((No poetry, middle grade books, or graphic novels were displaced to make room for this display))
Uprooted by Naomi Novik "familiar as a Grimm fairy tale yet fresh, original, and totally irresistible"
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall "Witches and gods, scandals and curses all combine in this spellbinding historical Sapphic romance"
Maddelena and the Dark by Julia Fine "This book absolutely shines with the beauty of venice, the terror of first loves, and the singular intense passion of musicians and artists. Se deeply romantic! So alluring!" O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker "One of those rare writers whose charisma can be felt through the page"
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson "A pioneer for women in horror literature, Shirley Jackson remains as relevant as ever." Vampire Hunter D by Hideyuki Kikuchi Try it if you like Castlevania, Hellsing, Western Gothics, and the art of Yoshitaka Amano
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz "A YA Debut that truly has everything, and yes, even some casual grave digging." Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier "A beautiful gothic mystery dripping with atmosphere and teeming with dread"
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James "Is our narrator actually being haunted, or is she slowly losing her mind?" The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter "A collection of the best adaptations of classic fairy tales, with a feminist flare, modern twists, and carnal delights....If you like Neil Gaiman, you will like Angela Carter"
Bookseller Picks for Best Books of 2023: Science Fiction & Fantasy! Absolutely an excuse to run up to booksellers — street-interview style — and demand to know their favorite world-building, magic systems, and political messes (in SPACE!). On this year's list, look out for dragons and more dragons, love letters to books in cozy fantasy settings, unionized dolphins, cyberpunk thrillers about orbital elevators, series conclusions that stick the landing, pirates, supervillains, not-quite-robots, fairytales, and more. Read our list at the link in bio.
"I was late to the party with Leichter’s debut, Temporary, but now I’m devastatingly early to the party with Terrace Story, a book I am obsessed with and want to discuss with everyone, ASAP. It’s the story of a couple living in a small apartment with their baby and their sort-of friend who somehow opens a portal to a terrace outside their apartment whenever she visits — and only when she visits. The magic in this story is incidental to the heartache and the ways that the small choices people make glance off of each other in devastating, unexpected ways. I had no idea where this book was taking me, and I am so glad for that. Consistently surprising, filled with wonderful and aching emotional depth, and with an ending that is truly an all-timer: I know this book is going to be one of my favorites from 2023." — Bookseller, Kelsey F.
For our final Book Preview of 2024, we thought we’d look at our list by the numbers (since math is such a bookseller forte). On this list, you’ll find 53 books, including 3 memoirs, 4 debut novels, 2 anthologies, 7 follow-ups to debuts that we’ve been rabidly anticipating, 5 new entries into beloved series, and 4 cookbooks. In their blurbs, Powell’s booksellers use words like love (22), funny (6), can’t wait (8), feral (2), spellbinding (1), legendary (2), change (4), hope (3), joy (3), horror/horrifying (7)... to just name a few.
We're positively BUZZING! 📚🐝 (Because it's time for our Spring Sale.)
Putting your ✨excellent taste✨ on display.
We've got "customer," "teen," and "kid" pick shelftalkers free for the taking at all three of our stores. Fill them out right there or bring home a couple to decorate and drop off on your next visit. 🎨📚
It's a cozy, re-reading kind of day. What's your favorite book to revisit?
Monday: Thomas Dolby (The Speed of Sound)
John R. Bruning (Indestructible)
Kathleen Dean Moore (Piano Tide)
Wednesday: Whitney Gardner (You're Welcome, Universe)
Thursday: Christina Baker Kline (A Piece of the World)
Deadly Diversions Book Club discussing the Cormoran Strike crime fiction novels by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling)
James D. Thayer (Hiking From Portland to the Coast)
Daniel Pinchbeck (How Soon Is Now?)
Friday: Young Adult Book Club discussing Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon
Morgan Parker (There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyonce)
Saturday: Kids’ Storytime
The League of Exceptional Writers
Sunday: Spanish-Language Kids’ Storytime
Brian Catling (The Erstwhile)
More information here.
“ What I'm really looking for, though, is something that grabs me emotionally — it just so happens that words themselves tend to do a better job of that than plots do.” — Kirk
Get to know him here.
We’ve been talking a lot at Powell’s about the election, our country’s deepening divide, and the challenges ahead of us. One thing we can all agree on is that there’s nowhere we’d rather be working right now than at a bookstore. Our faith in books and their ability to inform, to inspire, to entertain, to comfort, and to effect change remains unshaken. Here you’ll find a sampling of books we’re reading now to guide us through this tumultuous time.
What are you reading now?
"I'm old-fashioned and think that reading books is the most glorious pastime that humankind has yet discovered." - Wislawa Szymborska
