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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
Go Flash Go has commented on (8) products
Incarnate 02 Asunder
by
Jodi Meadows
Go Flash Go
, August 01, 2013
Asunder picks up shortly after the events of Templedark which destroyed dozens of souls and devastated the remaining citizens of Heart. Those who were suspicious of Ana before Templedark are even less inclined to welcome her now. Ana craves acceptance, despite her "nosoul" status. Fortunately, she still has Sam by her side, and he repeatedly demonstrates his willingness to put himself on the line for Ana. I enjoyed the romance between Ana and Sam much more in Asunder. In Incarnate, I frequently thought about the 5,000 year age difference, but perhaps because I am now used to them as a couple, I did not focus on it much. That is until, for the first time, Heart residents bring up the elephant in the room that did not seem to bother them in Incarnate. However, the concern about the age difference was quickly pushed aside and was not mentioned again. Something that never occurred to me during Incarnate was the realization that seemingly everyone wished for immortality. I'm not sure what my decision would be if offered the choice, but even though the people in the Incarnate series are living each life as a different-looking person, with different life experiences, don't things just get...old after a while? After all, over thousands of years, you are surrounded by the same people (albeit in different bodies) during each lifetime. Your memories are the same, and it would seem that not much changes over the lifetimes. That seems like it might get boring, but I suppose they find this preferable to the idea that the alternative to reincarnation is "nothingness." Side note - with all of these long-standing relationships, there are surprisingly few grudges. Jodi Meadows brings a lot to the table: well-written action scenes, a sweet romance, conspiracy theories, and a heart-breaking sacrifice. One of my problems with Incarnate was that while we were frequently told Ana was in danger in Heart, I never really felt that; for the most part, she was welcomed. In Asunder, however, I did have the sense that Ana's safety, and perhaps her life, could be ripped apart at any moment. This added an element of tension and danger that was missing from Incarnate. The book ends with quite a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see where Ana's journey takes her next.
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Truth or Dare
by
Ella Monroe
Go Flash Go
, May 02, 2013
One of the things I (and most people) love about books is the ability to escape into a world one would never experience otherwise. In the case of Truth or Dare, that world is the upper echelon of the DC political elite. What I expected was high-stakes political bargaining, conspiracies, and power plays. What I got was not much different than the afternoon soap opera. There were lots of Big Issues: date rape, drugs, eating disorders, classism, infidelity, stalking, and a stabbing. And that's just the kids! Their power-hungry DC parents are just as bad. But the pièce de résistance is none other than...a secret baby. Didn't I tell you it's like a soap opera? With so much piled on, each individual tragedy or shock loses its impact, and I ended up yawning my way through this book. The characters are split into two distinct groups: the good guys and the bad guys. It's hard to get too emotionally invested in characters who lack distinction and who are, ultimately, forgettable. Truth or Dare features a BIG LESSON, and in case it's missed, it is spelled out for us.: "A real relationship was built on so much more than sex. At the core was genuine friendship. And that meant trusting and talking and having patience and forgiveness." OK, I can get on board with this. I just wish I didn't have to read such petty melodrama to get there. Note - I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review.
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Project Paper Doll 01 Rules
by
Stacey Kade
Go Flash Go
, April 16, 2013
The Rules has pretty much everything this sci-fi fan could want. A human/extra-terrestrial hybrid? Check. The hybrid, named Ariane, was locked in a top-secret government laboratory and subjected to inhumane experiments? Check. Ariane breaks out and now must attempt to blend into society to avoid detection and capture? Check. Ariane's attempt at a normal life begins at home with the laboratory's security guard who helped her escape. He poses as her father (his own daughter died of an illness, a fact he has kept hidden) and instructs her in The Rules that Ariane must follow to protect both of their lives. She must blend in, especially at school; never over-achieve, never under -achieve; don't be early, but don't be late. In short, she can never draw attention to herself. This becomes increasingly difficult when Rachel, the malicious bully at school sets her sights on Ariane and Ariane's only friend, Jenna. Ariane has supernatural abilities, courtesy of her alien DNA, and she struggles, not always successfully, to not use them to retaliate against Rachel's tormenting. Ariane's origin is touched on very briefly. Too briefly for me. I'm hoping that this will be explored in much greater detail in the sequel, in part because I'm a total geek for this stuff, but also because I'm imagining how the still-mysterious parts of her origin may come into play. So many possibilities! As a narrator, Ariane is sharp and funny, pointing out oddities of humans, like how frequently we discuss the weather. While locked up in the lab, Ariane's knowledge of the outside world came from the movies and television shows she was permitted to watch. She doesn't wish to be human, but she has a certain level of resentment for the relative ease with which most of us live our lives. She knows her "father" cares for her, but she also knows she can never truly replace his real daughter in his heart. While he tends to her needs, he maintains a safe emotional distance. So far, I've only discussed Ariane, but the book actually splits POV's with Ariane and Zane, one of the popular guys at school and a part of Rachel's crowd. He knows how detestable Rachel can be, and he attempts to stand up to her, but I wondered why such a nice guy is a part of this crowd. He's intrigued by Ariane, and Rachel is less than thrilled by this. Zane, as likable as he is, was just not as exciting as a narrator. Then again, how can anyone compete with an alien hybrid? Stacey Kade writes very well from the male POV, but when his chapters started, I found myself looking forward to getting back to Ariane. Near the end of the book, however, Zane's narration became much more exciting as we headed towards the conclusion that completely took me by surprise. That twist...I did NOT see it coming. I'm hoping to hear from other readers on this point in the comments, but just be careful to prominently note if your comment contains a spoiler! The Rules ends on a perfect cliff-hanger. It successfully wrapped up the previous events and conflicts, and it sets the stage for a complete change of pace in the sequel. I was a bit distressed that Goodreads did not list the sequel, but Kade wrote on Twitter that she is revising it now. Note - I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for review.
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In the Shadow of Blackbirds
by
Cat Winters
Go Flash Go
, March 30, 2013
1918 is a scary time in American history. We are at war with the Germans, a people portrayed as closer to animal than human, while at home, we battle an outbreak of the deadly Spanish influenza: "Children dropped dead from the flu, boys got transported out of the country to be blown to bits, and the government arrested citizens for speaking the wrong words." Mary Shelley's father is one those arrested, and she's shipped off to live with her Aunt Eva in San Diego as a result. She soon learns that her first love, Stephen, was killed in battle. Mary Shelley can't escape her grief, in no small part because Stephen visits her as a ghost. His family lives nearby, and his brother, Julius, is a self-professed spirit photographer. He makes a killing (sorry) selling ghostly portraits of the deceased to their loved ones. Mary Shelley believes he's a fraud, and she wants to expose him, believing that the only thing Julius truly captures is the hope of grief-stricken people who have lost loved ones to war or disease. Aunt Eva, on the other hand, is a believer. When I first read the synopsis of the book, I had no idea how the title might tie into the story. Maybe it was a metaphor? The answer (or a piece of it) becomes clear about a third of the way through, and it sends Mary Shelley down a dangerous path to uncover the truth. Winters creates a fantastic atmosphere of fear. It seems that death is lurking around every corner, and Winters' descriptions of overrun funeral homes, ambulances with day-long waiting periods, and people with gauze-covered faces to ward off germs capture the feeling perfectly. Mary Shelley is cautious, but not paranoid, while Aunt Eva is in full-on panic mode. People drape themselves in garlic and onion to ward off the flu, and I can't help but wonder what commonly-held beliefs we have today that will be debunked ten, fifty, or one hundred years from now. If you don't make a habit of reading the author's notes, you should do so in this case. I was particularly interested in how much of this time period was fact or fiction (yes, I should probably already know this!), and it's clear that Winters' research was thorough and meticulous. I got a kick out of a restaurant that served "liberty steaks," because no one wanted to be associated with German-sounding hamburgers. It brought to mind the ridiculousness of "freedom fries" shortly after 9/11. Remember when we were all supposed to be angry at the French? The more things change... The book is enhanced by the inclusion of old photographs at the beginning of each chapter. Some illustrate the impact of the influenza epidemic. Others are haunting (or haunted?) depictions of possible ghosts. Or maybe they're just a trick of the light. Chapter 13 shows four people seated around a table with their hands resting upon it. It also shows what appears to be a ghostly hand reaching up from the ground to grip the table. Depending on your belief in ghosts, this photo may have a major spook factor. In the Shadow of Blackbirds crosses over various genres: romance, historical fiction, paranormal, and suspense. All are done well, but my favorite was Mary Shelley's romance with the doomed Stephen, portrayed in flashback. It is sweet and passionate and filled with longing. It's easy to see how Mary Shelley could be consumed by Stephen, both in life and in death. Do you believe in ghosts? I don't, but Cat Winters makes me WANT to believe. Note - I received an ARC from the publisher for review.
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Sweetest Dark
by
Shana Abe
Go Flash Go
, March 23, 2013
This is a somewhat difficult review to write, because while there are hints throughout to the existence of various supernatural elements, they are not revealed in full until about halfway through the story, and they play a major part in the plot. The Goodreads synopsis does not specify them, so I won't either. (The prologue does actually specify the what, but not the who.) The setting is World War 1-era England. This makes me think of Downton Abbey, and anything that makes me think of Downton Abbey makes me happy (with the exception of that ridiculous season two.) Eleanore (Lora) Jones, the heroine, could best be described as scrappy. She was a strange little girl; a ten-year-old orphan, speechless and with no memory of her earlier life. She was taken into an orphanage where her oddness caused her to be ostracized and abused, under the guise of treatment. She heard sounds and music that no one else heard. A strange, menacing voice spoke only to her. She protected herself by closing herself to others, and by sixteen, she learned to fake the persona of a “normal” girl sufficiently to trick the doctor at the orphanage who previously diagnosed her with “adolescent feminine hysteria.” When the orphanage was bombed by the Germans, the children were sent to other orphanages, but Lora was selected as a “charity student” to attend a prestigious boarding school. She encounters prissy, privileged, bullying girls, but her struggles left her very well-prepared to deal with them. There's a love triangle, of course. Two boys vie for Lora's attention: the poor, sweet boy to whom Lora takes an instant liking, and the rich boy initially viewed by Lora as an adversary. Like Lora, both boys are not exactly what they seem. I was pleased that the author managed to make both boys viable romantic options, a frequent stumbling block for other writers. The writing in The Sweetest Dark is quite lovely and a nice match for the time period and the mysteries of the story. When the supernatural elements were fully revealed, I was taken by surprise and somewhat confused. However, I'm a first-time reader of Shana Abe, and from reading other reviews, people familiar with her works did not have the same reaction. The ending was a combination of sweetness and heartbreak, although the epilogue provides some hope and sets the stage nicely for a sequel. A note about the title: I thought it was quite cheesy and more appropriate for a tawdry romance novel, but then I read this quote from the book: “Those nights, in the sweetest dark, we shared our dreams. That's your answer. I was stitched into yours, and you were stitched into mine, and that was real, I promise you.” Sigh. All was forgiven. I obtained this book through NetGalley.
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Just One Day
by
Gayle Forman
Go Flash Go
, March 22, 2013
“So Lulu? What do you say? You want to go to Paris? For just one day?” Fortunately for us, Lulu (née Allyson) says yes. Good thing for Gayle Forman, too; otherwise her book would have ended on page 30. High-school student, Allyson, impulsively takes off for Paris with Willem, a Dutch actor whom she'd just met in England. She spends the day and night with him, and in the morning he's...gone. Allyson is shattered and flees Paris. These events are covered in the synopsis, but they play out over the first 142 pages of the book. When part 2 picks up, Allyson is a freshman in college, and she's still deeply depressed. She attempts to suppress thoughts of Willem, but “they are buried everywhere, like land mines.” She willingly ostracizes herself from her roommates. She avoids the party scene, using studying as an excuse, and spends her nights alone in bed. Her mother carries on with her overbearing ways and won't let Allyson forget that she left her suitcase and watch behind in Paris, although Allyson wisely told her parents they were stolen. But when her parents come to visit, she must play the role of “Happy College Student.” It's not easy to read a book narrated by someone as unhappy as Allyson, and some people might get fed up with Allyson at this point. I, however, could easily relate to her plight. My freshman year was completely miserable (for reasons that had nothing to do with a Dutch actor), but my life at that point was quite similar to hers. When Allyson visits her life-long best friend, Melanie, at Melanie's college in New York City, the contrast is stark. Melanie actually IS living the Happy College Student life; no faking necessary. At the same time, both girls realize that they have begun to grow apart, and they react to their changing relationship quite differently. (Side note - why does it seem that male adolescent friendships are much more likely to last in the long-term than female friendships?) Can just one day change a person? A life? If you didn't believe it before, you might believe it by the time you read the last page of this book. In Allyson's case, the answer is a very emphatic YES. For just one day, she became a different person, and when Willem's disappearance snatched her new self away, Allyson couldn't recover. We're not asked to accept the concept of love at first sight; that's something I will never believe. But we are asked to consider the potentially long-lasting ramifications a single encounter can have, and Gayle Forman beautifully shows us both the heartbreak and the magic than can ensue.
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Shards & Ashes
by
Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, Veronica Roth
Go Flash Go
, March 20, 2013
Each story in this anthology is around 30-40 pages. I'll provide a synopsis, mini-review, and rating for each story. I'll also provide an overall rating for the book as a whole at the bottom of page. Hearken by Veronica Roth: Hearken features Darya, a musical prodigy, and her older sister, Khali. While there is some competitiveness between the two, we feel the bond between them very quickly, and the two share some tender moments. These prodigies are called Hearkeners, and once identified, they are fitted with a brain implant that allows them to hear "life songs" or "death songs," musical tones emitted by humans depending on the condition of their health. Darya explains her choice: “Life's something we already understand. Death is a mystery.” Not a whole lot happens in the story, but the writing has a magical, ethereal quality that matches the subject matter. I'm sure it's difficult to depict music through writing, but here Roth does it here in a very pretty way. 3 stars Branded by Kelley Armstrong: We get a quick explanation of the state of the world in Rayne's history class, and it's not pretty. Supernatural beings (not the nice kind - they have a taste for human flesh) decided it was time to take over the world. The battle resulted in natural disasters including earthquakes and tsunamis, and human survivors fled to fortresses. Anyone found inside the fortress with “hybrid” blood was executed or tossed outside the fortress to a likely death. Outside the fortress, in addition to the hybrids, are refugees who are desperate to reach sanctuary and savage humans who are best avoided. When Braeden's identity as a werewolf is uncovered, he is cast out, and Rayne leaves the safety of the fortress to save him. This story vividly depicts the frightening hybrids and the desperation and fear of those outside the fortress. 3.5 stars Necklace of Raindrops by Margaret Stohl: Eh...All I'll say about this story is that it had a dreamy, light tone. That might sound great, but the result was that it drifted right past me without catching my attention. No rating Dogsbody by Rachel Caine: “You. Your number is up.” That doesn't sound good, does it? Well, maybe it does if you're standing at the deli counter, waiting on some tasty Boar's Head honey turkey. But if you live in an overpopulated, under-resourced society that solves its problems by randomly killing its citizens, then having your number called is not exactly desirable. And about the title...I wondered what “dogsbody” meant before reading this novella. Maybe this was a story about half-human, half-canine hybrids? As fascinating as THAT concept sounds, in this case, dogsbody is the term for the people on the lowest end of the totem pole in this dystopian society. There is a good deal of violence and double- and triple-crossing and action galore, but the story never fully drew me in. Terrible things were happening on the page, but I never felt empathy for the characters. 3 stars Pale Rider by Nancy Holder: I realized while reading this story how much I enjoy the scenes in post-apocalyptic books and films where characters are scavenging for basic supplies. It makes me realize how relatively easy we have it in this country. Speculating what would happen if our resources were suddenly scarce or disappeared altogether is fascinating to me. This is one of the reasons why I loved The Road (both the book and the film) so much. So, despite a writing style that was noticeably more “juvenile” than the other stories, I was prepared to enjoy Pale Rider until it suddenly morphed into supernatural territory. And when a fantasy element was introduced, it just seemed like there was too much going in this short story, and I think Holder bit off more than she could chew. 2 stars Corpse Eaters by Melissa Marr: With an alcoholic father, Harmony doesn't have it easy. But that's not the worst of it, because the world has been taken over by the devotees of a reptilian god named Nidhogg, a proponent of human sacrifices. These devotees seek out sick humans to sate their hunger. Harmony and Chris are part of a resistance movement attempting to destroy Nidhogg and his followers. The story has a nice level of gruesomeness and a surprising final twist. 3.5 stars Burn 3 by Kami Garcia: An environmental catastrophe, now referred to as the Burn, polluted the water and destroyed most of the Earth's ozone. Survivors live in domed societies for protection from the deadly sun. Phoenix is the caretaker for her younger sister, Sky, and when Sky disappears, Phoenix heads to an underground system of laboratories to search for her. Can anything pleasant EVER occur in an underground lab? Certainly not here. Here's a hint: In a world...where exposure to the sun can be fatal... (said in my best sinister movie preview voice), what is one of the most valuable commodities? You can read this story for the answer, or you can just take my word that this is fairly ho-hum. It started off with some excitement but ended with little more than a whimper. 2.5 stars Love is a Choice by Beth Revis: The spaceship, Godspeed, is bringing its citizens to a new planet. Most of the people onboard drink water drugged with chemicals designed to keep them subservient, with the only antidote being a prized pill which must be taken daily. The pills are dispensed to only the most valuable workers, but Orion obtained a supply from his late father. When his supply runs low, he seeks assistance from Mag, a non-drugged employee who agrees to steal pills for Orion and provide him with a safe place to hide out from the evil ruler, Eldest. Orion's natural instinct is to rebel against oppression, but he asks himself, “Should I risk everything ��" even the lives of everyone on board this ship ��" for what I think is right?” He debates with Mag not only whether they should revolt, but how. And it goes deeper: are people better off being little more than sheep? After all, when you take away the will of the people, you also take away their capacity for fear, worry, and other distressing emotions. This was my favorite of the short stories. In a few dozen pages, Revis manages to lay out Eldest's means and purpose of subduing the spaceship's society, something that, incidentally, my recent read, Article 5, was unable to do in more than 300 pages. She takes this story to surprising depths, and it's the only one that covered enough ground to flesh out a full-length novel. 4.5 stars Miasma by Carrie Ryan: Disease, epic flooding, man-eating monsters, and evil doctors with beaks. Welcome to Miasma. And about that disease: “Your lungs had begun melting into your heart, and your stomach into your intestines, until you became nothing more than a jumbled mass of deteriorated cells barely held together by yellow-tinged cells.” Ooookay...I think I'll take the floods. The monsters prey upon the sick, and one of those taken captive is the mother of sisters Frankie and Cathy. While Cathy falls ill, too, Frankie goes to work as a maid for the Oglethorpes. The monsters continue to sniff out the sickened, and it seems it's just a matter of time before Cathy is discovered. This story had an interesting spark of romance between Frankie and Charles, the Oglethorpe heir. There is a great cat-and-mouse quality between the two, as Frankie is uncertain whether Charles can be trusted. 4 stars 3 Stars Overall
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Pivot Point
by
West, Kasie
Go Flash Go
, March 19, 2013
“Stay here with others like you, or leave the Compound and live in a world surrounded by people who only use ten percent of their brains.” This is the choice Addie must make when her parents tell her they're getting a divorce and that she must choose with whom to live. As a Searcher, Addie has the ability to see into the future of either potential option. With that framework set in place, we are off! Each chapter switches between the same time period in both worlds, and we can see how the ramifications of Addie's choices play out. Aside from the citizens' extraordinary abilities, life, and in particular, high school life, seems pretty normal in the Compound. In the Normal world with her father, on the other hand, Addie must adjust to our technologically-deficient and uninformed beliefs, including lights that don't turn on by themselves and high school history books that don't have all the facts. Addie must keep her powers and the existence of the Compound a secret from the Norms; not an easy task since she spent her entire life surrounded by people like herself, with no need to hide. There are love interests in both worlds, and West not-too-subtly pushes the reader's support in one direction. I initially was surprised by the major cheese factor of one of the guys, but it became clear later in the book why he was depicted that way. In hindsight, I found that refreshing, because I didn't experience the sensation of an author switcheroo where you're left scratching your head when the revelation does not match the character's previous behavior. Most of the story was light and humorous, but there was a dangerous thread running through it that didn't makes its connection to Addie clear (at least not to me) until very close to the end. I was completely surprised ��" love when that happens! - but again, West left all of the clues. I think I missed them because I was so caught up in the story. I loved this quote from Addie: “Thank you seems like too little...or maybe too much, since he couldn't possibly understand how much I needed to hear what he just said. How much I needed to know that even without my ability, I am someone worth knowing. That every little and ridiculous quality I exhibit makes me who I am.” Addie was choked up during this scene, and it choked me up a bit, too. Sniff, sniff! Pivot Point's central concept may not be totally unique, but West executes it in an exciting, refreshing, and fun way. This was a fabulous start to the series. It concludes without a major cliffhanger, but I was nevertheless left wanting to read more about Addie's life. Fortunately, a sequel is planned for 2014.
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