Grass Roots Books and Music — 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668
February 27, 2014
Contents
Newest Books
New in Paperback
Featured Books for Young Readers
Music
Events
News
This Week's Puzzle
Reading Group Selection
On Our Nightstands
Grass Roots Online — Contact Us
 
 

Read Across America:
Dr. Seuss is one of the most beloved children�s authors and illustrators, and his birthday on Mar. 2, marks the day set aside by the National Educational Association to celebrate Read Across America. According to the NEA, �Motivating children to read is an important factor in student achievement and creating lifelong successful readers. Research has shown that children who are motivated and spend more time reading do better in school.� At Grass Roots we love books and reading, and want to share that passion with the next generation of readers. To encourage reading, we�re offering a coupon this week on books in our children�s department. See you in the bookstore!

Read Across America
Saturday & Sunday, Mar. 1 & 2

20% OFF one book
from our children's department.
( 25% OFF for I-Card members.)

Limited to stock on hand and prepaid special orders. Not combinable with other discounts. Discounted items are not eligible for I-Card stamps.
Please mention coupon READ ACROSS AMERICA at checkout.

In other news, the Grass Roots Elf is stacking up her books and reading off into the sunset. Future issues of the Grass Roots Reader will be brought to you by our newest GRootie, Jenny. Read on through this week's newsletter to learn more about her. This Elf will probably still see you in the bookstore. See you soon, friends!

 
Newest Books

Bark: Stories

Lorrie Moore

Lorrie Moore, known for her dual knowledge of both humor and tragedy, invites her readers to witness people at their breaking point and what ensues thereafter: dating after divorce; facing the serious illness of a longtime friend; setting forth on a romantic assignation abroad, having it interrupted mid-trip, and coming to understand the larger ramifications and the impossibility of the connection�problems we might or might not have faced, but full of the emotions we have all felt for some reason or another. We read to connect, and Moore once again connects to our most human elements.

Hardcover, $24.95

Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307594136

Seven Flowers: And How They Shaped Our World

Jennifer Potter

Seven flowers, each with its own story full of surprises and secrets, each affecting the world around us in subtle but powerful ways. What is the nature of their power and how did it develop? Why have these particular plants become the focus of gardens, literature, art�even billion dollar industries? The answers to these questions and more are what drove journalist and author Jennifer Potter to write Seven Flowers. Drawing on sources both ancient and modern, and featuring lush full-color illustrations and gorgeous line art throughout, Potter examines our changing relationship with these potent plants and the effects they had on civilizations through the ages.

Hardcover, $26.00

Publisher: Overlook Press; ISBN: 9781468308174

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The UnAmericans

Molly Antopol

Again and again, Molly Antopol�s deeply sympathetic characters struggle for footing in an uncertain world, hounded by forces beyond their control. Their voices are intimate and powerful and they resonate with searing beauty. Antopol is a superb young talent, and The UnAmericans will long be remembered for its wit, humanity, and heart. In these stories we meet an absentee father, an actor, an Israeli soldier, and three different women from different continents coming to terms with their domestic lives. Each story resonates, leaving you impressed with the exciting talent this debut writer has to offer.

Hardcover, $24.95

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393241136

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The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind

Michio Kaku

Michio Kaku�s latest endeavor might sound like science fiction at first, but rest assured, this theoretical physicist and the cofounder of string field theory is writing from a place of great expertise. In this book, Kaku traces the history and future of the human mind and all its potential capabilities. Finally we can see his forecast all laid out: telepathy, telekinesis, intelligence pills, artificial memories, and mind control. Exciting and hopeful, read to learn the power of the human mind in this expanding universe, and get a taste of where we might be in the next few centuries.

Hardcover, $28.95

Publisher: Doubleday Books; ISBN: 9780385530828

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The Daring Ladies of Lowell

Kate Alcott

Eager to escape life on her family's farm, Alice Barrow moves to Lowell in 1832 and throws herself into the hard work demanded of "the mill girls." In spite of the long hours, she discovers a vibrant new life and a true friend�a strong-willed girl name Lovey Cornell. But conditions at the factory become increasingly dangerous, and Alice finds the courage to represent the workers and their grievances. Alice attracts the attention of his eldest son, the handsome and reserved Samuel Fiske. Their mutual attraction is intense, tempting Alice to dream of a different future for herself, and the drama of the mill escalates quickly.

Hardcover, $25.95

Publisher: Doubleday Books; ISBN: 9780385536493

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New in Paperback

A Man Came Out of a Door in the Mountain

Adrianne Harun

Set in remote western Canada, this first novel from short story writer Adrianne Harun seems to flourish in its haunting setting as much as it does from her intricate plot of mystery and mysticism. A set of teenagers feel the weight of boredom and adulthood as two strangers come to town�a man named Kevin Seven and his girlfriend Hana Swann. The two begin planting the seeds of evil and adventure in the young group of friends, and, meanwhile, women are disappearing off the side of the road, and no one quite knows who to blame.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780670786107

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The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards

Kristopher Jansma

Compared to the storytelling mode of Wes Anderson and F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kristopher Jansma introduces us to the burgeoning literary life of his earnest young narrator. Visiting the dens of Manhattan jazz clubs and the brilliant streets of Sri Lanka, our narrator is perpetually bewildered, enchanted, and captivated by those he is most envious of and enamored with, top contenders being his literary friend, Julian McGann, and the girl who escaped him, Evelyn. A coming-of-age story at its heart, read on to see how youth�s potential can so quickly, but brilliantly, fall apart.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143125020

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Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave

Adam Alter

Here is an illuminating look at the way the thoughts we have and the decisions we make are influenced by forces that aren't always in our control. The human brain is fantastically complex, having engineered space travel and liberated nuclear energy, so it's no wonder that we resist the idea that we're deeply influenced by our surroundings. Drunk Tank Pink is the first detailed exploration of how our environment shapes what we think, how we feel, and the ways we behave.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143124931

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We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

Karen Joy Fowler

From the New York Times-bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club, the story of an American family, middle class in middle America, ordinary in every way but one�that is, one of the daughters is a chimp. Through the narrator Rosemary, we learn that she was not yet six when Fern was removed. Over the years, she's managed to block a lot of memories. She's smart, vulnerable, innocent, and culpable. With some guile, she guides us through the darkness, penetrating secrets and unearthing memories, leading us deeper into the mystery she has dangled before us from the start.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Plume Books; ISBN: 9780142180822

The Spinning Heart

Donal Ryan

In Donal Ryan's novel we get an illuminating insider�s look at small-town Ireland after the country�s financial collapse. Full of tension and violence (but poignant human insight), Ryan presents us with the truth of what such lives are like through a tapestry of interwoven voices. From this underdog perspective, here is the Irish countryside�s spirit in a time of shock and public unrest. However, their difficulties don�t make the novel any less lovely, and Ryan is a new voice to keep track of.

Paperback, $15.00

Publisher: Steerforth Press; ISBN: 9781586422240

 
Featured Books for Young Readers

Hi, Koo!: A Year of Seasons

Jon J. Muth

Ages 3 to 7

In the spirit of the Japanese haiku, Koo the panda gently walks his young readers through the magical world of everyday activities, objects, and observations. With its simple, yet eloquent lines matched with artistic pictures, young children who are enamored with the world like our thoughtful panda will love Hi, Koo! Let your kids follow Koo�s lead: observe the water color and ink; converse with a sparrow; or sit quietly before the summer sky.

Hardcover, $17.99

Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545166683

A Snicker of Magic

Natalie Lloyd

Ages 8 to 12

Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, but that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart. But when she arrives in Midnight Gulch, Felicity thinks her luck's about to change. A "word collector," Felicity sees words everywhere�shining above strangers, tucked into church eves, and tangled up in her dog's floppy ears�but Midnight Gulch is the first place she's ever seen the word "home." And then there's Jonah, a mysterious, spiky-haired do-gooder who shimmers with words Felicity's never seen before, words that make Felicity's heart beat a little faster.

Hardcover, $16.99

Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545552707

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The Shadow Throne: Book 3 of the Ascendance Trilogy

Jennifer A Nielsen

Young Adult

Young King Jaron has had nothing but trouble with his advisors and regents since he ascended the throne of Carthya, and now King Vargan of Avenia has invaded the land and captured Imogen�and Jaron must find some way to rescue her and save his kingdom. Riddled with plots, ploys, and plans, our hero�s latest journey must contend with capture, battle, and a newfound love, though we finally get to see him save the girl (not without a few hurdles thrown in the way).

Hardcover, $17.99

Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545284172

 
Music

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Beck

Morning Phase

Genre: Pop/Folk

Beck's first original album in six years follows in the tradition of the songwriter's 2002 Sea Change record. Per NPR: "There are surprisingly approachable settings here, songs that start with humble acoustic guitar and grow into vast and dazzling canyons of sound." ($13.95)

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Various Artists

Jazz & the Philharmonic

Genre: Jazz

This CD/DVD set draws from a long established series searching for the intersections of classical and jazz music. Contributors to this live collection feature Bobby McFerrin, Mark O'Connor, Chick Corea, and more. ($14.95)

 
Events

Friday, March 7, at 7 p.m.

Grass Roots Books & Music

227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis

Julian Hoffman

The Small Heart Of Things: Being At Home In A Beckoning World

Winner of the 2012 Association of Writers and Writing Programs Series Prize for Creative Nonfiction, author Julian Hoffman will speak about his work and read from his award-winning book, The Small Heart Of Things: Being At Home In A Beckoning World.

In The Small Heart of Things, Julian Hoffman intimately examines the myriad ways in which connections to the natural world can be deepened through an equality of perception, whether it's a caterpillar carrying its house of leaves, transhumant shepherds ranging high mountain pastures, a quail taking cover on an empty steppe, or a Turkmen family emigrating from Afghanistan to Istanbul. The narrative spans the common�and often contested�ground that supports human and natural communities alike, seeking the unsung stories that sustain us.

This free event is co-sponsored by Grass Roots Books & Music and the Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature and the Written Word.

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Community Events

Community Events

Darkside Cinema: Movies showing 2/28 to 3/6/14, showtimes daily, Darkside Cinema, Corvallis. Visit their website for showtimes.

  • The Past �PG-13: An Iranian man deserts his French wife and two children to return to his homeland. Meanwhile, his wife starts up a new relationship, a reality her husband confronts upon his wife's request for a divorce. From the makers of A Separation. French and Persian.
  • Nebraska �R: Nominated for Best Picture. Bruce Dern.
  • Girl on a Bicycle �R: From the screenwriter of The Notebook. You can�t help but fall in love with Girl on a Bicycle.
  • Inside Llewyn Davis �R: The Coen brothers have crafted another unique period piece.
  • 12 Years A Slave �R: Golden Globe Best Picture of 2013.

Ticket Sales: Grass Roots sells tickets for local music events. Please call or stop by the store to see what's currently available.

Monday, March 3, 7 p.m.

Engineering Auditorium,
LaSells Stewart Center

OSU, Corvallis

Why We Get Fat: Adiposity 101 and the Alternative Hypothesis of Obesity

Presented by Gary Taubes

 

Since the 1960s we have been told that dietary fat is damaging to the heart and body. This public lecture will examine the validity of our current concept of a healthy diet. Come learn about the myths and reality of dietary science and what's truly healthy.

Gary Taubes has authored four books, his most recent titles (Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health, and Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It) focusing on medicine and nutrition. He is co-founder of the Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI.org) and a recipient of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Investigator Award in Health Policy Research. He has won numerous awards for his journalism, including the International Health Reporting Award from the Pan American Health Organization and the National Association of Science Writers Science in Society Journalism Award three times. He is the only print journalist to do so.

This event is part of the Plant Science Seminar Series, presented by the Crop and Soil Science Department at OSU.

Books will be available to purchase from Grass Roots Books and Music.

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Saturday, March 22

LaSells Stewart Center

OSU, Corvallis

Insights into Gardening

(Rescheduled from Feb. 8)

This event is sponsored by the Benton County Master Gardeners Association and Oregon State University Extension Service.

Insights into Gardening is a day-long seminar offering practical, hands-on learning for home gardeners and gardeners-to-be. Whether you are an experienced or novice gardener, new to the area or an Oregon native, you will find plenty of ideas to make your gardening easier, more enjoyable and more successful. Please visit the Insight into Gardening website for updated registration information.

Books recommended by event speakers and general gardening books will be available to purchase from Grass Roots Books & Music. Discounts are available on select items. The onsite bookstore will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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News

Book Awards

Red House Children�s Book Award: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey has won the 2014 Red House Children�s Book Award. This is the only national award in the UK for children�s books that children get to vote for entirely themselves, making it a very special award indeed. Compared to such successful YA series as Twilight and the Hunger Games, Yancey�s trilogy chronicles the escapades of 16-year-old Cassie Sullivan as she survives an alien apocalypse. In a special side note, this award has been a spring board in the past for such influential YA writers as J.K. Rowling, Patrick Ness, and Michael Morpurgo.

Featured in the Store

You Vote Best Young Adult Books of 2013: Are you and/or your kids avid YA novel readers? Now�s the time to come down to Grass Roots to cast a vote for your favorite title from 2013! With a moveable board on display, you can see real-time rankings of the selections we�ve gathered from a combination of both NPR�s Best Young Adult 2013 list and our store�s top sellers. Titles include great reads such as The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson, Just One Day by Gayle Forman, and The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider. Offering up plot twists that include tropical futurism, international adventure, and fantastic new beginnings, there�s plenty to be excited about when it comes to these latest titles.

Insights into Gardening Display: Grass Roots Books and Music will be making an appearance at the Master Gardener Association�s event held at OSU�s LaSells Stewart Center on March 22. If you want to take a peek at some of the books our table will be selling before the event we have a fresh little display up in the store right now to whet your appetite for tips, tricks, and advice on gardening in the Pacific Northwest. A few titles you can pick up include Backyard Bounty: The Complete Guide to Year-Round Organic Gardening in the Pacific Northwest by Linda Gilkeson, Gardening Month by Month by Alison Best and Marianne Binetti, and Starting Seeds: How to Grow Healthy, Productive Vegetables, Herbs, and Flowers From Seed by Barbara Ellis. Spring�s just around the corner, perfect timing for these colorful, insightful manuals.

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Welcome, Jenny!

Jenny is our newest addition to the Grass Roots family, and will be taking over as editor of the Grass Roots Reader. A recent graduate of the MFA program at OSU, she has a special interest in short stories. Stop by the store and say hello, and visit her page on the Grass Roots website to get a glimpse of her favorite books.

2014 Independence Card

The 2014 I-Card (as it is affectionately known) is our store's loyalty program, and it helps us to share our passion for reading and love of books with our community, rewarding customers for shopping local. The new cards are now available. Stop by soon and start earning rewards every time you shop! For details on this year�s card, visit the Grass Roots website.

 

Kobo Deal of the Day

Kobo, our eBook partner, is offering a deal on an eBook for an amazing price every day! If you are interested in more information, check out the Grass Roots website for the Kobo Daily Deal link (as seen to the left), and start saving on bestselling titles.

 

 
This Week's Puzzle



Solve this week's jigsaw.
 
Reading Group Selection

Tuesday, Mar. 4, 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Lionel Asbo: State of England

Martin Amis

Kendall heads the state of our March Reading Group discussion of Lionel Asbo: State of England by Martin Amis, an exuberant, acidic satire of modern society and celebrity culture�by a renowned author at the height of his powers.

Lionel Asbo, a terrifying yet weirdly loyal thug, has always looked out for his ward and nephew, the orphaned Desmond Pepperdine. He provides him with fatherly career advice (always carry a knife, for example) and is determined they should share the joys of pit bulls (fed with lots of Tabasco sauce), Internet porn, and all manner of more serious criminality. Des, on the other hand, desires nothing more than books to read and a girl to love (and to protect a family secret that could be the death of him). But just as he begins to lead a gentler, healthier life, his uncle�once again in a London prison�wins 140 million in the lottery and upon his release hires a public relations firm and begins dating a cannily ambitious topless model and "poet." Strangely, however, Lionel's true nature remains uncompromised while his problems, and therefore also Desmond's, seem only to multiply.

"At heart an old-fashioned novel. . . . Amis is, like Dickens, an insistently moral writer, satire being an edifying genre with a noble cause: the improvement of society." �The New York Times Book Review

Publisher: Vintage Books

ISBN: 9780307948083

Paperback

Regular price: $15.00

On sale for $12.75 until Mar. 4.

 

 

On Our Nightstands

Kendall

Lionel Asbo: State of England

Martin Amis

I picked this book for this month�s reading group having read the back cover and a couple of reviews � I had no idea what I was in for. Right from the first paragraph this story is entirely eccentric and shocking. If you are averse to four letter words (used generously), steer clear. If you love hilarious and outrageous situations produced by strange yet endearing characters, this is definitely the book for you. When I wasn�t laughing, I was turning to friends to gush about the salacious events. I loved every page of this insanity.

Paperback, $15.00

Publisher: Vintage Books; ISBN: 9780307948083

10 Tiffany

A Tale for the Time Being

Ruth L Ozeki

This eloquent and moving novel unfolds in layers just the way the character Ruth unwraps the layers of a Japanese girl's diary enclosed in a Hello Kitty lunch box and protected by a plastic freezer bag, found washed up on a beach years after the 2011 tsunami. Ruth becomes absorbed by Nao's tragic story of being bullied to the verge of suicide. But Nao's intelligence and humor come through, especially as she also tells the story of her Zen Buddhist nun grandmother's life. These lives and stories intersect across time and distance, and I feel a part of them, too, "for the time being", as I rapidly turn pages to discover what happens to these people I've begun to love.

Paperback, $16.00

Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143124870

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