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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
William Bohrer has commented on (8) products
Zod Wallop
by
William B Spencer
William Bohrer
, March 30, 2009
This book is eminently readable, a page turner from start to finish. Although sometimes classed as fantasy, and sometimes as horror, really, it's a study in schizophrenia and depression, and a very compelling exploration of the notion of "reality", with larger than life characters that are reminiscent of John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunce's", if they'd dropped a lot of acid and escaped from an insane asylum. The plucky band of misfits are on a divine mission to prevent the depressed author of a weird children's picture book from destroying the world with his negative view of the universe that appear to be manifesting as horror fantasies come to life.
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Tao Of Pooh
by
Benjamin Hoff
William Bohrer
, September 16, 2008
I picked up a copy of this book when it was first published umpteen years back before there was the Internet and online shopping at such venerable institutions like Powells.com, and found it to be a great introduction to Daoism and Chinese spiritual traditions in general. The appeal will probably be lost if you are not fond of Pooh, or familiar with the Pooh stories and characters. It has always annoyed me that most brick and mortar bookstores still struggle with where to shelve this book, and by and large stick it on the humor shelf next to P.J. O'Rourke and Dave Barry and Garfield collections. This book is certainly amusing, but is also a genuine reflection on how Winnie the Pooh really seems to be the embodiment of a still and calm nature. The fact that it is still in print speaks to its appeal.
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Signature Killers
by
Robert D Keppel
William Bohrer
, June 09, 2008
The descriptions of the typology of serial criminals, and the behaviors associated with the categories is very interesting if you are fascinated by trying to learn what makes guys like this tick (and statistically it usually is men), but the explanation in the last few chapters, of what makes these guys tick, falls short of anything but mere description. The author appears to shrug his shoulders and say "choice". Some "diphasic personalities" as they are described, fall into a fantasy world at an early age and are too frightened to reach outside the fantasy to risk real relationships, as the theory goes. At puberty, the hormonal sexual urges push these fantasies and anger at being unable to connect with humans into a violent action. That's a fine description of *what* happens, but it does nothing to explain *why* some teenage boys turn into Ted Bundy, and others become Start Trek nerds, or Area 52 nuts, or any other kind of loner who's lost a grip on reality.
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Stella: One Woman's True Tale of Evil, Betrayal, and Survival in Hitler's Germany
by
Peter Wyden
William Bohrer
, April 22, 2008
I found the book dis-jointed, a bit rambling, and chronologically confusing, but an interesting read in spots, especially when the author, who was in his early teens at the time his family left Germany, is recounting the mindset of the middle-class Jews in Berlin and why and how they convinced themselves it couldn't happen to them. The parts of the story that refer to the person whom this book is about, I found much less interesting - the blurb tells all there is to know, that she was a blonde-haired Jew who could "pass", and survived by turning in other Jews to the nazis. There's no sense of a linear "narrative" to this work of non-fiction. Even when it's "true", a good story most often has a beginning, a middle, and an end. There's also no real insight into Stella's character, and perhaps that's because of the author's intimate connection with the events. While a personal connection to historical events makes for interesting autobiography, it colors the analysis of those events. If this book had simply tried to remain a personal memoir of the events surrounding this woman's actions, and their effect on the author, it would have worked much better.
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Me Write Book It Bigfoot Memoir
by
Roumieu, Graham
William Bohrer
, April 02, 2008
With an opening line of "Me not Chewbacca!", this book is so funny it made me choke the first time I read it. The almost-socialized BigFoot talks about life, an awkward childhood ostracized and taunted by his woodland peers, with brilliant illustrations of being harrassed by squirrels. He talks as well about his celebrity in the 80s and hanging with Morris the Cat and Andrew Dice Clay, and his subsequent descent into poverty and obscurity. What makes this book so hilarious is the intense reality of this imaginary character's angst and personal complaints, and the fact that he's almost, but not quite, human, and has a bad habit of dismembering people that really get on his nerves. The only downside is, there are so many memorable quotes that you may drive friends and family insane by insisting on reading bits of it out loud to them.
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Please Stop Laughing at Me One Womans Inspirational Story
by
Jodee Blanco
William Bohrer
, April 16, 2007
I thought this memoir might offer an interesting, fresh insight into the physical, psychological, and social trials of growing up "different" and "outcast", but by the end of this book I was extremely put off by the overwhelming self-righteousness that shone through. What Ms. Blanco suffered from her peers was in many cases unforgivable, and that the administration of the schools she attended allowed the physical assaults to happen is criminal, to let them go unpunished is actionable, and that her parents did nothing is just sad - been there, got the t-shirt. But Jodee Blanco seems to suffer from a complete lack of self-examination at her role in contributing to the debacle that was her childhood. God knows, by the time I got to Jr. High, *I* certainly took a perverse delight in taunting my peers with my "freak" status. If you can't join em, at least give em the finger. And have the honesty to ADMIT that's what you're doing!!!
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How To Lie With Statistics
by
Darrell Huff
William Bohrer
, April 03, 2007
This is an excellent and concise introduction to statistics and all the sneaky tricks people use to make statistics "mean" whatever they need them to. It was written back in the fifties, so don't be surprised at examples of a middle class family earning two thousand dollars a year...
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(5 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
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In Me Own Words The Autobiography of Bigfoot
by
Graham Roumieu
William Bohrer
, January 22, 2007
This book is so funny I darn neer peed myself. It is a fascinating mix of the mundane and absurd, whether griping about Bigfoot wannabe's like Chewbacca, or complaining about hollywood's passing on his screenplay. Amazingly, the Bigfoot character seems like a real person, full of pathos and pettiness, as if you're really reading his diary. It is especially effective if read out loud in a gruff monster voice like the SNL character "Frankenstein". I loaned this book to a good friend and now we just quote little snippets and laugh till we choke. Bad Wookie. Bad! You NEED this book
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(11 of 15 readers found this comment helpful)
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