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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
Elyse has commented on (13) products
Shadow Tag
by
Louise Erdrich
Elyse
, November 13, 2014
I don't believe that Erdrich has ever written a disappointing book. Shadow Tag is shorter than many, and its cast of characters smaller. What it is big on is imagary and emotion. Sometimes sweet and loving, sometimes brutal, the characters are hard to like but impossible to forget.
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Big Little Lies
by
Liane Moriarty
Elyse
, October 21, 2014
A highly enjoyable read. Written with humor, it's about a group of women, some of whom are friends, some enemies. But all have their little secrets, their own sadness,no matter how they appear to everyone else. And to top it off,there's a murder mystery running through it.
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The Orphan Masters Son
by
Adam Johnson
Elyse
, August 05, 2012
One of the best books I've read this year. At first I wasn't sure I wanted to read a lengthy book about North Korea, but it sounded intriguing, so I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did. Though I don't know how much of Johnson's descriptions of life in that country are accurate and how much is made up or exaggerated, I do think it gave me some idea of what it must be like to live their. It's not a pretty picture.
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Range Of Motion
by
Elizabeth Berg
Elyse
, August 04, 2012
I just reread this book, and I loved it as much as the first time. Berg is one of my favorite writers. Her mastery of the smallest details makes this book so real, I'm sure she must have experienced the events.
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Dovekeepers
by
Alice Hoffman
Elyse
, January 17, 2012
A historical novel about the siege of Masada by the Roman army. It is told in the voices of four women - women who defied the norms of the day in one way or another. It's filled with magic, faith and superstition. Though the review on this site is negative, I found the prose itself to be magical. I was hooked from the first page- "Everywhere I walked my fate walked with me, sewn to my feet with red thread". Indeed, there is a lot of talk of these women's fates. Some of the descriptive passages are a bit long, and she often repeats herself - though I think it is intentional, as the four women tell the same story at times. Nonetheless, the characters are so real I felt sure they really existed, and I was moved by a story I should have been familiar with, but didn't really know it until now.
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Solitude of Prime Numbers
by
Paolo Giordano
Elyse
, January 01, 2011
One of the best books I read in 2010
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Map Of The World
by
Jane Hamilton
Elyse
, January 04, 2010
It's been a long time since I read this book, but it will always be among my favorites. It haunted me for weeks after I finished it - and I remember that I didn't want it to be finished. The story is so frightening, sad and moving, and the writing was compelling. I had to vote for it for my book of the decade.
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Cutting for Stone
by
Abraham Verghese
Elyse
, January 04, 2010
This is one of the best books I've read this year, or maybe this decade. It is truly well written, with many phrases that caused me to linger. It is a story of love, of actions and consequences. A story of dedication - to people, to medicine, to country. The characters are vividly drawn, as is the location. Along with the story we are given lessons in Ethiopian history, anatomy, the art of surgery and doing the right thing. I couldn't put this book down. The only disappointment was the anti-climatic ending, similar to the ending in the final Harry Potter book, the wrap-up, "where are they now" chapter that was superfluous, but I forgive the author for it.
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Wintergirls
by
Laurie Anderson
Elyse
, January 04, 2010
Excellent. Beautifully written. And sad - I felt so bad for Lia. I can't say the book allowed me to fully understand girls with anorexia/bulimia. I should say that I am not a Young Adult,the group this book is written for, but rather a Middle-Aged one. But I do remember something of my teen years, and can relate somewhat to her feeling that no one saw her, or listened to her. I can relate to the loss of her best friend, and the difficulty of dealing with the death of someone your own age. I don't know if the book helps girls like Lia to overcome their problems, or if it scares them into trying to get "well", which I assume is its goal. But it is a true, moving story which is captivating and educational. The only thing I didn't like about it was its neat and tidy ending, but I suppose it was necessary for the message.
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Last Chinese Chef
by
Nicole Mones
Elyse
, November 21, 2008
If you are a dedicated foodie, you might enjoy this book. The portrayal of traditional Chinese cooking was interesting, if a little unappetizing at times (especially for a vegetarian). So was the glimpse into life during the Cultural Revolution and just after. The rest of the story was of less interest to me, but anyone enjoying a simple story of relationships would probably find this a satisfying book. Not great literature, but somewhat worthwhile.
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Story of Edgar Sawtelle
by
David Wroblewski
Elyse
, November 21, 2008
This book had me hooked from the first page. It is a rare book that keeps me reading until I can't keep my eyes open, I was reading this one every free moment. There were only a few sections where I felt the author kind of overdid the writing, there was a spot in the middle that became a little boring, but then it picked up again towards the end. And it certainly didn't end any way I thought it would. This is a must read - and it doesn't matter if you like dogs or believe that they can understand us. The book is about much more than that.
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The Book Thief
by
Markus Zusak
Elyse
, December 08, 2007
Too bad this book is classified as a Young Adult fiction, too many adults could miss a great read. This is the story of a young girl in Germany at the brink of world war II and throughout the war. It tells of how she, her foster family and her neighbors get through the terrible times. It is a terrific, moving, disturbing story, told by an unusual narrator. It is also wonderfully written, if in a slightly quirky manner (which I enjoyed). The imagery is poetic, sometimes touching, sometimes jarring. I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read.
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Animal Vegetable Miracle A Year of Food Life
by
Barbara Kingsolver
Elyse
, August 22, 2007
I was attracted to this book as a kindred spirt (of sorts) to the author. I have been growing much of my own food (plant-based, anyway) as I could for many years. I prefer to eat seasonal foods, and buy locally produced items whenever available. So I was a little disappointed when I first began reading, as much of the first chapter or two is taken up by the author's berating us all for our ignorance and our eating habits, as well as a lot of good, but unfortunately not new to me, information on our food supply. Thankfully though, I hung in there, and found it to be an enjoyable read overall. I was looking forward to hear someone else's experiences in the garden and the kitchen, and that I did get. I found myself skipping some parts, the description of the poultry slaughtering for example. The book also includes sidebars written by her husband, which were mainly summaries of reports one may have already read elsewhere; and essays written by her daughter, Camille. I didn't find these entries of interest, and so skipped them as well. If you enjoy reading about food and or gardening, or you have been having second thoughts about your grocery habits lately, then I recommend this book.
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(27 of 51 readers found this comment helpful)
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