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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
universalmusiq has commented on (7) products
The Dream Thieves
by
Stiefvater, Maggie
universalmusiq
, October 06, 2013
There's heartbreak, a cliffhanger, and a bunch of revelations. This is primarily Ronan's book though a new character, Adam, and Blue have POVs we follow there's only a tad bit from Gansey's perspective this time around. We're on Ronan's psychological and physical journey. Even Blue was a bit less annoying to me and while she's still not my fave character in this series I feel for her more in this book. Things readers were primed for in book 1 are starting to come to fruition and some things you did not expect happen as well. Going back to book 1 after I finished book 2 I saw the subtleties that Stiefvater planted when you get to the end of book 2. So I'd suggest rereading book 1 and seeing how deftly she handled her characters. Stiefvater did a great job of building Ronan's character, his inner loathing of himself, his love for others and his growth so he's not just the angry guy he's got a lot going on that no one knows about but he has integrity and loyalty as well which makes him more than just a side character. You understand that brusqueness and see a tender side to him as well. And Adam, who is my fave, gets to grow a bit more towards the end though it seems his own changes may lead to bad times. We'll see. I'm in for the long haul with this series. Stiefvater's style remains her own with a literary and fantastic feel and a big old crescendo at the end.
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5th Wave 01
by
Rick Yancey
universalmusiq
, October 06, 2013
The hype for this book is up there with THE HUNGER GAMES for me. Cassie, Zombie, and even the 3rd person POVs from little Sam and a conflicted character are a great way to build up the overall tension in this new YA series. The pacing works in terms of building characters and their sense of danger. The aliens came and broke down the world in waves or stages and it makes sense that Yancey also builds on the characters resolve in such a way. Cassie is a fierce character who is wanting yet has a mission to rescue her brother Sam. Zombie is broken and put back together again to fight but who exactly is he fighting for? Little Sam just wants things to be the way they were and people to stick to their promises. The 5th Wave comes and the way the previous waves came and went and inflicted pain and demise on the earth are well constructed from Cassie's POV. I love her wit and I love Zombie's determination. Combined this makes for a good series that will have readers rooting for both of our narrator's and seeing how deep things go in terms of whether there'll be more waves and whether this war can be won.
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TransAtlantic
by
Colum McCann
universalmusiq
, October 06, 2013
McCann's writing is fantastic. Flawless and beautiful and fabulous to read. But the stories in TransAtlantic tend to drag. For me the one that held the most power was the first with the two pilots handling the first transatlantic flight. From there all the stories that come around are woven together as time passes but some have greater holds than others. A lot of what goes on after the first story is internal conflicts bordering on external conflicts that have happened. A fine read but readers may not be as enthralled with the characters when getting at them from the surface.
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Tampa
by
Alissa Nutting
universalmusiq
, October 06, 2013
While I don't like the character of Celeste Price the effectiveness of Alissa Nutting's writing and the way in which she really puts the reader into Celeste's world and most importantly her desires is very well done. Celeste is not completely heartless she's just selfish as hell. And when I can actually feel bad for this narrator, a pedophile, when she has to have sex with an older gross man to maintain her secret passions and the deep disgust she has for it reflects the convincing nature of Nutting's writing in TAMPA. For some people this book will be cringe-worthy. Very much so. The sex scenes are graphic and Celeste's desires are palpable. There are caricatures of course, particularly in the fact that it seems EVERY grown man has an interest in Celeste and no one is not susceptible to her wily ways so it works in her favor which doesn't seem that realistic but is not wholly unrealistic at the same time. I think Jack was well illustrated and Nutting did show his growth and change in the ups and downs of this "relationship." I feel for that boy severely. Poor thing. Celeste doesn't necessarily learn anything and is a victim (sort of) of her own salacious desires that overwhelm and encompass her wholly. The fear of not fulfilling her wants may be her downfall and her realization that her physical beauty has a shelf life is realistic and absolutely cutting.
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Breed
by
Chase Novak and Scott Spencer
universalmusiq
, September 14, 2012
It makes sense that Stephen King praised this book. As a fan of Scott Spencer's literary novels "Breed" digs into the emotional aspects of wanting a family, having one, and trying to keep it together even with the supernatural/sci-fi elements tied in. The dialogue was exquisite and the description and narration sad and funny and pitch perfect. The life that Alex and Leslie seek to build with their children and how they attempt to squash their innermost desires to maintain status quo but mostly out of love for each other and their family is really what held me throughout. And even when in danger their twins Adam and Alice do not forget the love they have for their parents while running for their lives and finding out the truth about their origins. If you're a Scott Spencer fan I recommend and if you're a fan of horror that is not just about brutality and the grotesque but has a building story with identifiable characters you enjoy reading about then this is a book for you. If you're a Stephen King fan and have read his earlier works I think you'll also very much enjoy "Breed."
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Laura Lamonts Life in Pictures
by
Emma Straub
universalmusiq
, September 14, 2012
The writing for this book is fluid and lovely and very visual. This book may be for a specific reader who is a fan of old Hollywood and how things change. I didn't see too much growth in the Laura character from the time she left her small town/theatre roots to when she became a Hollywood starlet and soon lost much of her luster. What is apparent and pushes you to root and keep reading is the love Laura has for her family and her drive and devotion to take care of them no matter what it means for an aging actress. And the world is not nice to women who age on screen. I think this is a very true to life tale that works but may be a bit slow for some, especially if you're used to your female characters having a bit more oomph and gusto. Either way it's a strong novel debut for Straub and a lovely intro to her writing if you haven't read her short fiction.
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What's Left of Me
by
Kat Zhang
universalmusiq
, September 14, 2012
This was a solid debut but there were certain plot points I saw coming from far away. For me I would've liked a stronger heroine character rather than someone who was being saved often but being that this is part of a series this allows a lot of time for the character to grow. A body with two souls is a very intriguing topic and for the main characters of Addie and Eva sharing a body may be the one thing to (no pun intended) tear them apart.
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