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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
Corwyn Giles has commented on (3) products
Matched
by
Ally Condie
Corwyn Giles
, April 12, 2024
Do not go gentle into that good night. There are no better words to describe Ally Condie’s Matched. She effortlessly draws you in with a very interesting premise and manages to keep that interest going until the end of the book and beyond. The book stands as a testament to the power of great character writing and how it can define a story. Each of the three central characters is interesting and well-written, leading to a love story that has real heart. The main conflict between Cassia’s two relationships is incredibly compelling, helped by the fact that both main love interests are likable. This wonderful love story is shadowed by a dystopian backdrop that is just realistic enough to create a very palpable sense of unease. That unease only grows with each new detail in the lives of those who live in the society. Echoing classics such as The Giver, Ally Condie manages to create a thriller without relying on chase scenes or big fights. The central mystery manages to be incredibly compelling, especially as it ties into the love story. In a somewhat unique presentation, the main love story happens to be the big mystery, all without sacrificing the efficacy of one for the other. There is one caveat to Matched: it’s the first book of a trilogy. As such, plot threads and character arcs feel unfinished in this one. But as a standalone work, Matched is an incredible piece of literature that I feel should be read by all those who like a good dystopian thriller or romantic love story.
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Book of Delights Essays
by
Ross Gay
Corwyn Giles
, December 11, 2023
The Book of Delights is a truly remarkable piece of prose. In a world full of strife and negativity, Ross Gay points our attention to the small delights of life in an incredibly powerful way. His words have a certain gravitas to them, a sense that only grows bigger the more you read. It truly feels like you are going on an adventure to delights you never knew were there. From praying mantises to peacocks and hickory trees, there is an almost endless number of places that this book takes you to. Your adventure could be over the course of a few hours in one sitting, or it could be a hundred days if you read one delight at a time. But no matter how you read this book, whether day by day or all at once, it will never fail to bring your spirits up and illuminate the delights we so often forget. But more than just reveling in simple delight, Ross Gay uses these delights to reframe the darkness in our world. Too often we forget that the world is more than just the darkness around us. We lose ourselves in pain and suffering. Ross Gay wrote this book to shine a light where it is pitch black and show us a world that, while still having problems, is so much lighter than we think. There is a saying that eating an apple a day keeps the doctor away. In a very similar manner, this book shows that a delight a day keeps the darkness away.
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Index of Haunted Houses
by
Adam O. Davis
Corwyn Giles
, April 21, 2023
“Index of Haunted Houses” is a fascinating book. Author Adam O. Davis uses his masterful poetry to explore the question of just what it means for something to be haunted. Are all ghosts born from violence and hatred, or are they born from something different? Can there be ghosts without death? Or are ghosts born from something lost, some pain that is still stinging but dulled by the waves of time? Each of these questions is answered through beautiful prose and stellar photography melding together in order to create truly vivid imagery. And just like whatever ghosts may exist, each poem is different from the last. Some are claustrophobic and contained, all set to drag you in. Some have page space to spare, letting whatever ghost lives in the words move about. Some are short little vignettes, pieces of what has been left behind. Some could be considered short stories in their own right, telling a full and expansive tale of memories long discarded. But ghosts don’t always fade away, and Adam Davis explores the ghosts of America from centuries-long past to the present day. There is a sense of melancholy in the book, a sense that stands in stark contrast to the spooky nature of the paranormal. In addition, the book itself is very well made. It is quite sturdy for a paperback, and the embossed sheets at the front and back are nice. All of this makes for a wonderful experience that will make you ask yourself by the end: Is my book haunted?
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