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
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
NinaL has commented on (19) products
Tolkien & the Great War The Threshold of Middle Earth
by
John Garth
NinaL
, October 07, 2015
"Tolkien and the Great War" is a powerful book taking the reader on an extraordinary journey from the Western Front of World War I to Middle-Earth. Garth's writing is clear and vivid making this biography an intelligent and engaging read. Garth creates an intriguing look into the mind of an imaginative writer. Anyone interested in J.R.R. Tolkien, World War I, or the genesis of The Lord of the Rings will delight in this book.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Exquisite Corpse
by
Penelope Bagieu
NinaL
, July 01, 2015
I can't seem to say enough or quit talking about this graphic novel. Exquisite Corpse, at first, appears simply written and modestly illustrated. That is just the veneer to set up the main character Zoe. As Zoe mixes with and grows to know famous author Thomas Rocher, the story deepens. Tension and intrigue build quickly. With the increasing discord, Zoe grows and changes. As Zoe's character transforms, she becomes much more likeable. At the same time, Rocher grows more ominous.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Random Targets
by
Raven, James
NinaL
, May 27, 2015
James Raven's Random Targets is a crime mystery that gripped my attention. The action is intense at times, but it is the characters that kept me reading. The characters feel real. They are flawed, caring, scared, and keep growing along with the intensity of the novel. At times, the characters seem to focus too much on self-centered worry, but that could also be a flaw associated with human nature. The characters' acknowledge their concerns and rise above these instances of self worry making them more real and furthering their depth.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Head Full of Ghosts
by
Paul G Tremblay
NinaL
, May 25, 2015
"A Head Full Of Ghosts" is a novel that has stuck with me. This is a devastating tale of a family's descent into hopelessness. Paul Tremblay has a way of building tension using the most common of daily chores and occurrences. Even though the narration's current situation seems safe, Tremblay creates anticipation filled with dread for what is coming. This novel is so much more than a thriller; it is a heart-rending tale of madness and extremes. Solid from beginning to end, this was a difficult novel to put down or let go. I can't say enough about Tremblay's writing style and story.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
The Silent Land
by
Joyce, Graham
NinaL
, May 13, 2015
"The Silent Land" drew me in from the beginning. This is the story of a British couple, Jake and Zoe, who dig themselves out of an avalanche only to find they are now alone in a Pyrenees resort. As they struggle with, fight, then accept the isolation around them, they ponder both life and death. I love Graham Joyce's writing style. He has an understated way with his words that exemplifies the mood of his story. That Joyce could sustain the quiet suspense of his novel with only two characters and a lot of solitude is amazing. Subtle changes through the story made it difficult to second-guess Joyce's intentions as he guides his reader to a satisfying ending. This novel absorbed me and I was reluctant to let it go.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Salvage
by
Duncan, Alexandra
NinaL
, December 29, 2014
"Salvage" is a well written, engaging story. The novel flows evenly at a good pace. The novel is set in the future, and the Earth has changed, yet life continues as a matter of growing and living; no games. I really liked the main character, Ava; she is fresh, innocent, full of curiosity, and wants to learn. Ava is a fun narrator to follow and cheer for as her life and circumstances change.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Fire and Movement: The British Expeditionary Force and the Campaign of 1914
by
Peter Hart
NinaL
, December 29, 2014
Peter Hart captures the events and mood of 1914 bringing the first months of the Great War into vivid detail. What makes Hart's rendition of history so interesting is his ability to relate a story. Within "Fire and Movement", Hart pulls together his account of 1914 from the personal experiences of those who fought the war. The wide variety of passages that Hart quotes are taken from the highest-ranking officers to the foot soldiers in the trenches; it is this assortment that gives "Fire and Movement" a comprehensive yet approachable base.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Ghost in the Electric Blue Suit
by
Graham Joyce
NinaL
, November 07, 2014
When I closed the cover after reading the last page, all I could say was "wow". Graham Joyce has a way with words. He draws the reader into the time and the narrator's head. The narrator, David, is like a good friend, yet unreliable because there is always a sense that he is holding something back from the reader. This was a novel that I wanted to rush through to understand the mystery of the man in the blue suit, yet I did not want it to end.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Call of the Undertow
by
Linda Cracknell
NinaL
, June 24, 2014
Call of the Undertow is a quiet, thoughtful novel. Linda Cracknell describes landscape with deft beauty. Cracknell's imagery of the land leading to and from Maggie's 'Flotsam Cottage' creates a visually familiar pathway so well illustrated that the descriptions alone make me want to traverse those isolated roads as well. The novel mirrors the moody landscape. Secrets of both land and characters are slow to be revealed and some secrets remain hidden allowing the reader to determine what may or may not be the truth.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Burial Rites
by
Hannah Kent
NinaL
, April 18, 2014
Burial Rites starts a little slow with the public announcements, letters, and ruminations. However, the narrative picks up when accused murderess Agnes Magnusdottir is transferred to the Jonsdottir farm. The Jonsdottir family is at first angered to be used as the holding house of this condemned woman of ill reputation, but each becomes embroiled in personal conflict as their regard towards Agnes either darkens, changes to pity, or possibly understanding, as the sentence drags through the summer and into fall. Agnes' transfer creates great tension at the Jonsdottir farm; this, along with the earlier entries, work to pull the reader deeper into Agnes' story. Within a few chapters, Burial Rites became difficult to put down. Hannah Kent's writing is quiet, intriguing, and her novel is beautifully written.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(2 of 3 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Country Girl A Memoir
by
Edna OBrien
NinaL
, May 03, 2013
Edna O'Brien's memoir is a satisfying, engaging read. O'Brien writes her memoir in tantalizing vignettes that seem to be open and honest. She is humorous, touching, and thoughtful in her reflections. Her stories flit through time, at one moment these tales are the reflection of a child growing up in southern Ireland then we suddenly jump into the memories of an adult who has seen the world, yet always the streams of thought flow together weaving an intricate path of remembrance. One doesn't have to have read O'Brien's books to appreciate the stories of her life as presented in Country Girl, but perhaps her memoir will entice the reader to discover O'Brien's fiction and poetry. (A complete review is posted at LuxuryReading(dot)com.)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
House at the End of Hope Street A Novel
by
Menna Van Praag
NinaL
, April 24, 2013
This is an enchanting novel that skirts the realm of magical realism. Within the pages of "The House at the End of Hope Street", Menna von Praag has crafted a novel easily read, well written, and intriguing in its teasing secrets. I want to know if there is a vacancy at eleven Hope Street. I felt at home here with the mysteries. As enticing as Praag's story is, the unwritten tales of the inhabitants at "The House at the End of Hope Street" continue to flitter through my thoughts making me ponder all that may have taken place between the house's walls.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Until the Next Time
by
Kevin Fox
NinaL
, August 01, 2012
"Until the Next Time" by Kevin Fox is a novel that delves into memory: what was, what is, what may be again, as well as did it really occur as remembered. Well written and filled with engrossing characters, I feel I came to understand some of the motivations of both Sean and Michael Corrigan. This novel encompasses a wonderful trip from New York, across Ireland and time, and back to the present. "Until the Next Time" made me wonder how much of our lives are our own and not a product of our ancestry; is our individual core touched by those we never knew. (The complete review can be found at luxuryreading (dot) com.)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
House I Loved
by
Tatiana de Rosnay
NinaL
, February 22, 2012
I loved this book. Tatiana De Rosnay's "The House I Loved" is a beautiful novel that grabbed my senses and didn't let go. "The House I Loved" is a love story about place and memory. This is the story of Rose Bazelet and her house. The Bazelet house with all others on Rue Childebert is destined for destruction to make ways for the grand boulevards of 'modern Paris'. Yet Rose Bazelet vows to remain. As her neighborhood empties, Rose offsets her isolation through letters written to her late husband and slowly reveals the one secret she maintained for thirty years. "The House I Loved" is a beautifully written testament to the endurance of love. (For complete review, go to luxaryreading(dot)com.)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Dovekeepers
by
Alice Hoffman
NinaL
, January 10, 2012
Alice Hoffman's writing is beautiful. At times, her narrative is mesmerizing and dreamlike as Hoffman leads her reader through the story. I liked how she gave voice to each of her characters and let the women tell the story; it seemed a very intimate approach to a rather harrowing tale. Hoffman's writing brings forth the tensions and struggles of the ancient Judeans amongst themselves and against the Roman incursion. Through each character's story, the reader gets the sense of a changing world that many are fighting hard to prevent its total collapse. The novel's subject is gloomy, the siege of Masada did not end well as the back cover book synopsis states, yet Hoffman presents "The Dovekeepers" with such authenticity that I was compelled to keep reading and hope for each character's safety. (For the complete review, visit luxuryreading(dot)com.)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
In Zanesville
by
Jo Ann Beard
NinaL
, August 24, 2011
Jo Ann Beard's novel, "In Zanesville", is an enjoyable and poignant read. Beard's writing flows seamlessly between light hearted, tense, awkward, and heart wrenching scenes with a fluidity that keeps the reader in the moment of the story. Beard brings the realities of young adulthood into clear focus through her sometimes bittersweet and often outright hilarious story telling. "In Zanesville" follows the exploits of an unnamed narrator, who is a self-pronounced sidekick, and her best friend Felicia. As the girls traverse the streets and hallways of Zanesville, Illinois, we, the readers, get a look at this world through the girls' fourteen year old eyes. It's a world where teens strive for adulthood, while adults seek refuge in alcohol, work, discontent, and even in death. I found myself relating too well with the young narrator of "In Zanesville". She was funny and sassy and smart and forever trying to hide behind others, yet her vulnerability shines through her awkwardness for being the class 'late bloomer'. This coming of age tale is not just a nostalgic look backwards; it is fraught with the difficulties of change throughout life. "In Zanesville" shows the reader that 'yes' life is problematic, but mixed throughout there are also episodes of friendship, love, and hilarity. I thoroughly enjoyed "In Zanesville" from the fire on the first page to its satisfying conclusion. (excerpt from review posted at luxuryreading.com)
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment
Everything Beautiful Began After
by
Simon Van Booy
NinaL
, August 24, 2011
Simon Van Booy's writing is fluid and excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of "Everything Beautiful Began After". I found that the pages seemed to turn themselves. Each chapter completed left me wanting to read one more. As the characters become more intertwined, their pasts are slowly revealed providing each with a depth of connection that none had ever felt before. Theirs is a connection based on similar losses, loneliness, dreams and yearning. The second half of the novel takes a devastating turn forcing each character into new directions. The pace of the story is somewhat hindered by the 2nd person narration in the second and third parts of this four part novel; this change in narration seemed to pull me a step back from the immediacy I felt in the first section of this novel, and then the pace in the fourth section was rushed. Despite the change in narration and pace, the story flows evenly throughout leaving one to question whether our lives are controlled by fate or choice. Van Booy has created an evocative story, imbued with passion and the intrigues of life.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
by
Alexandra Fuller
NinaL
, August 24, 2011
"Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness" by Alexandra Fuller is a return to Fuller's childhood upbringing in East Africa. This is her quasi-sequel and prequel to her first book, "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight". Within the pages of "Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness", Fuller further explores her African upbringing through a deeper look into the lives of her relatives. Fuller's storytelling effortlessly flows from the contemporary setting of her parent's fish farm in Zambia to the remote cool wet weather of Skye (Scotland) or bleak post-war England. She gives life to her characters through each person's own unique voice. Fuller shows the reader that her heritage is both stubborn and free-spirited. And she answers the question of why her parents never left Africa.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
(3 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Heideggers Glasses
by
Thasia Frank
NinaL
, April 22, 2011
Thaisa Frank's novel Heidegger's Glasses is a suspenseful, philosophic rumination. This is a unique look into the final days of a horrific time period. The story is saturated with chaos, fear and survival, yet possibilities exist. Elie Schacten is the novel's mysterious heroine and it is through her experiences that the reader sees into this secret world. Elie is a woman split between countries, loyalties and her very identity. Her public self, known to those at the compound, is an agent of the Gestapo. She oversees the scribes in their duties of writing letters. She also scavenges for food and necessities for the compound through favors; she delivers children to safety for payment of extra loaves of bread. Gerhardt Lodenstein is a Nazi party member and military administrator of the compound. He also loves Elie and shares Elie's desire to help those who no longer live with hope. Intrigue, compassion, suspense and love all prevail in Thaisa Frank's debut novel. Heidegger's Glasses is a fresh perspective of WWII reawakening us to both the horrors and the humanity of that tragic time. Frank's writing is beautiful, uncomplicated, and at times almost brutal in its directness. Heidegger's Glasses is a resonate story that just may stay with the reader long after the final page has turned.
Was this comment helpful? |
Yes
|
No
report this comment