Cart
|
|
my account
|
wish list
|
help
|
800-878-7323
Hello, |
Login
MENU
Browse
New Arrivals
Bestsellers
Featured Preorders
Award Winners
Audio Books
See All Subjects
Used
Staff Picks
Staff Picks
Picks of the Month
Bookseller Displays
50 Books for 50 Years
25 Best 21st Century Sci-Fi & Fantasy
25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
25 Books From the 21st Century
25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
25 Women to Read Before You Die
25 Books to Read Before You Die
Gifts
Gift Cards & eGift Cards
Powell's Souvenirs
Journals and Notebooks
socks
Games
Sell Books
Blog
Events
Find A Store
Don't Miss
Spring Sale
Big Mood Sale
Teen Dream Sale
Powell's Author Events
Oregon Battle of the Books
Audio Books
Get the Powell's newsletter
Visit Our Stores
Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
(0 comment)
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...
Read More
»
Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
(0 comment)
Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
(0 comment)
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
##LOC[Cancel]##
Customer Comments
mclarenster has commented on (10) products
Golden Boy
by
Abigail Tarttelin
mclarenster
, July 02, 2013
I've decided this is my favorite book of the year. The whole thing could have gone so, so badly, in so many ways--I read the damn thing through in one sitting to make sure everything turned out well. (And by "well," I don't mean "happy," but "with a realistic story arc.") A couple of times I got nervous, but Tarttelin rallied. I don't want to go into the specifics of the plot, but I think there's something for everyone here. I do want to say that I found the voices believable, and the sociological tracing of the issue was really well done. All of this and a damn good read, to boot. Less sensational than I recall Middlesex being (although I only vaguely recall Middlesex.) I'm already recommending this to friends.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Buzz Aldrin, What Happened to You in All the Confusion?
by
Johan Harstad
mclarenster
, January 05, 2012
This book was wildly popular in Norway, apparently, and became a TV series. This is mentioned in the author blurb, along with the fact that a member of the cast of The Wire was in the series--one I didn't recall, and who has no picture on IMDb. I found this weird piece of marketing very amusing: "Hey! We've got an unknown American actor from a critically-acclaimed program!" The cover description doesn't represent the book well, or really make one want to read it, so I was more than pleasantly surprised with how enjoyable I found Buzz Aldrin. Occasionally I was annoyed with the long sentences and found myself sort of skimming through them--I felt a serious longing for punctuation more varied than commas in a very long paragraph. Overall, the novel is rather charming, like a Belle & Sebastian song. Actually, I think that's a pretty good summation: Buzz is a Belle & Sebastian song in novel form. Some will find it rather twee, others will love it to death, and a few will founder in the middle.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Exley
by
Brock Clarke
mclarenster
, September 22, 2011
"Exley" captures just how messed-up childhood is: just trying to accurately apprehend what's going on around yourself can be difficult, especially when the adults aren't up to the task of leveling with you, or themselves. A novel about a kid attaching magical importance to a celebrity isn't that uncommon, but in "Exley," the celebrity isn't even quite a one-book wonder. Miller, the protagonist, manages to pull a number of people into his slightly skewed world view. The thing that hits me most about this book is how much wandering around this kid does on his own, trying to fix things, and the people he encounters along the way. It's a sad and lonely vision. I read this book in January and I'm still thinking about it, which is more than I can say about some of the books I read last month.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Black Diamond
by
Martin Walker
mclarenster
, September 22, 2011
I picked up the first "Bruno" book at the library on a whim, and reading this newest installment reminds me how more-than-pleasantly surprised I was when I read it. Walker delivers another multi-layered mystery that mixes French history and current events, served with healthy sides of wine and food. (The attention to wine, food, and setting portend a "cozy" mystery, but never fear--on the other hand, this isn't CSI, either.) I often recommend Walker's books to other mystery readers; he's a solid writer who isn't imitative and is never boring.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Instructions
by
Levin, Adam
mclarenster
, January 03, 2011
I knew within 100 pages that The Instructions would be my favorite book of 2010--and my reading list topped out at 216 books for the year (somewhat shy of my 240 book goal), so there's a decent range for comparison. I loved the story and the voice (*especially* the voice): something original and risky in a sea of narratives that can quickly become generic, regardless of the critical praise.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Anthropology of an American Girl
by
Hilary Thayer Hamann
mclarenster
, July 16, 2010
I was afraid this would be another of those over-hyped works of fiction, but Anthropology of an American Girl really walks the talk. The parsing of gender politics--both inter- and intra-sex--is spot-on. I can feel the oppression of the late 70s/early 80s and the reverberations of the sexual revolution all over the pages at the beginning of the book, as the main character gets punted around by expectations yet tries to hold her own. The prose is worth taking in, over and above the story.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
The American Girl
by
Monika Fagerholm
mclarenster
, March 17, 2010
Although I am wary of such constructions, this book is like *Heavenly Creatures* meets a really excellent Nordic mystery, with some rock and roll tossed in...I'm looking forward to reading the second part, *The Glitter Scene*. (Note: Contains no surly-but-sympathetic detectives or grisly serial killings...so go elsewhere for those.)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Unknown Knowns
by
Jeffrey Rotter
mclarenster
, February 17, 2010
This whack-a-doodle has so much going on that is just amusing and amazing. It isn't, however, the whole Homeland Security/mistaken identity storyline that's so winning--it's the story of the Aquatic Apes. Theirs is the story that really sticks with me, months after reading the book. I like reading something that seems new, story-wise, and this does.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Awesome
by
Jack Pendarvis
mclarenster
, February 17, 2010
Funny and inventive...with all of the derivative crap that gets published, Pendarvis proves that someone's letting their imagination run away with them--and getting it into print.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(0 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Perdido Street Station: A New Crobuzon Novel: New Crobuzon 1
by
China Mieville
mclarenster
, January 14, 2010
One of the best gift books I've ever received. When I started reading it I actually sighed in pleasure and snuggled down into the couch looking forward to a good, long read. (Part of my joy in this book is that it opened up the rest of Mieville's work to me.)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment