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Grass Roots Books and Music
— 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668 |
| July 11, 2013 |
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Hello, friends!
So much is churning through my head. Thoughts about Waldo! Summer reading! New employees! Sunshine and a beckoning pile of my own to read! Craziness, that's what it is. And whaddya know? This weekend is Crazy Days! Stop by Grass Roots and say hello while you're out and about! We'll introduce you to Kendall, our newest bookseller. Tonight is our much-anticipated poetry reading with Charles Goodrich and Gary Lark; hope to see you all there! Otherwise, I will of course. . .
See you in the bookstore!
Pamela. |
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| Newest Books |
Letters from Skye
Jessica Brockmole
“Brockmole uses letters to tell a remarkable story of two women, their loves, their secrets, and two world wars. . . In 1912, young poet Mrs. Elspeth Dunn, who has never left Scotland's Isle of Skye because of her fear of boats, receives her first fan letter from David Graham, a college student in Urbana, Ill. They begin a long correspondence. . . The beauty of Scotland, the tragedy of war, the longings of the heart, and the struggles of a family torn apart by disloyalty are brilliantly drawn, leaving just enough blanks to be filled by the reader's imagination.” – Publishers Weekly
Hardcover, $25.00
Publisher: Ballantine Books; ISBN: 9780345542601 |
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The Society of Timid Souls: Or, How to Be Brave
Polly Morland
“A celebration of one of humankind's rarest and most valuable virtues: bravery. Documentarian Morland interviews a diverse group of brave individuals – soldiers, big wave surfers, civil rights activists, sufferers of terminal diseases and bank robbers make the cut – in an attempt to isolate the origin and meaning of this elusive trait, which she believes is in distressingly short supply in our coddled yet hysterical age. . . her journey is in turns thought-provoking, amusing and heartbreaking.” – Kirkus Reviews
Hardcover, $26.00
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307889065 |
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Fin & Lady
Cathleen Schine
Recently orphaned, Fin is an eleven-year-old boy taken in by his glamorous and worldly older half sister, Lady – taking him from humble rural Connecticut to Greenwich Village during the swinging ‘60s. But while Lady remains his only guardian, Fin learns her reckless nature means she’s as much his responsibility as he is hers. Not only must Fin adapt to new conventions of the spirited and discordant political and social era, but he is determined to protect his sister against her dogged suitors.
Hardcover, $26.00
Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books; ISBN: 9780374154905 |
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Blue Plate Special: An Autobiography of My Appetites
Kate Christensen
“A novelist's deliciously engrossing exploration of her life through the two major passions that have defined it: food and writing. For Christensen, memory and food are inextricably intertwined. . . She refined both her palate and her cooking abilities during a year spent in France. But it would be comfort food and hard liquor that would comprise many of her meals during the vagabond life she led afterward, first at Reed College and then at the Iowa Writer's Workshop, where she reignited a childhood passion for food in literature. . . A Rabelaisian celebration of appetite, complete with savory recipes, that genuinely satisfies.” – Kirkus Reviews
Hardcover, $26.95
Publisher: Doubleday Books; ISBN: 9780385536264 |
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The Best of Connie Willis: Award-Winning Stories
Connie Willis
This assortment of Hugo and Nebula award-winning stories range from madcap comedy to heartfelt tragedy, each with a speculative scientific twist. Willis imagines a future in which dogs are extinct, an Emily Dickinson who conquers aliens in an alternate history, and a London Underground that houses memories both delightful and dark.
“Willis describes how she fell so madly in love with SF short stories in her youth that she's still writing them 40 years later. . . Her passion comes through in the vision and variety represented in this collection, from haunting futures to wryly funny portrayals of scientists, academics, and aliens.” — Booklist
Hardcover, $28.00
Publisher: Del Rey Books; ISBN: 9780345540645 |
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The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us about Being Human
Vint Virga
Dr. Vint Virga became inspired by the powerful connection between humans and animals when, working in a veterinary emergency room, he witnessed the ability of compassion and contact to aid in the recovery of a dog that was hit by a car. Drawing from decades of veterinary practice, Virga studies multiple species’ behaviors, viewpoints, and interactions with one another and with ourselves. His findings about the basic traits we share with animals reveal how, by respecting this kinship, we can foster character growth, improve our communication, and enrich our appreciation of life.
Hardcover, $25.00
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307718860 |
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| New in Paperback |
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Hallucinations
Oliver Sacks
“We think of seeing or hearing, smelling, touching or inchoately sensing things that aren't there as a classic sign of madness, but it's really a human commonplace, according to Sacks's latest fascinating exploration of neuropsychiatric weirdness. Acclaimed neurologist Sacks (The Mind's Eye) investigates a wide range of hallucinations, from the geometric zigzags of some migraines and the painful cramps of phantom limbs to florid multicharacter melodramas, grotesque phantasms, and mystic trances induced by brain disorders and drugs. . . Writing with his trademark mix of evocative description, probing curiosity, and warm empathy, Sacks once again draws back the curtain on the mind's improbable workings.” —Publishers Weekly Starred Review
Paperback, $15.95
Publisher: Vintage Books; ISBN: 9780307947437 |
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This Is Paradise: Stories
Kristiana Kahakauwila
“Kahakauwila's debut short-story collection offers a stirring glimpse into the daily lives of contemporary Hawaiians torn between native traditions and the pull of mainland lifestyles. The profound differences between a Hawaiian and her white boyfriend threaten their relationship in ‘The Road to Hana’; a girl mourns her grandmother's death in ‘Thirty-Nine Rules for Making a Hawaiian Funeral into a Drinking Game’; and in the title piece, young Hawaiian women working at a beachside resort observe a naive tourist's tragic fate. Varying in style and theme, the book's six stories conjure up memorable characters.” – Publishers Weekly
Paperback, $16.00
Publisher: Hogarth; ISBN: 9780770436254 |
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Imperfect Harmony: Finding Happiness Singing with Others
Stacy Horn
“Horn is not a great singer. But the 30 years she has spent with the Choral Society of Grace Church in New York have been about greatness beyond self, the importance of community, and the joy of creating. Part memoir, part history, part case study. . . Horn unfolds the history of choral music, the neurological science underpinning what happens in listeners' and performers' brains, and the effort it takes to put on a performance. . . This is for not only readers with an interest in choral singing, but also anyone who has enjoyed creative endeavors, either as artists or consumers.” — Booklist
Paperback, $15.95
Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill; ISBN: 9781616200411 |
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The Marseille Caper
Peter Mayle
Beloved sleuth Sam Levitt returns to coastal France in his latest caper, unable to resist the lure of the region’s food and wine, along with an intriguing proposition. This time, he is hired to pitch a development plan by a wealthy finalist who elects to remain anonymous because of enmity with the committee chair. Yet as a competition over Marseille's valuable waterfront becomes heated between thugs and businessmen, Sam realizes he may be in over his head – and that his life is on the line. Will he survive this caper unscathed? Will he live to enjoy another bowl of bouillabaisse?
Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: Vintage Books; ISBN: 9780307740953 |
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The Healing Power of Meditation: Leading Experts on Buddhism, Psychology, and Medicine Explore the Health Benefits of Contemplative Practice
Andrew Fraser
Featuring new comprehensive studies, perspectives on the mind-emotion connection, and reflections on the application of meditation in modern health and social care, this comprehensive anthology offers insight into the healing potential of meditation. From treating depression to developing empathy to enhancing physical and mental well-being, the many benefits of meditation are discussed and categorized. Pioneering Tibetan Buddhist teachers, scientific researchers, and health professionals impart their knowledge, including how the brain’s chemistry is affected by meditation and advocating the use of mindfulness as a mainstream therapy.
Paperback, $16.95
Publisher: Shambhala Publications; ISBN: 9781611800593 |
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| Featured Books for Young Readers |
Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great
Bob Shea
Ages 4 to 8
“Goat feels upstaged by Unicorn, who seems to do everything better than he does. (Goat can almost prepare marshmallow squares; Unicorn can make it rain cupcakes.) But everything changes when Unicorn discovers Goat's special gifts: goat cheese! cloven hooves! . . . Now it's Unicorn's turn to be deflated, even kicking rainbows out of the way, until a terrific idea is born. Together, they will be unstoppable. . . The grass may always seem greener, but the message comes across that everybody has special strengths, and togetherness can often maximize them.” – Booklist Starred Review
Hardcover, $15.99
Publisher: Disney Editions; ISBN: 9781423159520 |
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The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus, Book Two)
Rick Riordan
Ages 9 to 13
“Percy Jackson makes a long-awaited reappearance on page one, with almost no memory of his identity, except for hazy recollections of a girl named Annabeth. He's in San Francisco, home of Camp Jupiter. It's the other camp for demigods, only here, the gods appear in their Roman forms. Most of the campers are suspicious and scared of Percy, but misfits Hazel and Frank welcome him. The demigod world is in an uproar. Monsters keep reappearing after they're killed, and the campers discover that it's because Thanatos, better known as Death, has been chained by Gaea, goddess of the earth. They must go on a quest to free him, and the heart-pounding adventure amps up even more.” –School Library Journal Starred Review
Paperback, $9.99
Publisher: Disney Press; ISBN: 9781423141990 |
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| Music |
The Deadly Gentlemen
Roll Me, Tumble Me
Genre: Pop/Folk
One of the hottest young acoustic music bands features players who have formerly worked with Crooked Still, Dave Grisman, Bruce Springsteen, and more. On acoustic guitar, bass, banjo and fiddle, The Gentlemen play music that spans the wide spectrum between bluegrass and indie pop. ($14.95) |
Gregory Alan Isakov
The Weatherman
Genre: Pop/Folk
The Colorado singer-songwriter's fourth album is expected to introduce his quietly beautiful contemporary folk music to new audiences. Like Josh Ritter or Damien Rice, Isakov's music doesn't wow with bombast and noise, but with intelligence and perfectly executed restraint. ($14.95) |
Pokey LaFarge
Pokey LaFarge
Genre: Pop/Folk
From St Louis, Pokey LaFarge's music sounds like it might have been made 70 or 80 years ago. Played on acoustic instruments, LaFarge and his bandmates blend folk, country, old-timey, and jazz for a sweet, Joplin-esque rag. ($14.95) |
Perhapst
Revise Your Maps
Genre: Pop/Folk
Perhapst is the nom de stage for the Decemberists' drummer John Moen. From Portland, Moen and friends depart from that band's signature sound to incorporate bits of Americana, rock, and indie pop. ($11.95) |
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
That's It!
Genre: Jazz/Blues
While the membership has evolved constantly the Preservation Hall Jazz Band has existed in one form or another for more than 50 years. Their new album is produced by My Morning Jacket's Jim James, and arrives as the first PHJB record co-written entirely by the bandmembers. ($11.95) |
John Scofield
Überjam Deux
Genre: Jazz/Blues
As heard on NPR: "The musical paths may be well-trodden, but the sound of Scofield's guitar is unique. He's a player with serious jazz cred, having played with everyone from Miles Davis to Charles Mingus to Herbie Hancock. The first Überjam record was released in 2002, and for Überjam Deux he's brought back some of the original players, including rhythm guitarist Avi Bortnick and B3 Organ player John Medeski." ($16.95) |
Deep Forest
Deep Africa
Genre: World
"The album is a tribute to the music that first influenced [band co-founder Eric] Mouquet and features collaborations with such world renown African artists as Zam Magadulela, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Wasis Diop, Olyza, Dany de Mouataba, Alune Wade, David Fall, and Giumba Kouiate." ($11.95) |
Although we specialize in
new releases, Grass Roots can usually get you any album that's still available.
Ask at the the store! |
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| Events |
Thursday, July 11 at 7 p.m.
Troubadour Music Center
521 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Poetry Reading and Book Launch
Charles Goodrich & Gary Lark
Join Grass Roots Books & Music to celebrate poetry and the new releases of Charles Goodrich and Gary Lark.
Charles Goodrich's newest collection of poetry is A Scripture of Crows from Silverfish Review Press. Kim Stafford says: "Charles Goodrich here writes a manifesto for world change one compact epiphany at a time. Administrator of local discoveries, he names himself a 'commonist,' loyal to the local, to the democracy of creatures, to the light, keen blade of the language opening the envelope of our sleep. . . These poems are a restorative in their deft humor and quiet promise. They will change your days, if not your life." Goodrich serves as Director for the Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature, and the Written Word at Oregon State University.
Gary Lark's newest collection of poetry is Without a Map from Wellstone Press. Maxine Scates says: "In poem after compelling poem, Lark gives voice to lives which all too often go unheard, lives lived in rural towns, trailer courts and farm houses on the back roads, places where he has grown up, lived and worked, listening all along to the stories that truly matter: what it means to lose a job, and what it means to have one; what it means to fight in wars whose memory never leaves and what it means to be lost then found again." He worked for the Corvallis-Benton County Library for eleven years, and now lives with his wife Dorothy in Oregon's Rogue valley. |
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July 1-31
Participating businesses throughout downtown Corvallis:
Burst's Chocolates
Cyclotopia
Cyrano's (Yesterday's Books, Today's Treasures)
Drawing Board
Five Star Sports
Footwise
Francesco's
Grass Roots Books & Music
Great Harvest
Inkwell Home Store
Kaleidoscope Studios
Many Hands Trading
Mod Pod
New Morning Bakery
Oregon Coffee & Tea
Peak Sports
Riverside Window & Door
Second Glance
Second Glance Annex
Sedlak's
Sibling Revelry
Soft Star Shoes Stash
The Alley
Toy Factory
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Find Waldo in Corvallis!
Waldo is returning to Corvallis this summer! Where is he hiding? All over downtown, and it's your challenge to find him! Grass Roots Books & Music is hosting a month-long scavenger hunt to Find Waldo through downtown Corvallis in July. The famous children's book character in the striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting twenty-five different local businesses throughout our community this July. Those who spot him can win prizes, including stickers, book coupons, gift certificates, books, and more.
Stop by the store to begin your search, or visit our website for a list of participating businesses and more information. |
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Saturday, July 27 at 2 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Poetry Reading
Mary Van Denend
Watermarks
Join us for an afternoon reading with Corvallis poet Mary Van Denend. She is launching her new chapbook Watermarks, from Finishing Line Press. Mary Van Denend writes poems and essays from her home in western Oregon. Her poems have appeared in The Asheville Review, Briar Cliff Review, Crab Orchard Review, Ruminate, Sow's Ear Poetry Review, and other fine journals. She is a regular contributor to The Art House America blog. She loves the desert Southwest, old beautiful cities, and delights in her three grandchildren. |
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Saturday, Aug. 3 at 4:30 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis |
Find Waldo Search Party!
The search for Waldo is over! Join us in the loft at Grass Roots Books as we celebrate his return to his rightful place in the bookstore. Everyone who looked for Waldo, found Waldo, and hid Waldo is welcome to this family-friendly event in our loft. We’ll enjoy some activities and refreshments, and announce the winners of our Find Waldo Local Raffle drawing. It will also be the perfect time to share your Waldo-hunting advetnrues with us!
Don’t forget, you have through July 31 to find Waldo at 25 participating businesses in downtown Corvallis. Stop by Grass Roots to start your search today! |
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| Community Events |
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Community Events
Darkside Cinema: Movies showing July 12 to 18, showtimes daily, Darkside Cinema, Corvallis. Visit their website for showtimes.
- A Girl and A Gun –NR: “The thoroughly entertaining, well-made film should lead to a healthy — and necessary — public debate on the subject of girls and guns.” -Women’s Enews
- Mud –R: There is an enchanted-fairy-tale aspect to Mud, but its bright, calm surface only barely disguises a strong, churning undercurrent. Mathew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon
- We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks –R: Sometimes it takes a feature-length documentary to stitch together a story we think we already know.
- Before Midnight –R: Hawke and Delpy remain as charming as ever, and their combined goofiness is more endearing than annoying. 98% on Rotten Tomatoes!
Literary Events: Visit our Community Calendar for details on these events and others in the area.
- Writers on the River welcomes Rachel Barton, presenting “Wanted: High Divers to Jump Off the High Dive into Poetry”: Monday, July 15, 6:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, Corvallis.
Opportunities:
- Call for Submissions: Wild in the Willamette is a guidebook to natural areas in the mid-Willamette Valley currently under development, to be published by OSU Press in 2015. WITW is now seeking unpaid contributions of outdoor writing to create this field guide for everyone wanting to explore wild places within the eight major watersheds of the mid-Willamette Valley — by foot, by kayak or canoe, and by bicycle. All royalties will go to Greenbelt Land Trust. Writers will receive credit in the book, a free copy, and the satisfaction of supporting GLT's valuable work of protecting open space in the valley. For more details, please see the website at www.wildinthewillamette.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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Featured in the Store
Summer Reading is in full swing at Grass Roots! Are you interested in some light reading for your summer journeys? We have a book for that! Expanding your culinary horizons to utilize summer produce and/or your new grill? We have a book for that! Are the same old creative projects not feeling so creative or fresh or anymore? We have a book for that! Do you want to make lasting literary memories with your little ones? We have a book for that! Seriously—come into Grass Roots, or visit the Summer Reading Extravaganza page on our website. We have books for everybody and we are super excited about summer reading! (We’re adding still adding links to our Summer Reading page; check back frequently for more ideas!) |
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Welcome a New Face in Our Favorite Place!
Welcome Susan! We are so pleased to welcome new people to our little team at Grass Roots, and we hope you make them feel at home, too. This week we are pleased to introduce Susan Sanford as a new bookseller. Susan loves books, independent bookstores and vibrant downtowns and is thrilled to be biking to work! (We’ll see what happens when the weather turns cold and rainy!) To learn more about Susan and the book she likes, please visit her page on the Grass Roots website. |
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Crazy Days Sidewalk Sale
Downtown Corvallis will be abuzz with great deals this weekend as the annual Crazy Days sale spills out onto the sidewalks. Stop by Grass Roots to score an awesome deal on selected Gifts and Stationery, Greeting Cards, CDs, and Books. (What a great time to build your summer reading pile. . . ) While you’re here, don’t forget to look for Waldo. Start your search here and visit other downtown businesses that are in on the action. It’s a great weekend to be downtown for adults and children! |
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| This Week's Puzzle |
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| Reading Group Selection |
Tuesday, Aug. 6, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving
Jonathan Evison
Pamela leads August’s literary road trip with The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving by Jonathan Evison, winner of the 2013 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award.
Following a family tragedy, Benjamin Benjamin is left with little in the world, so he enrolls in a class called the Fundamentals of Caregiving to prepare himself for a new profession. He quickly learns that the class provided little that is actually helpful when he is assigned to Trevor, a 19-year-old in the advanced stages of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The job gives Benjamin a renewed sense of purpose to his life, and the unlikely pair soon set off on a cross country road trip to see Trev’s estranged father, visiting can’t-miss roadside attractions, picking up hitchhikers, and being pursued by a mysterious Buick Skylark. |
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Publisher: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
ISBN: 9781616203153
Paperback
Regular price: $14.95
On sale for $12.71 until Aug. 6.
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On Our Nightstands |
 Tami
Exit: The Endings That Set Us Free
Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot
Exit is a collection of 11 people’s stories and how they dealt with the exits in their lives. Exits ranging from the priesthood, to working life, the closet, immigration and more, Lawrence-Lightfoot relates their stories and the processes they went through in making their final decision to exit. This book is interesting, but it is not the book I thought it would be. It does not carry the weight or breadth that the introduction promised. However, if you are interested in exits and there are few books on the subject, it is a place to start.
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books; ISBN: 9780374533908 |
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Tiffany
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library
Chris Grabenstein
(Ages 8 to 12)
To celebrate the grand-opening of Alexandriaville's state-of-the-art new public library, eccentric billionaire game-maker Luigi Lemoncello invites twelve 12-year-old contest winners to a slumber party. The lock-in becomes a reality game to escape the library by using its resources, finding clues, and solving puzzles, with the winner becoming the spokesperson for Mr. Lemoncello’s game company. Young readers can solve the puzzles, too, while enjoying a fun-filled mystery that celebrates teamwork, perseverance, and the love of books.
Hardcover, $16.99
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780375870897 |
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Neé
Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses
Bess Lovejoy
When the mood strikes for something macabre and a little quirky, nothing satisfies lately quite like this book. Each short glimpse into a famous corpses’ life is so fascinating, richly detailed, and often shrouded in mystery that you almost can’t wait to finish one story so you can devour the next. From Einstein’s eyes, Hitler’s jaw, and Beethoven’s ear bones to Rasputin’s unmentionables there is a piece in here for everyone!
Hardcover, $22.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781451654981 |
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