Grass Roots Books and Music — 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668
January 31, 2013
Contents
Newest Books
New in Paperback
Featured Books for Young Readers
Music
Events
News
This Week's Puzzle
Reading Group Selection
On Our Nightstands
Grass Roots Online — Contact Us
 
Newest Books

Speaking from Among the Bones: A Flavia de Luce Novel

Alan Bradley

“Memorable, often funny prose complements the crafty plot of Bradley's fifth Flavia de Luce novel. The year 1951 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of St. Tancred, who gave his name to 11-year-old Flavia's local church in the village of Bishop's Lacey. That the occasion will include the opening of the saint's tomb excites Flavia, whose curiosity about the excavation leads her to find the body of a murder victim. The precocious and irrepressible Flavia (who was booted from the Girl Guides for 'an excess of high spirits') continues to delight.” —Publishers Weekly Starred Review

Hardcover, $24.00

Publisher: Delacorte Press; ISBN: 9780385344036

Insane City

Dave Barry

Seth Weinstein is a slacker, amazed to find that Tina—rich, beautiful, and driven—has agreed to marry him. On his way to the wedding in Florida being paid for by Tina’s disapproving parents, everything goes wrong, beginning with a prank by his Groom Posse at the airport. In the next several hours, he and his friends will become embroiled with rioters, Russian gangsters, angry strippers, a pimp as big as the Death Star, a very desperate Haitian refugee on the run with her two children from some very bad men, and an eleven-foot albino Burmese python named Blossom. And there're still two days to go before the wedding.

Hardcover, $26.95

Publisher: Putnam Adult; ISBN: 9780399158681

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New in Paperback

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Susan Cain

Often labeled quiet and nerdy, introverts have actually made great contributions to society. Cain explores the myth of introverts and how dramatically society undervalues them through thorough research, sharing the stories of real people and exploring the place of introverts in business, society, and the education system. Through her examination of what makes introverts special, Cain is able to offer invaluable advice to introverts on how to be successful and navigate relationships.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Broadway Books; ISBN: 9780307352156

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The Beginner's Goodbye

Anne Tyler

Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron has spent his childhood fending off a sister who wants to manage him; when he meets Dorothy —a plain, outspoken, independent young woman —she is like a breath of fresh air. Unhesitatingly, he marries her, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable marriage, unexpectedly shortened when Dorothy is killed in an accident that almost destroys their home as well. Dorothy's sudden appearances from the dead begin to help him to live in the moment and to find some peace, gradually discovering that maybe for this beginner there is a way of saying goodbye.

Paperback, $15.00

Publisher: Ballantine Books; ISBN: 9780345533357

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Thinking the Twentieth Century

Tony Judtd

“In September 2008, historian Tony Judt was stricken with ALS, a disease that would take his life within two years. Four months after that terrible diagnosis, though, he began Thinking the Twentieth Century, an unusual collaboration with Timothy Snyder, a Yale professor specializing in Eastern European history —an expansive, challenging series of dialogues in which the two trace the major currents in the intellectual history of 20th-century Europe. Judt and Snyder draw on rich stores of reading and reflection to explore the ideological clashes that marked the last century.” —Shelf Awareness

Paperback, $18.00

Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143123040

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Power Systems: Conversations on Global Democratic Uprisings and the New Challenges to U.S. Empire

Noam Chomsky, interviewed by David Barsamian

In this new collection of conversations, conducted from 2010 to 2012 by David Barsamian, Noam Chomsky explores the most immediate and urgent concerns: the future of democracy in the Arab world, the implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the European financial crisis, the breakdown of American mainstream political institutions, and the rise of the Occupy movement. As always, Chomsky presents his ideas vividly and accessibly, with uncompromising principle and clarifying insight.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Metropolitan Books; ISBN: 9780805096156

Spontaneous Happiness: A New Path to Emotional Well-Being

Andrew Weil

Dr. Andrew Weil explores the meaning of true happiness, and how it can be attained with a combination of conventional and alternative medicine. He suggests a reinterpretation of the notion of happiness, discusses the limitations of the biomedical model in treating depression, and elaborates on the inseparability of body and mind. A customizable eight-week program is offered, with advice on nutrition, exercise, supplements, environment, lifestyle, and much more.

“This is more than a New Age prescription for contentment. Weil's revelations and insights from his own lifelong battle with depression lift this guide from a hip and clinical 'how to' to a generous and heartfelt 'here's how.'" —Publisher's Weekly

Paperback, $15.99

Publisher: Little Brown and Company; ISBN: 9780316129428

 
Featured Books for Young Readers

The Very Fairy Princess Follows Her Heart

Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

Ages 3 to 8

It's Valentine's Day, one of Geraldine's favorite times of year! She gets out her very best glitter to make cards for her family and friends at school, trying extra hard to think of ways to showcase all of their special qualities. But when Gerry gets to school and realizes she accidentally took a folder of Daddy's work papers instead of the cards she worked so hard on - oh no! - she can't help but be disappointed. Thankfully, her teacher helps her find an extra special way to celebrate the inner sparkle of each of her friends.

Hardcover, $16.99

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780316185592

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

Jennifer Smith

Young Adult

It’s love at first missed flight for Hadley when she meets Oliver at the gate for her rescheduled flight to London. The 17-year-old Hadley is on her way to her father’s wedding to the woman he left their family for, and the 10 hour trip across the Atlantic gives her an opportunity to develop a strong bond with Oliver, capped off by a cinematic kiss in the customs line on their arrival before losing each other in the crowd. Family connections, true love, and missed connections are all explored in one tantalizing 24 hour period in young Hadley’s life.

Hardcover, $8.99

Publisher: Poppy Book; ISBN: 9780316122399

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Music

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Andrea Bocelli

Passione

Genre: Classical

Is it a coincidence that the popular Italian tenor tends to release his albums of romantic arias just in time for Valentine's Day? Passione returns the singer to his early days as a popular bar performer, offering a repertoire ranging from "Love Me Tender" to "La Vie En Rose", joined here by guests including Jennifer Lopez, Nelly Furtado, and more. ($13.95)

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Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite

Get Up!

Genre: Jazz/Blues

Blues-rock guitarist Harper met legendary blues harpist Musselwhite a couple years ago at a tribute for John Lee Hooker, where they promised to collaborate at a later date. The resulting album pairs their respective approaches on a series of originals and classic covers, with Harper's vocals and guitar and Musselwhite's trademark harmonica flourishes. ($15.95)

Eric Burdon

‘Til Your River Runs Dry

Genre: Pop/Folk

Best known for his days with The Animals and War, this is Burdon's first solo effort in almost five years. At 70, many artists are content to take a greatest hits victory lap. Burdon's new album features primarily originals, ranging from deep blues to New Orleans-infused gospel. ($12.95)

Brett Dennen

Definitive Collection

Genre: Pop/Folk

After four albums of contemporary folk, Dennen pulls together a retrospective of his best tracks (so far). In addition to rhythmic, upbeat favorites, this collection features unreleased recordings with Brazilian group Forro In the Dark as well as a couple re-workings of classic tracks. ($13.95)

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Erin McKeown

Manifestra

Genre: Pop/Folk

From Virginia, singer-songwriter McKeown began her career in 1999 writing folk pop songs just this side of quirky. Over the space of several albums, McKeown's music has evolved to include more of a full band sound, as well as a good deal of "personal is political" messaging. ($13.95)

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Fiction Family

Fiction Family Reunion

Genre: Pop/Folk

Fiction Family was formed in part by former Nickel Creek guitarist Sean Watkins. With his two fellow Family members, Watkins pairs his earlier group's innovative roots sound with a sharp, new indie strain. ($11.95)

 
Events

Saturday, Feb. 2 at 2 p.m.

Grass Roots Books & Music

227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis

Tom Titus

Blackberries in July: A Forager’s Field Guide to Inner Peace

Biologist Tom Titus returns to his native Oregon in search of old orchards, bay clams, wild mushrooms, spawning salmon, and home. This poetic year-long hunting and gathering of his spirit reunites him with the land and traditions of four generations and leads to a profound reordering of values and priorities. Humor and compelling personal insight illuminate the emotional pitfalls and spiritual payoffs of the conscious pursuit of place.

“Whether stalking an abandoned orchard or wrestling salmon in well-known waters, Tom Titus gives witness to the joys, trials, and mysteries of tramping in the wild. Writing from within his community of many species, he becomes interfused with the weather and the woods. These fine essays delve deep into the meaning of our relation to place.” —Charles Goodrich, author of Going to Seed: Dispatches From the Garden

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Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m.

Grass Roots Books & Music

227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis

Poetry Reading
What the River Brings: Oregon River Poems
Edited by Kathryn Ridall

What the River Brings is a collection of poems celebrating rivers by 56 Oregon poets. This afternoon we will be joined by Charles Goodrich, Donna Henderson, Claudia Lapp, Kathryn Ridall, and Tim Whitsel.

What the River Brings is a great gift to all of us who love rivers. Carry this gift in your canoe or daypack or the pocket of your raincoat; its sentences will shimmer with reflected sky and dive to depths you had not imagined. There is no greater pleasure than sitting by the water when the cottonwoods are sweet and coming to know the river anew through the minds and hearts of Oregon’s most wonderful poets.” —Kathleen Dean Moore, author of Riverwalking and Wild Comfort

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Saturday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.

Grass Roots Books & Music

227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis

Poetry Reading: Constance Eggers
Reliquary

Celebrate the release of local poet Constance Eggers' first chapbook, Reliquary, with an afternoon poetry reading at Grass Roots.

“Pilgrim, saint, a sweltering teenage mother, a stubborn teenage daughter, the Blessed Virgin, a fable’s scrub-maid, a fairy tale’s queen: all quicken within these vibrant lyrics. On page after page of Reliquary, Constance Eggers offers us arresting, archetypal females. Her poems are resonant songs for the kind of ‘spiky, sharp women’ she claims as her kin.” —Paulann Petersen, Oregon Poet Laureate

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Thursday, Feb. 21, 2 to 4 p.m.

Main Meeting Room,
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library

645 NW Monroe Avenue, Corvallis

Kim Stafford
Lecture & Writing Workshop:
100 Tricks: Writing Big Stores in Little Chapter

Co-Sponsored by Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Library and Grass Roots Books & Music.

In this workshop we will explore the opportunity to write a work of any length, give creative solitudes of any brevity, by designing a cell-like structure of short chapters for a big story. We will discuss this approach as exemplified in the book 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do, and by writing exploratory drafts for work in progress by participants. Who knows? Maybe you will begin your story this day.

Preregistration is required. Call library Adult Reference at 541-766-6793 to sign up. Books will be available to purchase from Grass Roots Books & Music.

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Thursday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.

Main Meeting Room,
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library

645 NW Monroe Avenue, Corvallis

Kim Stafford

Reading, conversation, and book signing

100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do: A Memoir

Co-Sponsored by Grass Roots Books & Music, Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, and The Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and the Written Word.

Kim Stafford joins us to read from and discuss his memoir 100 Tricks Every Boy Can Do.

Bret and Kim Stafford, the oldest children of the poet and pacifist William Stafford, were pals. Bret was the good son, the obedient public servant, Kim the itinerant wanderer. Growing up, there was a code of silence in the family, not to talk about the hard things. Against a backdrop of the 1960s—puritan in the summer of love, pacifist in the Vietnam era—Bret became a casualty of his interior war and took his life in 1988. In this book, through a brother's devotions, the lost saint teaches us about depression, the tender ancestry of violence, the quest for harmonious relations, and finally the trick of joy.

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Upcoming Events

We have many more events coming up in the next few months! For a complete list of all of our upcoming events, please visit our website.

 
Community Events

Community Events

Darkside Cinema: Movies showing Feb. 1 to 7, showtimes daily, Darkside Cinema, Corvallis. Visit their website for showtimes.

  • Promised Land –R: Matt Damon and Frances McDormand are terrific as co-workers seeking the same goal, to bring fracking to a small town, though they see their work from different points of view. Directed by Gus Van Sant.
  • Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts! –NR: Fresh Guacamole, Adam and Dog, Head Over Heels, Maggie Simpson in The Longest Daycare, Paperman.
  • Anna Karenina –R: Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky. With Keira Knightley, Jude Law.
  • Chasing Ice –PG-13: Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers.

Literary Events: Visit our Community Calendar for details on these events and others in the area.

Opportunities:

  • Oregon Poetry Association Adult Contest: The deadline for submissions for the Spring 2013 OPA Adult Contest is Mar. 1. Categories for this contest are: 1) Poet’s Choice. Limit 80 lines, any subject, any form. M.E. Hope, Judge; 2) Free Verse. Limit 40 lines, any subject, any free form. Nancy Carol Moody, Judge; 3) Traditional Verse—Sestina. 39 lines, any subject, sestina form. David Alpaugh, Judge; 4) Theme. In memory of former OPA member Virginia Corrie-Cozart, limit 40 lines, subject—art and/or music, any form. Carol Frith, Judge; 5) Members Only. 6–12 lines, any subject, any form. Entrant must be a current OPA member. Chris Anderson, Judge; 6) New Poets. Limit 30 lines, any subject, any form. Patty Wixon, Judge. Details and a complete set of rules can be found on the OPA website.
  • Nature of Words Rising Star Writing Competition: The Rising Star Creative Writing Competition, sponsored by the University of Oregon, is open to emerging writers age 15 and above living in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The deadline for writing entries is Mar. 10, 2013. All entries must be submitted through The Nature of Words online submission site . NOW honors Rising Star winners in an awards ceremony at The Nature of Words annual literary festival, scheduled for Nov. 6-10, 2013. Winners receive a trophy, inclusion of their winning entry in The Nature of Words’ annual anthology of student writing, and a scholarship to a workshop in their winning genre during The Nature of Words festival, and other prizes.
  • Poetry Marquee Submissions: The next time you are strolling along the Corvallis downtown waterfront, be sure to take a peek at the Madison Street side of the Great Harvest Bread building – you’ll be treated to periodically-rotating examples of local poetry.Submissions are being considered by The Arts Center of Corvallis for brief poems (a maximum of six lines) to appear on the Midway Theater marquee at the corner of Southwest First Street and Madison Avenue. Visit The Arts Center website for more information.
  • Inklings, an open critique group, is seeking new members. The group meets on 1st & 3rd Sundays from 11 am to 1 pm in the upstairs meeting room at Market of Choice on 9th Street and Circle Boulevard in Corvallis. Please contact Dinaz Rogers at [email protected] or 541-967-1911 if you have any questions.

Ticket Sales: Grass Roots sells tickets for local music events. Check our Community Calendar for upcoming events that we have available.

 

Saturday, Feb. 9,
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

LaSells Stewart Center, OSU

875 SW 26th Street, Corvallis

Insights into Gardening

Insights into Gardening is a day-long seminar offering practical, hands-on learning for home gardeners and gardeners-to-be. Whether you are an experienced or novice gardener, new to the area or an Oregon native, you will find plenty of ideas to make your gardening easier, more enjoyable, and more successful. Raffles, exhibits, and a catered lunch will also be available at the event. Grass Roots Books & Music will have books available to purchase at the event. For more information online, visit the Extension Office website or call Pami Opfer at the Benton County OSU Extension Office at 541-766-6750.

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News

Book Awards

ALAs: The most prestigious children’s book awards were announced on Monday at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The list of winners is long; visit the ALA website for the complete list. Here are the highlights:

  • John Newbery Medal, for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
  • Randolph Caldecott Medal, for the most distinguished American picture book for children: This is Not My Hat, illustrated and written by Jon Klassen. Klassen also illustrated the Caldecott Honor Book Extra Yarn. The last time an illustrator was both a Caldecott Medal winner and received a Caldecott Honor citation in the same year was 1947.
  • Michael L. Printz Award, for excellence in literature written for young adults: In Darkness by Nick Lake.

 

Featured in the Store

Valentine’s Day: Put a little love in your heart, and share it this Valentine’s Day. The best selection for Valentine’s Day Cards is right now, so come in and pick out the perfect sentiment for your friends and loved ones. If you are an old-fashioned romantic, the popular Vintage Valentines are here again, featuring a collection of vintage-styled valentines you can punch out and share. Unravel the mysteries of love in French literature and life by curling up with How the French Invented Love: Nine Hundred Years of Passion and Romance by Marilyn Yalom. Discover true love on the pages of All There Is: Love Stories from StoryCorps. If it is witty wordplay celebrating the love of friendship that you seek, look no further than We Go Together!: A Curious Selection of Affectionate Verse by Calef Brown. There is something for everybody, and a store full of books and CDs that will make great gifts for the object of your affections!

Kobo News

Do you know someone who’s struggling to make room for all of their books? Perhaps it’s time to plan ahead for your spring break reading list, and avoid lugging War and Peace in your carry-on luggage. The Kobo Mini is a great idea: it’s small and lightweight, easy-to-read, and is capable of storing up to 1,000 books. To sweeten the deal, Kobo Minis are on sale for only $59.99 through Feb. 14, and this special pricing includes a free Snapback Cover. Is your interest sparked? Find out more about the Kobo Mini here.

If you use a different eReader, you can still support your local bookstore by purchasing Kobo eBooks. Simply create a new account through the link on our website, and a portion of your eBook purchases will be credited to Grass Roots. We want to encourage your love of reading, regardless of the platform you use! Kobo eBooks also now give you the option to preorder titles you’re waiting for. On the eBook product page on the Kobo website, simply click the pre-order button, and Kobo will send you a confirmation email (and charge the credit card) on the release date.

2013 I-Card

Of course we know Grass Roots is your favorite place to shop for books, and we think you should be rewarded for you loyalty. If you're a frequent book buyer, the Independence Card will benefit you! Visit our website for details about the 2013 Independence Card, and sign up in the store you next time you stop in. See you soon!

 
This Week's Puzzle



Solve this week's jigsaw.
 
Reading Group Selection

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Glaciers

Alexis Smith

Charne� leads this month’s Reading Group discussion of Glaciers by Portland author (and former Powell’s bookseller) Alexis Smith.

Isabel is a single, twentysomething thrift-store shopper and collector of remnants, things cast off or left behind by others. Glaciers follows Isabel through a day in her life in which work with damaged books in the basement of a library, unrequited love for the former soldier who fixes her computer, and dreams of the perfect vintage dress move over a backdrop of deteriorating urban architecture and the imminent loss of the glaciers she knew as a young girl in Alaska.

Publisher: Tin House Books

ISBN: 9781935639206

Paperback

Regular price: $10.95

On sale for $9.31 until 2/5/13.

 

 

On Our Nightstands

Linda

Far from the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity

Andrew Solomon

This is a wonderfully large volume of work, documenting and observing the many different lives of parents who bring up exceptional children. With intensive research and many years of compilation, Solomon gives forth detailed and thought-provoking histories and ideas of how these parents cope, help, support, and give to their struggling children. The love, compassion, and strength that shines through these parents defies the negative backlash of ignorance and bias of society. This is not a book to read quickly, as I soon learned, but carefully, with time, concentrating on each different chapter as a book in itself. The message of hope and love in the face of confusion and despair is strong.

Hardcover, $37.50

Publisher: Scribner Book Company; ISBN: 9780743236713

10 Marissa

Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

Maria Konnikova

I have always had a fondness for Sherlock Holmes. His prowess in deductive reasoning has captured the imaginations of generations over, but can it possibly be emulated and implemented in daily life? Konnikova certainly thinks so. Her metaphor of thought process as a “brain attic,” in which we unpack and store information, is brilliant and well-organized (albeit not as much as Sherlock’s own "mind palace"). Using Sherlock’s methods, we can train ourselves to observe and memorize with clarity and depth. It’s a workout for the mental muscles, but it all begins with psychological concepts that are, indeed, elementary!

Hardcover, $26.95

Publisher: Viking Books; ISBN: 9780670026579

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Pamela

The Lost Art of Mixing

Erica Bauermeister

This delicious sequel to The School of Essential Ingredients further illuminates the lives orbiting Lillian’s restaurant, with a cast of characters who—for the most part—I would like to sit down to a glass of wine or cup of tea with. Seemingly unconnected lives come together and spin away again, each with a secret story of its own. Wonderful descriptions of food naturally spill onto the pages, making me want to get off the couch and get into the kitchen to make something wonderful to nibble on while I read. All together it’s a delightful read perfect for the chilly winter evenings!

Hardcover, $25.95

Publisher: Putnam Adult; ISBN: 9780399162114

 
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