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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
Katherine Adams has commented on (19) products
Forced Out
by
Stephen Frey
Katherine Adams
, September 07, 2009
The dramatic "Three men. Three secrets. One chance at redemption" tag line attached to this book is too cliche for this terrific thriller. All of the characters are so well-drawn that you find yourself understanding the motives of even the worst kind of people -- guys like a Mafia assassin named Johnny Bondano, who's never gotten over the death of the only woman he loved. And forget trying to guess what will happen as author Stephen Frey brings Bondano, 63-year-old former Yankee scout Jack Barrett and a strange, but talented minor league baseball player named Mikey Clemant together in a game where nothing is predictable. The supporting players in this novel are anything but stereotypes. Barrett's 33-year-old daughter lives with him and affects the direction Frey leads his readers, as does 16-year-old MJ, who befriends Barrett after they both lose their "box boy" positions at a supermarket. Too many writers try -- and fail -- to keep readers involved with separate story lines that should merge into a satisfying book. But Frey describes his characters so well that it isn't until the last few pages that you see how well everyone fits together in this tale. This is one of those rare gems that is quite a bit better than advertised.
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The Likeness
by
Tana French
Katherine Adams
, July 22, 2009
Wow. Author Tana French's great writing traps readers who enjoy mysteries with a jolt of psychologicial suspense. "The Likeness" features Det. Cassie Maddox, a former undercover cop now fighting domestic violence crimes. She's persuaded to give undercover work another shot when a young Ph.D student, who bears an uncanny resemblance to her, is murdered. Cassie easily slips into the role of Lexie, her double, convincing Lexie's four housemates to believe she is their (now-dead) friend. The housemates, all high-brow literature students, have created eerie family-style relationships, spending little time at college with anyone outside their group. But they make life seem so cozy that Cassie forgets that these four friends are possible murder suspects. She infiltrates Lexie's world so well that she begins to lose focus, putting her job -- and life -- in danger. French doesn't surprise readers with aha! moments, but her writing is so strong, and the characters so well-developed, that you go along meekly (as does Cassie) for a very scary ride. I can't wait to read her first book, which also featured Det. Maddox.
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Likeness
by
Tana French
Katherine Adams
, May 31, 2009
Wow. Author Tana French's great writing traps readers who enjoy mysteries with a jolt of psychologicial suspense. "The Likeness" features Det. Cassie Maddox, a former undercover cop now fighting domestic violence crimes. She's persuaded to give undercover work another shot when a young Ph.D student, who bears an uncanny resemblance to her, is murdered. Cassie easily slips into the role of Lexie, her double, convincing Lexie's four housemates to believe she is their (now-dead) friend. The housemates, all high-brow literature students, have created eerie family-style relationships, spending little time at college with anyone outside their group. But they make life seem so cozy that Cassie forgets that these four friends are possible murder suspects. She infiltrates Lexie's world so well that she begins to lose focus, putting her job -- and life -- in danger. French doesn't surprise readers with aha! moments, but her writing is so strong, and the characters so well-developed, that you go along meekly (as does Cassie) for a very scary ride. I can't wait to read her first book, which also featured Det. Maddox.
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Dont Look Twice
by
Andrew Gross
Katherine Adams
, March 04, 2009
Since Andrew Gross has a solid fan base, (especially since he co-authored books with James Patterson), I feel less guilty "commenting" on his work. Simply put, "Don't Look Twice" doesn't even qualify as a good beach read. The plot is well-described by the publisher. Detective Ty Hauck and his teenage daughter are grabbing an ice cream cone when a barrage of bullets takes out the store's window, missing them, but killing the the guy standing behind Hauck in line. Was Hauck the target? The owner of the store? Or as Hauck finds out at the end of a chapter, the victim wasn't just any bystander. Gross writes, "They were staring at a Department of Justice ID." Chapters later, he ends with this sentence: "She was staring at an automatic gun." Then later, "She froze. There was $427,000 in it." This style of writing was great in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books. But there's a difference between simplicity and thinking your readers are simple-minded. His overuse of italics to reaaally emphasize a character's dialogue is truly distracting, as are his too-often-used exclamation points. It doesn't help that the plot isn't that compelling; the characters aren't memorable. When you find yourself trying to count how many pages don't use italics ... well, I want to be drawn into a plot, not mesmerized by the misuse of punctuation. If you're a fan of Gross, good for you. At least you're reading. But I don't think I'll be adding his work to my library. The title works for me, though: "Don't Look Twice." I won't. Promise.
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Hold Tight
by
Harlan Coben
Katherine Adams
, February 11, 2009
Even if you're a fan of Harlan Coben (I am, admittedly), he really yanks readers around in this thriller. But what a terrific way to trick us all into thinking "I know what's going on..." No, you don't. This book starts out as the story of concerned parents Tia and Mike Baye, who install spyware on their teenage son Adam's computer when his behavior changes in unexpected ways after a friend commits suicide. When Adam disappears, characters and events that seem unrelated tighten the plot into a startling ending. Truly startling. You wonder how all the characters will recover from the events that unfold -- the mother of the boy who died, Adam, his parents, his sister, a local police investigator, a teacher at Adam's school, and a remorseless killer. "Hold Tight" was a great title for this roller coaster disguised as a good read. It's a joy ride, all right, but don't be surprised if you utter "oh, geez" when you finish.
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Blindness
by
Jose Saramago, Giovanni Pontiero
Katherine Adams
, January 07, 2009
Perhaps I've watched too many "Twilight Zone" marathons. Perhaps I just like consistent punctuation. I definitely don't need the author to hit me over the head with the obvious problems (particularly physical situations involving the bowels) that a sudden and unexplained blindness epidemic would unleash on the public. Whatever the case, I'm curious why this particular novel received such acclaim. The plot is certainly unique in that only one character is unaffected by the "plague," and a lot of the prose is terrific. My time wasn't wasted readng the book; I just expected quite a bit more from such a respected author, and the novel that received so many awards. This is one of those times I'll probably see the movie; perhaps it will help me envision the book differently in retrospect.
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Scarpetta
by
Patricia Cornwell
Katherine Adams
, January 05, 2009
A great book following her last one, which left readers upset and disappointed about the future of a major character. That question is answered in a deft way. Not only did Cornwell provide the usual twists and turns on the road to the end, but "Scarpetta" answered and/or filled in the backgrounds of the characters regular readers know. The characters and their relationships -- even though we know them quite well at this point -- were more textured than Cornwell's other books, which made the read even more enjoyable. It's a longer book, but I managed --and really wanted to -- read it in one sitting. (Well, I did have to read the last 70 pages after a few hours of sleep.) "Scarpetta" was the best of Cornwell's last few novels; I hope the next one is as satisfying.
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Lori My Daughter Wrongfully Imprisoned in Peru
by
Rhoda Berenson
Katherine Adams
, October 26, 2008
It'd be easy to write off this book as the loving, but wrong-headed, bias of a mother -- in this case, Rhoda Berenson -- writing about her daughter Lori's imprisonment in Peru for treason. Lori was convicted by hooded Peruvian judges in 1995, where she's been imprisoned ever since. I'd heard her name, but knew little about the case. This book, a short, concise, but well-documented view of Lori's situation, left me disturbed. Immediately after reading it, I was compelled to "Google" more information about Lori Berenson, which left me uneasy. Elements of Lori's case in this book -- published in 2000 -- seem similar to what we've heard of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Are the people there guilty? We don't know. Is Lori guilty? I don't know. Rhoda Berenson herself wished Lori would just give up her principles so she could return home. But she makes a strong case for her daughter -- a 14-year-old who participated in a CARE commercial; a young woman who expressed distress about poor people. So what is the truth? Is it simply too hard for most of us to believe anyone would choose to stay in a foreign prison on principle alone? This book is worth a read if for no other reason, it's a reminder that a fair and open judicial system is imperative, wherever people are tried -- innocent or guilty. Whatever the case, Rhoda Berenson's descriptive view of Lori's case is thought-provoking.
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The Sun Also Rises
by
Ernest Hemingway
Katherine Adams
, September 28, 2008
I bought this novel for two reasons. First, to exercise my right to read during Banned Books Week -- and this novel is one of the 20th century's most challenged. Second, to see if Hemingway is still worth reading. To my surprise, Hemingway's sparse prose painted a vivid picture of the creative types -- and the places they wandered -- through Europe in the 1920s. I can't imagine bringing the locations to life so well without living there. The characters -- for the most part, an unlikable group, portray people we've all met or known at some point in our lives. It's a credit to Hemingway that a reader can dislike or root for Jake, the war-scarred narrator; Lady Ashley, the woman who uses men and discards them far too easily; or Robert Cohn, a hanger-on stupidly in love with Lady Ashley, who makes it clear he's out of touch with life in general. To say that "The Sun Also Rises" has no plot misses the greatness of this book -- Hemingway timelessly captures people of all generations considered "lost," and of all places that can still be found. Hemingway is certainly most worthy of reading today, because he manages to capture and report slices of life we might not ever imagine.
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Water for Elephants
by
Sara Gruen
Katherine Adams
, September 15, 2008
The title of this wonderful book seems misleading, because the single elephant referred to in this Depression-era story of circus life doesn't actually appear until late in the tale. But "ninety," or "ninety-three"-year old narrator Jacob Jankowski (he stopped keeping track of such nonsense) has razor-sharp recollections of Rosie the elephant, and a life unplanned with the second-rate Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show On Earth. Through the narrator, author Sara Gruen manages to make the bigtop's sights, sounds and smells so vivid the reader might forget that this book -- though based on meticulous research -- is fiction. As entertaining as the plot revolving around circus life is, Gruen's portrayal of Jacob, both as a young man, and as an assisted living patient, strengthens the story by reminding us all age is a state of mind.
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Perfect Husband
by
Lisa Gardner
Katherine Adams
, August 26, 2008
Imperfect heroes -- at times, unlikable people -- bond to fight a horrific serial killer. I was initially surprised at the descriptions of violence committed by the police officer/murderer, who easily outwits fellow law enforcement colleagues. But his cruel and creative killings make you root even harder for his "weak" ex-wife and the "drunk" mercenary she convinces to help her. How the perfect husband gets away with murder is, unfortunately, plausible. No stereotypes in this thriller; even the murderer is capable of loving his young daughter, who he finds and kidnaps from a safe house. But the determination of the man's ex-wife and the man she browbeats into training her to fight back make this a good late-into-the-night read.
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Stolen Lives Twenty Years in a Desert Jail
by
Malika Oufkir
Katherine Adams
, July 29, 2008
This book is not the easiest read for several reasons. The writing certainly isn't "literary," and at times, you might have to re-read a paragraph or two to recall what role someone played in author Malika Oufkir's tortuous life. But if weaknesses pop up in writing style, the strength of the book lies in the memories and voice of Malika. She and her family, including a brother still in diapers at the time they were captured -- survived a horrible and unjust 20-year imprisonment in Morocco. How they survived will make you wonder if you could endure such conditions. And how they escaped is something you'll think about for a very long time.
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House Of Gentle Men
by
Kathy Hepinstall
Katherine Adams
, June 27, 2008
The first couple of paragraphs of this haunting and curiously uplifting book say more than many authors do in several chapters. Charlotte, a 16-year-old girl, is raped and carries a child in 1941, but goes unnoticed because her mother died in a fire two weeks earlier. For as she knows, "Tragedy cannot follow so closely on the heels of Tragedy; the Bundt cakes the neighbors bring over must have time to cool." She becomes mute, and is ostracized by everyone for her sudden inability to talk -- not because of pregnancy, for no one knows that she delivers the baby and leaves it on a tree stump near The House Of Gentle Men, a place where men work off their sins in a most unusual way. The characters -- all with compelling stories -- are well-conceived; some uncomfortably so. But because of Hepinstall's beautiful phrasing, you'll be startled to discover that this book is indeed a novel of suspense. As in life, nothing is as it seems in this book. It ends as it begins -- vividly descriptive, leaving the reader in awe.
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Soul of a Horse Life Lessons from the Herd
by
Joe Camp
Katherine Adams
, May 18, 2008
Whoa! Don't be misled by the title of this book. Two words in the subtitle -- "Life Lessons" -- really capture the spirit of this inspirational tale of life -- for humans and animals alike. Yes, the man who created the "Benji" movies knows animals, but he had to rein in his ego to discover that horses don't respond to us the same way dogs do. The relationships might feel the same, but Camp's trail to understanding horses evolved into insights that will amuse, challenge and ultimately, change, how you think. Camp's story (and his laid-back writing style) is a gift whether you've ridden a horse, or never been within miles of a pasture.
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Short Walk In The Hindu Kush
by
Eric Newby
Katherine Adams
, May 14, 2008
Ill-fitting boots, inadequate supplies and insufficient food didn't stop Eric Newby, a British fashion buyer, from quitting his job to climb a mountain range in Afghanistan in the early 1950s. Nor did the fact that he had absolutely no experience in climbing stop him and a friend from their exploration. Newby's vivid descriptions of the area, the people, and even the horrible physical ailments they endured are fascinating, and often hilarious. His witty observations left out just one question: How he managed to refrain from killing his friend, who managed to to cause almost all of the scrapes they found themselves in. Surprisingly, his asides into the political and religious difficulties the twosome encountered in 1953 provide an understandable view of the region today.
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The Manchurian Candidate: Special Edition
by
Frank Sinatra
Katherine Adams
, March 04, 2008
It's hard to believe this 46-year-old, black-and-white political thriller could seem so current. Substitute the word "liberal" for "Communist;" update the equipment the "media" uses in the movie; and transform Korea into Iraq; and "The Manchurian Candidate" takes on an even creepier tone. Angela Lansbury, as the sinister mother of brainwashed soldier Laurence Harvey, is particularly outstanding in her role, (and she was just a couple of years older than Harvey when the film was made). Frank Sinatra is good as the major who unravels the plot, and several recognizable character actors add their acting chops to the film. Perhaps these kinds of political shenanigans represent nothing but crazy conspiracy theories, but then again, perhaps not. It's no mystery why this movie is almost always mentioned in "top films of all times" kinds of lists. It's scary -- and all too real.
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Killer Instinct
by
Joseph Finder
Katherine Adams
, January 25, 2008
Get comfortable once you start reading Killer Instinct. You won't put it aside until you're done. Joseph Finder has a way of describing (then skewering) a mix of the pinheads, backstabbers and devious co-workers we all deal with in the workplace. No doubt you'll see something of yourself in protaganist Jason Steadman, a pretty-good salesman, and pretty nice guy. Heck, he even plays on the company softball team. Kurt, a helpful tow truck driver who pulls Jason's car out of a ditch one night, mentions he was drafted by the majors, but became an enlisted man instead. By the time the salesman discovers what kind of hardball tactics the tow truck driver uses to "help" him on the corporate team, it's too late. Joseph Finder's writing reminds you why you're never truly safe at work -- in more ways than one.
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Power Play
by
Joseph Finder
Katherine Adams
, January 03, 2008
A short blurb about "Power Play," Joseph Finder's latest "workplace" thriller, probably won't do it justice. That's because he packs so many ideas we normally consider cliches into his work -- the female CEO despised by her male staff; the out-of-way management retreat with unforeseen dangers; the protaganist who doesn't quite fit in with the other guys, but holds up well, anyway. Finder's ability to take these cliches and twist them in ways you don't expect make "Power Play" a great read. And though it's really cliche to describe a book this way, it's not an exaggeration to say that "Power Play" is truly a page-turner.
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Mostly Bob
by
Tom Corwin
Katherine Adams
, June 25, 2007
Mostly Bob -- Completely Beautiful. Amazing how so few words can describe the complex nature of humanity through the simple actions of our animal companions. This small book is like a favorite quote: Every time you re-read it, you'll be inspired and encouraged.
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