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| March 26, 2015 |
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Hello, Readers,
Calling all local poets! Wanted: your wonderful words. National Poetry Month is nigh, and that means our Poem-A-Day submission box is open. Send us your poetry at newsletter@grbookstore.com using "Poem-A-Day" as your subject line, including your name and a brief biographical sketch of 50 to 75 words. (Please note that while we appreciate all submissions, we cannot guarantee that all will be featured.) And to receive our Poem-A-Day, sign up via the same email or in-store!
With spring break breezing by, it's a great time to browse for something new to read or listen to on your real or imagined vacation -- let us be your tour guide to escapism. This week: explore breathtaking destinations in pages with Phenomenal and Around the World in 50 Years, grab a copy of Toward a Natural Forest in time for our upcoming author reading, and lend your ears to a new album of duets with Van Morrison. And with Easter just around the corner, our cards and gourmet Brigittine Monks Fudge make thoughtful gifts. Hop on over!
~ Marissa
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New Hardcovers
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by Abigail Thomas
[Non-Fiction]
From the author of A Three Dog Life, what comes next? What comes after the devastating loss of her husband, a process both sudden and slow? How to cope with her daughter's diagnosed illness? Or the death of her beloved dog? And how to like life? How to accept, appreciate, enjoy? An extraordinarily moving memoir about many things, but at the center is a steadfast friendship between Abigail Thomas and a man she met 35 years ago. Through marriages, child-raising, the vicissitudes and tragedies of life, it is this deep, rich bond that has sustained her.
Hardcover; $24.00
Publisher: Scribner Book Company; ISBN: 9781476785059
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by Leigh Ann Henion
[Non-Fiction]
 Shocked at the adversity a young mother faces with a newborn, Henion must ask hard questions about our accepted wisdom on parenting and the lives of women. Convinced that the greatest key to happiness -- both her own and that of her family -- lies in periodically venturing into the wider world beyond home, Henion sets out on a global trek to rekindle her sense of wonder. Henion's wanderlust puts her in the path of modern-day shamans, reindeer herders, and astrophysicists, going to great lengths to chase migrations, auroras, eclipses, and other phenomena -- revealing unforgettable truths about motherhood, spirituality, and the beauty of nature.
Hardcover; $26.95
Publisher: Penguin Press; ISBN: 9781594204715
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by Albert Podell
[Non-Fiction]
 "[Albert Podell] set the singular accomplishment of having traveled to every nation on the planet, 196 in all. . .[He] doggedly stuck with his ambition, setting off for some of the world's politically touchiest spots, toughest terrains, and most breathtaking landscapes. His writing is breathtaking, as well, as he recalls the determination and often dumb luck that helped him survive riots, revolutions, earthquakes, snow, and sandstorms. . .He was nearly lynched in East Pakistan, nearly drowned in Costa Rica, jailed in Baghdad, and detained by police in Kinshasha. This is substantially more than a travel book. It is one man's nearly lifelong, worldwide adventure." - Booklist
Hardcover; $26.99
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; ISBN: 9781250051981
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by Jill Alexander Essbaum
[Fiction]
"As an American expat in Switzerland, Anna Benz feels lost. Her husband, a successful Swiss banker, is supportive but distant, and her grasp of the language is such that she has few friends beyond her three children and her helpful mother-in-law. Bored and lonely, Anna slips into a string of affairs. . .Caught in a struggle to find herself and her place before the truth of her dalliances comes to light, Anna is already spiraling out of control when tragedy pushes her over the edge, where she will face the very base reality of the sum of her decisions. . ." - Booklist
Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Random House; ISBN: 9780812997538
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by Gretchen Rubin
[Non-Fiction]
 The author of the New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project answers the critical question: How do we change our habits? Rubin presents a practical, concrete framework to allow us to understand our habits -- and to change them for good. Along the way, Rubin uses herself as guinea pig, tests her theories on family and friends, and explains the (sometimes counter-intuitive) core principles of habit formation. Whether you want to get more sleep, stop checking your devices, maintain a healthy weight, or finish an important project, you'll be eager to start work on your own habits even before you've finished the book.
Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY); ISBN: 9780385348614
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New Paperbacks
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by Michael Lewis
[Fiction]
 Michael Lewis establishes four inspiring characters within a financial sector that seems, as of late, grim at best: Wall Street. The flash boys decide, after working in different firms and making millions, they will come together in an attempt to amend the rampant corruption so deeply associated with the stock market. The boys embark on an investigation to shed light on big banks, the word's stock exchange, and high-frequency trading firms in a comprehensive way that will give readers necessary insight into the pitfalls (and solutions) to the financial market.
Paperback; $16.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393351590
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by Jim Furnish
[Non-Fiction]
 Jim Furnish joined the U.S. Forest Service in 1965, but nothing could have prepared him for the crisis that would soon rock the agency to its foundation, a wave of lawsuits from environmental groups during the spotted owl controversy that shut down logging on public forests in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990s. Furnish offers an insider's view of this tumultuous time. While stewarding our national forests with the best of intentions, had the Forest Service diminished their natural essence and ecological values? How could one man confront the crisis while remaining loyal to his employer?
Paperback; $19.95
Publisher: Oregon State University Press; ISBN: 9780870718137
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by Arianna Huffington
[Non-Fiction]
 "Media mogul Huffington lays out steps to creating a lifestyle where success is measured not by money and power, but something more meaningful. . .Huffington Post, she reports, exemplifies the 'third metric' tenets 'well-being, wisdom, wonder and giving' with nap rooms, meditation classes, and an app called 'GPS for the Soul.' Huffington cites studies on the health benefits, both physical and psychological, of meditation, adequate sleep, and exercise. . .[and] also recalls incidents in her own life that have led to wisdom. . .an excellent guide for individuals aspiring beyond the rat race or businesses seeking to elevate employee morale and well-being." - Publishers Weekly
Paperback; $14.99
Publisher: Harmony; ISBN: 9780804140867
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by Irene Nemirovsky
[Fiction]
 At the end of WWI, Bernard Jacquelain returns from the trenches a changed man. Broken by the unspeakable horrors he has witnessed, he becomes addicted to the lure of wealth and success. He wallows in the corruption and excess of postwar Paris, but when his lover abandons him, Bernard turns to a childhood friend for comfort. For 10 years, he lives the good bourgeois life, but when the drums of war begin to sound again, everything around which he has rebuilt himself starts to crumble, and the future -- of his marriage and of his country -- suddenly becomes terribly uncertain.
Paperback; $15.00
Publisher: Vintage; ISBN: 9781101872277
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by Lynn Sherr
[Non-Fiction]
 "When her unexpected death from cancer was announced in 2012, the national outpouring of grief over the loss of Sally Ride was swift and genuine. The subsequent obituary revelation that Ride was a lesbian in a committed relationship for more than a quarter-century was proof of how successfully the icon had guarded her personal life. . .[author Sherr uncovers] the pressures (and sometimes comical missteps) of NASA's macho culture and its approach to the first class of women astronauts, the unparalleled commitment Ride brought to her job, and the zeal with which she embraced her later challenge to broaden science opportunities for girls." - Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $16.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781476725772
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New For Young Readers
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by Ciara Gavin
[Fiction]
Ages 3 to 7
 A huggable picture-book debut about a bear who doesn't quite fit -- perfect for fans of Karma Wilson's Bear Snores On and Philip C. Snead & Erin Stead's Bear Has a Story to Tell. When Bear wakes up one spring, he goes in search of a new home. And he thinks he's found the perfect place. Unfortunately, things are a bit . . . snug. Can five little ducks find room for one big bear in their home -- and in their hearts? Ciara Gavin's luminous picture-book debut explores the unconditional love of families in all their colors, shapes, and sizes.
Hardcover; $16.99
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780385754736
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by Alice Hoffman
[Fiction]
Ages 10 and up
 "Twig and her mom live in tiny Sidwell, a wooded New England town with a witchy history. When her reclusive mom isn't baking one-of-a-kind pies from their orchard's apples, she is concealing Twig's brother, James, who sports a pair of black feathery wings, courtesy of a curse placed on their family by the Sidwell witch centuries ago. Rumors are swirling about the Sidwell Monster, and Twig and her mother fear that James is in danger, since he has been spotted winging around town in the middle of the night. When a new family moves in next door. . .they set out to undo the curse." - Booklist
Hardcover; $16.99
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books; ISBN: 9780385389587
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by Paige McKenzie
[Fiction]
Young Adult
 "Sixteen-year-old Sunshine feels really out of place in the Pacific Northwest. . .Her mom is growing distant; her art teacher is a weirdo; she gets ill whenever she is close to Nolan, her one friend; and she is pretty sure her house is haunted. The haunting soon crescendos in a terrifying, water-drenched evening that leaves her mother decidedly changed. With Nolan's help, Sunshine begins to understand the magnitude of what is happening to and around her. Sunshine is a luiseach, a person with the ability to help wayward spirits move along. . .[and] she must face a terrifying test or lose everything dear to her." - Booklist
Hardcover; $16.00
Publisher: Weinstein Books; ISBN: 9781602862722
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New Music
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Events at Grass Roots
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Jim Furnish
Saturday, April 4, at 2:00 p.m. Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
Toward a Natural Forest offers an insider's view of this tumultuous time in the history of the Forest Service, presenting twin tales of transformation, both within the agency and within the author's evolving environmental consciousness. While stewarding our national forests with the best of intentions, had the Forest Service diminished their natural essence and ecological values? How could one man confront the crisis while remaining loyal to his employer?
Jim Furnish is a consulting forester in the Washington D.C. area following a 34-year career with the USDA Forest Service. He served as the agency's Deputy Chief and Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor in Corvallis, Oregon.
David Hargreaves
Thursday, April 9, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
The Blossoms of Sixty-Four Sunsets is a collection of poems written by Durga Lal Shrestha, Nepal's best known contemporary poet and lyricist, and translated from Nepal Bhasa (Newari) by David Hargreaves -- in collaboration with R. Shrestha, D.R. Shakya, R. Manandhar, and the author himself. In these poems, readers will find a mature and deeply personal poetic vision emerging out of a series of dialogues with the setting sun. But readers take note, these are not easy listening sound-bites from the new-age section of the mall bookstore. These are masterfully crafted poems: passionate, rhythmic, imagistic and enigmatic.
David Hargreaves, linguist and poet, holds a Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Oregon, and is currently a professor in the Department of English, Writing and Linguistics at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. He lives in Corvallis.
Elizabeth Heineman
Friday, April 17, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
Ghostbelly is Elizabeth Heineman's personal account of a home birth that goes tragically wrong -- ending in a stillbirth -- and the harrowing process of grief and questioning that follows. In this courageous and deeply intimate memoir, Heineman and her partner learn to live in a new world: a world in which they face each day with the understanding of the fragility of the present.
Elizabeth Heineman is a professor of history and of gender, women's, and sexuality studies at the University of Iowa. Her other books include Before Porn was Legal, Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, and What Difference Does a Husband Make?
Douglas Perry
Thursday, April 23, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
When Al Capone was finally sent to prison in 1931, much of the credit fell to a 28-year-old Prohibition Agent named Eliot Ness, the unlikely leader of the famous Untouchables squad. Updated for paperback based on newly discovered archival material, Perry's critically acclaimed book reveals that Ness's true legacy is something much more profound, and Capone is only the beginning.
Douglas Perry is the author of The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago. Perry is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The San Jose Mercury News, The Oregonian, Tennis, and many other publications. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Thor Hanson
Friday, April 24, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
 In his new book, Hanson turns his eye to the ubiquitous seed plants that dominate landscapes and define entire ecosystems. Following the winding path that seeds have paved through evolution, natural history, and human culture, he examines the traits and habits that have allowed seeds -- and the plants that bear them -- to be so successful, and to so thoroughly transform our planet.
Thor Hanson is a conservation biologist, Guggenheim Fellow, and Switzer Environmental Fellow. His previous books include Feathers, which won numerous awards including the 2013 John Burroughs Medal and the 2012 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Writing, and The Impenetrable Forest, which won the 2008 USA Book News Award for nature writing.
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Community Events
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Darkside Show Times for 3/26/-4/2
-Wild
There's something about a cinematic NW road trip that circulates the juices and stirs the pheromones. Reese Witherspoon.
-Wrecking Crew -NR The Wrecking Crew may not achieve the greatness of the many classic songs its subjects helped bring to life, but it remains a heartfelt, overdue tribute to overshadowed brilliance.
-Serena -R Wonderful cinematography that explores the beauty of N. Carolina and two very intense performances from Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper.
-What We Do in The Shadows -NR Smarter, fresher, and funnier than a modern vampire movie has any right to be, What We Do in the Shadows is bloody good fun.
-Still Alice -PG-13 A gripping performance from Julianne Moore, and a heartfelt drama that honors its delicate themes with bravery and sensitivity. Best Actress Oscar Nom!
Arts/Literary Events
by John Steinbeck
Reviewed by Bill Robbins; sponsored by Friends of the Library
Wednesday, April 8, at 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR
2nd Annual Community Poetry Reading
Sponsored by Friends of the Library
Saturday, April 11, at 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR
To celebrate National Poetry Month, come watch and listen as Corvallis community members read aloud the poems that are important to them. This event will be hosted by Oregon's Poet Laureate, Peter Sears.
Tragedy Full of Joy: Stories By Bernard Malamud Majestic Reader's Theatre Company
 Saturday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. & Sunday, April 26 at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Majestic Theatre Lab
115 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
In honor of Bernard Malamud's 101st birthday, The Majestic Reader's Theatre Company and The OSU School of Writing, Literature and Film present Tragedy Full Of Joy: Stories by Bernard Malamud, directed by Robert Leff. Elena Passarello, David Turkel, and Robert Leff have adapted four of his short stories: "Steady Customer," "A Wig," "The Jewbird," and "The Magic Barrel." Malamud, a major mid-twentieth century American writer, was a member of the Oregon State English Department from 1949 to 1961. While living in Corvallis, he wrote the novels The Natural, The Assistant, and the short story collection The Magic Barrel, which won the 1959 National Book Award for Fiction. |
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Community Events with Grass Roots
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John Marzluff
Thursday, April 2, at 7:00 p.m.
LaSells Stewart Center: C & E Auditorium
875 SW 26th St.
Corvallis, OR
Join The Spring Creek Project for a reading and signing with John Marzluff and his new book: Welcome to Subirdia: Sharing Our Neighborhoods with Wrens, Robins, Woodpeckers, and Other Wildlife. This excellent book documents engagingly how wildlife has adapted to urban and suburban areas, often in surprising ways. Marzluff, Ph.D., is Professor of Wildlife Science at the University of Washington and author of four books and over one hundred scientific papers on various aspects of bird behavior, he is the recipient of the A. Brazier Howell, Board of Directors, and H.R. Painton awards from the Cooper Ornithological Society. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
39th Annual OSU Gerontology Conference
Thursday, April 2 - Friday, April 3
CH2M HILL Alumni Center
725 SW 26th St.
Corvallis, OR
This two-day conference, held at Oregon State University, will feature workshops by leading geriatric professionals presenting current information for health and human services occupations in a wide variety of disciplines. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
Kristin Ohlson
Thursday, April 16, at 7:30 p.m.
Methodist Church - Wesley Room
1165 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR
Thousands of years of poor farming and ranching practices -- and especially modern industrial agriculture -- have led to the loss of up to 80 percent of carbon from the world's soils. That carbon is now floating in the atmosphere, and even if we stopped using fossil fuels today, it would continue warming the planet.
A freelance journalist, author, essayist and fiction writer, almost no topic escapes Kristin's curiosity. Reading sponsored by Benton Food Freedom, Corvallis 350, Corvallis Citizens Climate Lobby. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
David Gessner
OSU Visiting Writer Series
Friday, May 8, at 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Valley Library Main Floor Rotunda
201 Southwest Waldo Place
Corvallis, OR
David Gessner is the author of the forthcoming book, All the Wild that Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner and the American West, and eight others including Sick of Nature, The Prophet of Dry Hill, and Return of the Osprey, which was chosen by the Boston Globe as one of the top 10 non-fiction books of the year and the Book-of-the-Month club as one of its top books of the year. Gessner is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and founder of the national literary journal, Ecotone. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
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Store News
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Oregon Book Awards
The 2015 Oregon Book Award finalists have been announced, and voting for the Reader's Choice Award is now open. Winners will be announced on April 13.
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Easter and spring books for kids
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Three author event recap
We had a great meeting and reading featuring not one, not two, but three authors -- with a variety of both nonfiction and fiction subjects between each book. J.D. Becker's novel intrigued us, Emory's memoir made us cry, and John cheered us up with a nice murder mystery.
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Jigsaw
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Reading Group Selection
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Tuesday, April 7 6:30-8:00 p.m.
 Join Adam as he leads our April Book Group with Bernard Malamud's The Magic Barrel: Stories in keeping with the production of Tragedy Full of Joy: Stories by Bernard Malamud by the Majestic Reader's Theatre Company (see Arts/Literary Events above!).
Bernard Malamud's first book of short stories, The Magic Barrel, has been recognized as a classic from the time it was published in 1959. The stories are set in New York and in Italy (where Malamud's alter ego, the struggling New York Jewish Painter Arthur Fidelman, roams amid the ruins of old Europe in search of his artistic patrimony). It is a book about New York and about the immigrant experience, and a high point in the modern American short story. Few books of any kind have managed to depict struggle and frustration and heartbreak with such delight, or such artistry.
Regular Price: $15.00
On sale for: $12.75
Until Tuesday, April 7
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
ISBN: 9780374525866
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Night Stands
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Kendall
by Valentin Ramon
[Non-Fiction]
 I know what you're thinking: "A coloring book consisting entirely of pictures of Hillary Clinton? This is everything I've ever wanted!" Well, I've got news for you, it gets even better! Not only do you get pages and pages of glorious pantsuits to color in, but you also follow Hillary's journey from birth to Girl Scouts to University, through marriage and impressive political titles, to 2015 Presidential hopeful! Entertaining and educational, this would also make the perfect gift for the young Democrat in your life! |
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Linda
by Sandra Day O'Connor
[Non-Fiction]
 An easy yet fascinating read, this little book is packed with information and insight into the history and procedures of our Supreme Court. It is always interesting to follow how history changes government over time, and Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman to be nominated, has done a fantastic job in her research -- from the early days of circuit-riding when judges had to travel thousands of dangerous miles for half a year, to the newly elected Republican Congress repealing the Judiciary Act of 1801, an act recently established under the Adams administration which had abolished no circuit-riding and had added new circuit courts and judges! |
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Marissa
by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
[Fiction]
 Sir Terry Pratchett has left an unfillable void in fantasy fiction a with his passing, so it's with a heavy yet whole heart that I recommend his final saga (collaborated with Stephen Baxter) beginning with The Long Earth. When humanity discovers the existence of parallel earths, the political and industrial landscape of Datum (prime) Earth is changed forever, and the resource potential becomes limitless -- but what happens when these worlds are explored and colonized? Whether you're a sci-fi/fantasy fan or not, Pratchett's satirical, clever, and elegantly whimsical stories (including a whopping 41 Discworld novels) are instantly approachable and unputdownable.
Paperback; $9.99
Publisher: HarperTorch; ISBN: 9780062068682
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Neé
Natural History Magazine
 Natural History Magazine was founded by the American Museum of Natural History in 1900. This magazine provides nature and science enthusiasts with a peek into the research that is being done by museums, giving readers free admission to science centers around the country. The mission of this publication is to increase public appreciation of science and nature through informative columns and a wealth of exciting book recommendations. Guest contributors and regular columnists include: Richard Dawkins, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jared Diamond, and more!
Science Magazine
Frequency: 12 Issues
$3.95
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