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
Creatives on Creating Sale
Spotlight Sale
Picture Book 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
boehnlei has commented on (13) products
Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place
by
Terry Tempest Williams
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
I divided the reading of this book into two different chunks, at first overwhelmed by the precision, depth, and complexity of Williams' writing. The second time, I was blown away again but sped through the book, completely consumed. I am amazed by the way that Williams merges her scientific, naturalist knowledge with the details of her personal life, using one as a metaphor for the other. I am looking forward to reading more by Williams!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
My Family & Other Animals
by
Gerald Durrell
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
I loved Durrell's description in this novel of living on an island in Greece with his crazy family! He loved the natural world as a child and grew up to found zoos abroad so his attention to detail and his wonderment about the world was very contagious, as was his sparkling writing style. Durrell's narrative voice is hilarious even though it was written about his childhood in the 1950s. His family is crazy!!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Crow Planet Essential Wisdom from the Urban Wilderness
by
Lyanda Haupt
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
A good nonfiction book by ornithologist, mother, naturalist, educator, and writer from Seattle. It's primarily about crows but brings up many other issues about urban wildlife. Haupt questions the presence of crows in the urban environment- signs of human imposition on native species and habitat loss but also possible ways to connect humans to the natural world in urban environments. These two often seem incompatible, but with a little openness on the part of city-dwellers, we can begin to see how man-made and natural can become intertwined and symbiotic. I was intrigued by Haupt's questions and her intelligence when it came to scientific knowledge. She was very thorough in her research and this book will definitely guide my own urban wildlife muses.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(0 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Let The Great World Spin
by
Colum McCann
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
It took awhile to get into this novel, but I ended up really enjoying it. It's made up of many different overlapping stories of people living in all strata of NYC and how they cohabitate in a big city. Even though this is fiction, it reminded me that we are all connected to more people than we think- from mere scratches or brief run-ins to friends of friends to the deepest of relationships. We are all constantly orbiting each other all around the world. Our web and network is strong and overlapping. McCann seems to say that it's the connections we make- big and small- and the millions of people we cohabit with that keep us going. There is a great mystery, an unknown, a black box of the future looming out at us, but somehow we know that it will be worth it.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by
Jonathan Safran Foer
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
My friend had been recommending this book and author to me for a very long time and I'm glad I finally picked it up! It began very lightly, as you realize that the hilariously intelligent, pondering, imaginatively uninhibited narrator is a 9 year old boy. But as the story goes on, you slowly realize that his narration is always colored- by grief, or what he refers to as "heavy boots"- a 9 year old coming to terms with and trying to figure out how to really live after his father's tragic death on 9/11. As a reader, I was disheartened by the horrific circumstances of his father's death and the family's subsequent mourning throughout the novel, but I do realize that this is the reality for a lot of families who lost loved ones on that day. The plot is highlighted by the background story of Oskar's grandparents who are broken but still somehow living life after WWII. An incredibly profound, complex, and thought-provoking novel- Oskar's narration will be rolling around my head for a long while.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Farm City The Education of an Urban Farmer
by
Novella Carpenter
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
This book was on my list for quite awhile when it was still in hard-back. Novella's entertaining prose was both thought-provoking and hilarious, letting her readers into her everyday, dirty, though rewarding life as an urban farmer. Her voice is very distinct, often sarcastic, but her story and perseverance is inspiring. It made me want to run outside and start planing- or at least learn more about it! Plus, it is an interesting counterargument to vegetarianism- raising your own meat cuts down on so many of the resources it takes to buy meat at the store and is bound to make life interesting.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
History of Love
by
Nicole Krauss
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
It's crazy how much this book's tone reminded me of Extremely Loud and Incredible Close by Johnathan Safran Foer, so I was amused to find out that the authors are married! (But did they each write the novels before they met?...) I loved the parallel stories of two very different characters that found a way to merge by the end. I also loved the mysterious elements and childlike tones of both the girl and old man's narration. Lovely, simplicity is key because a plot can get complicated on its own. Nicole Krauss makes this book so believable and charming. Bravo!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by
Rebecca Skloot
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
I fell down on my reading this month because I hadn't found a really gripping book to read. But this one took me by storm and wouldn't let me go until I'd reached the last period. It was fast paced nonfiction with human interest that, like Zeitoun, read like a novel. I learned so much about science and medical history- just fascinating! There was also much social justice issues present- racial, historic, just plain unfair. Skloot is extremely knowledgable and technical but makes inaccessible subjects like the history of medicine extremely approachable. Now I want to read more!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
A Match to the Heart: One Woman's Story of Being Struck by Lightning
by
Gretel Ehrlich
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
This book was comfortingly wonderful, though a bit dense to get through quickly. I greatly enjoyed learning about the natural history that Erlich weaves in amongst her personal stories of recovering from near death by lightning. Her style and goals in writing reminded me a lot of what I've read of Terry Tempest Williams. But Erlich also incorporates spiritual and personal musings on faith throughout which made me contemplate what I would have done in her situation. A good purchase and I'm glad I read it. I want to read more of what Erlich has to say!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Bossypants
by
Tina Fey
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
I loved this book, speeding through it, captivated by Tina Fey's humor and honesty. It's always interesting to learn about celebrity lives and this was no exception. It made me appreciate Fey's work more, being able to get a glimpse into her real human personal life as well- while laughing all the way!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Wildwood: The Wildwood Chronicles, Book I
by
Colin Meloy
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
Ah! This is one of the best books I've read recently. I loved the magical world Meloy has created, mostly because it is set inside a city and a forest that is so familiar to me as a Portlander. Yet, he is right- Forest Park is so expansive, so wild, who knows what we'd be able to find there if we really look! Meloy writes in a sparklingly descriptive way, bringing us along and helping us fall in love with the characters and the setting throughout his knowledge of the world he has created. Not to mention the genius artistry of his illustrating wife, this book really came alive for me.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Help
by
Kathryn Stockett
boehnlei
, October 31, 2011
I started this book way back in July while housesitting at a place with wonderful bookshelves and I have been waiting ever since to pick it back up again. I was immediately compelled by the story, mostly because of the voices of the three main characters and their honesty. I was captivated by the secrecy of the plot in the story, the history of civil rights int he 1960s South, and the bravery of the characters. After reading Stockett's reflection at the end, her own passion for the subjects she addresses really come alive throughout the rest of the book. The story takes on a whole new meaning. Applause for The Help- I really see why it's been flying off the shelves!
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Zeitoun
by
Dave Eggers
boehnlei
, January 18, 2011
Zeitoun was the best book that I read in 2010. It was a shockingly revealing depiction of a family who endured Hurricane Katrina and the devastation, corruption, loss of rights, and heartbreak that went along with it. I was blown away by Eggers' narrative style- the book read like a novel but because it is non fiction, I knew that the descriptions I was reading were true. As an American citizen living on the West Coast, I had no idea about the realities of the hurricane and Eggers certainly helped enlighten me on what unfolded during the natural disaster. Though there were some events that were unavoidable due to the course of nature (the progression of the hurricane itself), reading about the way that the hurricane's aftermath was dealt with left me at a loss to imagine that such corruption and disregard for humanity could happen in our own country. Finally, I am very impressed with Dave Eggers as a writer and philanthropist. 100% of Eggers' own proceeds of this book go to the Zeitoun Foundation which then funnels money directly to non profits in the New Orleans area that work towards justice in many areas- environmental, humanitiarian, cultural, religous, artistic, etc. I hope this book continues to be bought and read and to improve the education of American citizens about the unbelievable unfairness and corruption that can and do happen in our own country- and are rarely publicized. But also of the strength of families like the Zeitouns' whose stories can be heard.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment