October 2017 Staff Reviews, Halloween Books, Readings, Poetry, and More! |
We hope you enjoy these new additions to our Staff Favorites table. Browse our selection of Halloween books, check out the great author readings coming up, and discover some of the latest titles from our Poetry section.
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New Staff Reviews
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Here are three new Staff Favorites:
Provenance
by Ann Leckie
review by Nick
The follow up to her Ancillary trilogy, Provenance is a stand-alone story set in the same universe that will provide a great read as your first (or fourth) Ann Leckie novel. It tells the story of Ingray Aughskold, adopted into a powerful family and locked in hypercompetitive struggle with her brother Danach to be chosen as their mother's successor. Ingray concocts a desperate ploy to win her mother's favor, which of course spirals quickly and wildly out of control. Provenance weaves an intricate narrative around deeply human characters and presents a fun and lighthearted read.
The Heart's Invisible Furies
by John Boyne
reviewed by Sharon
Cyril Avery doesn't know it, but bigotry and intolerance have shaped his life since before he was born. He was adopted and raised by a well-meaning (but decidedly eccentric) couple--they provided a comfortable and somewhat privileged upbringing, but love and affection was lacking. As a result, Cyril struggles to find love and belonging, but the world does not always accept him. From his childhood in Ireland in the '40s to the emergence of AIDS in New York City in the '70s, his story is heartwarming and heart-wrenching. In The Heart's Invisible Furies, Boyne has fleshed out the consequences of intolerance in a way that resonates even today, and opens your heart to the importance of love and acceptance.
Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory: The Theoretical Minimum
by Leonard Susskind & Art Friedman
reviewed by Andy
It is fascinating how the incremental addition of simple elements with some seemingly simple assumptions leads to incredible results; e.g., E=mc2, rest mass, time dilation, length contraction, the inseparability of space and time. It involves the child's play of imagining experimental situations, building possible worlds--just trying things out to see what happens. Of course, it's all easy when someone has the answers and leads you very slowly through them, patiently repeating the difficult points and reminding you to keep reviewing things that look complicated. This is naturally what Susskind does in this, his third volume of The Theoretical Minimum series (and yes, the jokes are still so bad they'd make Groucho, et al. groan).
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Readings
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Upcoming Author Readings:
Trusting Distance
Tuesday, October 17, 7pm
Annie Bloom's welcomes back Portland poet Noël Hanlon, to read from her new collection, about which Molly Gloss writes: "Like letters from a cherished friend, Noël Hanlon's poems are intimate and generous, unconcealing, deeply observant of loss, of family, of love. Her connection to the natural world runs deep, and when she reflects on the mysteries of the earth and the heart--the solace of the night sky, the death of pigs, the weeding of a garden, "these little questions of life like love/I cannot answer but intuit"-we begin to see, word by word, how everything holds together, and we are brought closer to an understanding of the inexplicable."
Build Stuff with Wood
Wednesday, October 18, 7pm
The Portland's author's book is a true beginner's guide to woodworking, aimed at anyone who is interested in the craft but has little to no tools and no real idea where to start. The idea behind the book is to begin with a few portable power tools (cordless drill, jigsaw, etc.), build a bunch of cool projects with that basic kit, and then add skills and tools as you go. For example, adding a small router to your arsenal allows you to gracefully round edges on tables and shelves; buying a simple doweling jig opens up the world of joinery. In all, 14 fun projects will be presented, all built with just a few woodworking tools and off-the-shelf lumber.
Alex Behr and Jenny Forrester
Monday, October 23, 7pm
Alex Behr will read from her debut story collection, Planet Grim, a vivid, unsettling portrait of the gritty fringes of San Francisco and Portland, where complicated characters long for connection just out of reach. Behr is an idiosyncratic, unpredictable prose stylist with an edge and willingness to cut to the bone that makes her writing truly original. Jenny Forrester will read from her memoir, Narrow River, Wide Sky, about growing up in a community situated on the Colorado Plateau between slot canyons and rattlesnakes, where she lived with her mother and brother in a single-wide trailer proudly displaying an American flag. Forrester's powerfully eloquent story is a breathtaking, determinedly truthful story about one woman's search for identity within the mythology of family and America itself.
The Hunt for Winter
Tuesday, October 24, 7pm
This sequel to the Portland authors' Journey to Wizards' Keep features a stolen child, a wizard thought long-dead, and a plot to resurrect an evil menace. Queen Irene's son, Winter, is missing. His wizard teacher, Seever, has tried to find the boy using his "far-away vision," but it is blocked when he looks to the north. Since only a powerful enchantment can block his sight, Seever concludes an unknown wizard must have taken the young prince. But aside from Winter, Seever and Kaza, there are no other wizards left alive. Or are there?
Crazy Horse: The Lakota Warrior's Life & Legacy
Thursday, November 2, 7pm
The Edward Clown family, nearest living relatives to the Lakota war leader, presents the family tales and memories told to them about their famous grandfather. In many ways the oral history differs from what has become the standard and widely accepted biography of Crazy Horse. The family clarifies the inaccuracies and shares their story about the past, including what it means to them to be Lakota, the family genealogy, the life of Crazy Horse and his motivations, his death, and why they chose to keep quiet with their knowledge for so long before finally deciding to tell the truth as they know it.
Upstream
Thursday, November 9, 7pm
From the author of The Mushroom Hunters comes the story of an iconic fish, perhaps the last great wild food: salmon. This firsthand account--reminiscent of the work of John McPhee and Mark Kurlansky--is filled with the keen insights and observations of the best narrative writing. Cook offers an absorbing portrait of a remarkable fish and the many obstacles it faces, while taking readers on a fast-paced fishing trip through salmon country. Upstream is an essential look at the intersection of man, food, and nature.
Skavenger's Hunt
Thursday, November 16, 7pm
The Portland author and screenwriter of Cars 3, The Rookie, and Finding Forrester will read from his novel, Skavenger's Hunt. After young Henry Babbitt tragically loses his father, he can't help but remember the promises of the great adventures they would now never take. Then, on a snowy Christmas Eve, his grandfather reveals that he's tracked down a series of mysterious century-old clues left by Hunter S. Skavenger, the eccentric magnate who launched the first and greatest scavenger hunt.
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New in Poetry
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Here are some of the latest releases from the world of Poetry:
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
by Mary Oliver
Carefully curated, these 200 plus poems feature Oliver's work from her very first book of poetry, No Voyage and Other Poems, published in 1963 at the age of 28, through her most recent collection, Felicity, published in 2015. This timeless volume, arranged by Oliver herself, showcases the beloved poet at her edifying best. Within these pages, she provides us with an extraordinary and invaluable collection of her passionate, perceptive, and much-treasured observations of the natural world.
Book of Twilight
by Pablo Neruda
When Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda was a teenager, he pawned a family heirloom to fund the publication of his first book, Book of Twilight, which--until now--has never been published in its entirety in the United States. Presenting the highly romantic style refined and empowered in his later books, Neruda's debut introduces a bold poet unafraid to take risks, push boundaries, and write towards an unapologetic romanticism. Everything we know about Neruda--all his gestures, hyperbole, and effusiveness--appears vividly and for the first time in these poems. William O'Daly's superb English translations are presented with the original Spanish en face.
The Sun and Her Flowers
by Rupi Kaur
From the author of milk and honey comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. A vibrant and transcendent journey about growth and healing. Ancestry and honoring one's roots. Expatriation and rising up to find a home within yourself. Divided into five chapters and illustrated by Kaur, the sun and her flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. A celebration of love in all its forms.
Love Found: 50 Classic Poems of Desire, Longing, and Devotion
edited by Jessica Strand and Leslie Jonath
The classic love poems gathered in this elegant volume capture the full spectrum of romance--desire, longing, passion, and partnership. From Emily Dickinson's steamy declaration that "were I with thee / wild nights should be / our luxury " to Langston Hughes's gorgeous image of love as "a ripe plum / growing on a purple tree," this is an exquisite collection of swoon-worthy love poems for the ages. Curated by authors Jessica Strand and Leslie Jonath, with illustrations by Jennifer Orkin Lewis, Love Found is perfect for Valentine's Day, weddings, anniversaries, or spur-of-the-moment romantic gestures.
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