|
|
|
|
| November 26, 2014
|
Happy Thanksgiving, Readers!
This newsletter is coming at you a day early for the upcoming holiday. Grass Roots will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27, but we'll be open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
This Saturday (Nov. 29) is a special day. We are hosting our first Local Author's Day, and some of our best local writers will be showcasing their books and doing a little bookselling at the same time. It's also Small Business Saturday! American Express card members can register to get up to $30 back at select small businesses. Please look below to our Events at Grass Roots section for details.
This week you'll notice the newsletter is a bit shorter. We're featuring new paperbacks and holiday music highlights (more holiday music coming next week as well!).
Finally, remember that December 6 is Bring Your Child to a Bookstore Day and CIBA's Buy Local First Day (details in Store News). A lot is happening, so make sure your checking in with Grass Roots on a regular basis!
Have a GREAT Thanksgiving!
~Jenny
|
New Hardcovers
|
|
We will return with Hardbacks next week!
|
New Paperbacks
|
|
 Acclaimed, award-winning essayist and novelist Brian Doyle presents one hundred new prayers that evoke his deep Catholic belief in the mystery and miracle of the ordinary (and the whimsical) in human life. In Brian Doyle's newest work, his readers will find a series of prayers unlike any of the beautiful, formal, orthodox prayers of the Catholic tradition or the warm, extemporized prayers heard from pulpits and dinner tables. Doyle's often-dazzling, always-poignant prayers include eye-opening hymns to shoes and faith and family. In Doyle's words, the world is crammed with miracles, so crammed and tumultuous that if we stop, see, savor, we are agog, and the pages of his newest book give voice and body to this credo.
Paperback; $14.95
Publisher: Sorin Books; ISBN: 9781933495620
|
 As the lauded producer of Masterpiece Theater for the past twenty-eight years, Rebecca Eaton has brought consistent innovation to the long-running series. Under her oversight, the show has won forty-three Emmy awards, fifteen Peabody awards, two Golden Globes, and two Academy Award nominations. In this biographical account, she describes her time thus far with show business, providing stories about various show creators and actors she's worked with, and how her family life made her the perfect candidate for the position of executive producer.
Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143126041
|
 This novel provides westerners the opportunity to see Afghanistan outside the newspaper headlines--as a place with strong oral traditions, wonder, magic, and brotherhood. This is about the people of a country living in extremes and transcending their situations with grace, intelligence, humor, and wit. These characters hold powers that allow them to survive a world of bloodshed and catastrophe, and come through with stronger bonds in the end.
Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143125396
|
 Greatly expanding on his blockbuster 1421, distinguished historian Gavin Menzies uncovers the complete untold history of how mankind came to the Americas--offering new revelations and a radical rethinking of the accepted historical record in Who Discovered America? The iconoclastic historian's magnum opus, Who Discovered America? calls into question our understanding of how the American continents were settled, shedding new light on the well-known "discoveries" of European explorers, including Christopher Columbus. In Who Discovered America? he combines meticulous research and an adventurer's spirit to reveal astounding new evidence of an ancient Asian seagoing tradition--most notably the Chinese--that dates as far back as 130,000 years ago.
Paperback; $16.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 9780062236784
|
 ". . . I. V. Hess is the editor of this purported collection of writings by and about an enigmatic artist, Harriet Burden, the tall, strong, erudite widow of a famous and secretive art dealer. Long enraged over the dismissive response to her work, Harriet launches a high-stakes gambit to expose the art world's persistent sexism. She convinces three male artists to pose as the creators of a sequence of her elaborate, allusive, and wildly provocative installations. We observe Harriet, her intellectually astute and psychologically daring art, and her risky quest for validation and justice from multiple, often contradictory perspectives through entries from Harriet's journals, art reviews, and interviews with and written statements by various experts. . . " -Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781476747248
|
New For Young Readers
|
|
The Yeti Files: Meet the Bigfeet
by Kevin Sherry
[Fiction]
Ages 7 to 11
 "Bizz Richards is a self-described great guy, loving life in his secret lair in Nepal and hanging out with his two assistants and best buddies, Gunther and Alexander. Bizz is a Yeti, one of the cryptids, the society of hidden animals whose existence has never been proven, all of whom have taken an oath to keep themselves that way. But remaining hidden can be tricky, as cryptozoologists lurk everywhere waiting for an opportunity to snap a picture of a mythical creature. This first title in the Yeti Files series recounts Bizz's search for his missing cousin, Brian, who went into hiding after having his photo taken and published by the persistent, if bumbling, cryptozoologist George Vanquist. . ." -Booklist
Hardcover; $8.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545556170
|
House of Robots
by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein
[Fiction]
Ages 8 to 12
 "Sammy Hayes-Rodriguez has never had an easy time fitting in at school. His mother is an inventor, his father is a graphic novel artist, and his beloved little sister has an immune condition that keeps her confined to the house. . . And then, there are the robots: a houseful of his mother's creations, programmed to do everything from housework to tutoring, plus some that don't do anything useful at all. When Sammy's mother insists that he take a robot named E to school with him, he knows that he's in for a record-breaking amount of teasing and trouble-and when E starts insisting that he is Sammy's brother, the situation goes from bad to worse. . ." -School Library Journal
Hardcover; $13.99
Publisher: Little Brown and Company; ISBN: 9780316405911
|
New Music
|
|
Genre: Pop/Folk
Former Hootie frontman continues his country ways with this holiday collection.
($13.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
The operatic soprano crosses over to Christmas, with some help from Chris Botti, Wynton Marsalis, Gregory Porter, and more.
($16.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
The husband and wife duo's third collection of seasonal originals, featuring a blend of Americana, folk, and pop.
($14.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
This dream pairing offers holiday fare with touches from blues, gospel, jazz, and folk.
($19.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
Americana's brightest stars for your holiday, including Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Old 97s, and more.
($19.95) |
Genre: Pop/Folk
The guy behind Family Guy also happens to be a remarkably strong crooner, putting a special jazz swing to Christmas classics.
($13.95) |
Events at Grass Roots
|
|
Saturday, November 29, 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
Grass Roots is thrilled to announce our inaugural Indies First and Local Author Day. Corvallis authors John Addiego, Rick Borsten, Jeff Davis, Judith Li, Lena Lingemann, and Boyd Wilcox will be in the bookstore throughout the day to talk about their books, sign copies, and experience independent bookselling firsthand by helping you find the perfect book!
Authors and store hour times:
Boyd Wilcox (Two to Four (o'clock) at the Beanery) - 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
John Addiego (Tears of the Mountain) - 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Rick Borsten (The Great Equalizer) - 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Lena Lingemann (Chasing My Sister's Shadow) - 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Judith Li (Ellie's Log) - 3 p.m.-5 p.m.
Jeff Davis (Scalebane: Willem's Tale) - 4 p.m.-6 p.m.
We at Grass Roots and our local authors look forward to seeing you down at the store!
|
Small Business Saturday--Shop Small!
 Saturday, Nov. 29 is also Small Business Saturday. American Express card members can register to get up to $30 back. After you register your card, use it to shop on Small Business Saturday at any locally-owned, independent small business that accepts American Express. Click here for FULL details! Card members must register to receive rebate! |
Wednesday, December 3rd, 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
In A Miraculous Journey, Vernon shares in amazing detail what it was like growing up during the Great Depression, how his family survived those financially difficult times, and many of the adventures he had in childhood and later on in life. On his 2014 birthday, Vernon reached 83 years of age.
Vernon grew up to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War; to find, Ruth Grady, the love of his life; to graduate from college and become a CPA; to help his wife raise a family; to teach at a university; to travel to 50 states and 40 foreign countries; to oversee the construction of his own office building and several homes; to own forest real estate on which he grew Christmas trees; to author a tax manual for other Christmas tree growers; to survive many near-death situations; to experience divine healing of various injuries and illnesses; and to eventually become a healer himself.
|
Community Events
|
|
Darkside Show Times
Will return with showtimes next week. You can find them at the Dark Side website here!
Arts/Literary Event
-Winter's Eve 2014 Friday, December 5th from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. (Grass Roots will be open until 9:00 p.m.) Madison Avenue between 2nd and 3rd Streets and in shops throughout downtown Corvallis; This greatly anticipated annual event is the traditional kick-off to the Corvallis holiday season. Shops will stay open late and offer exclusive discounts to ticket holders, who will enjoy an evening of fine food samplings from over 30 local restaurants and caterers. Desserts, wine, champagne, beer, soft drinks, and Starbucks coffee will be available to attendees in the tent. Attractions will include a silent auction with an exciting array of items. Popular Assistance League packaged foods and other specialty items will be for sale. Participating stores will stamp ticket booklets so that attendees can enter the "Snowflake Drawing" for a chance to win a beautiful gift basket. The $40 ticket booklet containing the admission ticket and discount coupons is available at The Inkwell Home Store, Rice's Pharmacy, The Clothes Tree, and Schmidt's Garden Center. The price will be $45 when purchased the night of the event. Full details can be found here!
Opportunities
-Spring Creek's innovative writers' residency programs:
The Andrews Forest Writers Residency is a 7 to 14 day writing residency at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest which offers writers an opportunity to explore the forest, interact with working scientists, and write poetry or prose that reflects on the forest. Writers may propose optimum dates for their residency during March, April or May 2014. The Andrews Residencies are part of our Long-Term Ecological Reflections program, with support from the US Forest Service.
The Collaborative Retreat at the Cabin at Shotpouch Creek is a two-week-long retreat for two participants who apply jointly to pursue a collaborative project, or who each have individual projects and anticipate a synergistic benefit from each other's presence. At least one of the applicants must be a writer who takes inspiration from the natural world. The second applicant may also be a writer, or he or she may work in any other field (e.g. science, philosophy, music, art, crafts, etc.) Applicants may apply for either of two sessions:
Session 1 - Saturday, March 7 - Friday March 20, 2015
Session 2 - Sunday, March 29 - Saturday, April 11, 2015
More info can be found here. Deadline is Dec. 1, 2014.
|
|
Newsletter Subtitle
|
Month Year
|
|
Community Events with Grass Roots
|
|
Store News
|
|
Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day  Grass Roots is celebrating Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day! Stop by the store on December 6th and pick up an ornament for your child to color at home. Return it by December 13th to be entered into a holiday raffle to win a prize! You'll also get a coupon that can be used immediately for 20% off any one children's book OR 50% off any one little Dover activity book. Plan to come back to the store to see all of the ornaments on display for everyone to enjoy through the holidays!
|
|
CIBA "Buy Local First" Day 
Saturday, Dec. 6 is the Corvallis Independent
Business Alliance's (CIBA) 4th Annual Buy Local First Day. Independent, locally-owned businesses in Corvallis will be offering special promotions all day. Grass Roots will have special offers on that day and a contest for a prize! Stay tuned next week for more details!
|
Jigsaw
|
|
|
The jigsaw will be back next week!
|
Reading Group Selection
|
|
 Join Claire as she leads the December Book Group with The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir by Bill Bryson. Using the persona "The Thunderbolt Kid" as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality-a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy. It was, he reminds us, a happy time, when automobiles and televisions and appliances (not to mention nuclear weapons) grew larger and more numerous with each passing year, and DDT, cigarettes, and the fallout from atmospheric testing were considered harmless or even good for you. In his funny memoir, Bryon travels back in time to explore the ordinary kid he once was. Regular Price: $15.99
On sale for:$13.59
Until Tuesday, December 2
Publisher: Broadway Books
ISBN: 9780767919371
|
Night Stands
|
|
 Neé
The World of PostSecret
by Frank Warren
[Non-Fiction]
We all have something that we're afraid to say out loud. Imagine a place where you can release the weight of those words to the world, anonymously. That place is PostSecret. People from all over write their secrets down on postcards and mail them to one man in Maryland. They then get posted online and read by millions. This book is a collection of some of those postcards and secrets. These pages will shock you; some will make you laugh-out-loud, while others make you want to hug a dear friend. Mostly, they remind us that we're not alone in our clumsy attempts at being human.
Hardcover; $29.99 Publisher: William Morrow & Company ISBN: 9780062339010
|
 Jenny
Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"
by Lena Dunham
[Non-Fiction]
Perhaps you know Dunham for the hats she wears as writer, producer, director, and star of the popular show Girls, and have even gone so far as to conflate her character with her person. But the real Dunham (unlike her character) maintains a self-awareness about the oddly privileged background she was born into and the ridiculous situations that have arisen from it. These essays (both humorous and dark) are Dunham's chance to tell about lived experiences that many women can relate to: secretly hating our bodies, dating jerks, living as a weirdo in a weirdo family. The takeaway is one of embracing the whole thing--our imperfections that lead to our moments of grace.
Hardcover; $28.00 Publisher: Random House ISBN: 9780812994995
|
 Linda
Falling Upwards: How We Took to the Air
by Richard Holmes
[Non-Fiction]
To be able to fly into the sky has always beckoned mankind, and since ancient times ballooning has been one way of dong just that. Holmes' historical selection of balloon stories is fascinating and thrilling. These tales are of people, books,science, art -- all in connection to balloons. The book is prolific with illustrations and colored pictures associated with these beautiful egg-shaped forms of "hot air." I was not able to put this book down once I picked it up; the stories are wondrous.
Paperback; $17.95 Publisher: Vintage Books Trade ISBN: 9780307742322
|
 Adam
Cooking with Pumpkin: Recipes That Go Beyond the Pie
by Averie Sunshine
[Non-Fiction]
Fall is my favorite time of year, and nothing says fall to me more than pumpkin everything. Cooking with Pumpkin is a thin collection of recipes that showcases the gourd in all its delicious goodness. It's not just about pie either. Cocoa, Pretzels, even Hummus get a pumpkin twist. Or for something a bit more traditional, at least if you are from New England like me, try the Pumpkin Whoopie Pie with Maple Buttercream!
Paperback; $16.95 Publisher: Countryman Press ISBN: 9781581572681
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
