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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
jessiev has commented on (12) products
Frommer's Easyguide to Chicago
by
Kate Silver
jessiev
, November 03, 2014
We all want a funny friend in places we visit, so that we have the inside scoop on what to see, do, and eat from Someone Who Knows Us. I have to admit, that’s sort of a far-fetched dream. But enter author Kate Silver, who is, with her new book Frommer's EasyGuide to Chicago, now everyone’s interesting, witty bestie in Chicago. Here’s the funny girlfriend you need to help guide you through the best of the city of Chicago. To wit: do you know why Chicago is called the Windy City? It’s not for the weather, but because of the politicians. That’s on page 1. The book gets better from there - inside scoop after inside scoop. Highly recommended for visitors and locals alike.
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The Carnival at Bray
by
Foley, Jessie Ann
jessiev
, October 01, 2014
The Carnival at Bray is a complex, eloquent, and deep look at one teen’s journey to honor a loved one, adapt to living in a new country (Ireland), make a few new friends, and follow her dreams. Maggie is brave, headstrong, insecure, and full of love and life. I imagine most of the readers of this book will find pieces of themselves in Maggie - she’s the ultimate archetype of both a teen on the cusp of adulthood, and an intercultural traveler trying to make sense of her new world. Author Foley is an educator in the Chicago Public Schools, and I’d say Chicago’s pretty lucky to have her. Her writing is clear and strong, her characters well -developed, and her voice is honest, true, and thoughtful. The book, published by Elephant Rock Books, has already picked up an award: the Helen Sheehan YA Book Prize; I sense many more awards to come - it’s that good. Highly recommended!
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The Sinking of RMS Tayleur: The Lost Story of the Victorian Titanic
by
Hoffs, Gill
jessiev
, September 29, 2014
Sometimes a book grabs you by the heart and won't let go. Such is the case of an extraordinary new book by UK author Gill Hoffs, entitled The Sinking of the RMS Tayleur: The Lost Story of the 'Victorian Titanic'. I have to tell you: I started reading, and couldn't put it down. This story is so well-written that while I was reading, I felt the chills of the brisk winds and rain, imagined the splash of seawater on my face, and heard the frightened cries of hundreds as they tried to escape a sinking ship, avoid getting dashed on jagged rocks, and scale a steep rocky cliff to safety. It's that good. Through exhaustive research and original sources, Hoffs has managed to dive back into history to Lambay Island, Ireland, and revive this forgotten chapter in history, bringing it vividly to life. And that's the mark of a great writer - to tell such a tale, and make the reader care. I DO care, and this story will stay with me forever. I highly recommend it.
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Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine
by
O'Keefe Aptowicz, Cristin
jessiev
, September 06, 2014
This is, hands-down, the best biography I’ve ever read. It’s an intimate glance into history, medicine, change, and compassion. It’s the finely crafted life story of a man that we should know, but sadly, many of us don’t. But that’s about to change, thanks to the hard work of writer, researcher, and poet Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz in her new book, Dr. Mütter’s Marvels. Though you may (and should) while away hours in the Mütter Museum in Philadelphia, or on their youtube channel, nothing covers the remarkable life of Dr. Mütter as well as Aptowicz does. She has finely crafted a biography that not only fascinates, but educates. I could NOT put this book down, taking it everywhere with me (yes, even while cooking. You get used to the ‘monsters’ that Mütter treated - and that’s the true impact of this book - the humanization of medicine and so-called monsters). I now talk about Dr. Mütter at every available opportunity, praise Aptowicz’s excellent writing and research skills (and her passion for this story), and highly, highly recommend this book.
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A Bird on Water Street
by
Dulemba, Elizabeth O.
jessiev
, August 06, 2014
This is a YA book, for middle readers, but I truly believe it should be read by everyone. It's the story of a mining town - and the environmental awakening of a boy. The writing is lyrical, the characters likeable, the ultimate message one of hope and change. Moreover, the subjects of mining, poverty, and striking in the 1980s are handled sensitively, through the eyes of a miner's son.
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Graduates in Wonderland
by
Jessica Pan, Rachel Kapelke Dale
jessiev
, August 04, 2014
This extraordinary book somehow transcends the personal, and tells all of our journeys in finding a place in the world - and finding ourselves, wherever we are.
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100 Places in the USA Every Woman Should Go
by
Sophia Dembling
jessiev
, July 27, 2014
This book is extraordinary, and while it DOES focus on travel (maybe this is why I love it so much?), it is a Mary Poppins bag of interesting things, waiting to be unpacked. It is, at once, a travel guide, a talk with a very funny best friend, a history class with your favorite professor, and inspiration to read, learn, and explore more.
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How Not to Calm a Child On a Plane & Other Lessons in Parenting from a Highly Questionable Source
by
Johanna Stein
jessiev
, July 09, 2014
This book is comprised of essays on such parenting topics as birth, travel, playgrounds, pink princesses, haircuts, and ER visits. But I have to be honest - reading these everyday topics from SUCH a hilarious point of view somehow makes parenting, well, more joyful. Stein writes so well of these sorts of crazy yet normal occurrences that we laugh, smile, and devour more of her words. Set aside a chunk of time to read this book, and forgo your exercise for the day - you’ll get plenty of ab work from laughing so hard. How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane is not a parenting book (for which I am thankful). Instead, this book is a relatable compendium of those funny, quirky, odd, and completely foreign things that happen when you have a kid. It makes you laugh about life’s best and most difficult moments...and that’s truly a treasure.
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Empress of the Night A Novel of Catherine the Great
by
Eva Stachniak
jessiev
, July 07, 2014
In the book Empress of the Night, the storied history of Russia’s Catherine the Great comes alive. Details breathed one by one, as written by master storyteller Eva Stachniak, bring history to life - not only vividly, but entrancingly. This extraordinary book captures a life so exquisitely, and in such fine detail - in daily thought, emotion, and purpose - that this venerable Empress becomes a living, breathing person - just like us. She has fears, hopes, dreams, a sense of social justice, a love for beauty - but is also a skilled negotiator, a wise politician, a master of intrigue. In this book, we see why and how Catherine became great…and how one woman changed the course of a nation...and the world. I love this book. It’s the perfect read for delving deep into history, for gaining an understanding of someone’s life, and for escaping into a different place and time. Highly recommended.
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Tom's Journey: The Cat That God Sent to Look After Me
by
Henriksen, Sr. Carl H. D.
jessiev
, November 07, 2009
What a beautiful book - poignant commentary and lovely photos about a cat that changed the author's life. The power of our animal friends to heal and create joy in our life is lovingly explored in this book.
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Explore Within an Egyptian Mummy Enter an Ancient Tomb & Unwrap an Egyptian Mummy With Unwrap Mummy Pieces on Every Page
by
Lorraine Je Hopping
jessiev
, November 05, 2009
We LOVE THIS BOOK!! It is perfect for learning about all the aspects of mummification in Ancient Egypt. The middle of the book is cut out and has a 'mummy' inside - from sarcophagus to mummy. Each page has layers taken away, so that you can see how it was done. The writing is excellent - you can learn quite a lot about ancient Egypt, culture, religion, and more. Our 7-year old daughter has written a review of this book at www.WanderingEducators.com she loves it and can't put it down! Highly recommended for kids who love Egypt.
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Scent Of God A Memoir
by
Beryl Singl Bissell
jessiev
, June 01, 2007
I've read Beryl's writing for many years - her eloquent columns of life on the north shore provided much-needed balm to my city-dwelling soul, stranded in Minneapolis. I longed to be on a lake, in nature - and she gave me that, even if it was only in a monthly dose, on paper. When Beryl's book, the scent of god, came out, I found myself in a psychologically awkward situation - that of loving the writer, loving her words - and being somewhat taken aback by the title and theme of the story. Luckily for me, my faith in Beryl overcame my avoidance of religion. As a spiritual person, rather than a religious one, starting the book was akin to entering a foreign culture. Right from the start, Beryl immerses the reader in a world that most of us do not experience - and I am so very grateful to her for that, for expanding my mind as well as my soul. Beryl interlaces her memoir with short passages about the calls to prayer - matins, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, and compline. This introduction to a way of life is the best way to introduce us to part of *her* life - that of a journey, whether it be through the day or years. Richly evoking the glory of growing up, the painfulness of adolescence, the colorfulness of life in Puerto Rico, and leading us to the uniqueness of cloistered living, Beryl draws such superlative pictures with her words, it is almost as if we lived this life, along with her. In many ways, Beryl's writing allows us glimpses into an ancient past - that of the catholic church, and its rituals and meanings - as well as her growing into her own future. And what a future it is - the glory of love, living and breathing and loving life with Vittorio, finally achieved after years of struggle and roadblocks. This love they shared is all the more powerful for her sharing it with us. I feel the juicy drip of fresh strawberries, the hot sun beating down on the Italian countryside, the aroma and crunch of fresh bread. And yes, Beryl's impudence is felt too, her humanity toward the aspects of life that we can't change, or control. What a gift, those two darling children, hearts of their hearts, so gladly shared with us. And I fell crying at the end of the book, in sorrow and joy and life, and amazement at the joy of a life well-lived, fully-lived, and so exquisitely shared.
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