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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
Bigreader342 has commented on (17) products
Shes Not Sorry
by
Mary Kubica
Bigreader342
, May 08, 2024
With the start of a phone call demanding money in return for her daughter, this book immediately hooked me to find out what Meghan was going to do. Which you won't find out for awhile because the ICU where Meghan works has a patient, a survivor of a suicidal jump off a bridge and a great big mystery of why Caitlin would do such a thing. It falls to Meghan to care for this patient and comfort Caitlin's grieving family which brings up painful memories of her own. And on top of that, there is a man attacking women on the streets. Did he have a hand in Caitlin's jump? And if that is not enough, Nat reenter's Meghan's life, trying to escape an abusive husband. So many twists and turns, impossible decisions to make and the danger rises for Meghan and Sienna, making this a super hard book to put down. This is the first book I have read by Mary Kubica but I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more stories by this author!
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A Tempest of Tea
by
Hafsah Faizal
Bigreader342
, April 03, 2024
First off, I love this gorgeous cover and that is what first drew me to the book. Arthie is an interesting character carrying a special gun and running Spindrift, a tea house that turns into an illegal bloodhouse that she also got by trickery and keep going with secrets and blackmail. So, cool premise. It tried to be like Six of Crows but with vampires instead of grisha. It did not quite reach that level but had enough twists and turns to keep me reading to see if Arthie and gang could steal the ledger and save her tea house. And while I though the interactions between Jin and Flick were cute, it really didn't need Arthie fall for Laith or anyone else. I liked the kitten. The story did drag a little bit with the setup of the heist but redeemed itself with the ending, much as downer it is with everything going but secrets revealed and I am sufficiently intrigued to find out what happens in the next book with Jin and Arthie and who that mysterious Wolf is.
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Mercury
by
Amy Jo Burns
Bigreader342
, March 30, 2024
This is an interesting story about how a young woman named Marley and her mother move to a little town called Mercury where she becomes entwined with a certain roofing family, the Josephs. It ranges back and forth in time, starting with the discovery of a body in the church attic and then jumping back with the various viewpoints of Marley and the Joseph brothers, Baylor, Waylon, and Shay. It may be a small town but there are big secrets that Marley learns ( about Elise) and is a part of and she does her best to stay afloat with it all and grow fast to take care of them, their business, and the son she has with Waylon. I really admire her for being willing to take such a big responsibility upon her shoulders, even when she doesn’t make the best choices. I still rooted for and the brothers, they were able to keep the roofing business running despite Mick’s flamboyant ideas that used up so much of the company account. He and Elise were not so easy to like but made a good foil for Marley and Waylon. This book has sweet points, heartbreak, sadness, and joy and I really came to love how human the characters were, none of them are perfect but each of them left marks on the others to make them who they were by the time the body is uncovered.
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The Fury
by
Alex Michaelides
Bigreader342
, January 23, 2024
What begins as a meandering tale with a narrator (a man named Elliot) in no hurry, laying out details of this whydunit of a murder of the famous actress, Lana on a small island with a small group of suspects of friend, family, and employees. It jumps between the present to recent past and even further back to childhood. Which one of them could have done the dirty deed? Or was it more than one? Mayhap it was the friend having an affair with Lana's husband? Or was it Jason so that he can get the money to get out of his financial troubles. The suspects all have good reasons to want Lana gone. It is an enjoyable meander as all the characters and their motives and secrets are laid bare. Then it does a twist and you think you might have figured it all out but then it goes and turns head over heels in another directions leaving the reader going what? what? what! It was so much fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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Bittersweet in the Hollow
by
Kate Pearsall
Bigreader342
, December 18, 2023
I think the thing I liked the most about this story is that Linden, Sorrel, Juniper, and Rowan were such great sisters, even as Linden pulled away from her friends after her mysterious disappearance, reappearance and loss of that memory. It was all about family and working together to solve the new mystery of Delilah's death and the even older mystery of what happened to little Elam. I love that it was also interspersed with the extremely yummy things that Linden would whip up when she needed to think things through plus it was cool that she could infuse emotions into them too. A powerful ability she has! And her sisters have neat gifts too. All come in handy for finding bodies, and ferreting out secrets in the little town. Now, on to the moth winged man. Interesting character that I wished would have gone into more detail about, especially with the beings on the other side. He has nicely creepy with the red moths on people destined to die. So, good story and interesting town that would be fun to come back too.
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Scarlet Alchemist
by
Kylie Lee Baker
Bigreader342
, December 06, 2023
Welcome to the dark world of alchemy, where the dead can rise again (albeit sometimes a bit gooey inside) and those with means can live forever like the Empress has been, eating the life gold created by the alchemists in her employ. Zilan longs to be one of those royal alchemists and escape the bonds of poverty along with her brother and sister (AKA cousins). I really enjoyed that trio and the way they stuck together which made the ending pretty awesome with how it was solved even though I now can't wait for the next book to see if Zilan can bring about the impossible in bringing everyone back without the price of evil attached to it. I will admit when the Empress named Zilan the Scarlet Alchemist, I got very strong Full Metal Alchemist vibes. Kind of the same in the regards that the royal alchemists are working dark magic for a powerful Empress who has her own agenda which does not include anyone else in power (like a certain Crown Prince). I am glad this book focused more on familial bonds, rather than just rushing headlong into romance between Hong and Zilan. Though they were cute and I hope they get a happy ending (along with Durian the duck!).
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Meadows
by
Stephanie Oakes
Bigreader342
, November 13, 2023
This was good but depressing. Life never is as great as it seems when one party forces its views on everyone else claiming it gives stability at the cost of freedom of choice, like the Quorum does in this book. Dystopias are always about this and that is what this is. It is good but I did have to take a break. I actually read a horror book. Funny thing is, despite the monsters and death, that book was less scary than the pervasiveness of The Meadows. You really can destroy people with soft words. I am glad there is hope by the end. People should always have the freedom to choose how and who they want to live with. It was a well written book and it kept my interest with the flipping back and forth from the Meadows to the city after graduation. Eleanor faced many tough choices in figuring out herself and happiness. It was easy to feel for her and the other girls she was with. I also liked how the cover fit into the book and when it got to that point I actually stopped to look at the cover again. And the tech in this book was pretty cool.
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Garden of the Cursed 01
by
Katy Rose Pool
Bigreader342
, August 23, 2023
Well, except for that major bit of a cliff hanger, this book was a magically wild ride and I really enjoyed it. Marlow (who to me acted like someone in her twenties instead of a teen, which is not a big deal so I went with it) is an awesome character and I loved how she was a cursebreaker always searching for the truth, whether it be to break a curse or find out about her mother. Caraza City was very interesting and I definitely would want to live in in Evergarden over the Marshes with all its gangs. Swift is a good friend to Marlow though and always has her back, even when she might not make the wisest decisions and runs head first into trouble. The hex cards are cool and I would not mind having a few of those in my back pocket. The magically items of Evergarden were fascinating too. I hope the next book doesn't take to long to come out because I really want to find out what happens next for Marlow, and Adrius!
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Chaos and Flame
by
Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
Bigreader342
, June 21, 2023
This story certainly was interesting and kept me hooked for the whole book, despite its flaws. I think the houses were cool, especially back in the day when their crests were actual beings all due to the power of Chaos. It was hard to decide whether Caspian was actually mad ( I would love to see his paintings) or just very devious in all his plans that included the other Chaos touched person, Darling (odd name and it threw me a bit). The insta love between her and Talon was a bit much but it did show that Talon was a decent guy and I hope things turn out alright between him and Darling, especially after that cliff hanger. I had my suspicions about Caspian in what he was up to and I am glad I was right. The next book should be super exciting with that twist. So this book was good, not the best but it was building up to the next book I think. I still had fun reading it.
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Stars and Smoke
by
Marie Lu
Bigreader342
, June 07, 2023
As long as I pictured this as an alternative earth, then I could mostly get into the story. Otherwise it was a bit too much to believe. I mean, come on, a major pop star getting dragooned into being a super spy going after an ultra bad guy with only a week of training? Winter is super cute though and is a genuinely good guy, despite being ultra famous. Sydney was a bit harder to like and if you are part of a super secret spy group, sent on dangerous missions, you would think that the spies would be required to have physical checkups fairly regularly to make sure you are in top condition and less likely to botch a mission. So that was another thing I had to suspend my disbelief on. Their relationship was a bit rocky but not bad by the end. With all the talents of both of them, they are good working together and I am glad that is possible. Still it was a pretty good book with a cool cover and a completely fantastical storyline.
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Star Splitter
by
Matthew J Kirby
Bigreader342
, May 16, 2023
This book made me think a lot about what makes up a person. Is it the sum of their experiences? Or something more? The way that they traveled/teleport is very intriguing to think of because of that. So, I do like it for that, even if the book left me questioning so much. I don't want to give away too much because the fun of reading this was not knowing what was going to happen next. There was a nice creep factor with the before and after slowly revealing what had happened to Jessica when she traveled to the DS Theseus to meet up with her parents and then reside on Carver 1061c for a research trip. Yes, there are some unresolved bits and it did leave me wanting more, but it did also leave me thinking and so after all that thinking I will say it was a good book, unsettling but good. I do want another book about maybe the history of Carver 1061c. That bit was pretty fascinating.
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Ring of Solomon
by
Aden Polydoros
Bigreader342
, May 03, 2023
Well, this definitely reads as a middle grade book. It has action but is resolved quite quickly. More quickly than I though the rising of apocalypse beasts would be. That bit was a little disappointing and was very squished at the end of the book. In its defense, the book itself is not really long. As I am a bit older than middle grade, I expected more but it should go well with the younger crowd. Zach and Sandra not only have to deal with regular bullies but need to stop the world from ending due to the knights of the apocalypse. That is quite a bit for 12 year olds but these two are up for it, with a little help from Carmen and Zach's little sister and of course, Ash, the king of demons. Lots of snark and funny bits, including the gullnado that Zach accidently starts keep the story going and so I think this wasn't too bad for what it is, made for tweens.
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Angel Maker
by
Alex North
Bigreader342
, March 09, 2023
I really liked Whisper Man and The Shadows got me completely hooked on this author and so I had high hopes for this book. I mean the title "The Angel Maker" and a killer (the infamous Jack Lock) that knew the future (though not well enough to avoid capture by the police). So very intriguing! I did get through this very quickly, there was never a dull moment from the beginning with Michael attacking Chris and then Alan with his odd death and surprising actions, almost like he knew the future. I did have to go back a couple times though because there were some confusing bits, what with the jumps to the past and people that popped up, making new connections. I also feel that the whole reason for the angel maker title ended up being lost in the story of Alan and Edward and their missing children, not the angels in the backyard. That was kind of never fully told. So, it wasn't quite as perfect as the first two books but I still enjoyed it a lot.
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The Poison Season
by
Mara Rutherford
Bigreader342
, February 10, 2023
I was intrigued with the concept of the wandering forest, the poisoned lake and the Endlans with their magic singing. That and the cover had me really excited to read this book. I am a sucker for a beautiful cover. Despite all that, there ended up being something slightly lacking. Maybe it was because I was not in the mood for young forbidden love between Leelo and Jaren. It seemed too convenient that she should fall for the first outsider she sees. The racism of the Endlans also took away from my joy in the reading of this story. Leelo's aunt Ketty and even Sage had so much poison in them that it repelled me when they were talking. Now, the good. I did enjoy the wandering forest bits. It was cool and creepy with the descriptions of how it changed or how it devoured things sometimes. I kinda wish there had been more about that, especially at the end with what happened to it. Jaren with his sisters was cool and I think I liked him better than Leelo. So it was a fairly good book but had some tropes I was a bit tired of.
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Kingdom of Three 01 Strike the Zither
by
Joan He
Bigreader342
, January 20, 2023
I was really drawn to this book because of the cover and the illustrations of the main characters in the beginning was awesome. I like when that happens so that I can picture the characters better. It gave me high hopes for the story which sounded interesting too. I was really into the first half of the book with Zephyr the strategist working brilliantly to try and help her Lordess Ren to defeat Miasma and her army. The way she thought several steps ahead of what was obvious was cool and the zither playing (a mark of a good strategist, one that is connected with their qi and better able to understand the world) kept me interested, especially as she plotted to get the South to join up with Ren. Then the twist happened and it totally changed to story. It was harder to get through the back half and since nothing was resolved, I am not sure how I feel about it. I wish there had been more of the logical strategist and war strategy and less of the fantastical god elements. I do like the bit at the very end which tells all about how this was based on the "Romance of Three Kingdoms" book. So, I may search out the second book when it comes out, if only to get some closure but it won't be at the top of my tbr list.
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The Picture Bride
by
Lee Geum-Yi
Bigreader342
, January 06, 2023
The Picture Bride started out good and very interesting. I enjoyed reading about the picture brides, including Willow, Hongju, and Songhwa where what they had been told about life in Hawaii with husbands and the paradise it would be, ended up not being true and how each one of them reacted to the truth and carried on, or not. That would have been really hard and was interesting to read about. However, that whole plot seemed to peter out as Willow struggled through hard times and good in Hawaii, creating a family and learning to love her husband, Taewan. I lost interest in the story as it kinda bogged down with all the politics of the various Korean parties and patriots going off to fight or returning to Korea. The ending seemed a bit rushed and a little confusing too, especially with the change from Willow’s viewpoint to Pearl’s and the sudden jump in time to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. So, not a bad book, but it could use a little help to make it a little clearer.
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Lavender House
by
Lev AC Rosen
Bigreader342
, January 06, 2023
First off, awesome cover with the color and rabbits, innocent looking at first, until you spot the dead one. Makes for a very intriguing book. The story was interesting too. Not quite up to the Knives Out caliber that it touts from the blurb, but still a good read. Not only do you get a good look into how hard it was to be different back then, but you get to see how resilient people can be and how havens were created for them to be themselves. And then there is murder most foul. Always a good choice to spice up a story. Pearl finds Andy, a recently fired detective to see if he can solve the mystery of Irene Lamontaine's death. Secrets abound with the rest of the family and much is revealed by the end of the story that makes this a good book to read. I also liked reading about the bits of soap making and what Irene did to keep the company running on new scents. So a fun book and I bet the next book will be good, with Andy on the case!
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