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Grass Roots Books and Music
— 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668 |
| March 7, 2013 |
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Hello, friends:
Let today's burst of sunshine remind you: Move your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, Mar. 10!
See you in the bookstore!
Pamela. |
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| Newest Books |
Walking Home: A Poet's Journey
Simon Armitage
Simon Armitage is an award-winning poet, and in 2010 he decided to play the part of “wandering troubadour” and walked the Pennine Way, a 256-mile path that is sometimes referred to as the backbone of England. Along the way he exchanged poetry readings for room and board.
“It is an ingenious idea for a journey and a brilliant idea for a book, which includes some of his poems. In this entertaining jaunt through rural Britain and unpredictable weather, part travel guide and part memoir, Armitage describes his adventures, from collie dogs growling at his heels and mean-looking cows to the unbridled generosity of strangers.” –Booklist Starred Review
Hardcover, $24.95
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation; ISBN: 9780871404169 |
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Ghana Must Go
Taiye Selasi
“Selasi's gorgeous debut is a thoughtful look at how the sacrifices we make for our family can be its very undoing. After arriving in America from Ghana, a promising but penniless young man, Kweku Sai, becomes a famed surgeon living in Boston with his wife, Fola, and children, proof of the American dream. Years later, now 57 and married to another woman, Kweku, back in Ghana, is dying in the garden of his home in Accra. After his death, Fola and their four grown children gather in Ghana for the funeral of the man who abandoned them 16 years ago. This emotional reunion reveals to what extent Kweku fractured his beloved family by leaving them.” –Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Hardcover, $25.95
Publisher: Penguin Press; ISBN: 9781594204494 |
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The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One $25 Kiva Loan at a Time
Bob Harris
While on a writing assignment to review some of the world’s most luxurious hotels, Bob Harris became inspired by the stories of the impoverished workers whose labor created such opulence to turn his own good fortune into an effort to make lives like theirs better. Through the organization Kiva.org, he made over 5,000 microloans to individuals all over the world to finance their businesses. After making hundreds of microloans online, Bob wanted to see the results first-hand, so he travelled to parts of the world that most Americans never see, to difficult locations and war-torn countries to tell the stories of the loan recipients.
Hardcover, $26.00
Publisher: Walker & Company; ISBN: 9780802777515 |
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| New in Paperback |
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Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power
Rachel Maddow
“The U.S. has drifted into a state of military hypervigilance that is wasting enormous sums of money and threatening our economic stability, argues Maddow, host of the MSNBC program that bears her name. She traces the historical roots of concerns about maintaining a standing army and the reliance on citizen-soldiers when needed, creating a reluctance to go to war and an eagerness to end conflicts and send soldiers home. . . Maddow concludes with suggestions on how to turn the trend around, including paying with specific taxes, reversing the privatization of war, and constraining the power of the president to go to war.” —Booklist
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Broadway Books; ISBN: 9780307460998 |
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Let's Pretend This Never Happened
Jenny Lawson
Fans of David Sedaris and Laurie Notaro will find much to love in Jenny Lawson’s memoir, featuring family dysfunctionality, inappropriateness, and great humor. From her rural Texas upbringing with a taxidermist father, through devastatingly awkward high school years, to how she met her long-suffering husband Victor, The Bloggess takes readers on a highlighted tour of self-deprecation and discovery.
"There's something wrong with Jenny Lawson—magnificently wrong. I defy you to read her work and not hurt yourself laughing.” —Jen Lancaster
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780425261019 |
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Butterfly Winter
W. P. Kinsella
Julio and Esteban Pimental are twins whose divine destiny for baseball begins with games of catch in the womb. The brothers, born in the fictional Caribbean country of Courteguay, are destined to play ball in America, and mature and leave for the Major Leagues at a very young age. Julio is a winning pitcher who, much to the chagrin of any team that signs him, will only throw to his catcher brother, who is a very weak hitter. As they pursue their baseball dreams, events in their homeland, including political brutalities and the outlawing of baseball, continue to shape their lives.
Paperback, $15.99
Publisher: Steerforth Press; ISBN: 9781586422059 |
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Driving Mr. Yogi: Yogi Berra, Ron Guidry, and Baseball's Greatest Gift
Harvey Araton
“Ron Guidry got to know Yogi Berra, the beloved baseball legend and notable quotable, in 1977, when he was a curious young ace pitcher for the New York Yankees and Berra was a venerable coach with answers. When Berra joined the Yankees as a spring training instructor in 2000, Guidry volunteered to pick up Berra, eventually becoming his valet and companion during their monthlong stay in Florida. That annual arrangement has bloomed into a deep friendship. . . More than a portrait of two unlikely pals, Araton has fashioned a tribute to the days when teams could be considered families, rather than a collection of constantly changing faces.” —Publishers Weekly
Paperback, $13.95
Publisher: Mariner Books; ISBN: 9780544002272 |
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House of Stone: A Memoir of Home, Family, and a Lost Middle East
Anthony Shadid
Anthony Shadid was an Arab-American covering Israel’s attack on Lebanon when he heard that an Israeli rocket had crashed into the house his great-grandfather built, his family's ancestral home. After covering three wars in the Middle East this event brought home to him that he had seen too much violence and death, and he set out to rebuild the house that held his family's past. During a house construction that is complicated by colorful craftsmen, squabbling relatives, and Lebanon’s continuing political strife, Shadid learns to understand the emotions that propel the turbulence in the Middle East. House of Stone is an unforgettable meditation on war, exile, rebirth, and the universal yearning for home.
Paperback, $15.95
Publisher: Mariner Books; ISBN: 9780544002197 |
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| Featured Books for Young Readers |
Exclamation Mark
Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Ages 4 to 8
He stood out from the very beginning; the exclamation mark was not quite like any other punctuation he had met. He tries to fit in with the periods, but they are just not the same. A question mark comes along with a probing inquiry, and finally it occurs to him. He’s different! He has a purpose! And he has lots to say! In this bold and highly visual book, an emphatic but misplaced exclamation point learns that being different can be very exciting! Period.
Hardcover, $17.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545436793 |
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Captain Underpants and the Revolting Revenge of the Radioactive Robo-Boxers
Dav Pilkey
Ages 7 to 11
When we last saw our heroes, George and Harold, they had been turned into evil zombie nerds doomed to roam a devastated, post-apocalyptic planet for all eternity. But why, you might ask, didn't the amazing Captain Underpants save the boys from this frightening fate? Because Tippy Tinkletrousers and his time-traveling hijinks prevented George and Harold from creating Captain Underpants in the first place! Now, having changed the course of human history forever, they'll have to figure out a way to change it back. Could this be the end for Captain Underpants?
Hardcover, $9.99
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; ISBN: 9780545175364 |
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Icefall
Matthew J. Kirby
Ages 9 to 13
Solveig—the unremarkable middle child of the king—is trapped in a hidden, wintry fortress with her with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors. As they anxiously await their father’s victory in battle, the winter stretches on and food begins to run low. It soon becomes clear that there is a traitor in their midst, and Solveig uses her new-found talent for storytelling to discover their identity before it’s too late.
Hardcover, $6.99
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks; ISBN: 9780545274258 |
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| Music |
Son Volt
Honky Tonk
Genre: Pop/Folk
The alt-country veterans' new album is not a honky tonk album per se. Leader Jay Farrar found inspiration for his new songs in the instrumentation and rhythms of roadhouse country music. ($15.95) |
Josh Ritter
The Beast in Its Tracks
Genre: Pop/Folk
Ritter's new album addresses the subject of his recent divorce and his newly discovered love. As with Ritter's earlier albums, Beast is a primarily acoustic record with an indie folk emphasis. ($15.95) |
The Cave Singers
The Cave Singers
Genre: Pop/Folk
The Seattle quartet's fourth album is one of my favorites thus far for 2013—one of those albums for which I had some trouble not tagging just about every tune. With the addition of a bassist/percussionist, the band's sound has evolved somewhat from their earlier efforts. Folky, pastoral moments have been largely replaced by skittering guitars and almost-tribal percussion. The Cave Singers still live on the folk-rock side of the scale, though the band have become more relevant by evolving their sound a bit. ($14.95) |
Boz Scaggs
Memphis
Genre: Pop/Folk
Five years have passed since Scaggs' previous CD. This album was recorded at Willie Mitchell's legendary Royal Studio in Memphis, featuring a crack band composed of Spooner Oldham, Ray Parker Jr., Memphis Horns, and more. Originals are alternated with familiar covers ("Corinna", "Rainy Night In Georgia"), all in Scaggs' recognizable croon, all generating a nice and easy groove of Memphis rock, soul, and blues. ($15.95) |
Civil Wars & T-Bone Burnett
A Place at the Table
Genre: Pop/Folk
The popular Americana duo collaborate with the legendary producer for the soundtrack to a documentary about hunger. In addition to a handful of songs, the artists offer instrumentals as well, inspired by the film's subject. ($13.95) |
Madeleine Peyroux
The Blue Room
Genre: Jazz/Blues
"Madeleine and longtime collaborator / legendary producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock), re-examine Ray Charles’ classic, and one of his most controversial albums, Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music." ($13.95) |
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| Events |
Saturday, Mar. 9 at 2 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Lynda King
Boomerang: Kate Taylor Story #2
Local author Lynda King joins us for an afternoon reading and book signing of her latest book, Boomerang, in the Grass Roots Loft.
In this sequel to Aftermath, Kate Taylor, assassin and covert op, reluctantly returns to the Company and the US, her hope for a new life dashed. One goal keeps her going: revenge, revenge against the man responsible for her imprisonment and torture in East Germany, and revenge against the man who blackmailed her into returning to the Company. Things don't go according to plan as she is thrust into the middle of dangerous conflicts not her own. To survive, Kate must learn to trust new friends and accept a truce with an old adversary. But. . . she never forgets her goal and will do anything to achieve revenge. |
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Wednesday, Mar. 13 at 7 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Ashna Graves
No Angel
Corvallis author Ashna Graves brings journalist Jeneva Leopold back to the page in a sequel to Death Pans Out. Join us for a reading and book signing event.
The murder of a homeless man known as Angel draws journalist Jeneva Leopold into worlds she had no idea existed in her sweet little Oregon town. Two more deaths soon follow. Her search for explanations leads to involvement with a strangely wise homeless woman who feeds cats, a sculptor with an attitude and a dubious history, an assistant police chief who considers Leopold Public Enemy No. 1, a violent street punk known as Quickie, and a girl skater called Pet. Neva’s confidence in her own insight and competence are deeply shaken by the outcome. |
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Saturday, March 17,
3:30 to 7 p.m.
Downtown Corvallis,
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Community Event
Rhapsody in the Vineyard
Community Event sponsored by the Downtown Corvallis Association
Stop by Grass Roots Books & Music to sample wines from an Oregon winery during The Downtown Corvallis Association’s Rhapsody in the Vineyard event. The event features several Oregon wineries, offering samples of their finest vintages at participating downtown retailers. Stop by and tell us about your favorite tastings of the evening, and sample a wonderful wine while browsing our shelves. |
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Monday, Mar. 18 at 7 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Scott Nadelson
The Next Scott Nadelson: A Life in Progress
This evening we welcome Scott Nadelson—a graduate of the MFA program at Oregon State University—back to Corvallis to for a reading and book signing of his new memoir, The Next Scott Nadelson.
Beginning in the summer of 2004, Scott Nadelson's life fell apart. His fianceé left him a month before their planned wedding for another woman who made her living performing as a drag king. He moved into a drafty attic. His car's brakes went out. He learned that his cat was dying. Over the next two years, he'd struggle, with equivocal and sometimes humiliating results, to get back on his feet, in the process re-examining his past to understand his present circumstances. |
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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. |
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| Community Events |
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Community Events
Darkside Cinema: Movies showing March 8 to 14, showtimes daily, Darkside Cinema, Corvallis. Visit their website for showtimes.
- 56 Up –NR: Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man.
- Argo –R: Best Film of the Year Oscar!
- Amour – PG-13 (Subtitled French): Best Foreign Film of the Year Oscar!
- Escape Fire –NR: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare. Yes, we held it over. Yes, it’s that good.
- Chasing Ice –PG-13: Held over for 741 Weeks!!! This could quite likely be the possible last weekend of this film! Or not. No tellin’. So Come See It!
Literary Events: Visit our Community Calendar for details on these events and others in the area.
- Virginia Morell, Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of our Fellow Creatures: Thursday, Mar. 7, 7 to 9 p.m., LaSells Stewart Center, OSU, Corvallis.
- Big Conversations Series: "Lessons from Lincoln: Is Political Bipartisanship Possible?" with Richard Etulain: Saturday, Mar. 9, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis.
- Random Review: The Emperor of All Maladies, reviewed by Stephen Neville: Wednesday, Mar. 13, 12 to 1 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis. Sponsored by Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library.
Opportunities:
- Call for Submissions: For the summer 2013 issue of Oregon Humanities magazine, we want ideas, arguments, theories, and stories about "skin," as in: The one you're in. You have two chances to contribute to this discussion. Proposals and drafts of long-form (1,500 to 4,000 words) nonfiction writing, including scholarly essays, journalistic articles, and personal essays, are due on March 11. Shorter responses (400 words) for our Posts section are due May 13. Visit our website to read the full call for feature and Posts submissions.
- William Stafford Writing Contest: Teachers can mail submissions of their students’ work to Ooligan Press through April 2013. Selected student entries will be published in a book titled We Belong In History. The anthology will be released in January 2014 to help launch the yearlong celebration of William Stafford’s birth. Please visit the Contest website for additional information.
- 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.
- 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 drogersor@msn.com 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. |
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| News |
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Book Awards
National Book Critics Circle Awards: The National Book Critics Circle presented their annual awards in New York last week, honoring the best literature published in the United States in 2012. The NBCC Awards are the only national awards selected exclusively by book critics. This year’s winners are:
Golden Kite Awards: The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators presented their 2013 Golden Kite Awards, honoring “. . . the most outstanding children’s books published during the previous year, and written or illustrated by members of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.” This year’s winners are:
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Featured in the Store
Grass Roots Tote Bags: To decrease waste in the city of Corvallis, the use of plastic bags is being reduced. Grass Roots tote bags are a green and stylish solution! Reusable Grass Roots bags are made out of recycled materials, and are only $1.95. Pick up yours today and flash your independent bookstore spirit! |
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| This Week's Puzzle |
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| Reading Group Selection |
Tuesday, April 2, 6:30 to 7 p.m.
Among Others
Jo Walton
Marissa leads our April discussion of Among Others, a Hugo- and Nebula-award winning fantasy. It’s the story of a young woman struggling to escape a troubled childhood, a brilliant diary of first encounters with the great novels of modern fantasy and science fiction, and a spellbinding tale of escape from ancient enchantment.
“Welsh teen Morwenna was badly hurt, and her twin sister killed, when the two foiled their abusive mother's spell work. Seeking refuge with a father she barely knows in England, Mori is shunted off to a grim boarding school. Mori works a spell to find kindred souls and soon meets a welcoming group of science fiction readers, but she can feel her mother looking for her, and this time Mori won't be able to escape.” —Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review |
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Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 9780765331724
Paperback
Regular price: $14.99
On sale for $12.74 until April 2.
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On Our Nightstands |
 Charneé
Shakespeare's Tremor and Orwell's Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers
John J. Ross
When I started this book I thought I would be reading a cornucopia of medical details strung together, matter-of-factly. They would be interesting because they were about famous writers, but that would be the end of it. To my surprise, I got an intriguing narrative; a mix of biography, quirky medical science, history, creative writing, and mystery! The author, who is a physician, does a marvelous job at detailing not only the medical curiosities paining the writers, but also the even wilder treatments given to them (just a little arsenic, mercury, or ground-up human bone to cure what ails you Mr. Shakespeare)!
Hardcover, $24.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 9780312600761 |
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Tami
Proof of Guilt: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery
Charles Todd
Inspector Rutledge leaves his career in Scotland Yard to fight in WWI. He returns five years later hiding a secret. He has shell shock. His constant companion is the Scotsman, Hamish, he was forced to execute on the battlefield. Though Hamish exists only in Inspector Rutledge’s mind, it is like Hamish is always there just behind him, his voice sometimes taunting, sometimes giving warning. As Rutledge attempts to return to some semblance of his previous life, he fights to keep the ghost of Hamish a secret from family and co-workers. This is a great series. It covers a time I haven’t seen much of in popular fiction.
Hardcover, $25.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 9780062015686 |
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| Grass Roots Online — Contact Us |
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