style. In so many ways, Little Brother is unlike any novel I have ever read. The story is striking in a way I have never thought about before; tech rebellion is a new and possibly more powerful idea than we think. This novel tells us that networking systems may play a bigger part in our future than we consider, and that is a theme you realize yourself as this book probes your imagination. This novel also makes us ponder the extents humans will go to in order to feel "safe"; if we take a step back, is "safe" honestly protecting us or instilling more fear? Cory Doctorow has succeeded in stirring our thoughts. Little Brother is a novel written from the perspective of our protagonist, Marcus, whose character did not fail in making me laugh out loud. Full of action, geeky knowledge, and even romance, this novel is a great read for young adults. I read it in just a couple days and would recommend it to anyone. Little Brother has made my top reading list.
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Chronicles of Prydain 01 Book Of Three
by
Lloyd Alexander
jj2jiang
, June 07, 2010
To me, The Book of Three was a novel assigned to read and study in class; I am a middle school student. I was not particularly thrilled to read the book at first, especially after I was told by classmates that this is a story about a pig- not exactly accurate. However, I know now that The Book of Three, and the fantasy land of Prydain, hold a story that is not only wonderfully entertaining but meaningful as well. The story begins with an oracular pig and Taran the Assistant Pig-Keeper. Taran is a young boy who longs for adventure as he lives his calm peasant life in the Middle Ages- until his pig runs away. From there, a journey filled with strange and wonderful characters unfolds, a rescue mission packed with the adventure that Taran dreamt of. This delightful story told by The Book of Three also shows us strong themes of courage, good versus evil, and heroism- that the true hero comes from within. When reading The Book of Three, I especially loved the characters that Alexander created; they give to the story a touch of lightness and humor. They also portray the powerful themes without, so to speak, bogging the story down. The Book of Three is written in a sophisticated manner, is fast-moving, another part I enjoyed, and a great quick read for children. Though the book did not make my top reading list, mostly because I do not enjoy the fantasy or Middle Ages genres, I still found The Book of Three to be an enjoyable and charming novel. I would recommend it to anyone who loves a Medieval Times adventure.
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