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| April 9, 2015 |
Hello, Readers,
We on the Grass Roots staff have been busy bees, because we're planning a party! The inaugural Independent Bookstore Day is slated for May 2, and there will be plenty of perks for book lovers right here in the store. And if you're a local author interested in signing books during the day, please send us an email at [email protected]. Keep an eye on the Reader for more details to come...
This week on our shelves: The newest novels from Brian Doyle, Per Petterson, and Lisa Genova -- and out now in paperback, Daring Greatly by Bren� Brown and Pulitzer Prize-winning The Goldfinch. Also, don't miss next month's book club selection below. Pick up a copy at 15% off, and come join us for a riveting discussion in the store.
Happy reading,
~ Marissa
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New Hardcovers
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Dave is 14 years old, eager and headlong. He is about to start high school, which is scary and alluring. Martin is a pine marten, a small, muscled hunter of the deep woods. He is about to leave home for the first time, which is scary and thrilling. Both of these wild animals are setting off on adventures on their native Mount Hood in Oregon, and their lives, paths, and trails will cross, weave, and blend. Why not come with them as they set forth into the bruising wilderness? A braided coming-of-age tale like no other, told in Doyle's joyous, rollicking style.
Hardcover; $24.99
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books; ISBN: 9781250045201
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by Per Petterson [Fiction]
". . .An accidental meeting on a bridge sets off a torrent of memories as Tommy and Jim, who haven't seen each other for 35 years, remember their once-close relationship. A mother who abandoned the family and an abusive father have left their scars on Tommy. . .Jim, meanwhile, came from a stable religious home, but a traumatic incident while out skating on a frozen lake with Tommy one night served to so destabilize him that he has been plagued by psychological problems ever since. Petterson ( Out Stealing Horses) evokes the frigid Norwegian cold. . .conveying how the absence of emotion offers no protection from life's vicissitudes." - Booklist
Hardcover; $25.00
Publisher: Graywolf Press; ISBN: 9781555976996
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by Lisa Genova [Fiction]
"Genova does here for Huntington's disease what her novel Still Alice (2009). . .did for Alzheimer's. Joe O'Brien is a 44-year-old Boston cop who. . .begins experiencing involuntary, jerky movements, and his fellow cops suspect he might be a drunk, but a doctor's visit and extensive testing reveal that he suffers from Huntington's disease, which is hereditary and incurable. On top of his own worries about his health and his wife's financial future, he also experiences guilt at the thought that he might have passed the gene on to his four children, who must now decide whether to get tested themselves and live with the knowledge. . ." - Booklist
Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Gallery Books; ISBN: 9781476717777
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by Alexander McCall Smith
[Fiction]
The bestselling author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series deftly escorts Jane Austen's beloved, meddlesome heroine into the 21st century in this delightfully inventive retelling. The summer after university, Emma Woodhouse returns home to the village of Highbury to prepare for the launch of her interior design business. As she cultivates grand plans for the future, she soon befriends Harriet Smith, the naive but charming young teacher's assistant at an English-language school. Harriet is Emma's inspiration to do the two things she does best: offer guidance to those less wise in the ways of the world and put her matchmaking skills to good use.
Hardcover; $25.95
Publisher: Pantheon Books; ISBN: 9780804197953
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by Ann Packer
[Fiction]
". . .Set in the Bay Area and spanning 30 years, [this tale] follows a doctor, his wife, and their four children. Bill Blair is a gifted healer and near-perfect role model who worries that his wife Penny's unhappiness will traumatize their children. . .Years later, three of the children still reside near their family home: headstrong Robert is, like his father, a doctor; Rebecca, always so helpful as a child, is a psychiatrist; and dreamy, sensitive Ryan is a schoolteacher. But when rootless James, the youngest and always the problem child, suddenly turns up, the family is thrown into disarray and must find a way to recalibrate old dynamics. . ." - Booklist, Starred Review
Hardcover; $26.99
Publisher: Scribner Book Company; ISBN: 9781476710457
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New Paperbacks
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by Donna Tartt [Fiction] Winner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
"An explosion at the Metropolitan Museum. . . kills narrator Theo Decker's beloved mother and results in his unlikely possession of a Dutch masterwork called The Goldfinch. Shootouts, gangsters, pillowcases, storage lockers, and the black market for art all play parts in the ensuing life of the painting. . . Tartt's flair for suspense, on display in The Secret History (2005), features the pulp of a typical bildungsroman: Theo's dissolution into teenage delinquency and climb back out, his passionate friendship with the very funny Boris, his obsession with Pippa (a girl he first encounters minutes before the explosion) but the painting is the novel's secret heart." - Publishers Weekly
Paperback; $20.00
Publisher: Back Bay Books; ISBN: 9780316055444
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by Malcolm Gladwell
[Non-Fiction]
David and Goliath challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks, demonstrating how much of what is beautiful and important in the world arises from what looks like suffering and adversity. In the tradition of Gladwell's previous bestsellers -- The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, and What the Dog Saw -- David and Goliath draws upon history, psychology, and powerful storytelling to reshape the way we think of the world around us.
Paperback; $18.00
Publisher: Back Bay Books; ISBN: 9780316204378
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by Sue Miller [Fiction]
". . . Frankie Rowley, after years spent doing relief work abroad, has returned to her parents' summer home, unsure of whether she will ever go back to East Africa, feeling depleted by that region's seemingly endless suffering. But the reassuring comfort of the small town she has been coming to since she was a girl is shattered by a series of fires set by an arsonist who has targeted the rambling summer homes of the wealthy. Frankie falls into an unexpected and passionate love affair with the local newspaper editor while also becoming privy to her parents' difficulties. . . The town, awash in fear of the unknown arsonist, splits into factions. . . [and] Miller delicately parses the value of commitment and community. . . " - Booklist
Paperback; $15.95
Publisher: Vintage; ISBN: 9780307741790
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by Bren� Brown
[Non-Fiction]
Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable, or to dare greatly. Whether the arena is a new relationship, an important meeting, our creative process, or a difficult family conversation, we must find the courage to walk into vulnerability and engage with our whole hearts. Based on 12 years of research, Dr. Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability, arguing that it is not weakness, but rather our clearest path to courage, engagement, and meaningful connection. Daring Greatly will spark a new spirit of truth -- and trust -- in our organizations, families, schools, and communities.
Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Avery Publishing Group; ISBN: 9781592408412
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by Chantel Acevedo [Fiction]
". . .The elderly Maria Sirena has lived through and. . .participated in the Cuban war for independence; now, in 1963. . .with Hurricane Flora on the way, she is evacuated with other women to a historic mansion being used as a shelter. . .Sirena entertains her fellow refugees with personal and richly imagined stories that will remind delighted readers of everything from Chaucer to Garcia Marquez. Her life story and that of her mother, including their time spent with the insurgents and in a reconcentrado during the 1890s, becomes a stunning confession [that tells] how war brings lovers together and tears families apart. . ." - Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Europa Editions; ISBN: 9781609452520
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New For Young Readers
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by Jerry Pinkney [Fiction] Ages 3 to 7
In this stunning companion to the Caldecott Medal-winning The Lion & the Mouse and the highly acclaimed The Tortoise & the Hare, a playful grasshopper wonders why the busy ants around him won't join in his merrymaking as the seasons pass by. But when winter arrives, he soon sees the value of his friends' hard work -- just as the ants learn the value of sharing what they've worked for. Featuring a striking, surprise gatefold page, this third book in Jerry Pinkney's gorgeous trilogy of picture book fables subtly suggests a resonant moral: "Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today."
Hardcover; $18.00
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780316400817
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by Jeff Mack [Fiction]
Ages 3 to 5
Everyone needs a little attention from time to time. Just ask our gorilla who will stop at nothing to be noticed by the boy with his eyes glued to the TV set. But for the gorilla, it's going to take more than a quiet nudge to steal away the boy's attention. Using only two words -- "look" and "out" -- Mack relates an adorably hilarious story about an attention-loving gorilla, a television-loving boy, and a friendship that develops over books. Simple in construct yet richly creative, this interactive and colorful tale will leave children laughing and loving books for years to come.
Hardcover; $16.99
Publisher: Philomel Books; ISBN: 9780399162053
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New Music
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Events at Grass Roots
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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 4/10-4/16
-Wild Tales -R Wickedly hilarious and delightfully deranged, Wild Tales is a subversive satire that doubles as a uniformly entertaining anthology film. Subtitled Spanish.
-The Imitation Game -PG-13 During World War II, mathematician Alan Turing tries to crack the enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.
-Seymour: An Introduction -PG Meet Seymour Bernstein: a beloved pianist, teacher, and true inspiration who shares eye-opening insights from an amazing life. Ethan Hawke helms this poignant guide to life.
-The 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.
-Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter -NR She thinks Fargo is a documentary. A supple combination of Little Red Riding Hood adventure, ironic road film and cross-cultural confusion.
-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.
Arts/Literary Events
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.
Thursday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. Taylor Street Ovens 1025 Northwest 9th Street Corvallis, OR
Charles Goodrich, poet, writer, and director of Oregon State University's Spring Creek Project, will read selections from his collection of poems, Insects of South Corvallis (Cloudbank Books, 2003), during the PopUp Exhibition at Taylor Street Ovens. Part of the inVISIBLE arts festival, celebrating inclusion in the arts throughout Corvallis in spring 2015.
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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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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Recap of Jim Furnish reading
We had a great afternoon hosting consulting forester Jim Furnish who read from his memoir, Toward A Natural Forest: The Forest Service in Transition, this past week. Topics addressed included the contribution of trees to the environmental cycle and the impact of the spotted owl controversy of the 1990s on old forests.
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Jigsaw
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Reading Group Selection
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Tuesday, May 7 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Join Kendall as she leads our May Book Group with Elizabeth Kolbert's The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, a New York Times bestseller and National Book Critics Circle Award finalist.
Over the last half-billion years, there have been five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In prose that is at once frank, entertaining, and deeply informed, New Yorker writer Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.
Regular Price: $16.00
On sale for: $13.60
Until Tuesday, May 5
Publisher: Picador USA
ISBN: 9781250062185
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Night Stands
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Linda
by Thor Hanson [Non-Fiction]
Thor Hanson has written a superb book, concentrating on all aspects of seeds. I was mesmerized by each individual chapter; each an introduction into an historic adventure centered around seeds! I was fascinated to learn of Methuselah, a date tree sprouted from a 2,000 year old seed found in Masada, and that the Snake and Columbia rivers support a commerce of grain that is the world's third largest. And I was intrigued to learn about the different seed banks, both natural and human-made. I was in awe of the different levels and classes of seed dormancy. This book is brimming with information and delightful stories -- the magic of seeds!
Thor Hanson will be at Grass Roots for a reading and signing April 24.
Hardcover; $26.99
Publisher: Basic Books (AZ); ISBN: 9780465055999
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Marissa
by Jeff VanderMeer [Non-Fiction]
The first illustrated guide to creating imaginative fiction combines essays by successful authors with a visual voyage into the craft itself. Beginning writers as well as seasoned ones can benefit from this dense guide's familiar concepts creatively repackaged into a road map of artwork both spectacular and strange, covering everything from worldbuilding to charting story arcs to drafting strategies. The execution is absolutely brilliant, compelling us to experience the writing process in dynamic, insightful ways. As a fantasy fiction writer who learns best visually, I instantly put The Wonderbook at the heart of my reference arsenal. Don't wander into the foothills of exposition without it.
Paperback; $24.95
Publisher: ABRAMS; ISBN: 9781419704420
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Adam
by Margret Aldrich [Non-Fiction]
As a longtime fan of the Little Free Library movement, Corvallis -- host to more than a dozen little book depositories -- has been like a giant Easter egg hunt for me. Now there is a book that celebrates all things Little Free Library. Hundreds of photos from around the world show off just what can be done with a little library. Whether it is found material, upcycled, or finely crafted, the diversity is awesome. My favorite has to be the full-size Tardis library. One part history, one part art book and one part how-to, The Little Free Library Book is sure to be a hit with builders and patrons alike.
Hardcover; $25.00
Publisher: Coffee House Press; ISBN: 9781566894074
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