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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
CentralCaliGrrrl has commented on (11) products
Justice
by
Karen Robards
CentralCaliGrrrl
, July 21, 2011
I’ve never read anything by Karen Robards before, and while I usually get embarrassed by gratuitous romance novels, I only blushed a couple of times while reading her newest thriller, Justice. Although I didn’t think the characters or the plot were the most believable, I did find Jess and Mark to be likable and I was hoping all would work out well for our heroine and her buff bodyguard. The story was pretty intriguing and it was set to a good, page-turning pace. A nice, easy, enjoyable read.
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Tender Mercy of Roses
by
Anna Michaels
CentralCaliGrrrl
, May 22, 2011
Sad, sweet and suspenseful, The Tender Mercy of Roses is an enjoyable, touching story of family loyalty. It’s also a cautionary tales of what bad things can happen when people take that type of loyalty way too far. Anna Michaels is a pseudonym for Peggy Webb, author of the Southern Cousins Mystery series. She paint a beautiful landscape with her words and carries the reader along smoothly through this unusual crime thriller. But Ms. Michaels used, what I felt was, an excess of metaphors. While most of them were creative and colorful, two or three per paragraph is overkill. Also, I wish Pony had not been quite so idolized. Other than her mangling of the English language, Pony is an absolutely perfect person. This made it hard for me to find her character believable. We’re all flawed -- it would have made for a better story if Pony had had some realistic flaws too. The other players -- Jo Beth, Sam, Titus, even the cheerleading Maggie -- were well thought out and convincing. I was really pulling for all of them, hoping that everything would work out okay and that they could solve the murder without destroying their own lives. All in all, I found The Tender Mercy of Roses to be a great book. Ms. Michaels can really spin a magical webb (sic) that will snare you and hold you until the last page is read!
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In Stitches
by
Anthony Youn
CentralCaliGrrrl
, May 17, 2011
Although I rarely read memoirs and I’ve never read one pertaining to medical careers, In Stitches by Dr. Anthony Youn sounded too good too pass up. I’m happy to say I wasn’t disappointed. Even those of us with absolutely no medical knowledge are guaranteed to enjoy his tales of boyhood, med school and internship, plus a little romance too (eventually -- lol). Not only is Dr. Young a wonderful writer, he unpretentiously sets an excellent example to live by. With hard work, sacrifice, determination and a good sense of humor, anyone can achieve their goals and succeed in life. Heartwarming and very relatable, this touchingly funny book really did leave me "in stitches"!
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Long Drive Home
by
Will Allison
CentralCaliGrrrl
, May 17, 2011
Glen Bauer writes a letter to his daughter, asking her for forgiveness. But Glen’s not even sure he deserves it. You see, Glen killed a man. He didn’t intend to, but accidents do happen… Long Drive Home by Will Allison is an incredibly tortured narrative told in the first person from Glen’s point of view. It’s the type of tense and emotional story that stays with you long after the last page has been read. Mr. Allison explores a very uncomfortable subject. In all honesty, the tragically pivotal moment in this book could happen to any of us. None of us are perfect. One little slip, one single lapse in judgment can change a person’s life forever, sometimes for the worse. Long Drive Home tells the tale of a man, running from his guilt and hoping to find absolution at the end of the road. Does he find it? Sorry -- no spoilers here!
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Finding Emilie
by
Laurel Corona
CentralCaliGrrrl
, May 13, 2011
Because I really enjoy feminine literature and historical fiction, choosing to read and review Finding Emilie by Laurel Corona was a no-brainer for me. The two young, main characters are quite endearing and the pre-French Revolution/Age of Enlightenment settings and situations are vividly described. I also thought the premise of the book was very intriguing -- who wouldn’t want to imagine an exciting life for a young lady known to have existed, but no one really knows anything about? Friendship, romance and self-discovery are a few of the themes explored in Finding Emilie. Although Ms. Corona can be wordy with her writing and the story is sometimes confusing, there are no obvious grammatical errors and the syntax flows nicely. The Meadowlark and Tom stories written by Lili included at the end of the book were a nice touch, though a few illustrations by Delphine would have made it better.
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In the Woods
by
Tana French
CentralCaliGrrrl
, May 13, 2011
While I wouldn’t call it a page-turner, because it was somewhat slow at times, I was drawn into this story and I needed to know how it ended. Ms. French occasionally becomes lost in reflection -- I didn’t really need to know the main character’s every single thought -- it made for a really long book. And, since it’s written by a woman, but is being told from a man’s view point, it didn’t always seem realistic. Do men really think like that?! Other than that though, I found In the Woods to be a compelling, easy-to-read thriller, with lots of intriguing twists and turns. In the Woods solves one mystery, but leaves another unresolved. I can see how this would annoy some readers. I am holding out hope that Adam (Rob) Ryan’s story will be explained in Tara French’s next book The Likeness.
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Alienist
by
Caleb Carr
CentralCaliGrrrl
, April 13, 2011
Absolutely fascinating mix of fact and fiction! Best-selling author Caleb Carr gives us several murder mysteries rolled into one with this thrilling hunt for one of New York’s first serial killers. Set at the turn of the century, eminent alienist Laszlo Kreizler, accompanied by his good friends John Moore and Sara Howard and two quarreling brother investigators Lucius and Marcus Isaacson, must stop a savage beast before he strikes again. With the addition of real-life characters such as Teddy Roosevelt and J.P. Morgan, you could easily believe that you’re reading a true crime thriller. Caleb Carr’s extensive historical education and the amazing amount of research he puts into his work truly goes a long way towards bringing the sights, scents and sounds of this great city and time period come alive. At around 600 pages in length, The Alienist is a surprisingly quick read. So much well-written, page-turning excitement will leave you longing for even more.
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I Am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World
by
Eve Ensler
CentralCaliGrrrl
, April 07, 2011
A roller coaster ride of passionate feelings, I Am An Emotional Creature by best-selling author/playwright Eve Ensler, is often sad, occasionally funny, always moving. Ms. Ensler turns the experiences of girls from all social classes into soul-stirring prose. This book should be considered a must for anyone that cares about women’s rights and our world today. Share this one with your mothers, daughters, sisters and girlfriends!
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Poisoners Handbook Murder & the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
by
Deborah Blum
CentralCaliGrrrl
, March 29, 2011
As a fan of historical nonfiction crime thrillers, I couldn’t wait to read Pulitzer Prize winner Deborah Blum’s new book, The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York. Broken down into chapters named after different poisons, each containing several true mysteries, it has many captivating accounts from a very intriguing time and place in our country’s history. Packed with Progressive Era facts and findings, The Poisoner's Handbook was almost as much about Prohibition, the Great Depression and political wrangling as it was about forensic medicine. The book did, in fact, explore Alexander Gettler and his ground-breaking toxicology experiments more than Charles Norris’ administrative skills, which is contrary to what the blurb led me to believe. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as Mr. Gettler’s work was definitely more fascinating and hands-on. As someone who knows next to nothing about chemistry, I found this book to be incredibly comprehensive and well researched, with extensive endnotes. However, as this was a work of nonfiction, a few photographs taken by the newspapers at the time or borrowed from the family's estates would have been nice to include. Overall, I thought The Poisoner's Handbook was very interesting and it kept me entertained. I would recommend it to others who like this type of genre/subject.
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Altar of Bones
by
Philip Carter
CentralCaliGrrrl
, March 28, 2011
Zoe Dmitroff is a San Francisco attorney whose grandmother was just found murdered. Zoe learns that she is the new Keeper of the Altar of Bones, a real-life fountain of youth deep in the wilds of Siberia. Ry O’Malley is a DEA agent whose brother was just found murdered. Ry learns that he is closely related to the person that really killed JFK. Thrown together in a race for their lives, Zoe and Ry must trust each other if they’re going to be able to save themselves and the whole human race. Meticulously researched and vividly described, this fast paced page turner is definite edge-of-your-seat excitement. Suspense, espionage, romance, mystery...the list goes on and on. Altar of Bones has something for everyone! 4 ½ stars (Received complimentary copy for review purposes only.)
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Killer of Little Shepherds A True Crime Story & the Birth of Forensic Science
by
Douglas Starr
CentralCaliGrrrl
, March 27, 2011
Excellent read! Great flow...author does not "bounce around" too much within the story. Lots of fascinating, factual information. At times, the book almost read like prose, which must have been difficult to achieve considering the context. I also liked the few pages of pictures that were included in the center of the book. Douglas Starr is a terrific writer - I couldn't put this book down!
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