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Grass Roots Books and Music
— 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668 |
| May 30, 2013 |
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| Newest Books |
The Son
Philipp Meyer
Kidnapped by a Comanche tribe who brutally murders his family, thirteen-year-old Texan Eli McCullough learns the language and ways of his captors in order to adapt. But when war, famine and disease kill off many in the tribe, steely Eli finds himself a lone survivor who must reexamine his place in civilization. Following the stories of his son and great-granddaughter, who bear the price of Eli’s ruthless ambitions to stake a claim in a wealthy land of ranching and oil, The Son is an epic portrait of the legacy of violence of the American West in the 19th century.
Hardcover, $27.99
Publisher: Ecco Press; ISBN: 9780062120397 |
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Looking for Me
Beth Hoffman
Quirky Teddi Overman contentedly specializes in antique restoration, turning other people's castoffs into treasures. Yet for years she has been haunted by her brother’s mysterious disappearance–so when new clues emerge that he may still be alive, Teddi returns home to Kentucky and must revisit painful memories. As she reconciles her new life and an unexpected romance with her family’s broken past, she must decide what to let go of and what to keep.
“Hoffman's novel of a woman putting the pieces of her family's secrets together combines a deep dramatic impact with Southern charm.” –Publishers Weekly
Hardcover, $27.95
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books; ISBN: 9780670025831 |
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The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession
Charlie Lovett
“Peter Byerly cut himself off from the world to recover from the loss of his wife, Amanda, who died nine months ago. An American antiquarian bookseller now living in England, Peter returns to work and discovers, in an 18th-century book about Shakespeare forgeries, a Victorian miniature portrait of a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. His research to identify the watercolor's origins uncovers what could be the holy grail of Shakespeare studies, [leading] Peter on a dangerous quest to prove the book's authenticity. . . A gripping literary mystery that is compulsively readable until the thrilling end.” –Library Journal Starred Review
Hardcover, $27.95
Publisher: Viking Books; ISBN: 9780670026470 |
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We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
Karen Joy Fowler
“As a girl in Indiana, Rosemary, Fowler's breathtakingly droll 22-year-old narrator, felt that she and Fern were not only sisters but also twins. So she was devastated when Fern disappeared. Then her older brother, Lowell, also vanished. . . We then learn that Rosemary's father is a psychology professor, her mother a nonpracticing scientist, and Fern a chimpanzee. . . As Rosemary – lonely, unmoored, and caustically funny – ponders the mutability of memories, the similarities and differences between the minds of humans and chimps, and the treatment of research animals, Fowler slowly and dramatically reveals Fern and Lowell's heartbreaking yet instructive fates.” –Booklist Starred Review
Hardcover, $26.95
Publisher: Marian Wood Book; ISBN: 9780399162091 |
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Flora
Gail Godwin
Ten-year-old Helen and her summer guardian, Flora, are isolated together in Helen's decaying family house while her father is doing secret war work in Oak Ridge during the final months of World War II.
“Godwin, celebrated for her literary finesse, presents a classic southern tale galvanic with decorous yet stabbing sarcasm and jolting tragedy. . . . Godwin's under-your-skin characters are perfectly realized, and the held-breath plot is consummately choreographed. But the wonder of this incisive novel of the endless repercussions of loss and remorse at the dawn of the atomic age is how subtly Godwin laces it with exquisite insights into secret family traumas, unspoken sexuality, class and racial divides, and the fallout of war while unveiling the incubating mind of a future writer.” –Booklist Starred Review
Hardcover, $26.00
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; ISBN: 9781620401200 |
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| New in Paperback |
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As the Crow Flies: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson
“No matter how innocent their intentions, trouble always finds Sheriff Walt Longmire and his best friend Henry Standing Bear. While checking out a wedding site for the upcoming nuptials of Walt's daughter, Walt and Henry are horrified to witness a woman falling to her death off a cliff. Luckily, the baby she was holding survives, but now the guys are hot to find out why the young mother died that way. They are also trampling on a new tribal police chief's turf, and she, Lolo Long (an Iraqi war veteran), overreacts accordingly. . . [But] it turns out the woman's fall wasn't suicide, and Walt is now helping Lolo find a killer.” –Library Journal
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143123293 |
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A Woman of Science: An Extraordinary Journey of Love, Discovery, and the Sex Life of Mushrooms
Cardy Raper
As a young girl, Cardy Raper dreamed of becoming a scientist–but in a competitive profession mostly dominated by men, she would first have to overcome the obstacles of prejudice and personal loss to make her dream a reality. Despite a lack of academic and familial support, she became determined to pursue her ultimate fascination: the research of mushroom gender and reproduction. This fascinating true-life story chronicles Cardy’s struggles following the untimely passing of her husband and mentor, her path toward a doctoral degree, and her cutting-edge discoveries of fungi genetics that made her an esteemed name in the field.
Paperback, $15.95
Publisher: Hatherleigh Press; ISBN: 9781578264421 |
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Explorer's Guide Oregon Wine Country: A Great Destination
Sherry Moore and Jeff Welsch
Hailed as the original and best guide to Oregon’s flourishing wine scene, this second edition boasts a comprehensive tour of wineries covering the entire state. Premier local wine experts Moore and Welsch provide thoroughly detailed reports of each destination, from the renowned Willamette Valley to the remote Snake River Valley, paired perfectly with more than one hundred full-color photographs. A vast array of dining and lodging options, recreational attractions, and natural wonders complete the ideal travel experience.
Paperback, $21.95
Publisher: Countryman Press; ISBN: 9781581571714 |
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I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow
Jonathan Goldstein
Jonathan Goldstein is about to turn 40, but without a wife, kids, a car, or a house, he thinks he might have missed a few things. Where exactly does that leave him? Looking back on the past year, he ponders topics relevant to the slacker lifestyle of a certain age–including those as weighty and mysterious as the McRib sandwich, whether an automatic hand dryer can tell if you have a soul, and the underestimated power of a toy poodle. With trademark wit, these stories recount one man’s journey navigating the occasionally odd road to forty.
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Pintail; ISBN: 9780143187516 |
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| Featured Books for Young Readers |
Sing (CD Included)
Joe Raposo
“The lyrics to the late Raposo’s beloved song, popularized on Sesame Street in the 1970s, form the basis for this picture-book interpretation from Lichtenheld. . . in which a small purple bird has difficulty finding its own song. Along comes a boy with a guitar, who strums as the lyrics to the song begin. . . Musical notes rise up and literally buoy the bird (and its nest), lifting them aloft until the bird is able to fly and sing for itself, and rejoin its companions. It’s an effective visual metaphor for the way that music can be a form of support.” –Publishers Weekly
Hardcover, $16.99
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; ISBN: 9780805090710 |
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Ghost Knight
Cornelia Funke
Ages 8 to 12
Eleven-year-old Jon Whitcroft is packed off to boarding school in the medieval English town of Salisbury, where a band of terrifying ghosts is after him, determined to exact revenge on him for something that happened centuries ago.
"Historic details about the real Hartgill, Longspee and Stourton are deftly woven into a ripping good story. It's told with self-effacing humor from the perspective of an awkward boy who emerges as honorable and brave as the ghost knight and the contemporary girl he befriends. Black-and-white illustrations add to the Tudor atmosphere and drama. Sword-swinging ghosts will haunt readers of this droll, harrowing and historically grounded ghost story." –Kirkus Reviews
Paperback, $7.99
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780316056168 |
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Dead End in Norvelt 2012 Newbery Medal Winner
Jack Gantos
Ages 10 to 14
“An exhilarating summer marked by death, gore and fire sparks deep thoughts in a small-town lad not uncoincidentally named ‘Jack Gantos’. . . even though Jack's feuding parents unite to ground him for the summer after several mishaps, he does get out. He mixes with the undertaker's daughter, a band of Hell's Angels out to exact fiery revenge for a member flattened in town by a truck and, especially, with arthritic neighbor Miss Volker, for whom he furnishes the ‘hired hands’ that transcribe what becomes a series of impassioned obituaries for the local paper as elderly town residents suddenly begin passing on in rapid succession.” –Kirkus Reviews
Paperback, $7.99
Publisher: Square Fish; ISBN: 9781250010230 |
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| Music |
John Fogerty
Wrote a Song for Everyone
Genre: Pop/Folk
The longtime leader of Creedence Clearwater Revival returns to the songs of his early career. Teaming with contemporaries and peers like Bob Seger, My Morning Jacket, and Brad Paisley, Fogerty rerecords his CCR hits, and tunes from his early solo records. ($17.95) |
Della Mae
This World Oft Can Be
Genre: Pop/Folk
Della Mae’s Rounder debut shows that like The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, and Punch Brothers, the five multitalented young women of Della Mae are respectful of American musical tradition, but not restricted by it, combining centuries’ worth of musical influences with an emotionally tough, undeniably modern songwriting sensibility. ($14.95) |
Laura Marling
Once I Was An Eagle
Genre: Pop/Folk
As heard on NPR. At age 24, British songstress Marling has already released four widely acclaimed albums of indie folk music. Tunes range from orchestral folk ballads to more stomping blues-rock jams. ($13.95) |
Claire Lynch
Dear Sister
Genre: Pop/Folk
Award-winning bluegrass vocalist Lynch and her band release their first album on Compass Records. Guests include Tim O'Brien, Pierce Pettis, and Louisa Branscomb. ($17.95) |
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| Events |
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Saturday, June 8 at 2 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Angie Brenner
Anatolian Days & Nights: A Love Affair with Turkey: Land of Dervishes, Goddesses, and Saints
Angie Brenner stops by Grass Roots to discuss her book Anatolian Days & Nights, detailing her travels in Turkey.
When Joy Stocke and Angie Brenner meet on the balcony of a guesthouse in a small resort town on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, they think they have only a mutual friend and a summer dream in common. Soon, they discover a shared love of travel, history, culture, cuisine, and literature; and they begin a ten-year odyssey through Turkey. |
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Sunday, June 9 at 12:30 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
M. Allen Cunningham
The Honorable Obscurity Handbook
Taking a cue from Tillie Olsen's Silences and the works of Alain de Botton, The Honorable Obscurity Handbook is novelist M. Allen Cunningham's gloriously uncynical answer to a publishing world awash in cynical careerism and bottom-line thinking. Part consoling sourcebook, part cultural commentary, part wry self-help manual, and part inspirational anthology, this slim volume is a celebration of the creative spirit. It is packed with insights relevant to any creative worker, whatever their field. |
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Tuesday, June 18 at 7 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Wendy Tremayne
The Good Life Lab: Radical Experiments in Hands-On Living
This is the inspirational story of how one couple ditched their high-powered careers and high-pressure life in New York City to move to rural New Mexico, where they made, built, invented, foraged, and grew all they needed to live self-sufficiently, discovering a new sense of abundance in the process.
Wendy Jehanara Tremayne offers a lively presentation of her book, leading the audience to deeply consider and share their thoughts and feelings about the ways that our lives are being shaped by being the first people alive to witness the whole world for sale. |
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Monday, June 24 at 7 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Adam Rome
The Genius of Earth Day: How a 1970 Teach-In Unexpectedly Made the First Green Generation
Co-Sponsored by Grass Roots Books & Music and The Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature and the Written Word
The first Earth Day is the most famous little-known event in modern American history. Because we still pay ritual homage to the planet every April 22, everyone knows something about Earth Day. Some people may also know that Earth Day 1970 made the environmental movement a major force in American political life. But no one has told the whole story before. In The Genius of Earth Day, the prizewinning historian Adam Rome offers a compelling account of the rise of the environmental movement. |
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| Community Events |
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Community Events
Darkside Cinema: Movies showing May 30 to June 6, showtimes daily, Darkside Cinema, Corvallis. Visit their website for showtimes.
- Place Beyond the Pines –R: A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective. “Ryan Gosling delivers his most assured performance yet, in an ambitious, near-operatic drama-thriller that boldly unfolds across two distinctly different hours.”
- The Sapphires –PG-13: Inspired by a true story, The Sapphires follows four vivacious, young and talented Australian Aboriginal girls from a remote mission as they learn about love, friendship and war when their all girl group The Sapphires entertains the U.S. troops in Vietnam in 1968.“It’s pure joy!”
- Happy People: A Year in the Taiga –NR: Werner Herzog and Russian co-director Dmitry Vasyukov takes viewers on yet another unforgettable journey into remote and extreme natural landscapes. “Herzog . . . continues his streak of well-crafted documentaries with surprising subjects.”
- Angel’s Share –NR: Narrowly avoiding jail, new dad Robbie vows to turn over a new leaf. A visit to a whisky distillery inspires him and his mates to seek a way out of their hopeless lives. “As heartwarming and uplifting as any tale could be that features vicious beatings and grand larceny.”
Literary Events: Visit our Community Calendar for details on these events and others in the area.
- Last Friday Poetry Reading, featuring Lois Rosen, followed by an OpenMic: Friday, May 31, 7 p.m., The Book Bin, Salem.
- Poetry Reading, featuring seven poets in These Mountains That Separate Us: Saturday, June 1, 5 p.m., Tsunami Books, Eugene.
Opportunities:
- Fiction Writers Tune-Up: Presented by Anne Warren Smith and Linda Elin Hamner. This 2-day writer’s workshop offers a lively, interactive format; lectures with meat and potatoes; fun writing exercises; class discussion; and the joy of being with writers. When: Saturday, June 15 AND Saturday, June 22, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Imagine Coffee, 5460 SW Philomath Blvd., Corvallis. Fee: $60 both days; $35 one day. Sessions: June 15, morning, Character’s Alive!; June 15, afternoon, What’s the Story?; June 22, morning, Great Beginnings; June 22, afternoon, The Art of Dialogue. Space is limited; advance registration required. Please email Linda Hamner for more information at 2hamners@gmail.com.
- Airlie Press: This is the last month of Airlie Press's open reading period for new books. Full guidelines can be downloaded on the Airlie Press website where you can also read about our selection process and what it means to be part of a collective press. Manuscripts should be submitted electronically to airliepress@yahoo.com by May 31
- Youth Poetry Contest: Each year the The Arts Center partners with the Corvallis Fall Festival and Marys Peak Poets to hold the Youth Poetry Contest. Ages: Preschool–Grade 12. Deadline: June 2, 2013. Click here for a complete brochure and to register.
- Summer in Words Conference: Three days of events, talks, and workshops taught by a stellar cast of authors and writing instructors will help you learn more about story and craft and invite you to move forward. June 20-23, Hallmark Inn & Resort, Cannon Beach, OR. For more information and to register, visit the Conference website.
- Summer Fishtrap: The 26th annual Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers at Wallowa Lake runs July 8-14, 2013. For more details on workshops at Summer Fishtrap and to register please visit fishtrap.org.
- 2013 Lois Cranston Memorial Poetry Prize: March 1-May 31, 2013, postmarked. Please submit up to three unpublished poems (six pages maximum). Simultaneous submissions are discouraged. The CALYX editorial collective reads all manuscripts first, then selects 10-20 finalists to send to the final judge. See the CALYX submissions page 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
Sami Rohr Prize: The Jewish Book Council awarded the 2013 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature to Francesca Segal for her debut novel The Innocents. The award “honors the contribution of contemporary writers in the exploration and transmission of Jewish values and is intended to encourage and promote outstanding writing of Jewish interest in the future.”
Franz Kafka Prize: The Franz Kafka Society in Prague announced that acclaimed Israeli author Amos Oz is the winner of the 2013 Franz Kafka Prize. The society presents the award to writers whose works "appeal to readers regardless of their origin, nationality and culture." |
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Featured in the Store
Father’s Day: Don’t forget dear, old Dad! Father’s Day is June 16, so you still have two weeks to choose the perfect gift. Grass Roots has a wonderful selection of Father’s Day cards, making it easy to put your love and appreciation into words. It’s also a great time to stack up his reading list. Dan Brown’s Inferno is a blazing bestseller, and just the right thing for the dad who loved The Da Vinci Code and is a fan of thrillers. For the history buff, Rick Atkinson’s long-awaited conclusion to his Liberation Trilogy is now available, Guns at Last Light: The War in Europe, 1944-1945. On the lighter side, every Dad who loves Star Wars will appreciate Vader’s Little Princess and/or Darth Vader and Son. Can’t decide? Grass Roots gift certificates promise something for everyone! |
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Armchair Travel with Rick Steves
Summer is the perfect time to plan a trip, but if you can’t make it any further than your own armchair this year, consider Rick Steves’ travel DVDs. Each DVD collects episodes featured on his PBS show, covering various locations in Europe. We have DVDs on France, Italy, Spain, and more European locations. It’s always good to dream. . . |
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| This Week's Puzzle |
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| Reading Group Selection |
Tuesday, June 4, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
Sam Kean
Charneé (our resident “Science Person”) leads the discussion of The Disappearing Spoon.
The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. |
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Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN: 9780316051637
Paperback
Regular price: $14.99
On sale for $12.75 until June 4.
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On Our Nightstands |
 Tami
I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow
Jonathan Goldstein
This memoir of the everyday humor of life had me laughing aloud.The author recounts his observations each day for the 52 weeks leading up to his 40th birthday.You don’t need to be a man turning 40 to enjoy this book though it would be a nice gift for a man turning 40. It’s a quick read that’ll lighten your day, great for the beach or the hammock.
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Pintail; ISBN: 9780143187516 |
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Neé
Joy of Zentangle: Drawing Your Way to Increased Creativity, Focus, and Well-Being
Suzanne McNeill
The Joy of Zentangle is for those of us who never thought we had an artistic bone in our bodies. This artistic style is so natural, it pours out of you within minutes of opening the book. There is no meticulous erasing as all of your work is done in ink, causing you to change your outlook. What you once would have considered a “mistake” is wonderfully worked into the larger picture. This style often leads your mind down new creative paths, as art forms flow effortlessly onto the paper. I personally enjoy the stress-reducing benefits of this activity and Zentangle any chance I get!
Paperback, $24.99
Publisher: Design Originals; ISBN: 9781574214277 |
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Tiffany
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
Anna Quindlen
I've enjoyed Anna Quindlen's essays in the past and picked up this memoir on a whim when I had only a few minutes to read. But, being a couple of decades younger than Quindlen, I wasn't sure if I would fully appreciate her reflections looking back on life and looking forward to its next chapter. I needn't have worried. Her warm and witty writing, her musings on universal experiences—love, marriage, parenting, friendship, work, aging—resonate and reveal the common threads we share, no matter our age.
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Random House Trade; ISBN: 9780812981667 |
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