Lists
by Powell's Staff, October 19, 2020 1:54 PM
In a year like this — strange and stressful — we've needed books more than ever. To teach us, to give us escape, to bring us happiness, even sometimes silliness. Well, in that way, 2020 came through! There have been soooo many great books this year that it's been hard to choose which ones we loved the most.
But with such diverse subjects as Arthurian myths and Ojibwa prophecies, unicorns and orcas, basketball and ( ahem) butts, ghosts, magical powers, climbing kittens, the ways to make sunshine and the ways to hear snow, here are our picks for the Best Kids' and YA Books of 2020.
FOR YOUNGER KIDS:
We Are Water Protectors
by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
An absolutely beautiful and important book on protecting the earth and fighting for what’s right. This powerfully moving picture book is based on an Ojibwa prophecy and written by Ojibwe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom and gorgeously illustrated by Tlingit artist Michaela Goade...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, September 4, 2020 9:22 AM
Powell’s new book buying team are experts at predicting trends, zeroing in on promising titles, and talking books. We asked them to share a list of the books they’ve loving and looking forward to this fall. From the new Tana French ( yes) to the best pie cookbook ever, let Corie, Mary Jo, Doug, McKenzie, Kim, Tracey, Jennifer, and Kathi lead you to your next favorite read...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, June 3, 2020 9:05 AM
In the spirit of keeping things close to home, we would like to (re)acquaint you with seven phenomenal Portland writers whose work explores themes of gender, sexuality, queerness, and community. The works below encompass short stories, novels, poetry, memoir, and humor, and in unique ways expand the reader’s notions of love, selfhood, and family.
I Loved You More
by Tom Spanbauer
In Doug’s words, “Just when Tom Spanbauer's novel fills you with despair, it picks you up with an absurd, dark humor. Reach for this book if you want a slow, meaty read where you can savor the quirky spoken feeling of the narrator's voice. Read it if you want to hear the lie that tells the truth. If you want to live in the thoughts and pain and discovery and selfishness and generosity of the storyteller...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, May 26, 2020 8:38 AM
It’s May, it’s Short Story Month, and for us this annual exhortation to read brief couldn’t come at a better time. We’ve been hearing from a lot of folks who are having difficulty focusing on long books right now and need suggestions for shorter-form literature that doesn’t skimp on drama, profundity, or imagination. While graphic novels, such as those in our AAPI list, are a great option, we highly encourage everyone to try reading short stories too. From the sci-fi innovations of writers like Ted Chiang and Carmen Maria Machado to the humanity of Zadie Smith and Amy Hempel’s short stories, the list of short fiction below offers something for everyone, all in the time it takes to eat your lunch, stream a Netflix show, or gaze out of the window wondering where on earth we go from here...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, January 27, 2020 9:43 AM
Powell's New Book Buying team has a front row seat to the thousands of new titles published each year and, like the experts they are, they have an opinion or five about what's worth getting really excited about. Below you'll find a list of the literature, science, sci-fi, kids' books, cookbooks, and more that the buying team can't wait to read and recommend in 2020.
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Kim's Picks
Kim T. is the one of the children’s book buyers and the performing arts buyer. She loves spending time with her family and their Australian Shepherd.
We Are Water Protectors (March 2020)
by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
An absolutely beautiful and important book on protecting the earth and fighting for what’s right. This powerfully moving picture book is based on an Ojibwa prophecy and written by Ojibwe/Métis author Carole Lindstrom and gorgeously illustrated by Tlingitartist Michaela Goade. This book also includes an earth steward and water protector...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, December 30, 2019 8:12 AM
Surprisingly, for people who spend a minimum of 40 hours a week up-close and personal with books, a lot of us aren't totally comfortable with the status of our relationships. Are we giving our books the care and attention they deserve? Are we reading the books that are right for us, instead of the ones that are just convenient, or comforting? When is it okay to say goodbye, and which books are worth pulling through the difficult patches for?
Whether we've decided to deafen our ears to the censure of Book Twitter, or ignore all new releases until we've read through the book tower threatening the order and safety of our bedrooms, the Powell's staff is taking a long, hard look at how to love the books we're with, while getting the ones we want...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, December 5, 2019 9:25 AM
Here's a list of the novels (and one poetry collection!) that had us silencing our phones, forgetting meals, and letting the laundry pile up this year so that we could lose ourselves in their gorgeous prose, indelible characters, and singular worlds.
Nickel Boys
by Colson Whitehead
It’s 1963 in Tallahassee, Florida, and Elwood Curtis has a bright future ahead of him, enrolled in advanced college courses ahead of high school graduation. Then one innocent mistake lands him in the boys’ reformatory, Nickel Academy. Based on Florida’s real Dozier School for Boys, an institution that operated for over 100 years brutalizing young boys, The Nickel Boys is a vital work of historical fiction, challenging every soul to search out the deep truths of the past, to which all of our futures are anchored...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, December 3, 2019 9:52 AM
Can you feel that? That rumbling all along the ground? That’s us jumping up and down because we’re so excited that it’s time to choose our favorite kids’ books of the WHOLE YEAR!
Oh, wait. Now we’re stamping our feet a little, too, because we’re just a tiny bit mad that we don’t have enough room to fit ALL our favorite books on this list — I mean, we love SO MANY BOOKS! (Stamp, stamp, stamp!)
But just look at these books… Now we’re excited again. Now we’re jumping again! Check out these books we LOVE LOVE LOVE! (Jump, jump, jump!)
(Pant, pant, pant.) Okay, we’re tired now. We have to go sit down...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, December 2, 2019 9:26 AM
In a country that feels more like a dystopian novel by the day (take your pick: The History of Bees, Oryx and Crake, American War, Red Clocks — all seem to apply) it's sometimes a relief to step inside a world whose madness, however relevant, is trapped within the covers of a book. From Harry Potter for adults to space thrillers, here are the science fiction, fantasy, horror, and graphic novels that provided us with sweet escape in 2019.
Bloom
by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
All Ari wants to do is escape the family bakery and move to the city, where he can finally focus on his music — but will a cute new baker with a new perspective change his mind? This book has some of my favorite things: queerness, blushing, and bread. An absolute ray of sunshine...
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Lists
by Powell's Staff, November 29, 2019 8:25 AM
The only thing better than getting books for ourselves is helping other people find the perfect picks for their friends and families. Ask any bookseller: There's almost limitless satisfaction to be found in picking out the right book for someone's science-obsessed niece, tetchy great aunt, or father (who's adamantly refusing another random military history). To help you get in touch with your inner bookseller, we've put together a list of 30 eclectic books and the recipients we can imagine opening them with a squeal of delight and a loving gaze for their clever gift-giver.
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