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Grass Roots Books and Music
— 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668 |
| June 6, 2013 |
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It's June!
The month of strawberries, graduations, Father's Day, weddings, and the official start of summer. Those are all reasons to buy a book, if you ask me! Anticipating summer's rush of travelers and staycationers alike, we are busy assembling our lists of staff recommendations for Summer Reading. There are so many favorite books in our individual histories, as well as new books we cannot wait to read ourselves.
Looking for more? This weekend we are hosting two author events, new faces will soon join our staff, and next month you might even see Waldo of Where's Waldo fame hanging around in downtown Corvallis. There's always something exciting and new; keep reading the Grass Roots Reader to discover what we're doing this week!
See you in the bookstore!
Pamela. |
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| Newest Books |
Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence
Joseph J. Ellis
The most influential decisions of political and military figures are meticulously examined in this historical portrait of the establishment of America. In the summer months of 1776, as thirteen colonies seceded from the British Empire, both the Continental Congress and Army were forced to improvise on the brink of an uprising.
“The definitive book on the revolutionary events of the summer of 1776. Ellis’s prose is characteristically seductive, his insights frequent, his sketches of people and events captivating, and his critical facility always alive. . . Another brilliantly told story, carried along on solid interpretive grounds, by one of our best historians of the early nation.” – Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Hardcover, $26.95
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307701220 |
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A Serpent's Tooth: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson
When the homecoming ceremony in Absaroka County is cut short by a case, Sheriff Longmire, his colleague Henry Standing Bear, and feisty deputy Victoria Moretti are hot on the trail. The mystery: a homeless Mormon boy has wandered into town, seeking his lost mother. But with few clues to go on, Longmire’s hopes to reunite mother and son become a thorny scavenger hunt in the high plains. The ninth Western mystery finds Longmire facing his most dangerous rivals yet – an armed interstate polygamy group bent on revenge.
“Suspense propels the brisk plot, complemented by a sly sense of humor and a breathtaking look at Wyoming.” – Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Hardcover, $26.95
Publisher: Viking Books; ISBN: 9780670026456 |
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The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Daniel James Brown
“The gold-medal-winning effort by the eight-man rowing team from the University of Washington. . . encompasses the convergence of transcendent British boatmaker George Pocock; the quiet yet deadly effective UW men's varsity coach, Al Ulbrickson; and an unlikely gaggle of young rowers who would shine as freshmen. . . [Brown] offers a vivid picture of the socioeconomic landscape of 1930s America (brutal), the relentlessly demanding effort required of an Olympic-level rower. . . and the wiles of a coach who somehow found a way to, first, beat archrival University of California, then conquer a national field of qualifiers, and finally, defeat the best rowing teams in the world.” – Booklist Starred Review
Hardcover, $28.95
Publisher: Viking Books; ISBN: 9780670025817 |
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Transatlantic
Colum McCann
“Hopscotching back and forth across an ocean, centuries, generations. . . [McCann] interweaves historical and fictional truth as he connects the visit to Ireland in 1845 by Frederick Douglass, whose emancipation appeals on behalf of all his fellow slaves inspire a young Irish maid to seek her destiny in America, to the first trans-Atlantic flight almost 65 years later. . . The novel's primary bloodline begins with Lily Duggan, the Irish maid inspired by Douglass, and her four generations of descendants, mainly women whose struggle for rights and search for identity parallels that of the slave whose hunger for freedom fed her own.” – Kirkus Reviews
Hardcover, $27.00
Publisher: Random House; ISBN: 9781400069590 |
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To Move the World: JFK's Quest for Peace
Jeffrey D. Sachs
It was not the campaign for reelection that consumed John F. Kennedy’s final year in office, but that of sustainable peace with the Soviet Union. Recalling the formative days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Sachs shows how Kennedy’s determination and political clout managed to bring the world from the nuclear verge and spearhead a path toward future peace. At the pinnacle of this undertaking was JFK’s 1963 speech, the most important concerning foreign policy of the modern presidency. Featuring full oratorical texts as well as striking photographs, the chronicle presents Kennedy as a model for strong leadership and problem solving in our time.
Hardcover, $26.00
Publisher: Random House; ISBN: 9780812994926 |
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| New in Paperback |
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Flight Behavior
Barbara Kingsolver
“Dellarobia Turnbow is in a perpetual state of fight or flight. Married at 17 to kind, dull Cub, she finds even the satisfaction of motherhood small consolation for the stultifying existence on her in-laws' struggling Tennessee sheep farm. When a fluke of nature upends the monotony of her life, Dellarobia morphs into the church's poster child for a miracle, an Internet phenomenon, and a woman on the verge of unexpected opportunity as scientists, reporters, and ecotourists converge on the Turnbow property. Orange Prize winner Kingsolver (The Lacuna) performs literary magic, generously illuminating both sides of the culture wars, from the global-warming debate to public education in America.” —Booklist Starred Review
Paperback, $16.99
Publisher: Harper Perennial; ISBN: 9780062124272 |
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A Hologram for the King
Dave Eggers
Salesman Alan Clay, barely scraping by in a futuristic Saudi Arabian city, makes a last-ditch attempt to keep foreclosure at bay, foot the bill for his daughter's college education, and finally do something great. The opportunity: a commission from an American company to pitch an IT system, based on a revolutionary teleconference hologram, to 85-year-old King Abdullah himself.
“This book is in part a commentary on America's eroding economic might, [but] it's mostly a potent, well-drawn portrait of one man's discovery of where his personal and professional selves split and connect. . . firm proof that social concerns can make for resonant storytelling.” – Kirkus Reviews
Paperback, $15.95
Publisher: Vintage Books; ISBN: 9780307947512 |
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The End of Your Life Book Club
Will Schwalbe
While undergoing treatment for advanced cancer, Mary Anne Schwalbe and her son Will passed time in waiting rooms discussing the books they were reading. Thus, their book club for two was created, and this shared experience becomes both a bonding ritual and a form of therapy from the struggles of illness. Through their list of selected titles, mother and son and readers alike are reminded of the comforting and transformative nature of books.
“In a heartfelt tribute to his mother, Schwalbe illustrates the power of the written word to expand our knowledge of ourselves and others.” – Kirkus Reviews
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Vintage Books; ISBN: 9780307739780 |
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The Middlesteins
Author
“The Middlesteins, a Jewish family of strong temperaments and large dysfunctions, living in the middle of the country in Chicago and its suburbs, revolve around Edie, a woman of gargantuan appetites. Attenberg (The Melting Season) marshals her gift for mordant yet compassionate comedy to chart Edie's rise and fall in sync with her ever-ballooning weight. Smart, generous, and voracious in every way, Edie is a lawyer who loves food and work more than her pharmacist husband. . . After Edie loses her job and rolls past the 300-pound mark, she becomes a medical crisis waiting to happen. Finally galvanized into action, her in-denial family is both helpful and destructive, each effort and failure revealing yet another dimension of inherited suffering.” –Booklist Starred Review
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; ISBN: 9781455507207 |
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The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court
Jeffrey Toobin
Since Chief Justice John Roberts’s notorious slip-up of the Oath of Office at President Obama’s inauguration, the Supreme Court and the White House have clashed. Although both men share a charismatic position of leadership, they differ on most constitutional issues. Prior to Obama’s reelection in 2012, this ideological feud would come to a head – including challenges to the proposed healthcare legislation and dramatic changes to the Supreme Court.
“Toobin deftly tracks Roberts' political history and examines issues that best tested the Court's decisiveness. . . [A] well-balanced, literate and interpretative survey of the multifaceted intercourse between the conservative Supreme Court and our liberal president.” – Kirkus Reviews
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Anchor Books; ISBN: 9780307390714 |
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The Chaperone
Laura Moriarty
Fifteen-year-old Louise Brooks is leaving Wichita, Kansas, for New York in 1922 to attend the Denishawn School of Dancing, launching her career as a silent-film star and icon of her generation. Accompanying her is Cora Carlisle, a 36-year-old matron and family friend, harboring her own secrets and reasons for making the trip. The five weeks they spend together will change each of them forever, personifying all that was changing at this time, from hemlines and fashion to values and attitudes.
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Riverhead Books; ISBN: 9781594631436 |
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| Featured Books for Young Readers |
The School for Good and Evil
Soman Chainani
Ages 8 to 12
“Every four years, two children, one regarded as particularly nice and the other particularly nasty, are snatched from the village of Gavaldon by the shadowy School Master to attend the divided titular school. . . When it happens to sweet, Disney princess-like Sophie and her friend Agatha, plain of features, sour of disposition and low of self-esteem, they are both horrified to discover that they've been dropped not where they expect but at Evil and at Good respectively. . . Growing into their true natures amid revelations and marked physical changes, the two spark escalating rivalry between the wings of the school.” – Kirkus Reviews
Hardcover, $16.99
Publisher: HarperCollins; ISBN: 9780062104892 |
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Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
Suzanne Collins
Young Adult
Unexpected champions of the annual Hunger Games and fellow district tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have seemingly won their families security and plenty. Following the death-defying challenges in the first book of the trilogy, the two find themselves busy keeping up appearances as a lovelorn couple and coping with newfound fame. But it’s a short-lived victory, because their act of defiance will not be without dire consequences plotted by the vengeful Capitol. Whispers of rebellion are echoing throughout the districts, and before they know it, Katniss and Peeta have become its leaders – and the 75th games are looming.
Paperback, $12.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545586177 |
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| Music |
Rory Block
Avalon: Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt
Genre: Jazz/Blues
Trendsetting blueswoman Rory Block has devoted her last couple albums to paying tribute to some of the biggest names in her genre. On her new release, the singer and guitarist shines a light on one of the biggest: the legendary Mississippi John Hurt. ($16.95) |
Melissa Ferrick
The Truth Is
Genre: Pop/Folk
Contemporary singer-songwriter Ferrick released her debut album in 1993, and has recorded more than a dozen albums since. Ferrick's guitar is backed by a traditional band, and her lyrics tend to address matters of personal and social importance. ($12.95) |
Various Artists
Ghost Brothers of Darkland County
Genre: Pop/Folk
This curious stage musical is the product of collaboration between T Bone Burnett, John Mellencamp, and Stephen King. Featuring a sprawling cast of musical contributors, parts are carried by Neko Case, Elvis Costello, Dave Alvin, and others. ($15.95) |
Joy Kills Sorrow
Wide Awake
Genre: Pop/Folk
With this new EP, the five-piece Boston band strives to grow their sound. Previously known as a string band, the members have evolved towards "the epic sound of an indie-rock band plugged in, but on acoustic instruments.” ($10.95) |
Dayna Kurtz
Secret Canon, Vol. 2
Genre: Pop/Folk
Secret Canon, Vol. 2 marks the singer's second tribute to the range and variety of American music. From blues to jazz and folk, Kurtz applies her powerful voice to music from the ‘40s to the ‘60s, with a couple of originals added for good measure. ($13.95) |
Various Artists
You Don't Know Me:
Rediscovering Eddy Arnold
Genre: Pop/Folk
This compilation pays tribute to Eddy Arnold, second only to George Jones in the number of songs he landed on the Billboard charts. Artists paying tribute to Arnold include Alejandro Escovedo, Pokey LaFarge, Mary Gauthier, and more. ($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 June 7 to 13, showtimes daily, Darkside Cinema, Corvallis. Visit their website for showtimes.
- Frances Ha –R: A story that follows a New York woman (who doesn't really have an apartment), apprentices for a dance company (though she's not really a dancer), and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as their possible reality dwindles. Noah Baumbach directs. “Entertaining and artfully crafted from start to finish.”
- In the House –R (Subtitled French): A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy's intrusion will unleash a series of uncontrollable events.
- 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.”
Literary Events: Visit our Community Calendar for details on these events and others in the area.
- Big Conversation Series: "From Print to Pixels: The Act of Reading in the Digital Age" with Mark Allen Cunningham: Saturday, June 8, 2 to 3:30 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis.
- Random Review: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Ever Seen, reviewed by Kate MacTavish: Wednesday, June 12, 12 noon, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis.
Opportunities:
- Fiction Writers Tune-Up: Presented by Anne Warren Smith and Linda Elin Hamner. 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.
- 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.
- 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
Women’s Prize for Fiction: The 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction was announced this week at an awards party in London. This year’s winner is A. M. Homes for her novel May We Be Forgiven. Prize judges praised the novel as "a dazzling, original, viscerally funny black comedy—a subversion of the American dream. This is a book we want to read again and give to our friends.”
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award: First presented in 1967, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Awards are among the most prestigious honors in the field of children’s and young adult literature, and are presented in three categories: picture books, fiction, and nonfiction. This year’s awards were announced last week during Book Expo America:
Lambda Literary Awards: The Lambda Literary Foundation awarded their 25th annual Lambda Awards this week, celebrating excellence in LGBT literature. Winners were presented in 24 categories, including:
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Featured in the Store: Go Beavs!
The OSU Baseball team will be taking on Kansas State in a Best of 3 series this weekend in the NCAA Super Regional. If they win, they’ll be on their way to Omaha. Again. Revisit their past awesomeness in Cliff Kirkpatrick’s book Oregon State University Baseball: Building a Legacy. As the legacy continues, this book will make a great gift for Father’s Day, and for Beaver fans everywhere! |
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Author Spotlight: Craig Johnson
Mystery writer Craig Johnson’s novels are the inspiration for the TV show Longmire, but are bestsellers and award winners in their own right. This week he released A Serpent’s Tooth, the ninth book in his series starring Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire. Fans of mysteries and Western fiction should try his work, starting with the first book in the series, Cold Dish. Already a fan of Johnson? Stop by Grass Roots and see our display of related titles! |
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Grass Roots Bestsellers
It seems every month is a great month for reading in some respect, and May was no different. Except that we had a LOT of events. In the interest of fairness, this month I created a new bestseller list for our Event books. If you need some reading inspiration, choose from one of these books:
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| This Week's Puzzle |
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| Reading Group Selection |
Tuesday, July 2, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
State of Wonder
Ann Patchett
Tiffany leads the July discussion of State of Wonder by Ann Patchett, a novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest.
Dr. Marina Singh, a pharmaceutical researcher in Minnesota, is sent to Brazil to track down her former mentor, Dr. Annick Swenson, who seems to have disappeared in the Amazon while researching a potentially valuable new drug. Marina is not the first sent into the jungle to find Dr. Swenson; Anders Eckman, Marina's research partner, died before he could complete the mission before her. In the jungle, Marina finds Dr. Swenson—as ruthless and uncompromising as she ever was at Johns Hopkins—using science and subterfuge to dominate her research team and the natives she's studying. |
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Publisher: Harper Perennial
ISBN: 9780062049810
Paperback
Regular price: $15.99
On sale for $13.60 until July 2.
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On Our Nightstands |
 Pamela
The Potty Mouth at the Table
Laurie Notaro
I think Laurie Notaro is awesome sauce. She just throws all her crazy out there; the funny thing is it’s her readers’ crazy too. One night while I was laughing over one of the essays in her book, I turned to my fiancé to ask if he had ever used my shower pouf. His response sparked an unladylike reaction from myself and almost earned him bodily harm, but we laughed over it in the end. In other words, there’s something we can all relate to in Laurie Notaro’s books. She is hilarious, and one of my favorite authors. Need to laugh? Read this book.
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Gallery Books; ISBN: 9781451659399 |
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Linda
The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945
Rick Atkinson
This large volume is the third in Atkinson's history of World War II; the third in what he calls the Liberation Trilogy. With excellent research backing and thorough documentation, Atkinson has written a must-read history book of the European War that affected so many lives. The experiences of individuals come alive, and the formations of the battles are expertly mapped. There is much to learn from this book!
Hardcover, $40.00
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company ; ISBN: 9780805062908 |
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Marissa
Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps
Kelly Williams Brown
Adulting addresses twenty-somethings as they navigate this daunting life stage, including all a college grad should know about apartment-hunting, professionalism, basic entertaining, and the omnipresent student loans. But it is equally valuable advice on common human courtesies at any juncture. Blogger Kelly Brown's wry wisdom, accompanied by informative hand-drawn flowcharts and graphs (Do these, in fact, qualify as pants? When does the small-talk bellcurve effectively terminate?) is ridiculously accurate and up-front. Likewise, as I’m about to get married and travel beyond my home state, Adulting has prepared me with knowing that maturity is in the actions, not the age.
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; ISBN: 9781455516902 |
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 Guest Review*
The Lonely Polygamist
Brady Udall
Though I loved the title, I started The Lonely Polygamist deeply doubting I’d ever be able to relate to the protagonist, Golden Richards, a Mormon fundamentalist with four wives and 28 children. A protagonist who, as it turns out—despite those four wives and 28 children—is feeling lonely and isolated, ready, perhaps, to plunge into an affair. But only a few pages into the story, I found myself liking, even empathizing with, Golden. By the time I was a third of the way in, I flat-out adored the guy. And when I finished the last page, I let the book drop onto my lap, stunned to realize that Brady Udall had somehow just told MY story. Not the specifics, but the wondrous and confounding experience of what it means to be human in this world. But then, this is precisely the magic of great literature. This is why those of us who love fiction open a new novel so eagerly and hungrily. With The Lonely Polygamist, Brady Udall affords us a rare opportunity to be put under that spell we’ve been longing for.
Paperback, $15.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393339710
*Submitted by Rick Borsten, author of The Great Equalizer and Rainbow Rhapsody. Rick lives, works, and writes in Corvallis.
Interested in reviewing a book for Grass Roots? Send an email to Neé at Grass Roots by emailing grootsreads@gmail.com, with “Guest Review” in the subject line. She will get in touch with you regarding guidelines. Please note that reviews will be used at the store’s discretion, and not every review can be published. |
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