|
|
|
|
| July 24, 2014 |
Hello, Readers!
Today marks the last week and a half for our downtown Where's Waldo hunt--come and get a passport while you can! We'll be drawing prizes from 8 local businesses, including Grass Roots, on Sunday, August 3 at 1:30 p.m., here at the bookstore. We'd love to see all the adults, kids, and local business owners/sellers for the event. Consider yourself invited!
Additional update: if you take a look at our store events section, you'll see the rescheduled date and time for our Community Poetry Night.
Meanwhile, we've got the latest J.A. Jance hardback (just in time for her visit to Corvallis [see event information below]), tons of intriguing non-fiction titles, and the most recent albums from Don Flemons and Raffi. Enjoy this week's selection! See you at the store!
~Jenny
|
New Hardcovers
|
|
Remains of Innocence (Joanna Brady Mysteries) by J.A. Jance [Fiction]
 "A seeming stroke of good fortune for Liza Machett finding $147,000 in $100 bills squirreled away by her late mother proves quite the contrary in bestseller Jance's absorbing 16th in the series featuring tough but tender-hearted Sheriff Joanna Brady (after 2012's Judgment Call). As Liza, a Great Barrington, Mass., assistant restaurant manager, tries to stay a step ahead of the arson and murder that start to erupt around her in the wake of her windfall, not to mention hometown cops who consider her a person of interest, there's also a mini crime wave sprouting on Sheriff Brady's turf in Cochise County, Ariz. . . " - Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $26.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN:9780062134707
|
Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connect
by Wallace J. Nichols [Non-Fiction]
 "A lifelong ocean advocate and aquatic educator examines the biocentric and neurochemical wonderments of water. Passionately dedicated to oceanic sciences, marine biologist and California Academy of Sciences research associate Nichols presents fieldwork largely focused on scientific experiments measuring the human brain's electrical response to water. He astutely examines how the ocean, the color blue and regular human interaction with water significantly affect mood, attitude and energetic productivity, and he explores our evolutionary connection to water and the ways it inspires creative flow. . . " -Kirkus Reviews
Hardcover; $27.00
Publisher: Little Brown and Company; ISBN: 9780316252089
|
Unruly Places: Lost Spaces, Secret Cities, and Other Inscrutable Geographies by Alastair Bonnett [Non-Fiction]
 "Bonnett divides places into helpful categories. Hidden Geographies includes tunnel labyrinths below old cities and oddities like an established community within a Philippine cemetery. We visit Dead Cities like the skyscrapered, yet bizarrely empty, attempts by China and North Korea to proclaim ideological success. Unused spaces enclosed by highways fall within No Man's Lands. Lost Spaces range from tiny islands that come and go, with shifting conditions, to Leningrad, Russia, which was renamed St. Petersburg. International airspace, a peninsula-consuming Greek monastery, and a Somalian pirate feral city fall under Spaces of Exception. . . " -Booklist
Hardcover; $25.00
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; ISBN: 9780544101579
|
Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces
by Miles J. Unger [Non-Fiction]
 "In Michelangelo, the poet Ludovico Ariosto saw an angel divine. The Michelangelo whom Unger delivers in this probing biography is no angel but, rather, a fallible, even devious man. But he does evince powers not previously seen among mere human beings in the way he defies the limits that previously circumscribed the role of the artist. Readers watch this multifaceted genius acquire these powers as the bold young sculptor of the Pieta matures, dazzling Rome with his David. . . and finally overwhelming the ecclesiastical hierarchy with his anarchic Last Judgment. But the creative feat that unifies this string of masterpieces is Michelangelo's forging of an entirely new conception of the artist. . . the artist that emerges in Michelangelo is a visionary insistent on his imaginative autonomy. . . " -Booklist, Starred Review
Hardcover; $29.95
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781451678741
|
Authorisms: Words Wrought by Writers by Paul Dickson [Non-Fiction]
 Here lexicographer Paul Dickson gives us a reader-friendly, entertaining, and useful history of the many English-language neologisms we find ourselves so often taking for granted. From Shakespeare ( "bedazzled," "critical," and "anchovy") to Milton ("earthshaking," "by hook or by crook," and "lovelorn") to Chaucer ("a ha"), we get a vast panoply of words and small histories about their coinage. This book serves as a kind of dictionary, history, and booklover's bible for the written and spoken word.
Hardcover; $18.00
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC; ISBN: 9781620405406
|
New Paperbacks
|
|
|
by Paul Bogard [Non-Fiction]
 A deeply panoramic tour of the night, from its brightest spots to the darkest skies we have left. A starry night is one of nature's most magical wonders. Yet in our artificially lit world, three-quarters of Americans' eyes never switch to night vision and most of us no longer experience true darkness. In The End Of Night, Paul Bogard restores our awareness of the spectacularly primal, wildly dark night sky and how it has influenced the human experience across everything from science to art.
Publisher: Back Bay Books; ISBN: 9780316182911
|
|
by Eli Brown [Fiction]
 "Brown transports readers to 1819 via the narration of Owen Wedgwood. He is the renowned chef for the wealthy owner of Pendleton Trading Company, an economic powerhouse that controls the ocean-shipping lines from east to west. When the infamous pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot commandeers their ship, Wedgwood watches her murder his employer, then steal his supper. Intoxicated by Wedgwood's skill with a skillet, Mabbot forces him to cook for his life aboard her ship where she holds him prisoner. Soon he is swept up into Mabbot's hunt for the Brass Fox, a rival rogue. . . Brown concocts a clever tale in which history, ethics, action, and romance blend harmoniously. . . " -Booklist
Paperback; $15.00
Publisher: Picador USA; ISBN: 9781250050182
|
 Newly sober travel writer Troost retraces Robert Louis Stevenson's route through the South Pacific from the Marquesas to Samoa in this evocative, funny literary memoir. He recounts his voyage upon the Aranui III cargo ship rooming with a seasick "family of cheerful gnomes from Lyon," battling the urge for a drink and acquiring a traditional Marquesan tattoo on the anniversary of his sobriety. Troost provides insight into addiction and recovery that, in his case, turned him from alcoholic to longdistance runner, and from Buddhism to the Catholic Church. We learn the history of the islands and view the beautiful landscapes of lagoons, atolls, and beaches through Troost's vibrant descriptions.
Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Gotham Books; ISBN: 9781592408733
|
|
by Helen Fielding [Fiction]
 "It's been 15 years since readers first met the charmingly insecure Bridget Jones, and 13 since her last adventure in Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2000). Bridget is now 51, and, most readers will be chagrined to learn, a widow. She is also raising the two children she had with the now deceased Mark Darcy and gingerly wading back into the dating pool while working on a screenplay. When she joins Twitter, she obsesses about the number of Twitter followers she has the same way she used to agonize over her weight, which does remains a concern. Bridget begins a Twitter flirtation with a sexy guy named Roxster, who turns out to be only 29. . . " - Booklist
Paperback; $15.95
Publisher: Vintage Books; ISBN: 9780345806345
|
|
by Simon Armitage [Non-Fiction]
 "Award-winning poet Armitage. . . does what poets sometimes do: takes a walk, observes keenly and reports. In the author's case, the walk was more than a shuffle about the Lake District, but rather a long haul down the Pennine Way, more than 250 miles, and three weeks, from Scotland to his home in the Midlands. It also meant heavy weather, for 'down' the Pennine Way means into the prevailing wind and rain, which, along this backbone of England, isn't to be trifled with. Though he is occasionally wry and playful, the Way is a serious ramble, capable of swallowing up travelers in the boggy mists and moorlands." -Kirkus Reviews
Paperback; $15.95
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation; ISBN: 9780871407436
|
New For Young Readers
|
|
 An unlikely friendship is sprouted when little Penguin finds and befriends a lonely pinecone in the snow. Penguin's grandpa warns against the longevity of the friendship, though, when he tells Penguin that pinecones need the warmth of the forest to survive. So, in honor of true friendship, Penguin decides to take the pinecone back to its rightful home. Adhering to the old adage "If you love something, set if free," Penguin is rewarded in the end for his noble efforts.
Hardcover; $7.99
Publisher: Walker & Company; ISBN: 9780802737311
|
Homeroom Diaries
by James Patterson and Lisa Papademetriou [Fiction]
Young Adult
 "After a brief stay at a mental institution, Cuckoo Clarke is back in school and living with Mrs. Morris, her foster parent. Her best friends are a band of lovable misfits and they come up with a plan to unite the various factions of the student body (the jocks, stoners, mathletes, activists, Tolkien freaks, etc.) Even after some setbacks, they bring people together for a "Scream Out," an event that allows everyone an opportunity to open up, release tension, and ultimately discover that they have more in common than they thought. . . The novel is fully illustrated with humorous artwork that contributes to the story in a meaningful way. . . " -School Library Journal
Hardcover; $18.00
Publisher: Philomel Books; ISBN: 9780399163555
|
New Music
|
|
Genre: Jazz/Blues
As heard on NPR, Viper's Drag brings together celebrated New Orleans jazz pianist Henry Butler and trumpeter Steven Bernstein. The record also heralds the rebirth of the landmark Impulse jazz label.
($10.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
Flemons came to prominence as a member of the popular Carolina Chocolate Drops. In addition to singing, Flemons plays banjo, guitar, harmonica, fife, bones, bass drum, snare drum, and quills.
($13.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
It's been 50 years since Smither came out of New Orleans with his trademark blend of blues and folk. In celebration of five decades, Smither releases this 2-disc retrospective that showcases tunes from throughout his career.
($19.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
The guitar legend's new collections pulls together a handful of favorites from his 4-decade career. Inspired by the response to his recent all acoustic tours, Thompson rerecords these familiar tunes with a focus on his celebrated acoustic guitar playing.
($12.95) |
Genre: Kids
As heard on NPR: "Raffi's been making kids music off-and-on since the 1970s. And his new album, called 'Love Bug,' is his first children's song album in 12 years."
($14.95) |
Events at Grass Roots
|
|
Tiny Homes on the Move by Lloyd Kahn
 Thursday, July 31 7:00 p.m. 227 SW 2nd St
Grass Roots Books and Music
Corvallis , Oregon
Tiny Homes on the Move chronicles 21st-century nomads - people who inhabit homes that are compact and mobile, either on wheels or in the water. In photos and stories, this fascinating book explores modern travelers who live in vans, pickup trucks, buses, trailers, sailboats, and houseboats that combine the comforts of home with the convenience of being able to pick up and go at any time. Many are hand-crafted by the owners, showing skill and creativity.
With over 1,100 color photos accompanying the stories and descriptions of these moveable sanctuaries, this is a valuable and inspirational book for anyone thinking outside the box about shelter.
In 1968 Lloyd Kahn worked as Shelter editor for the Whole Earth Catalog. In 1971 he published Domebook 2. His shake-covered geodesic dome was featured in Life magazine. Ultimately disillusioned with domes, he took Domebook 2 out of print and in 1973, published the oversized book Shelter that went on to sell over 250,000 copies. In 2004, Kahn published Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter, Builders of the Pacific Coast in 2008, Tiny Homes: Simple Shelter in 2012, and Tiny Homes on the Move in 2014. Kahn and his wife Lesley live and work in a small coastal town in Northern California.
|
Soul Analysis by Chavah Aima
 Tuesday, August 5 7:00 p.m. 227 SW 2nd St
Grass Roots Books and Music
Corvallis , Oregon
Chavah Aima will read from her book, Soul Analysis, and will sign copies after.
Soul Analysis reveals the human being from a spiritual point of view. If you have wondered about the purpose of your life, your Soul Analysis profile can bring new insights to answer this important question. Drawn from an ancient system of astrology and numerology, your profile is determined by your birthday. From past life events to present day relationships, work and social life, your profile will inspire you with a higher vision of yourself and your life. In Soul Analysis, you will discover your destiny, understand the mysteries of yourself and others and activate the power of your soul.
A former psychotherapist, Chavah Aima created Soul Analysis through years of research into an ancient, mystical system of spiritual psychology. She discovered vital keys that can help us heal and awaken to our soul's mission in life. She offers personal consultations and trains certified Soul Analysts.
|
|
Community Poetry Night
 Thursday August 21, 7:00 p.m. 227 SW 2nd St
Grass Roots Books and Music
Corvallis , Oregon
Community poets: thanks for your patience during the interim of rescheduling our annual Poetry Night reading. This year we will be combining forces with the Stafford Appreciation Poetry Night. Both are right here at Grass Roots, intermingled together for one grand night of poetry. We very much hope to see you there!
|
Community Events
|
|
| Darkside Show Times for 7/25-7/31
-Chef-R A chef who loses his restaurant job starts up a food truck in an effort to reclaim his creative promise.
-Snowpiercer -R In a future, a train that travels around the globe, where a class system evolves.
-Life Itself -R Rich in detail and warmly affectionate, Life Itself offers a joyful yet poignant tribute to a critical cinematic legacy. "A stunningly good documentary. I still can't believe Siskel and Ebert are gone."
-Grand Seduction -PG-13 A fish-out-of-water fable set within a fabulously scenic backdrop, against which wholesome humor and a thoroughgoing humanist streak play out and intertwine with gentle, unforced ease.
Literary Events
-World of Ideas Lecture Series Corvallis-Benton County Public Library Tuesday, August 5 12:10- 1:10 p.m. "When Does Art Become Art? An Aesthetic Conundrum" Shepard Levine explores the concept of artistic human endeavor and how it has changed over time. Sponsored by LBCC Benton Center, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Benton County Historical Society & Museum, and John Croy of Edward Jones Investments. This lecture series is free and open to the public. Bring a friend and your lunch and enjoy!
-Narrative of Exploration: Nancy Helmsworth and Owen Premore Saturday July 26, 2014 @ 12:00 - 5:00 p.m. The Arts Center 700 Southwest Madison Avenue Corvallis, OR 97333
Nancy Helmsworth and Owen Premore, both from Portland, exhibit together at The Arts Center in July and August with "Narrative of Exploration," an exhibit about different types of exploration. Helmsworth's subject matter is a narrative about exploration, but it also describes the development of her work through this series. Premore's sculpture is rich in layers of narrative based in the found objects from which the works are created. Visit the Art Center's website for more information.
-Press 53 Award for Poetry $1000 Prize- plus Travel Submission deadline: July 31, 2014; The Press 53 Award for Poetry is awarded annually to an outstanding, unpublished collection of poems. Press 53 poetry series editor Tom Lombardo will serve as judge and the winner of this contest will receive publication by Press 53 as a Tom Lombardo Poetry Selection, a $1,000 cash advance, travel expenses and lodging for a special launch party weekend in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, attendance as special guest to the 2015 Press 53/Jacar Press Gathering of Poets, and ten copies of the book; all prizes will be awarded upon publication. Deadline: July 31, 2014. Reading fee: $30. Complete information here.
- 2014 NANO Prize Online submission deadline: September 1, 2014 The sixth annual NANO Prize, awarding publication and $500 to a previously unpublished work of fiction 300 words or fewer, is open and this year's contest will be judged by Kim Chinquee! All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to NANO Fiction and winners will be announced in mid-September. Visit website here. - Black Warrior Review Contest Online Submission deadline: September 1, 2014 announcing Black Warrior Review's Tenth-Annual Contest for Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry! Grand prize in each genre: $1000 and publication; Runner-up prize in each genre: $100 and publication. Cost to enter: $20 (comes with one-year subscription). This year we are honored to have Richard Siken (Poetry), Lily Hoang (Fiction/Prose), and Kiese Laymon (Nonfiction) as our guest judges. The entry fee covers one 7,000 word fiction or nonfiction submission, or one packet of up to three poems. Send us your best work today; we can't wait to read it! Visit our website here.
-The Coniston Prize from Radar Poetry Online deadline: September 1, 2014
The first annual Coniston Prize will be open to submissions from July 1 to September 1, 2014! Radar Poetry's annual, endowed prize recognizes an outstanding group of poems by a woman writing in English. This year's judge is the poet Mary Biddinger. The winner will be awarded $1,000, and her work will be featured in the October issue of Radar. Up to ten finalists will also be awarded publication. The entry fee is $15. For details or to submit a manuscript, please visit here. We look forward to reading your work!
|
|
Community Events with Grass Roots
|
|
| Remains of Innocence by J.A. Jance
Tuesday, July 29 11:30 a.m.
Corvallis High School Main Stage
1400 NW Buchanan Ave
Corvallis , Oregon
 The story opens far away from Cochise County, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Selma Machett is on the verge of death from emphysema, which is hardly tragic news to her daughter Liza-who endured constant psychological abuse and deprivation of basic necessities from her mother, and was happy to escape her reign of terror. As Selma enters her final days, she summons Liza and orders her to fetch an old cookbook from her house-which is in a state of utter disrepair and squalor. As the younger Machett confronts the terrible memories the building holds, she makes a startling discovery: Many hundred-dollar bills between the pages of the cookbook... and the one next to it... and the one next to it... Selma passes away before the origin of the money can be determined. The day of her funeral, her house mysteriously burns down-and Liza's landlady turns up murdered. Knowing she's in danger, Liza begins a furtive trip across the country to get answers about her family from her brother Guy-who happens to be Cochise County's medical examiner.
J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, and four interrelated thrillers about the Walker Family. Over twenty million copies of her books are in print. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington, and Tucson, Arizona.
|
Store News
|
|
|
Eric Wayne Dickey Recap
Thanks to all who came out to the Eric Wayne Dickey event last Saturday. It was a rockin' good time, with an excellent turnout of both kids and adults. Not only did Eric read from his most recent book Alex the Ant Goes to the Beach, but he led a sing-a-long of "The Ants Go Marching," followed by arts and crafts. We got to make some spoon and pipe cleaner ants! Stay tuned for more dynamic in-store events like this one at Grass Roots. |
The Colbert Effect
Thanks to the now-famous "Colbert Bump," Edan Lepucki's California is currently #3 on the New York Times bestsellers list. This is very exciting news in the ongoing Amazing vs. Hachette dispute, and puts the spotlight on the value of independent bookstores, and authors' and readers' rights. Watch this clip to see Lepucki's appearance on the Colbert Report, where she pays it forward to promote Stephan Eirik Clark's debut novel Sweetness #9.
|
Jigsaw
|
|
Reading Group Selection
|
|
|
by Manuel Gonzales
 Join Neé as she leads the August Reading Group with The Miniature Wife by Manuel Gonzales.
In the tradition of George Saunders and Aimee Bender, an exuberantly imagined debut that chronicles an ordinary world marked by unusual phenomena. The 18 stories of Gonzales's exhilarating first book render the fantastic commonplace and the ordinary extraordinary, in prose that thrums with energy and shimmers with beauty.
"It's rare that a debut author is also a seasoned storyteller, but this is the case with Gonzales, whose first book is a deeply imaginative collection of short stories. With commendable skill, Gonzales seamlessly blends the real and the fantastic, resulting in a fun and provocative collection that readers will want to devour. . ." -Publishers Weekly Regular Price: $16.00
On sale for:$13.60 until Monday, August 4
Publisher: Riverhead Books
ISBN:9781594632273
|
Night Stands
|
|
Linda
Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality
by Danielle Allen [Non-Fiction]
 In today's hurried world, we can easily take for granted our American independence and declaration of equality. Danielle Allen has written a thorouough book looking at our extremely important, 1,337 word document that declared our independence and started a new nation. Allen gives us the Declaration's history, goes into depth the character of it's writing, it's poetry and style, and discusses what the committee of five originally set down on paper for Congress to fine tune. Allen shows how this truly remarkable collection of words states that the pursuit of happiness is only within equality for all the nation's people.
Paperback; $27.95
Publisher: Liveright Publishing Corporation; ISBN: 9780871406903
|
Jenny
Even So: New and Selected Poems by Gary Young [Poetry]
 Gary Young writes in a quiet, patient, and wise manner. Most of his poems are wound up in flora, fauna, mother and fatherhood. Even So spans eight volumes of Young's poetry, where he muses mostly about the bliss and terror humans are confronted with in everyday circumstances, whether sitting down to dinner with a wife, taking a son into the woods, or even the simplest act of falling asleep, submitting oneself to the unconscious of both dreams and nightmares. I find Young's words soothing, urgent, and steady-sure and unsure-and these juxtapositions extremely gratifying.
Paperback; $18.00
Publisher: White Pine Press; ISBN: 9781935210337
|
Neé
Once Upon a Midnight Eerie ( Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe #02 ) by Gordon McAlpine [Fiction]
Ages 9-12
 It's easy to get into classic reads with Once Upon A Midnight Eerie, book two in the Misadventures of Edgar & Allan Poe series. This stand-alone story is full of mystery, espionage, and comedy. The series continues to follow the unpredictable escapades of the prankster Poe twins - the great-great-great-great grandnephews of the one and only, Edgar Allan Poe. Along with the usual slew of classic literary references and action-packed pages, a few new characters are introduced, including: Em and Milly Dickinson! You can entertain even the most stubborn nonreader with this clever and spooky tale.
Paperback; $16.99
Publisher: Viking Children's Books; ISBN: 9780670784936
|
Adam
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams [Fiction-Audio]
 I first read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when I was in high school. The genius of the novel is it's merging of Sci-fi with a razor sharp wit that both honors and sends-up the genre. Full of word play, cultural critique and space hi-jinx, I was only ever disappointed by adaptations; the movie was just mediocre, the radio show was plain weird. I never thought anyone could do the book justice, let alone improve upon it, but I am happy to say that this audio version has proven me wrong. Read by Stephen Fry, the British comedian extraordinaire, the novel comes to life in all its ridiculous and silly glory.
Compact Disc; $14.99
Publisher: Random House Audio; ISBN: 9780804191852
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
