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| Sept. 18, 2014 |
Hello Grass Roots Readers!
This week we have SO MANY good books. A lot of excellent non-fiction comes to mind, like Diane Ackerman's The Human Age, the paperback release of Salinger, and a super-excellent collection of essays culled from the archives of New Republic magazine for Insurrections of the Mind. Make sure you read through all the titles this week. It's quite a list.
I wanted to give a brief mention that we do now have Underwater Puppies in our Animals section (for those of you who fell in love with Seth Casteel's Underwater Dogs).
Finally, Banned Books Week starts September 21. Please honor the freedom to read by picking up a banned book, either one you know you love (I'm partial to Slaughterhouse Five), or one you might never have suspected was banned from schools and libraries (Dr. Seuss's The Lorax??). Revel in the glory of all books, all the time!
And with that, I wish you a great weekend. =)
~Jenny |
New Hardcovers
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The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us
by Diane Ackerman
[Non-Fiction]
 ". . . Ackerman (Dawn Light, 2009), an expert and buoyantly imaginative envoy between the scientific realm and readers, takes measure of why we've reached [the Human Age]. Grandly curious and skillfully observant, Ackerman reports on her world travels to learn about reconciliation ecology, including the restoring of coast-protecting oyster beds, cutting-edge efforts in renewable energy, architecture that functions (and sometimes resembles) growing organisms, and the topsy-turvy reality in which industrial agriculture has wiped out rural biodiversity while wildlife is rapidly adapting to city life. Ackerman also considers the evolutionary impact of digital technologies, the paradigm-shifting potential of 3-D printing, and wonders if we'll survive our own ingenuity when it comes to increasingly human-like robots. . ." -Booklist, Starred Review
Hardcover; $27.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393240740
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Edge of Eternity: Book Three of the Century Trilogy (Century Trilogy)
by Ken Follett
[Fiction]
 "Those eagerly awaiting volume three of Follett's ambitious Century Trilogy will not be disappointed. Despite the long wait. . . both the history propelling the multiple plots and the third generation of the interrelated cast of characters are so familiar, readers should have no trouble picking up the threads of the story line left dangling at the end of the previous installment. Spanning the globe and the latter third of twentieth century, this saga continues to follow the lives and loves of the members of five global families, as they struggle against a backdrop of tumultuous international events. . ." -Booklist
Hardcover; $36.00
Publisher: Dutton Books; ISBN: 9780525953098
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I'll Give You the Sun
by Jandy Nelson
[Fiction]
 ". . . Fraternal twins and burgeoning artists Jude and Noah are inseparable until puberty hits and they find themselves competing for boys, a spot at an exclusive art school, and their parents' affections. Told in alternating perspectives and time lines, with Noah's chapters taking place when they are 13 and Jude's when they are 16, this novel explores how it's the people closest to us who have the power to both rend us utterly and knit us together. . . In the intervening years, a terrible tragedy has torn their family apart, and the chasm between the siblings grows ever wider. Vibrant imagery and lyrical prose propel readers forward as the twins experience first love, loss, betrayal, acceptance, and forgiveness. . ." -School Library Journal
Hardcover; $27.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 9780062204691
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Stone Mattress: Nine Tales
by Margaret Atwood
[Fiction]
 "Atwood, a bestselling master of fiction, delivers a stunning collection her first since 2006's Moral Disorder. Most of the nine stories feature women who have been wronged as girls but recover triumphantly as adults. Atwood brings her biting wit to bear on the battle of the sexes. . . Readers love Atwood's women, despite, or because of, who they are and what they do. Add in her wild imagination women conversing with dead husbands; genetic missteps that produce a girl with yellow eyes, pink teeth, and 'long, dark chest hair'; and costumed 'little people' who appear to an elderly nursing home resident and it's clear that this grande dame is at the top of her game." -Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $25.95
Publisher: Nan A. Talese; ISBN: 9780385539128
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Broken Monsters
by Lauren Beukes
[Fiction]
 "Set in present-day Detroit, Beukes's novel of suspense successfully combines horror, detection, and a depressing examination of urban decay. In a bizarre murder, an 11-year-old boy has been cut in two, his upper body grafted onto the lower half of a deer. The scar of a wound in the child's armpit allows Det. Gabriella Versado to identify him as Daveyton Lafonte, who survived a 'stray bullet from a gang war' at age six. Versado is the prototypical good cop working in an impossible situation a city so overwhelmed by crime that most of her job consists of handing out 'empty warnings.' As the killer continues to slaughter and mutilate in terrifying ways, the investigation draws in an immature and narcissistic reporter. . . who seeks exposure above all else. . ." -Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Mulholland Books; ISBN: 9780316216821
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New Paperbacks
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[Non-Fiction]
 "The culmination of over 200 interviews and almost a decade of research, Shields (How Literature Saved My Life) and Salerno, director of the documentary accompanying the book, offer an oral history, effectively blended with narrative and analysis of the iconic writer and his body of work. In lesser hands, this approach could quickly spiral out of control, but Shields and Salerno keep the story on track. . . Literary snippets, such as 'I'm Crazy,' a short story Salinger wrote in Europe that was the first story narrated by Holden Caulfield. . . combined with a number of photos will make this a must-read for fans of the celebrated author." -Publishers Weekly
Paperback; $19.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781476744858
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by Simon Winchester
[Non-Fiction]
 ". . . Winchester, the widely acclaimed author, is a native of Great Britain who recently became an American citizen. His focus here is on the more subtle aspects of nation building. He examines the accomplishments of a variety of characters, some famous and some obscure, whose visions and mastery of emerging technologies drew Americans closer together as our geographic size expanded. . . This is a finely crafted and valuable reminder that the evolution of our united nation was a process often accelerated by unlikely, sometimes eccentric men who operated outside the political sphere." -Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $16.99
Publisher: Harper Perennial; ISBN: 9780062079619
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[Non-Fiction]
 "Chang, author of the impeccable Wild Swans (2003), provides a revisionist biography of a controversial concubine who rose through the ranks to become a long-reigning, power-wielding dowager empress during the delicate era when China emerged from its isolationist cocoon to become a legitimate player on the international stage. As Cixi's power and influence grew, she actually helped orchestrate the coup of 1861 that led directly to her own dominion as regent [and] she radically shifted official attitudes toward Western thoughts, ideas, trade, and technology. Ushering in a new era of openness, she not only brought medieval China into the modern age, but she also served double duty as a feminist champion and icon." - Booklist
Paperback; $17.95
Publisher: Anchor Books; ISBN: 9780307456700
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by Franklin Foer
[Non-Fiction]
 "New Republic editor Foer's sampling of essays published in the magazine over the course of its history spans major American wars, disastrous presidential administrations, and seismic political shifts. . . Taken as a whole, the book's selections, organized by decade, represent the magazine's mission to serve as a mouthpiece and conscience for liberalism. Writers from Rebecca West, to Virginia Woolf, to Leon Wieseltier explore a political philosophy which founding editor Herbert Croly termed 'the attempt to mould social life in the light of the best available knowledge and in the interest of a humane ideal. . .'" -Publishers Weekly
Paperback; $17.99
Publisher: Harper Perennial; ISBN: 9780062340399
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by Graham Nash
[Non-Fiction]
 "Nash delivers here a no-holds-barred, fiercely honest chronicle of the glories, excesses, disappointments, and joys of the rock-and-roll life. In the evocative and haunting style of his best songs. . . Nash tells of his childhood in the rough-and-tumble north of England; his developing love of music and the formation, with Allan Clarke, of his first band, the Fourtones, who eventually became the Hollies; his introduction, through Cass Elliott, to David Crosby; his relationships with Joni Mitchell and Rita Coolidge; and his tumultuous relationship with group Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. . ." -Publishers Weekly
Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Three Rivers Press; ISBN: 9780385347563
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New For Young Readers
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Very Little Red Riding Hood
by Teresa Heapy
Ages 4 to 8
[Fiction]
 Little Red Riding Hood is adorably re-cast as a "very" little precocious toddler in this modern, sweet retelling of the classic tale. When Very Little Red Riding Hood encounters the Big Bad Wolf she cries, "A Foxie!" and gives him a huge hug. Her considerable charm and fearlessness quickly turn the Wolf from deadly foe to confused ally. At Grandma's (who is appropriately terrified at first), Wolf is invited in for an exhausting afternoon of tea parties, dancing, and hide-and-seek. But as parents will surely recognize, an over-tired and homesick pre-schooler is far scarier than any wolf.
Hardcover; $16.99
Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company; ISBN: 9780544280007
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Lockwood & Co., Book 2 the Whispering Skull (Lockwood & Co.)
by Jonathan Stroud
Ages 9 to 12
[Fiction]
 ". . . Stroud delivers another riveting narrative in which the three young psychic investigators deal with malevolent supernatural forces in an alternate London. Narrator Lucy Carlyle, the newest member of Lockwood & Company, develops the rare ability to converse with a mysterious skull kept in a sealed jar. Though this captive spirit has the firsthand knowledge the group needs to solve its latest case, Lucy suspects that beyond his entreaties and wisecracks, the tortured skull is manipulating them with misleading information. Physically and psychologically taxing, the case strains the bond that Anthony Lockwood, Lucy, and their colleague, George, share. . ." -Booklist, Starred Review
Hardcover; $17.99
Publisher: Disney Press; ISBN: 9781423164920
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Bad Magic
by Pseudonymous Bosch
Ages 9 to 12
[Fiction]
 ". . . Max-Ernest, from Bosch's bestselling Secret Series, has disappeared mysteriously. His younger brother Clay is left feeling stung and resentful, and he's as shocked as everyone else when the words 'MAGIC SUCKS!' somehow almost magically migrate from his private journal to a classroom wall. This inexplicable graffiti mural gets Clay sent to Earth Ranch, a summer camp for 'struggling youth' located on an island with an active volcano. . . From The Tempest and Lord of the Flies to shows like Gilligan's Island and Lost, cultural allusions abound as Clay tries to understand the island's many mysteries and meets his fellow campers. . ." -Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $17.00
Publisher: Little, Brown Books; ISBN: 9780316320382
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New Music
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Genre: Pop/Folk
As heard on NPR, this collection of recordings features three of the most prominent and respected dobro masters. Auldridge passed away soon after the completion of these sessions.
($15.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
This collection celebrates the 30th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA record. Artists covering the Boss' tunes include Blitzen Trapper, Jason Isbell, Joe Pug, and more.
($12.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
One of the year's most eagerly anticipated events pairs some of bluegrass' foremost artisans. Paying tribute to Flatt & Scruggs are Tim O'Brien, Shawn Camp, Jerry Douglas, and others.
($15.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
Steelism is a Nashville duo composed of guitarist Jeremy Fetzer and pedal steelman Spencer Cullum. Together, they present a collection of instrumentals, running the gamut from country to jazz and gospel.
($12.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
The music of Greensky Bluegrass finds its roots in the traditional genre, but is largely defined by its departure. To the bluegrass base, the members add elements of folk, jam, and Americana for a younger, more contemporary sound.
($12.95) |
Genre: Jazz/Blues
Partners marks the eclectic diva's second record of duets. Partners in song include Billy Joel, Michael Buble, Stevie Wonder, and more.
($11.95) |
Events at Grass Roots
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Crooked Paths and Abandoned Borders, and Rabbit (A Novel?)
(Joint-Author Reading)
Tuesday, September 30, at 7 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd
Corvallis, OR 97333
Local authors Kerry Augustyniak and Jared John Smith will read and sign their books Crooked Paths and Abandoned Borders andThe Rabbit respectively.
Crooked Paths and Abandoned Borders is a true story of one human's struggle and one canine's quest to find a pack where they belong. Surviving as castaways, each tries to find footing in a wilderness they were never intended to be part of. It's for those who dance to a different drummer and what happens when they fail to integrate, a story of trespassed boundaries, disintegration, and broken hearts, in the midst of conflicting ideologies. Despite anguish, despair, and knowing nothing but failure, their paths eventually lead to where Love, Hope, Acceptance, and Credence can so often be found, right under our very own nose.
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 Rabbit (A Novel?) explores a young folklorist driving 4,000 miles, collecting ghost stories and meeting his homeless schizophrenic father for the first time. Our narrator is attempting to finish his book, pausing the story to debate with his frustrated editor. The manuscript is unraveling as he approaches its end. Rabbit is a meta-fiction literary novel depicting a young writer's obsessions with our cosmos, estranged parents, abuse, and infidelity. It is an angst-riddled ride through the American subconscious of the twenty-first century.This book is never finished, the author declares. Meeting his father was not the ending he expected. It was the beginning of his darkest psychological descent.
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Community Events
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Darkside Show Times for 9/19-9/24
-Trip To Italy-NR Two men, six meals in six different places on a road trip around Italy.
-Boyhood-PG-13 The life of a young man, Mason, from age 5 to age 18.
-Zero Theorum-R Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz as an eccentric and reclusive computer genius plagued with existential angst. Directed by Terry Gilliam.
-Frank-R Funny, clever, and endearingly unusual, Frank transcends its quirky trappings with a heartfelt --and surprisingly thought-provoking-- story. Michael Fastbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal.
-Land Ho-R Gently amusing and agreeably modest in scale, Land Ho! uses its stars' warm chemistry to impart its poignant, quietly effective message.
Literary/Community Arts Events
-Shotpouch work party and free writing workshop with Jeff Fearnside, Saturday, September 20
Everyone is invited to join us for "Working and Writing the Woods," Saturday, September 20, 10 am to 5 pm, with our special guest instructor, Jeff Fearnside. From 10 am to 1 pm we will work together on tree planting, trail maintenance, riparian habitat restoration, and other soul-satisfying tasks. After lunch, from 2 - 5 pm, we'll turn to a free writing workshop, exploring ways to write about nature, work, and community. All are welcome, whatever your level of writing experience.
We have room for 20 participants. Please reply to Charles Goodrich at Charles.Goodrich@oregonstate.edu to reserve a spot.
-Friends of the Library FALL FESTIVAL BOOK SALE
Saturday, Sept. 27 9:00-10:00 Friends of the Library members only; (Become a member for just $10!)
Saturday September 27, 10-4:00 p.m. Open to the public Sunday, September 28, 12:00-4:00, Main Meeting Room, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library Lots of lightly used top-quality paperback books at very reasonable prices. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. All proceeds are used to benefit the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library system.
Prices slashed from 3:00-4:00 PM Sunday, September 28.
Contact Katherine Inman (541-753-0078) for more information.
Opportunities
-The Editors' Prize in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry Deadline: October 1, 2014 Enter the 24th Annual Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry! Winners in each genre will receive $5000, publication in the spring 2015 issue of The Missouri Review, and brought to Columbia, Missouri, for a reading and reception. Please submit no more than 25 typed, double-spaced pages for fiction and nonfiction. Poetry entries can include any number of poems up to 10 pages in total. Each story, essay, or group of poems constitutes one entry. The entry fee is $20, which entitles the entrant to a one-year subscription. Entries must be previously unpublished and will not be returned. Winners will be announced in January 2015. Info here.
-The Jane Lumley Prize for Emerging Writers is now open! Online submission deadline: November 30, 2014
Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journal announces its first annual Jane Lumley Prize for Emerging Writers. The contest seeks to recognize the works of writers who have yet not published a full length book. The prize alternates each year between poetry and prose, and this year we seek to recognize an exceptional piece of poetry. There is no entry fee for the contest. The winner will receive a prize of $300 and publication in our January 2015 issue. Publication will also be awarded to the first two semi-finalists. Find full details here. We can't wait to read your poems! Details here.
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Community Events with Grass Roots
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Fermented Vegetables
by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey
[Non-Fiction]
Sunday, September 28 at 3:00 p.m.
1007 SE 3rd St.
First Alternative Co-op Corvallis ,
 Even beginners can make their own fermented foods! Fermented Vegetables includes in-depth instruction for making kimchi, sauerkraut, and pickles and then offers more than 120 recipes, using the same basic methods, for fermenting 80 different vegetables and herbs. You'll discover how easy it is to make dozens of exciting dishes, including pickled Brussels sprouts, curried golden beets, carrot kraut, and pickled green coriander. The recipes are creative, delicious, and healthful, and many of them can be made in small batches - even just a single pint.
Kirsten and Christopher Shockey got their start in fermenting foods with their farmstand food company, where they created over forty varieties of cultured vegetables and krauts. They now teach classes at their farm, host small farm workshops, and blog at www.fermentista.us. They live in the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon. Grass Roots is sponsoring (and will be selling books) at this event. |
Store News
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Awards
MacArthur Fellow Genius Grants
Congrats to the winners of the 2014 MacArthur Fellow Genius Grants!
A few writers made the list, including Alison Bechdel, Terrance Hayes, Khaled Mattawa, and Tara Zahra.
Bechdel is best known for her comic strips and book-length graphic memoirs like Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, and Terrance Hayes is a poet known for his collections such as Wind in a Box.
For a complete list of winners and their areas of study, visit the MacArthur site here.
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Banned Books Week
 Banned Books Week 2014 happens September 21-27. Sponsored by organizations such as the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association, this is a celebration that has been occurring since 1982. For those unfamiliar with the event, it began as a way to protest the wave of challenges books were facing in schools, bookstores, and libraries. Now every year many booksellers and librarians honor those books and the freedom to read by promoting them. Grass Roots is doing the same!
Come look at our display featuring such beloved titles as Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.'s Slaughterhouse Five, and even Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. Whether a book was banned for "vulgar language, sexual explicitness, and violent imagery" like Why the Caged Bird Sings, or for "promot[ing] drug use, the occult, suicide, death, violence, disrespect for truth, disrespect for authority, and rebellion against parents" like Where the Sidewalk Ends (I know, it's hard to believe...) , banned books have been a point of important social relevance for decades. Celebrate your freedom to read whatever you like this week by picking up a banned book down at Grass Roots. |
Jigsaw
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Reading Group Selection
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Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30-8:00 p.m.
 Join Tiffany as she leads the October Reading Group with The Paris Wife.
A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures the love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.
Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness-until she meets Ernest Hemingway. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group--the fabled "Lost Generation"--that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Regular Price: $15.00
On sale for:$12.75
Until Monday, Oct. 6
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780345521316
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Night Stands
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Linda
Walden and Other Writings (Modern Library Classics)
by Henry David Thoreau
[Non-Fiction]
 Reading Thoreau is such a wonderful step back in time; both in his style of writing and the way of life in the mid-1800s. I have often started Walden over the years, but never finished. The first chapter is laborious, laden as it is with monetary comment on how to live simply. Yet, this classic book is rich in thoughts on life, and Thoreau is a true naturalist, taking his reader gently through the beauty surrounding the pond and his cabin in the woods. This collection of essays, including "Walden," is a gem; a classic to have on our shelves.
Paperback; $12.00
Publisher: Modern Library; ISBN: 9780679783343
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Jenny
Bad Feminist
by Roxane Gay
[Non-Fiction]
 In this collection of essays, Gay reminds us why it's important to pay attention to the oftentimes-disturbing pop culture messages we are inundated with. As a woman, I take Gay (herself a black, female, academic feminist with a passion for all things "pop") and her opinions seriously. She presents a broad array of subject matters, ranging from competitive Scrabble tournaments, to sincere contemplation of "rape culture," to evaluations of movies like The Help and Django Unchained. Gay is honest about where her biases lie, but I appreciate this tactic, as it allows the reader to enter the conversations for herself, and think about the power of minority voices and potential for change.
Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: Harper Perennial; ISBN: 9780062282712
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Neé
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: And Other Lessons from the Crematory
by Caitlin Doughty
[Non-Fiction]
*This review was originally featured in the September '14 Indie Next List! Go Neé!*
Doughty writes with an intimate voice, using candid humor and raw emotion to take us by the hand and guide us into the underworld of the American funeral industry. This book doesn't lack for laughs, which are vital as we follow Doughty through some rather ghoulish American death rites. She tells a masterful story of our relationship - or lack thereof - with death, crafted with both cultural references and personal memories. Ultimately, Doughty wants us to be comfortable enough to invite death into our lives, and I urge you to take the first steps by inviting this book into yours.
Hardcover; $24.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393240238
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