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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
Paperivore has commented on (14) products
Masquerade
by
OO Sangoyomi
Paperivore
, July 07, 2024
I’d describe this as a very loose Persephone -inspired historical fiction with witches, Orisha mythology, and medieval West African court intrigue. Basically unlike anything I’ve found before. And seriously I loved this book! I feel like I dove in to 1400s West Africa. It’s like being immersed in Mali & Nigerian culture, from the bustling markets of Timbuktu, the Saharan desert, and the glittering castle city of Sàngótè. 🔥Òdòdó is a young woman who works as a blacksmith in Timbuktu. But her city has been conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland. As a blacksmith, Òdòdó and the other women in her guild, are considered witches, women who transform natural ore into sleek metal weapons. The people consider their skill at the forge magic and shun them for it. After a brief encounter with a handsome stranger, Òdòdó is abducted and whisked across the Sahara to the capital city of Sàngótè. It is there that she discovers that she has been kidnapped by the very stranger she met before, that stranger is the warrior king, and he has fallen in love with her and she will wed him. From the poverty of the blacksmiths guild, she soars to the heights of society. Òdòdó watches for every opportunity and learns the mechanisms of political strategy. She takes every opportunity to build networks of power and loyal allies. I love how resourceful and determined she is to finally obtain the power she never had before and the lengths which she goes to hold on to that power.
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Honey
by
Isabel Banta
Paperivore
, July 07, 2024
This was a wonderful read! It’s fast paced and there’s never really a lull in the storytelling. I found it addicting and read the whole thing over a weekend. The story follows Amber Young, a girl with a powerful voice who dreams of being recognized for her singing. At the start of the book, she’s just a child desperate to be affirmed that she’s worthy of love. And while she eventually experiences pop music success, she also struggles with the same universal things that girls so often do while growing up. But she does it all under the scrutiny of the public eye. It’s not as dark as I’m Glad my Mom Died - if only because it’s not actually a memoir and it also never pierces too deep into the tragicomic. There’s the heartbreak of first love, the challenge of family relationships, and the way other people’s voices can dictate how we see ourselves. But at the same time, there’s the fierce loyalty of friends and the deep gratification of self-discovery. This is really a story about a girl learning to own her sexuality in a world where everyone else wants a piece of it.
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The Last Bloodcarver (Last Bloodcarver Duology #1)
by
Vanessa Le
Paperivore
, April 21, 2024
This was fantastic! A southeast Asian industrialism/technocratic dark YA fantasy with hard colonialism themes. Definitely a five star read and some excellent world building! The ending was so incredible and left me excited for the next book. I absolutely loved the characters. Nhika is dynamic, growing and changing. She is angry but kind and wants to be good. I loved her interactions with the Congmi family. It felt so relatable and I liked seeing the way their relationships developed and changed throughout the story. The romance was also super sweet! Especially towards the end, I felt like the characters really made each other better. All in all, this was a wonderful read! It felt more mature than a lot of YA that I’ve read. The issues felt bigger and Nhika - while angry - never felt annoying to me. Highly recommend this to anyone who likes dark YA with themes of death, healing, and found family.
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In the Garden Behind the Moon: A Memoir of Loss, Myth, and Magic
by
Alexandra A. Chan
Paperivore
, April 18, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. It’s a beautiful patchwork of memories, stories, culture, quotes, tangents, art, photography, poetry, and history. It’s also a dedicated ode to the life of an extraordinary person. My favorite thing about this book is the author’s calligraphy. Learning about the process and her works and getting to see so many pieces was wonderful and unusual in a memoir. I loved how much the author wove art into the book. I also liked learning about her father, who is a central point in the author’s life and in this memoir. As a centenarian, the man had a rich and diverse life full of myriad accomplishments and achievements. It was fascinating to see how many different things a person could accomplish in his life. I also liked the way the author highlighted that this is what it looks like to not sleepwalk through life. I liked the way the book weaved in and out of memories juxtaposed with essay-like vignettes on many various topics. Sometimes I didn’t really connect with the voice of the author. But then other times, I would be super engrossed in a section and not be able to put it down. It really felt like a quilt of bits and pieces of a person’s being tied together in homage. Very good!
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A Tempest of Tea
by
Hafsah Faizal
Paperivore
, February 20, 2024
This was a fun Young Adult fantasy heist with some great twists and a solid four star book for me. I enjoyed the setting and the concept the most in this book. The tea house, Spindrift, is so interesting and imaginative. Definitely could have spent even more time there. There are some wonderful characters in the crew and Jin was definitely my favorite with his dark backstory, hope for the future, and care for the people in his life. I can’t wait to see more development with him. Also I could totally imagine him and Flick coming up with all sorts of interesting projects. I also liked the descriptions of the Athereum and how it operated during their heist - it was definitely fun imagining all of the details of their plan and seeing it all unfold. The place and plan were both so elaborate and entertaining. I felt like the romance involving Arthur was a bit all over the place. There’s this love triangle between Arthie and two other characters. I really liked both love interests as characters and could see a lot of potential with both of them. But the writing of the romance just didn't feel convincing or compelling and fell a tad flat for me. That could just be a me-thing since I’m picky about relationship development! All in all, I think this book is perfect if you like a heist in a fantasy setting. I thought the writing style was solidly more YA than adult.
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Check & Mate
by
Ali Hazelwood
Paperivore
, February 06, 2024
This was a really nice Young Adult Romance in a super fun, interesting, and competitive setting. I loved learning about the gender pressures and toxic culture in chess and that Hazelwood mentions a real life study about women in chess. It added a social aspect to the book that I appreciated. There was a point about 80% in where the FMC gets stubborn, self righteous and a bit mean. I was kind of frustrated with her. Having said that though, she grows a lot as a person, acknowledges her mistakes, and tries to be better. So that kind of self growth is really nice to see in a romance. I loved the MMC/love interest! He was absolutely adorable and sincere and actually made me smile! Just to note, this is a closed door romance. This book felt like a lighter, more fun and romantic version of The Queen’s Gambit. Young talented chess prodigy rises in the international ranks and deals with everything that comes with that. Still felt really fresh and original though! I’m all for chess romance being the new hockey romance! All in all, a solid, cute romance by Hazelwood!
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Lunar New Year Love Story
by
Gene Luen Yang
Paperivore
, January 09, 2024
I adored this graphic novel! Literally could not put it down start to finish and finished with tears in my eyes. It’s so heartwarming and truly a joy to read. The story follows Val who thinks her family might be cursed – doomed to never have happiness in love, always only suffering. She meets some lion dancers and starts learning the art and also starts hoping that this could be her chance to break the cycle and be lucky in love. There’s a really sweet and relatable romance in the book that was so well written! Val goes on first dates, gets to know boys, faces family secrets, and navigates entering this part of adulthood. She also delves deeper into lion dancing, which was such a cool part of the book! I loved seeing the drawings of the characters practicing and I loved learning about lion dancing. The art style was so alive – the lions had so much movement during the dances, and so much expression was captured in the character’s faces throughout the story. There are some darker, slightly somber moments, and they always felt perfectly balanced. The ending of this book was wonderful – the story is leading towards something and when it hits, it’s powerful and touching. I was so happy and satisfied and closed the novel knowing I had read something special. First five star read of the year!
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Wrath Becomes Her
by
Aden Polydoros
Paperivore
, December 14, 2023
What an original story. I haven’t encountered anything quite like it. There’s a little bit of Frankenstein in it - the pursuit of vengeance and the question of what makes a being “human” or “monster.” It’s part WWII horror - the gruesome Nazi experiments as well as the bloody struggle to survive and fight. And the book also has a tentative and heartbreaking second chance romance. The story follows Vera, who was created as a golem in the image of Chaya, a girl killed by Nazis. Vera joins forces with Akiva - the boy who loved Chaya when she was still alive. Together they seek vengeance and fight against the forces occupying their home. I loved that Vera was trying to find her place in the shadow of the living girl she replaced in everyone’s eyes. She has Chaya’s memories but is a different person and that exploration was super interesting. I also appreciated the writing style. It was quite fast paced and I kept thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it. The action was intense and sometimes a bit gruesome for me (just to warn readers) but I think it was important for the setting and plot - I mean, they’re people being brutally hunted and eliminated - it can’t really be anything but horrific. All of that being said and while I enjoyed the book and liked the characters, I didn’t really connect with any of them. Which is fine because it was a good book in general. Would have liked to learn more about Jewish mythology and golem lore.
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Half a Cup of Sand and Sky
by
Nadine Bjursten
Paperivore
, December 07, 2023
Oh my goodness I loved this book. Couldn’t put it down and couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. It’s definitely going to stay with me for a long time and deserves so much hype and appreciation. Such a gorgeous story that reminds us to live well and not squander the time we have. The writing is so engaging - at once both a well researched historical account of modern Iranian history and also a tender portrayal of a woman’s life. It was so much more powerful than I anticipated and is definitely one of my favorite books that I’ve read this year. I can’t recommend it enough! The story follows the life of Amineh, an Iranian woman who is a university student during the time of the Iranian Revolution. It’s fascinating to chronicle the Revolution through her experiences - her friends, the protests, the idealism. And then to see her life unfold through the 1980s and 1990s in the aftermath of a failed Revolution. We learn so much about the political history of Iran. I specifically loved learning about the struggle of non-governmental groups who were pushing for nuclear disarmament at that time. The author worked specifically in arms control during the 1990s and that knowledge really shines through in the story. 5 stars!
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Forty Words for Love
by
Aisha Saeed
Paperivore
, October 09, 2023
This is a lovely YA novel with a refreshing and imaginative setting. It was everything I would normally love but sadly fell a bit short for me. I’d still recommend it to anyone who likes unique world building, metaphors to real life social situations, and a sweet and tentative friends-to-lovers romance. The story alternates POVs between Rafay and Yasmine, two young people in a small, charming town (Stars Hollow style). Or at least the town, Moonlight Bay, used to be dreamy and magical with shimmering pink and lavender waters and an eclectic community. Now, a tragedy has struck the town and the waters are grey, the businesses are shuttered, and the people are burdened with loss. Raf is an immigrant to Moonlight Bay but has spent most of his life there. As the tension in the crumbling town mounts, local sentiment towards immigrants turns unkind. Raf and Yas are torn between leaving their town behind and the desire to stay and protect the place they share. All the while, their friendship blossoms to something new and tentative. I really liked both Raf and Yas, they are both thoughtful and kind characters who want the best for the people they care about. I also really enjoyed delving into the imaginative setting that Aisha Saeed created in Moonlight Bay.
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Life Council 10 Friends Every Woman Needs
by
Laura Tremaine
Paperivore
, May 14, 2023
This was actually pretty good. I thought it was easy to read and all of the author’s experiences and anecdotes are pretty applicable in my own life. Does seem like the kind of thing possibly more suited for a podcast than a book. I thought it was a little weird to treat friends as a something like a business council. As in treating relationship as what you get from other people rather than something more giving. But the author places a lot of focus on gratitude so it doesn’t feel overly self involved. But I will say that I thought it was focused on a specific audience. I rarely ever read self help books so I don’t know a lot about the genre. But I thought this was actually pretty good and I felt like there was some concrete advice on friendships. Just tips and ways of being more grateful and giving as a friend. The book breaks down ten categories or types of friends that a person should keep in their life. I’ve never considered having different types of friends who each have different purposes and I normally would consider it strange to categorize people like that. But I thought it was well handled in this book and made sense. But as I get older and realize that it gets harder to make and keep friends amidst our busy lives, I appreciate the reminders and the lessons about the importance of these people in our lives. I would recommend it to anyone already interested in this kind of thing
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Chaos and Flame
by
Tessa Gratton and Justina Ireland
Paperivore
, May 14, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! It’s a fun YA fantasy with a headstrong heroine, magic bloodlines, and some political machinations. There are some cool details that made this book feel interesting and original. I thought the writing was great, fast paced, and kept me interested and wanting to read more. I was seriously hooked by the introduction: it feels like a legend is playing out: a boy who obsessively paints the same hollow eyed girl over and over; his younger brother who grows up under the shadow of this obsession, determined to protect his family; and the girl herself who survived in hiding for years, even when everyone else was gone. The rest of the book unfolds with two narrators: Darling, the girl from the paintings, and Talon, the younger brother. Each is trying to protect their own family and each views the other as an enemy. But they’ll end up reluctant allies as they try to navigate dangerous political intrigue. I really enjoyed all of the characters. Especially Caspian, Talons brother and the High Prince Regent. I think the best thing about this book is the fast paced writing. I felt like a lot happens in the plot and it really keeps your attention (which is amazing imo for a book by two different authors). I also loved the cliffhanger. It didn’t feel forced and dramatic - rather I felt like we had been building towards something epic the whole time. Very cool.
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Davenports
by
Krystal Marquis
Paperivore
, February 04, 2023
I really enjoyed this read. There were a few moments that I really loved and an ending that will stay with me. Four young Black women in Chicago at the turn of the century navigate their social statuses, personal dreams, and family expectations. Each woman narrates her own story but all of their lives are deeply intertwined. So although there are four POVs, each propels the story forward on a whole. This charming romance is inspired by the real-life C.R. Patterson family - a wealthy Black family in early 1900’s Chicago. I loved that the story is filled with ballroom dances, Jane Austin-esque drawing room banter, and nosy society mothers! While much of it is cute romcom fun, there is a serious and poignant undertone as the narrators forge ahead into a new era for women & Black Americans. I definitely recommend this one if you like the concept.
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Unseelie (Unseelie Duology #1)
by
Ivelisse Housman
Paperivore
, January 08, 2023
This is such a fantastic book! I absolutely adored it and had a great time reading it. The story follows Seelie, who is a changeling struggling with the fact that she is different from the human family she grew up with. She shares a close bond with her human twin sister, Isolde. And when her fairy magic manifests in ways Seelie can’t control, she ends up terrifying the villagers and putting her family in a dangerous position as they continue to protect her. In order to spare their parents any more pain, she and Isolde run away with grand plans to become rich and buy a home for their parents in a place where Seelie will not be considered strange or a danger. There’s so much to love here but one of my favorite aspects is the neurodiverse representation! I really appreciated how well these experiences are captured and it really hit home for me in my personal life. I particularly loved the relationship between Seelie and Isolde. Their bond and also their tension and fights felt really authentic. I also felt like the pacing was good - will say it was a little slow at first, but still kept me intrigued. About a quarter in and I couldn’t put it down. This was a wonderful treat to read. I loved the characters, the world descriptions, and the heartfelt story. Received this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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