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| July 31, 2014 |
'Afternoon, Grass Roots Readers!
The week has proven to be a hot one outside, but very exciting nonetheless. Tuesday we saw a great turnout for the J.A. Jance reading at the Corvallis High School and we still have a few signed books down here if you didn't get a copy over there. It seemed a nice precedent for all the wonderful author and arts events taking place around town in the near future. Take a look at this week's Events section to see what I mean.
In book/music news, we've acquired the latest from Amy Bloom (hardback), Laura Hillenbrand (paperback), and Tom Petty (album), just to start naming a few recent releases.
Finally, I want to take a quick moment to remind you that our Waldo Hunt Celebration is still on for this Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Grass Roots. Please come! I've seen some of the prizes...you'll want to see them, too.
Have a great weekend!
~Jenny
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New Hardcovers
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Bird Dream: Adventures at the Extremes of Human Flight
by Matt Higgins
[Non-Fiction]
 "A new tribe of aerial daredevils write their deeds in blood and glory in this bracing if windy extreme sports saga. Journalist Higgins sings the exploits and charisma of 'wing-suit' pilots, who leap from airplanes and high places and glide through the air in a nylon getup that gives them the shape and aerodynamic advantages of a flying squirrel. His loose narrative follows two wing suiters in their quest to become the first to land (safely) without a parachute: mediagenic superstar Jeb Corliss, bald and resplendent in an all-black outfit with silver skull buttons, wants to build a million-dollar landing slope; meanwhile, his rival, Gary Connery, an unknown stuntman, conceives a bargain-basement scheme to land in a pile of cardboard boxes. . . " -Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $27.95
Publisher: Penguin Press; ISBN:9781594204654
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Lucky Us
by Amy Bloom
[Fiction]
 "Eva, age 12, knows her father as a sweet man who visits on Sundays, until her mother announces that his wife has died and they'll be paying him a visit. And so Eva arrives at a home she's never seen to live with her father and older half sister, Iris, whom she didn't know existed. Talented. . . winning every local and regional competition in their small midwestern college town before. . . [Iris] escap[es] to Hollywood with the embarrassing but brainy and reliable Eva in tow. There is a gossip-column scandal and a cross-country road trip, an abducted orphan and an accused spy, and more than a couple of masquerades, but everything here is fresh; Bloom's cannonballs read like placid ripples." -Booklist, Starred Review
Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Random House; ISBN: 9781400067244
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Shadows in the Vineyard: The True Story of the Plot to Poison the World's Greatest Wine
by Maximillian Potter
[Non-Fiction]
 Expanding on an article first published in Vanity Fair Potter ushers readers into the Burgundy cellars of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, one of France's most prestigious wineries, and introduces its proprietor, the humble Aubert de Villaine, as he outlines a plot to extort a million Euros from [Villaine]. The author's passion for his subject is palpable from the outset, as is his fondness for the troubled Villaine, particularly when he receives the first of three packages containing a detailed map of his winery and an ominous threat: some of the vines have been compromised. The race is on as Villaine receive more menacing missives, and the police attempt to head off the extortionist before centuries-old vines are irrevocably damaged. . . " -Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $27.00
Publisher: Twelve; ISBN: 9781455516100
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The Nixon Tapes: 1971-1972
by Douglas Brinkley and Luke Nichter
[Non-Fiction]
 "Surprisingly, the last of the nearly 4,000 hours' worth of tapes made by President Nixon was released only last August, and very little of this material has been transcribed and published. CBS News historian Brinkley (e.g., The Wilderness Warrior) and Nichter, an associate professor at Texas A&M University and former founding executive producer of C-SPAN's American History TV, have selected, edited, and annotated key passages from the tapes with topics ranging from negotiating with North Vietnam to managing the reelection campaign. The book will be released, along with accompanying digitized audio recordings, on the 40th anniversary of Nixon's resignation. . . " -Library Journal
Hardcover; $35.00
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; ISBN: 9780544274150
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New Paperbacks
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by Laura Hillenbrand
[Non-Fiction]
 "The author of Seabiscuit now brings us a biography of World War II prisoner of war survivor Louis Zamperini (b. 1917). A track athlete at the 1936 Munich Olympics, Zamperini became a B-24 crewman in the U.S. Army Air Force. When his plane went down in the Pacific in 1943, he spent 47 days in a life raft, then was picked up by a Japanese ship and survived starvation and torture in labor camps. Eventually repatriated, he had a spiritual rebirth and returned to Japan to promote forgiveness and healing." - Library Journal
Publisher: Random House Trade; ISBN: 9780812974492
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[Fiction]
 "When we last saw Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sret' du Qu'bec, he was solving the murder of a cloistered monk ( The Beautiful Mystery, 2012). No problem there, but in the process, his relationship with his deputy, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, imploded, leaving Jean-Guy back on prescription drugs and in league with Gamache's enemies within the police force. That situation has only worsened, as Gamache's attempts to expose corruption and evil-doing at the highest levels of the force have prompted a vicious counterattack, leaving the chief inspector vulnerable professionally and personally. Into that cauldron comes a new murder case involving the death of the last surviving sister of quintuplets, whose birth and early life prompted a Canadian media frenzy in the mid-twentieth century. . . " - Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: Minotaur Books; ISBN: 9781250047274
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[Non-Fiction]
 "As global warming accelerates, McKibben, who has been writing about climate change and fossil fuels for 25 years, has stepped up his innovative activism even though all he really wants to do is stay home in Vermont and appreciate nature's magnificent choreography. The title of his fifteenth book encapsulates the two lives he juxtaposes in this confiding and dramatic chronicle of environmental action in the Internet age, especially his founding of the nimble and impactful organization 350.org. On the oil front, McKibben illuminates the thinking behind and courage involved in protests against the Keystone XL pipeline, including his time in jail. Honey refers to his collaboration with beekeeper Kirk Webster, whose dream was to establish a chemical-free apiary and share his sustainable bee-raising techniques. . . " -Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; ISBN: 9781250048714
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by Emily Croy Barker
[Fiction]
 "Nora Fischer has lost everything: dumped by her boyfriend, her dissertation going nowhere fast, her life an empty shell. She decides she needs an escape. In this ambitious, densely packed debut by journalist Barker, Nora finds that instead of getting a small break from normality, she has escaped into another world in which magic exists and is not as cute and cuddly as she might have imagined. Though the story starts with a classic tale of unpleasant fairies working their will, it morphs into something deeper and more nuanced when Nora meets the magician Aruendiel. Barker weaves together classic fantasy and romantic elements. . . to produce a well-rounded, smooth, and subtle tale." -Publishers Weekly
Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143125679
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by Barbara Rogan
[Fiction]
 "Rogan sets this thriller in the publishing world, a perfect showcase for sins that can boil over into murder, especially those of pride, envy, wrath, and greed. . . Rogan's heroine, Jo Donovan, is a young widow who has inherited a literary agency from her husband. Donovan is under no illusion that talent brought her the fortune and agency she enjoys, which goes a long way to make her appealing. But rejecting writers is part of the job. After a series of agency rejections, someone starts sending nasty e-mails, then moves onto cruel pranks, and, finally, murder. . . " -Booklist
Paperback; $15.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143125655
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New For Young Readers
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The Best Book in the World!
by Rilla Alexander
Ages 3-7
 "[The story] follows a book-loving girl on the adventures reading takes her. . . Colored in bold primary reds, yellows, and blues, her blocky, pared-down images have the feel of linoprints. . . 'Read along. Read aloud. Or in your head, ' writes Alexander as she shows the pigtailed girl with her nose buried in a book while hitching rides on a crowded city and a rolling travel bag. From there, the girl goes skydiving, crosses a sunbaked desert (where, in addition to being an immersive read, her book provides helpful shade), and ventures into the belly of a sleeping dragon. . . " -Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $17.95
Publisher: Nobrow Press; ISBN: 9781909263307
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 "Two dads, four sons, one dog, one cat, one imaginary cheetah. That's the family Fletcher. This delightful offering is reminiscent of Jeanne Beardsall's Penderwicks books, along with other stories that hearken back to an earlier, golden age of family stories. Levy makes some bold choices here. The chapters are alternately narrated by the brothers, who each has his own problem to work through. Twelve-year-old Sam is an athlete but toying with acting; fourth-grader Eli thought he wanted to go to a strict academic school, but it's not working out; Jax, also in fourth grade, has to interview the grumpy neighbor for a project on veterans; and kindergartner Frog can't get anyone to believe his school pal isn't imaginary. . . " -Booklist
Hardcover; $15.99
Publisher: Delacorte Press Books; ISBN: 9780385376525
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New Music
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Genre: Pop/Folk
It's been ages since Clapton was declared God for his unreal guitar prowess. More recently, he has focused on a laid-back blues rock, collaborating with notables like BB King and JJ Cale. This star studded record pays tribute to the music of his friend JJ Cale.
($15.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
As a member of Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis made bright indie pop music. As a solo artist, her music has ranged from roots rock to electronic pop. Voyager achieves a suitable balance between California-centric pop and a more contemporary edge.
($13.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
It's been four years since Petty and his Heartbreakers released the bluesy Mojo. Hypnotic Eye is characterized by the same garage mentality, its songs spiced with psychedelic fuzz, bluesy workouts, and even jazzier moments.
($18.95) |
Events at Grass Roots
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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.
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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.
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 Thursday, August 14 7:00 p.m. 227 SW 2nd St
Grass Roots Books and Music
Corvallis , Oregon
ASTORIA: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire--A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival is the harrowing tale of the quest to settle a Jamestown-like colony on the Pacific Coast. Though the colony itself would be short-lived, its founders opened provincial American eyes to the remarkable potential of the Western coast, discovered the route that became the Oregon Trail, and permanently altered the nation's landscape and global standing.
Unfolding from 1810 to 1813, Astoria is a tale of high adventure and incredible hardship drawing extensively on firsthand accounts of the men who made the journey. Peter Stark is an adventurer and explorer with first-hand experience of the terrain depicted in Astoria. The author has paddled it, hiked it, climbed it-and is thus able to portray these harrowing situations
with vividness and immediacy.
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Community Poetry Night and Stafford Night
 Thursday August 21, 7:00 p.m. 227 SW 2nd St
Grass Roots Books and Music
Corvallis , Oregon
Join us down at Grass Roots to read your own poetry and/or your favorite poem by William Stafford, or attend and listen!
On William Stafford: "If you have been wondering where the articulate, readable poems have gone in the last third of the 20th century, you might start with [William] Stafford,' declares Victor Howes of the Christian Science Monitor. A pacifist and one of 'the quiet of the land,' as he often describes himself, Stafford is known for his unique method of composition, his soft-spoken voice, and his independence from social and literary expectations." -from The Poetry Foundation
Contact our Event Coordinator (ATTN: Claire) at groots@peak.org or call at 541-754-7668 to sign up.
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Community Events
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| Darkside Show Times for 8/1-8/7
-Venus In Fur -R Provocative, funny, and brilliantly acted, Venus in Fur finds Roman Polanski in top late-period form. It's witty, perceptive, penetrating, beautifully made, and feels like one of the filmmaker's most personal films.
-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."
-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.
-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/Arts Events
-Matt the Electrician: Under the Oaks at Harris Bridge Vineyard Saturday, August 2, 2014 @ 4:00 p.m. Harris Bridge Vineyard 22937 Harris Road Philomath, OR 97370 $15 Matt the Electrician, a singer and songwriter from Austin, Texas, will be playing outside under the oak trees by the vineyard for a perfect family, picnic-style concert. Bring a picnic blanket! Tickets are $15 per person and kids under 12 are free. Tasty, local food available from Burnheimer Meat Co., and we will have drinks available! (Pick up tickets ahead of time at Grass Roots!)
-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!
-Hunting Film Tour Friday, August 8, 2014 @ 7:00 p.m. $12 Majestic Theatre 115 Southwest 2nd Street Corvallis, OR 97333 The Hunting Film Tour spans North America, featuring epic hunting adventures on the big screen. The Tour highlights conservation-minded, fair chase adventures that share incredible outdoor stories using the best cinematography, editing and music compilations in the industry. The films include archery, muzzleloader and rifle hunts for big game, wingshooting, waterfowling and amazing international adventures. The shows promise to entertain, captivate and inspire audiences of all ages. Call 541-738-7469 for more information.
-Creative Nonfiction: $500 Grand Prize-Hippocampus Magazine Extended deadline: August 31, 2014 Submit your best creative nonfiction to Hippocampus Magazine's 2014 Remember in November Contest for Creative Nonfiction. Grand prize: $500; runner-up $100-plus other prizes. Five finalist stories published in November 2014 issue; all stories considered for publication in future issues. $10 entry fee. Extended deadline 8/31/2014. Word limit: 3,500. Read past winners and full guidelines at our website.
- Wag's Revue Summer Writing Contest Online submission deadline: August 31, 2014 The editors are now accepting submissions in poetry, fiction and essays for their summer writing contest. First prize is $1000 and publication; second is $500; and third $100. There's a $20 fee per entry and all submissions will be considered for publication. To learn more, and to submit, visit www.wagsrevue.com/submit. Founded five years ago, Wag's Revue is an online-only literary quarterly of fiction, poetry, essays and interviews. The magazine is sponsored by the New York Foundation for the Arts and is committed to compensating all its contributors. Read all issues, including past contest winners, for free 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!
- Les Figues Press: NOS (Not Otherwise Specified) Book Contest Online Deadline: September 15, 2014 Guest judge Fanny Howe will select a manuscript of 64-250 pages for publication by Les Figues Press. Eligible submissions include previously unpublished manuscripts of poetry, novellas, prose poems, innovative novels, anti-novels, short story collections, lyric essays, hybrids, and work Not-Otherwise-Specified. Prize: publication and $1,000. There is a $25 submission fee; all entrants receive a Les Figues title of their choosing. Multiple and simultaneous submissions allowed. Full guidelines here.
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Community Events with Grass Roots
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Store News
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Awards
2014 RITA Award Winners
Romance Writers of America (RWA) have announced the winning authors and books for the 2014 RITA Awards. The RITA is the recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. Winners include:
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| I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie Display
Our latest store display features bold, beautiful, BIG books. Hence, the cheeky name. (Any readers fans of early '90s hip-hop. . . ?) Anyway, if you are looking for aesthetically pleasing and informative coffee table books, gifts, or new night stand reading, I highly recommend coming into Grass Roots to look at this display. Here are a few of the featured books that I am particularly intrigued by:
Claude Monet's Gardens at Giverny by Jean-Pierre Gilson and Dominique Lobstein, featuring gorgeous pictures of Monet's restored gardens, which he painted in some of his most famous watercolors.
Legends, Icons, and Rebels: Music that Changed the World by Robbie Robertson and several other musicians, writers, producers, and managers who highlight 28 music legends in an accessible, visually appealing book that discusses the importance of icons like Chuck Berry, Carol King, and Otis Redding.
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J.A. Jance Reading
The Grass Roots staff was excited to be your booksellers at J.A. Jance's reading at the Corvallis High School this Tuesday. The crowd was both knowledgeable and excited at the chance to meet this acclaimed mystery writer, with approximately 100 in the audience! We at Grass Roots are consistently proud of our community members for rallying behind author events such as this one, and always honored to provide the books right there next to the author. We still have several signed copies of J.A. Jance's books in the store if you didn't get a chance to attend the reading and book signing, including her most recent title Remains of Innocence. Here's to summer reading events!
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Jigsaw
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Reading Group Selection
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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
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Night Stands
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Claire
The Whistling Season
by Ivan Doig
[Fiction]
 The Whistling Season was the first of Ivan Doig's books I picked up, and it will not be the last. Doig crafts the story of Paul, a boy in rural Montana, and how he and his family passed through a one-room schoolhouse. The story shows both the difficulties and the beauty of growing up in the rural American West. Doig weaves his prose carefully, and as Paul learns to love language, we can see the significance of creative uses of words and how they affect our lives.
Paperback; $14.95
Publisher: Harvest Books; ISBN: 9780156031646
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Tiffany
The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire Mysteries) by Craig Johnson
[Fiction]
 I've long recommended Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire mysteries to customers based on other reviews, but I'd never read one myself. Then both my fiancé and my mother said I had to try the first book, and now I'm hooked. Deft plotting, likeable characters-especially Sheriff Longmire, deputy Victoria Moretti, and lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear-and a strong sense of place make this series stand out. It may be summer now, but I can almost feel the first flakes of Wyoming snow and see the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains as I rapidly turn pages toward what promises to be a gripping end.
Paperback; $15.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143036425
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Kendall
A Farewell to Arms
by Ernest Hemingway
[Fiction]
 Hemingway is the definitive king of melodic prose; the way his sentences flow, unpretentious and touching, moves through the reader's mind in the most natural, fluid, beautiful way. If you have as of yet not read any Hemingway, or skipped over A Farewell to Arms, you need to get on it. Aside from being considered the best American novel to come out of WWI, it is a breathtakingly honest account of love and struggle. This new edition includes notes from the author and alternate endings, so even if you already have a copy, it's worth the buy.
Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Scribner Book Company; ISBN: 9781476764528
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Erika
Turn Blue
by The Black Keys
[Album]
 I'm always excited when a great band releases a new CD, but when it is different from their previous albums it always has to "grow on me". Turn Blue was this way for me! I was pumped to listen to it for the first time while running, but it was too much for me to handle, too new. After a handful of times, I really do enjoy it and it is a refreshing take on what The Black Keys have to offer. If you love them as much as I do, don't turn away, let it meld and grow on you, you'll be glad! |
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