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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
sarah e has commented on (10) products
Her Fearful Symmetry
by
Audrey Niffenegger
sarah e
, September 14, 2011
This is a dark, subtle coming of age story. The characters - codependent identical twins, their ghostly aunt, her younger boyfriend, and an obsessive neighbor - are more interesting than the story itself; to me, that makes a book worth re-reading. The way the characters are coupled and recoupled and uncoupled is what drives the story.
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Rottweiler
by
Ruth Rendell
sarah e
, September 06, 2011
This wasn't the book I expected it to be, but I should know by now to expect a surprise from Ruth Rendell. The Rottweiler isn't really about a serial killer and it isn't a murder mystery - it feels more like an expanded set of short stories that are all linked together. I would call it a 'motive mystery.' I don't mind knowing who the killer is early on - being in that character's head or having that piece of information usually makes the story a bit creepier than a regular mystery. This wasn't as creepy as I wanted it to be, but a dark mood pervades the story in a different way. I disliked all the characters and suspected them of keeping horrible secrets or sinister motives. I am not satisfied with the resolution - I wish the last chapter hadn't been there at all, to leave an unsettled feeling after the end of the book.
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Mr Chartwell
by
Rebecca Hunt
sarah e
, September 06, 2011
Mr. Chartwell is a large, black dog with a dark, seductive presence. Esther is a lonely young widow. Churchill is facing retirement and the conclusion of his life's work. Their paths intersect. Chartwell is illness personified, visible on his own terms. The book is somehow light while dealing with heavy issues, and mysterious to the end.
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Anyas Ghost
by
Vera Brosgol
sarah e
, September 06, 2011
Anya's the kind of teenage girl who smokes in the bathroom, but secretly wishes she was the kind who dated her school's star athlete. She's afraid that her Mom's cooking will make her fat, afraid that she'll be teased for being a Russian immigrant, and afraid that she'll embarrass herself in gym class. One afternoon Anya skips class, falls down a well, and finds a ghost. This is a fun, quick, spooky read for teenagers or adults. While Anya's Ghost isn't quite a coming of age story, it shows how experiences - both supernatural and ordinary - can open our eyes to the people around us, and how blind to the motives and struggles of others we may be.
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Finkler Question
by
Howard Jacobson
sarah e
, September 06, 2011
The Finkler Question is sort of a coming-of-middle-age. Julian works as a celebrity lookalike. He's divorced and unliked by his children, he envies his friends' recent widowerhoods, and he's been mugged by a woman. He wishes he was Jewish. I felt that because I was neither middle-aged, male, nor Jewish, I couldn't really relate to the characters - but I was fascinated by them. This book is funny, but I felt like I was out of the loop. I would say this book is worth a read for the Question itself, and any possible answer.
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Las Orchestra Saves the World
by
Alexander McCall Smith, Alexander McCall Smith
sarah e
, September 01, 2011
La's Orchestra isn't really the focus of this book. It's a story about how WWII affected people at their homes in small English towns. La is a woman who was left alone, comfortable, and purposeless, and found ways to give back to her community. If the story had been written by another author, I don't think it would be so subtle. Stories like this tend to include grand gestures and flamboyant characters. I appreciate the restraint to tell only the relevant parts of La's story, and to tell them in a way that doesn't add unnecessary embellishment. It seems so simple and honest that I absolutely believed every word.
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Daughter of Time
by
Josephine Tey
sarah e
, September 01, 2011
The Daughter of Time includes more history than I had anticipated, but I enjoyed all that. I am not British or particularly well-versed in British history, so some of the history was lost on me - I didn't read More's Richard III, I didn't learn anything about Richard III until college - but it was still enjoyable and not difficult to follow. It's a fun sort of mystery when you know it's based on real events, especially when a nightmarish villain of history is presented in a new light.
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Down from Cascom Mountain
by
Ann Joslin Williams
sarah e
, September 01, 2011
This is a story of growing and overcoming. A young woman loses her new husband in an accident on a mountain near her family home. A teenage boy with obsessive tendencies copes with memories of his abusive mother. A teenage girl working on the mountain explores a relationship with an older man. The lush wilderness of Cascom Mountain captivates and betrays them all, showing the way to redemption, or destruction. Down from Cascom Mountain is a beautifully written novel that fascinated me on every page. I wasn't ready to leave.
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Pride & Prejudice
by
Jane Austen
sarah e
, September 01, 2011
Pride & Prejudice is a love story, but not the story I was expecting. Elizabeth is a strong female character who is sure of herself and able to speak her mind without shyness - that is where her most genuine beauty lies. I want to be like Elizabeth. Darcy is a man who works very hard to overcome himself to present himself to her as a worthy partner. That is love. Pride & Prejudice is surprisingly readable, modern, practical, and insightful. It isn't fussy, the language isn't difficult, and it isn't hard to follow. Read it today if you haven't read it before. I know I'll be reading it again and again.
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Still Life
by
Louise Penny
sarah e
, August 02, 2011
Quite cozy. I like to be led around by the author of a detective series, I like to be kept guessing all through the book. While reading this my list of suspects grew and changed and eventually narrowed to the wrong person - making it even more fun to discover the murderer. I'd say that the town is the real star of this book.
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