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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
womanryter has commented on (10) products
Hanging Tree
by
Bryan Gruley
womanryter
, November 27, 2010
Gus Carpenter loves being a journalist, even if it’s not the easiest or most glamorous job in the world. He didn’t think his life would bring him back to Starvation Lake or to living with his mom, but playing hockey, having a girlfriend, and being involved with news keeps him moving forward. Gracie McBride is found hanging high up in “the hanging tree.” It appears to be suicide, but Gus and his girlfriend, Sheriff’s Deputy Darlene Esper know Gracie seemed to be getting her life on track. She even had a boyfriend, of sorts. Was someone else to blame? Because of their jobs, Gus and Darlene can’t discuss what they each discover, so tension builds between them. And it doesn’t help that Darlene’s estranged husband is back in town. It sure makes conversation topics limited between the pair. Author Bryan Gruley is passionate about his writing and he loves to write about a few of his passions: hockey, northern Michigan, and newspapers. He weaves what he knows within the chilly (it’s winter) fictional town of Starvation Lake. The multi-faceted characters hold their own on the page. What surprised me most with the writing was how the town and the game of hockey were also characters. I can’t imagine this story taking place in summertime Arizona with swimming as the sport. It would be all wrong. Gruley knows just how to develop hockey as a character as he does the speaking characters. Gruley is the critically acclaimed author of Starvation Lake: A Mystery, and the sequel, The Hanging Tree. He’s also the author of the prize-winning non-fiction book, Paper Losses: A Modern Epic of Greed and Betrayal at America’s Two Largest Newspaper Companies. Secretly, though, he would love to be compared favorably to Detroit Red Wings stars Johan Franzen and Pavel Datsyuk. He’s been playing hockey since he was a boy growing up in Detroit. He’s also an amateur musician who sings, plays guitar, and composes his own songs. The Hanging Tree held my interest all the way through. I enjoyed learning some things about hockey without needing to be bundled up for warmth on the sidelines of a rink. If you enjoy a good thrill ride, hang on when you open this book. I’ve read other books with a sport focus and always felt separated from the story when a game was described on the page. Not so with The Hanging Tree. It’s a great read.
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Struck
by
Keith Pyeatt
womanryter
, January 02, 2010
Barry Andrews gets more than he bargains for when he takes a short afternoon hike to check out some Pueblo Indian petroglyphs. Sometimes you can just feel change in the air, but you accept it and continue with your day. Then there are times, always in hindsight, where you realize you should have heeded nature’s warnings. Barry is lucky to be alive, sure, but can he survive the changes that start happening after the storm? Using descriptive and well-crafted prose, the author brings the reader back in time with an engaging look into the history of the Pueblo Indians. With touches of paranormal and the overall sense that this could actually happen, the reader is left without a choice but to turn the page and continue reading. The story contains elements of horror, romance, and mystery. The title is literal, but also a metaphoric theme woven through each character. Keith Pyeatt has been writing novels for fourteen years. He writes his own style of paranormal thrillers he calls “horror with heart.” His method is to create characters that are just as real as he can make them, drop in a paranormal threat they can't ignore, and add a psychological twist. Keith forces his characters to look inside themselves to find their very best before they can save the day, putting the heart in “horror with heart.” Struck is a engaging and suspenseful. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys suspense with a dab of dark.
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Beach Chair Diaries
by
Janet E. Spurr
womanryter
, January 02, 2010
Get away for a few hours and delve between the virtual sandy pages for a seacoast vacation. Beach Chair Diaries: Summer Tales from Maine to Maui brings you to the seashore, the waves, and the sunshine. From Wells Beach, Maine to the surf in Hawaii The cover attracted me to this book first: an image of beach chair on a sandy beach in front of the surf. It reminded me of my summers at a beach house in Maine. The title caught my attention next. Beach. Chair. Diaries. All one needs to totally get away (in my opinion) is a soft-sanded beach, a comfortable chair (or blanket), and a book. And the icing on the cake is the book itself. The writing is conversational and runs the gamut on emotions. I laughed out loud in places and got lost in my own thoughts after reading passages that brought me back to my favorite beach. There’s a bit of an ache now, for knowing how many summers I haven’t been to the beach. But there’s a renewed sense of awe and appreciation for how rejuvenating and memorable a day at the beach can be. The author had fun writing this book, it’s apparent in how she shares her passion for the beach. She wants to bring the beach to the reader, and I think she has done just that. Janet Spurr is the quintessential Beach Queen and has surfed, boogie boarded, snorkeled, kayaked, sailboat raced against the Kennedys, motor boated, white water rafted the Kennebec River, and swum in seven of the top ten beaches in the U.S. She has lived on Nantucket Island and currently lives in a seashore community. Beach Chair Diaries is a great, fun read any time of year. If you’ve loved being on the beach and haven’t been in a while, this will bring you back to the surf. If you’ve never been to a beach, you’ll want to plan a trip after reading this book.
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The Sid Series a Collection of Holistic Stories for Children
by
Yvonne M. Perry
womanryter
, December 01, 2009
The Sid Series: A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children Written by: Yvonne Perry Children (ages 2-5) Rated: Excellent (*****) Review by: Lisa Haselton The Sid Series: A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children is a great gift to share with a child, between 2 and 5, at any time of year. The Sid Series includes twelve individual stories focused on topics such as dealing with the death of a pet, the importance of telling the truth, respecting diversity, learning about recycling, listening to your body, and facing fear. The author, inspired by her spiritually-gifted grandson, decided to share some of his experiences with others. Together they share stories of ghosts, the power of healing the body with herbs, the power of Mother Nature, and learning how to listen to an inner guidance. Told in a comforting and spiritual manner, the stories reach out to young and old alike. Yvonne Perry is a graduate of American Institute of Holistic Theology where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Metaphysics. Her interaction with the spirit world began as a child and has developed into a gift that blesses those seeking a better understanding of spiritual gifts. The Sid Series is friendly, entertaining, and educational. The art work adds to each story to engage children visually as they listen to the short stories and learn about life in terms they can understand.
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Arrival
by
Christopher Hoare
womanryter
, March 05, 2009
Gisel Matah is sixteen. She’s on a starship with her father, brother, and a small entourage of explorers no longer able to get back to their home world. Being female and the youngest on board are not complimentary attributes for this spitfire, but she has skills that no other crew member has and her importance becomes apparent to everyone. Being on board the Iskander with supersmart engineers and scientists, Gisel is challenged to be a ‘typical teenager.’ She was brought on board as personal trainer because her father, the engineering chief, pulled strings and having high-level connections doesn’t win her any friends. She’s headstrong and persistent, and, of course, knows everything. She finds a way to be a part of the first landing party to the planet passing below the starship, and although most of her adventure doesn’t go smoothly, the crew discovers that she is the only person able to communicate with the natives they have run into. Iskander technology is years ahead of the planet they must rely on for survival. The crew quickly learns that no matter how advanced you are, when you only have the basics to deal with, you have to adapt or perish. Creating alliances when you don’t know if the people can be an asset to you or not is a tough political position to be in. Gisel finds herself front and center while the General of the Iskander works to create relationships with the people on the planet, and she enjoys it. She may only be a teenager, but Gisel has an inner strength, the intelligence, and the youthful wit to survive in just about any situation she finds herself in. Sometimes survival turns out to be luck, but in a brand new world, as long as you can keep your wits about you, you have a great chance to succeed. Arrival is fun to read. It’s interesting to see how Gisel’s start within the Iskander crew relates to the first two novels. Her energy is contagious and comes through the pages. The reader, at times, wants to reach out to protect the young girl from danger, but Gisel quickly figures out a solution so the reader can breathe a sigh of relief and continue reading. Christopher Hoare’s third novel, Arrival, brings the reader into the past. It fills in the details of the time before Deadly Enterprise, the first book in the series featuring Gisel Matah. The story continues in The Wildcat’s Victory and now the reader can see how Gisel became a young military leader at such a young age. I recommend reading Arrival to anyone who enjoys exploring old worlds through time travel, politics behind creating alliances, battles, strategy, survival, and a small dash of romance. Arrival is a great story that gives the reader the scoop behind Gisel’s life. I’ve enjoyed all three novels in this series and look forward to more novels from this writer. I think any of the three novels would be great on the big screen. Reviewed by Lisa Haselton
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Matters of Faith
by
Kristy Kiernan
womanryter
, January 30, 2009
Chloe is mom to 18-year-old Marshall and 12-year-old Meghan, and wife to Calvin. Her life is like any other with its daily challenges, but even she doesn’t know what she’ll do when her family’s cohesiveness is put to an extreme test. The novel opens with Chloe reflecting on how having a sixth sense would be helpful in noting the small things in life that become the catalyst to a major turning point. Hindsight is always educational, isn’t it? Marshall is coming home during college break and is bringing a girl, the first girl to meet the family. First impressions are not always the best and Chloe and Cal have different reasons for not readily accepting Ada. But Meghan and Ada become instant friends, so there’s hope. The writing in Matters of Faith works with two distinct points of view that engage the reader in just the right way. Kiernan doesn’t waste any words. She balances narrative with dialogue so the reader feels more like a fly on the wall of a real family instead of someone flipping pages. Kiernan’s characters are unique individuals dealing with the typical daily life routine. And because of their ‘realness’, the author is able to connect with a large audience. Like having a conversation with friends, Kiernan’s writing challenges the reader to figure out what he or she would do given the same circumstances. Where many writers create characters that are black or white in their response, Kiernan’s characters are unpredictable. Kristy was born in Tennessee and raised on the beaches of southwest Florida, where she still resides with her husband, Richard, and their dog. Her first novel, Catching Genius, was published in March of 2007 and has become a book club favorite. Matters of Faith is her second novel. From the opening lines in Matters of Faith until the final word, the reader becomes a witness during a small portion of time in one family’s life. This novel doesn’t jump out and grab you by the throat, instead it softly winds its way into your heart so you can’t walk away. I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in a great story.
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Poison Pen
by
Sheila Lowe
womanryter
, August 23, 2008
Claudia Rose joins a crowd at the star-studded funeral of her former friend, Lindsey Alexander. Claudia is amazed at the GQ model pall bearers, high profile attendees looking for one more big party, and swarming paparazzi trying to capture the best photo. Claudia, Lindsey, and Kelly had been friends in college. Claudia and Lindsey studied handwriting analysis. Claudia stuck with it while Kelly studied law and Lindsey moved into high profile public relations. Lindseyâs personal actions and behavior pushed Claudia and Kelly away, yet there was still a lingering attachment between the trio. Claudia would love to see the suicide note found beside Lindseyâs body due to professional curiosity, but she is not involved in the investigation. She is hired by a mutual friend of Lindseyâs who suspects foul play. Claudia hesitates to get involved, but finds herself suddenly propelled into the investigation and she has no choice by to follow the myriad of disturbing clues to the life-changing conclusion. Sheila Lowe has crafted a unique protagonist using her professional experience. Claudia Rose is an independent career woman with a tender heart, great instincts, and the ability to deal with scary situations, including romance, as they come at her. Claudia learns from past experiences and gives people the benefit of the doubt for as long as possible. Sheila Lowe is a handwriting expert and the author of the best-selling books The Complete Idiotâs Guide to Handwriting Analysis and Handwriting of the Famous and Infamous. She is also the author of the award-winning Sheila Loweâs Handwriting Analyzer software. A British transplant, Sheila currently lives in Ventura, CA. Poison Pen is Sheilaâs first published fiction and the first in the Claudia Rose series. Poison Pen is a solid mystery as well as a learning experience. The reader is pulled along with the protagonist as she follows the trail of clues to their conclusion, while being privy to some insight into handwriting analysis. Itâs a great pairing. -Lisa Haselton
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The Wildcat's Victory
by
Christopher Hoare
womanryter
, August 11, 2008
The Wildcatâs Victory Written by: Christopher Hoare Science fiction / Fiction / Time travel Rated: Very Good (****) Review by: Lisa Haselton Gisel Matah is back! Still in her early 20s and now a Major, sheâs still an Iskander operative to be reckoned with. Her hands are full with balancing a love life, dealing with an operativeâs murder, and preparing soldiers for battle. The Iskanders have an alliance with the Felgers, a Gaian merchant and banker family. Yet there are still areas where the trust wanes. Giselâs engagement to Yohan Felger hasnât helped matters. Each has to balance duty to their people with their desire to be honest with each other. The challenges they face on a daily basis test their limits. How can she fully trust Yohan, when heâs loyal to the Baron who has yet to accept her? What drew Yohan to Gisel is now the same thing he has the hardest time accepting, especially when her newest assignment has her directly reporting to her former lover. Life on Gaia has improved and progress is being made, but with the murder of an undercover operative and a radical movement that needs tempering, Gisel is not bored. In addition, she is asked to command a cavalry to support the rear of a battle line which has recently lost its commander. She hesitates to accept, but is pulled into the role and quickly learns the challenges ahead of her. A sadistic Skathian prince uses the battlefield for his own enjoyment and strives to learn how to defeat both sides in order to obtain total control. The story is engaging and intriguing. I liken it to an intense chess match. Itâs interesting to see how actions cause reactions and know that there is a third party lingering on the sidelines about to blow all the strategies off the board. Gisel trains her young cavalry men as best she can with the limited time they have. At the climax, their lives hang on her quick thinking, negotiating skills and ability to remain calm under pressure. Christopher Hoareâs second novel, The Wildcatâs Victory, picks up eighteen months after Deadly Enterprise. The strong female protagonist, Gisel, is solid and well-crafted. The author manages to keep the characterâs voice true to a young female officer with a lot of responsibility in a male-dominated field. She comes off feminine yet also a strong warrior. The tight writing and focused attention to detail keeps the reader engaged. I recommend reading The Wildcatâs Victory, especially if you are a strategist, chess player, or war enthusiast. The battle scenes are succinct, yet detailed enough to appreciate a commanderâs skill needed for success. The pacing is quite in tune with the scenes so the reader feels part of the action, whether itâs calm or full of motion.
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Harlequin Intrigue #1028: Honor of a Hunter
by
Sylvie Kurtz
womanryter
, August 11, 2008
Honor of a Hunter Written by: Sylvie Kurtz Romantic Suspense Rated: Very Good (****) Review by: Lisa Haselton Faith Byrne has everything money can buy and is determined to be successful in her fatherâs eyes. Noah Kingsley is great with computers and hasnât been in love since a brief teenage romance with a woman out of his league. When Faith discovers someone has been in her secure high-rise condo she calls Noah for comfort. Noah is content with his position in Seekers, Inc. in New Hampshire since it involves adventure, catching bad guys, and at the end of the day he can relax in his country home. The early morning phone call from Seattle evokes numerous emotions, but Noah doesnât hesitate to hop a plane and rush to protect his best friend. Noah knows how to use technology to track Faithâs stalker, but her need to keep her obsessive work schedule and be seen in the office stretches Noahâs skills to the limit. Faith wants the stalker identified so she can confront him and show that she is in control of her life. Yet eventually, she realizes the only way to hang on is to let go completely. As with all her prior novels, Sylvie Kurtz has created unique characters with interesting lives. Her writing brings the characters off the page so they seem like friends. Her strong male and female protagonists have vulnerabilities they try to hide and intense heartfelt emotions they try to intellectualize. The writing is solid and the suspense builds in increments that leave the reader as emotionally involved as the heroine. Sylvie Kurtz earned her commercial pilotâs license and instrument rating but has since traded an airplane for a keyboard, where she lets her imagination soar to create fictional adventures that explore the power of love and the thrill of suspense. When not writing, she enjoys the outdoors with her family, quilt-making, and photography. For more information on all of her published works, check out her website at www.sylviekurtz.com. Honor of a Hunter is an engaging read. Readers of romance or suspense will be pulled in by the characters and pulled along by the continuous change of circumstances.
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Deadly Enterprise
by
Christopher Hoare
womanryter
, January 07, 2008
Lieutenant Gisel Matah is resourceful, daring, and from a future earth. She's also beautiful and rebellious-a wild cat. At 20, she's the Iskander's top operative. She thrives on the adrenaline rush of each assignment. Able to stay focused, in character, observant and determined, Gisel may not always follow orders to the letter, but she always gets the mission accomplished. Iskander technology is well-advanced of Gaia, the older earth which the Iskander's find they must adapt to. With battles raging between the Emperor and other factions, the Iskanders are interested in finding peace and making allies. To that end, they choose to approach the Felgers, a successful merchant and banker family, to assist them with their trading and production plans. Gisel must convince Yohan Felger of the benefits to him and his family business if they join forces. It's not an easy task. She has to share enough information about their technology to convince him of their worth, but not too much information which he could use against them. In a world where women are required to be under the care and supervision of men, Gisel must remain disguised as a man in order to accomplish her mission. Complicating matters are rumors on Gaia about a female agent named `Wildcat' who is nothing but trouble, and who is being sought by Zargdorf, his troopers, and hired local forces. The story is intriguing and entertaining. Deadly Enterprise is a page-turner. The reader is naturally curious to see how Gisel will manage to keep her identity and heart disguised while escorting and protecting Yohan through the warring territories in order to make alliances for a peaceful and prosperous future for everyone. Logic can sometimes be overruled by emotions and plans don't always go as expected, especially when innocent people are put in harm's way. Gisel must make a lot of tough decisions. Christopher Hoare's strong female protagonist in Deadly Enterprise is well-crafted. The descriptive scenes and tight writing keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. Deadly Enterprise contains elements of time travel, past worlds, future worlds, politics, battles, strategy, survival, and a small dash of romance. After all, Gisel may be a soldier, but she also has a heart. I solidly recommend reading Deadly Enterprise for the pure enjoyment of a well-written novel containing strong and clearly defined characters, clear, crisp details that propel the story forward, and an enticing glimpse into a new world. I look forward to more novels from this writer, especially if they include Gisel Matah.
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