|
|
|
|
| July 23, 2015 |
|
Good afternoon, Readers,
Want to win a book? Grass Roots NEEDS YOUR HELP!
First, take a brief survey HERE about our events -- your valuable opinions will help us ensure the continuation of accessible, thought-provoking book events. Don't wait, fill it out now! Then, mention to us that you completed the survey before next week, July 30, and you'll receive a prize...did we mention the prizes are review copies of books? Yep. And as always, if you're interested in consulting with Grass Roots about future events, email our events coordinator, Claire.
You're reading the book...now join us for an enlightening discussion on Harper Lee's much-reviewed new release, Go Set a Watchman, next month. All are welcome! See events below.
Here's what's fresh out of the box this week: the latest from Alexander McCall Smith (hardcover), a thriller set in Oregon (paperback), and lots of new music including Kasey Chambers and Iron & Wine. And our Bargain Books section grows ever bigger! Take a break from the summer heat and come browse with us.
Have a great weekend,
~ Marissa
|
New Hardcovers
|
|
by Alexander McCall Smith
[Fiction]
"No writer makes the philosophical life as inviting and cozy as Smith does in his episodic novels featuring Isabel Dalhousie. In her native Edinburgh, Isabel fills many roles: editor of The Review of Applied Ethics, mother of Charlie, partner of Jamie, and solver of mysteries. . . In this 10th installment, six-year-old Harry is convinced that he's had another life, complete with another family and a house with a red door near a lighthouse. Isabel looks into this odd situation with her usual efficiency.. . .[The] substance of this charming series lies in Isabel's thoughtful observations and the interactions among a large cast of characters." - Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $24.95
Publisher: Pantheon Books; ISBN: 9780307907356
|
|
by Matthew Battles
[Non-Fiction]
Why does writing exist? What does it mean to those who write? Born from the interplay of natural and cultural history, the seemingly magical act of writing has continually expanded our consciousness. Portrayed in mythology as either a gift from heroes or a curse from the gods, it has been used as both an instrument of power and a channel of the divine; a means of social bonding and of individual self-definition. Now, as the revolution once wrought by the printed word gives way to the digital age, many fear that the art of writing, and the nuanced thinking nurtured by writing, are under threat. . .
Hardcover; $26.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393058857
|
|
by Frank Wilczek
[Non-Fiction]
 Does the universe embody beautiful ideas? Artists as well as scientists throughout human history have pondered this beautiful question. With Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek as your guide, embark on a voyage of related discoveries, from Plato and Pythagoras up to the present. Wilczek's groundbreaking work in quantum physics was inspired by his intuition to assume that the universe embodies beautiful forms, forms whose hallmarks are symmetry, harmony, balance, proportion, and economy. There are other meanings of beauty, but this is the deep logic of the universe and it is no accident that it is also at the heart of what we find aesthetically pleasing and inspiring. . .
Hardcover; $29.95
Publisher: Penguin Press; ISBN: 9781594205262
|
New Paperbacks
|
|
|
by Graeme Simsion
[Fiction]
"In this winning sequel to his best-selling debut novel, The Rosie Project, Simsion throws the life-altering complication of fatherhood at Don Tillman. Although the genetics professor has not formally been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, he is extremely driven by logic [and] finds it difficult to read people. . .He is now married to his ideal woman, but when Rosie announces she's pregnant, it touches off a series of events that leads Don to the brink of losing his freedom, his job, and his new life. . .The Rosie Effect is a celebration of the best attributes to be found in a friend, a husband, or a father, regardless of the way they are expressed." - Booklist, Starred Review
Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781476767321
|
|
by Ann Hood
[Fiction]
 "Hood (The Obituary Writer) guides us through the complicated lives of a multigenerational Italian-American family. Teenage bride Josephine is brought to America at the start of the twentieth century by her affectionless husband, and her many offspring -- including one daughter, the result of an affair, whom she gave up -- populate the novel. Hood's women and girls are often hampered by religion or marriage, and. . .readers will take pleasure in spending time with each one, thanks to Hood's expert storytelling. Sisters with crushes on priests, brothers fresh from war, hopeful teenage girls running away or falling in love are all forged with humor and originality. . ." - Booklist
Paperback; $15.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393351231
|
|
by Wallace J. Nichols
[Non-Fiction]
 "A lifelong ocean advocate and aquatic educator examines the biocentric and neurochemical wonderments of water. Passionately dedicated to oceanic sciences, marine biologist and California Academy of Sciences research associate Nichols presents fieldwork largely focused on scientific experiments measuring the human brain's electrical response to water. He astutely examines how the ocean, the color blue and regular human interaction with water significantly affect mood, attitude and energetic productivity, and he explores our evolutionary connection to water and the ways it inspires creative flow. . ." - Kirkus Reviews
Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Back Bay Books; ISBN: 9780316252119
|
 "Thirtyish Matilda 'Tooly' Zylberberg lives quietly as the owner of a small bookstore in an isolated Welsh village. But her past has been nowhere near as sedate. Taken away from a home as a small child, Tooly moved around the world with Paul, a government contractor, who may or may not have been her real father; [Sarah;]. . .Humphrey, a bookish old eccentric with a Russian accent; and Venn, a peripatetic hustler with a knack for landing on his feet. Then, a call from a former boyfriend in New York propels Tooly on a journey to understand her origins. . ." - Library Journal
Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Dial Press; ISBN: 9780812982398
|
|
by Valerie Geary
[Fiction]
 Still grieving the sudden death of their mother, Sam McAlister and her younger sister, Ollie, move from the comforts of Eugene to rural Oregon to live in a meadow in a teepee under the stars with Bear, their beekeeper father. But soon after they arrive, a young woman is found dead floating in Crooked River, and the police arrest their eccentric father for the murder. Fifteen-year-old Sam knows that Bear is not a killer, even though the evidence points to his guilt. Sam embarks on a desperate hunt to save him and keep her damaged family together. . .
Paperback; $14.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 9780062326607
|
New For Young Readers
|
|
 This full-color, illustrated companion novel to The Cats of Tanglewood Forest from two masters of modern fantasy is a story of magic, family, and the power in believing in both. Sarah Jane has always wanted to meet a fairy, but she has no idea that the tiny wounded man she discovers in the Tanglewood Forest is about to ensnare her in a longtime war between rival magical clans. When her six sisters are kidnapped and split up by the opposing sides, she'll need the help of several friends -- from the reclusive Aunt Lillian to the mysterious Apple Tree Man -- to bring them home.
Paperback; $8.00
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780316053525
|
by S.E. Grove
[Fiction]
Ages 10 to 14
 "Since Sophia Tims returned from her adventure in The Glass Sentence, she has not only received a new lead about her missing parents' whereabouts but also has been visited by an ethereal vision of her mother, which speaks in enigmatic prophesies. Sophia eventually learns that a copy of her mother's diary is in Granada, and she impulsively departs for Spain, which is centuries behind Boston after the Great Disruption. With the help of a falconer and a mysterious woman imbued with healing powers, Sophia follows a strange map and increasingly cryptic messages to track down a hidden city. . ." - Booklist
Hardcover; $17.99
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780670785032
|
by Jessica Day George
[Fiction]
Young Adult
 "Teenage cousins and New York heiresses Dacia and Lou have always wanted to visit their mothers' extended family in Romania, but during an unexpected trip to Bucharest their strange and secretive relatives reveal a shocking truth: they come from a long line of shapeshifters. In an enticing gothic romance, George paints a vivid portrait of fin de siecle Europe, highlighting its architecture, fashion, etiquette, and fascination with the supernatural. . .Now, Dacia and Lou are supposed to lead a coup to put devilish Prince Mihai Dracula on the throne. . ." - Publishers Weekly
Hardcover; $17.99
Publisher: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books; ISBN: 9781619634312
|
New Bargain Books
|
|
|
What's new in bargain books? Trivia titles to boost your knowledge starting at just $4.98! Defeat boredom, impress your friends, and win every trivia night ever with these fascinating facts in multiple categories.
Featured titles (click to reveal the deal!):
|
New Music
|
|
|
Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell
Pop/Folk
As heard on NPR: This record marks the debut collaboration of Sam Beam from Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell of Band Of Horses. Songs include an eclectic selection of covers, from Talking Heads and Sade to Marshall Tucker Band, all repurposed for the alt. folk performers.
($11.98)
|
|
Jason Isbell
Pop/Folk
Isbell came into prominence as a member of Drive-by Truckers. His solo work is celebrated for its searing lyrics and soulful Americana arrangements.
($13.98)
|
|
Samantha Crain
Pop/Folk
From Oklahoma, Samantha Crain's music is rooted in the folk of Woody Guthrie. Crain's new collection pairs traditional instrumentation with innovative indie folk performance.
($12.98)
|
|
Watkins Family
Pop/Folk
2/3 of Nickel Creek, Sean and Sara Watkins, bring together an army of collaborators on this Americana covers album. Guests include Benmont Tench, Fiona Apple, Greg Leisz, and more.
($13.98)
|
|
Amy Helm
Pop/Folk
In addition to being a member of the folk group Ollabelle, Helm is a longtime participant in her late father Levon's Midnight Rambles. Helm's first solo record features folk and Americana originals, as well as select soulful covers.
($17.98)
|
|
Kasey Chambers
Pop/Folk
The Australian singer-songwriter hasn't issued an original solo record in more than five years. This new collection features Americana and alt. country, from ballads to gritty rockers.
($16.98)
|
Events at Grass Roots
|
|
Billie Ruth Hopkins Furuichi, Bobbie Hopkins Spivey, Jerrine Minkus Rowley, and Lisa Swallow
My Mother -- Myself
Monday, July 27, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
My Mother -- Myself is a compilation of real stories written by 
women from varied backgrounds and many levels of education. As we share stories about our mothers, our greatest and first love is revealed. In sharing these moments with other women, we recognize the kinship and commonality which connect us, even when we are of different ethnicities, different social structures and different generations. Our commonality weaves us together as women.
Billie Ruth Hopkins Furuichi is an Art Activist, songwriter, poet, dancer, musician, and teacher. A recent widow, she is the Writing Center Coordinator at Crescent Valley High School in Corvallis, Oregon. Co-editor Bobbie Hopkins Spivey is a published prizewinning author of short stories and lives in Sacramento, California. Contributing author Jerrine retired in 2008 and lives with her husband in southern Oregon. Contributing author Lisa Swallow is a children's book writer living in Portland, Oregon.
|
|
Waldo Celebration!
Saturday, August 1, at 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR
You've finished finding Waldo all over downtown. You have 15 or more stamps on your Waldo passport. What now? Join us on August 1st at 2:30 p.m. to celebrate your success! The raffle drawing will be held, and you may win prizes!
|
Community Events
|
|
|
Darkside Show Times for 7/24-7/30
-Amy -R This documentary reveals the incredible story of six-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse -- in her own words. 97% ON RT!
-Testament of Youth -PG-13 Based on the First World War memoir by Vera Brittain, this British period drama is a powerful story of young love, the futility of war, and how to make sense of the darkest times.
-Aloft -R This meditative drama helps us question the very meaning of life and art, so that we may contemplate the possibility of living life to its fullest. Jennifer Connolly, Cillian Murphy, Melanie Laurent.
-Gemma Bovery -R A cheeky literary mash-up of Flaubert's literary classic Madame Bovary starring Gemma Arterton and Fabrice Luchini.
-Farewell Party -NR A group of friends at a Jerusalem retirement home decide to help their terminally ill friend. For all its talk of death, this is a story about life featuring a terrific ensemble cast. Subtitled Hebrew. 93% on RT!
-Love And Mercy -PG-13 An unconventional look at the life and legacy of The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson. Paul Dano, John Cusack. 90% on RT!
|
|
Community Events with Grass Roots
|
|
|
Saturday, July 25, at 7:00 p.m.
Russell Tripp Theater, Linn Benton Community College
6500 Pacific Blvd. SW
Albany, OR
 For all the rights and privileges enjoyed in the U.S., this country remains the only industrialized one that does not guarantee medical services to all its citizens. As a result, our health-care system ranks poorly when it comes to infant mortality, life expectancy, satisfaction, and overall performance. Reid traveled the globe to study the health-care systems of other democratic nations, such as France, Germany, Japan, the UK, and Canada, where medical services are available to every citizen, giving a clear picture of why we have a moral imperative to implement a health-care system for all Americans.
T. R. Reid has become one of the nation's best-known reporters through his books and articles, his documentary films, his reporting for the Washington Post, and his light-hearted commentaries on NPR's Morning Edition. Reid is a member of the board of the Health Research and Education Trust, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and other community and educational institutions. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
|
Thursday, August 13, at 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Corvallis Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR
With the release of Harper Lee's Go Set A Watchman on July 14th, there has been a flurry of opinions on the book. For those with opinions, questions, or a love of literary discussion, we've teamed up with the Corvallis Public Library to host a discussion group. Join us to talk about this fascinating contribution to the literary world. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
|
Store News
|
|
|
Find Waldo Local
All July long, Grass Roots will be hosting Find Waldo Local! Here's what you need to know:
1. Stop at Grass Roots any time in July to pick up a passport and fill out your contact info.
2. Find Waldo at 10 local businesses in Corvallis and get a stamp at each one.
3. Return to Grass Roots for a Waldo button (optional) and a coupon!
4. Find Waldo at 15+ more businesses, then return to Grass Roots to enter a raffle to win a prize from participating businesses.
5. Join us for our Waldo Celebration party on Saturday, August 1st at 2:30 p.m. We will have activities, draw names for the raffle, and give out prizes!
Participating businesses are:
Grass Roots Books & Music
American Dream Pizza
Animal Crackers
Burst's Chocolate
Cyclotopia
Fingerboard Extension
Footwise
Francesco's
The Golden Crane
Gracewinds
The Inkwell Home Store
Irene's Boutique
Kaleidoscope Studios
Many Hands Trading
Mod Pod Décor
New Morning Bakery
Peak Sports
Sedlak's Boots and Shoes
Sibling Revelry
Soft Star Shoes
The Toy Factory
|
|
Kids' Summer Reading Challenge
If your child is between the ages of 5-12, Grass Roots wants you to participate in our Kids' Summer Reading Challenge! Stop by the store and pick up a challenge form listing 10 book genres. Find a book from each of the genres to read or listen to. Return the form to Grass Roots between June 15th -- August 16th with 4 different genres completed and you'll get a 20% off coupon good toward any one children's book and a raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes.
Want more raffle tickets? Keep reading! If you complete 8 different genres you'll get a second ticket, and if you complete all 10 you'll get a third!
|
Jigsaw
|
|
Reading Group Selection
|
|
Tuesday, August 4, at 6:30-8:00 p.m.
 Join Neé as she leads our August Reading Group with The Bees by Laline Paull, a 2015 finalist for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
This brilliantly imagined debut tells the story of Flora 717, a devout young worker bee who finds herself in possession of a deadly secret. Flora 717 is a sanitation worker, a member of the lowest caste in her orchard hive, where work and sacrifice are the highest virtues and worship of the beloved Queen the only religion. But Flora is not like other bees. With circumstances threatening the hive's survival, her curiosity is regarded as a dangerous flaw, but her courage and strength are assets. But when Flora breaks the most sacred law of all -- daring to challenge the Queen's preeminence - enemies abound. . .
Regular Price: $15.99
On sale for: $13.60
Until Tuesday, August 4
Publisher: Ecco Press
ISBN: 9780062331175
|
Night Stands
|
|
[Non-Fiction]
In 2010, writer Rinker Buck and his brother set out in a covered wagon pulled by mules to follow the 2000-mile-long Oregon Trail. Buck was no stranger to wagon travel, having journeyed from New Jersey to Pennsylvania in a similar wagon with his father and siblings in 1958 when he was 7. He reminisces about that trip, too, and his nontraditional childhood. But most of this engaging and often humorous memoir focuses on the brothers' arduous trip West, which was fraught with very real dangers and trouble. Buck alternates their own story with well-researched accounts of pioneers who traveled the original trail. Those anecdotes, taken mostly from letters and journals, remind the reader what an extraordinary undertaking it was to traverse America on the Oregon Trail into the wild unknown. And how remarkable Rinker Buck's own trip was in the 21st century.
|
 Bill Nye has tackled one of the most important and controversial topics of modern science. Undeniable is not just for science lovers, but also for those with misgivings about the idea of evolution. Unlike some authors, Dr. Nye broaches these topics respectfully and with the utmost tact. This book will broaden one's understanding of not just evolution but geology, geochemistry, thermodynamics, and many other scientific subjects. But it is anything but dry. As we've come to expect from television's "The Science Guy", he will not only teach you something new, but bring a smile to your face. Edutainment at its finest! Hardcover, $25.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; ISBN: 9781250007131
|
 Musicians have a great passion for performance, instruments, and each other. This is put in full force in The Silver Swan, when a renowned cellist dies, and rather than leaving his Stradivarius Silver Swan cello to his daughter, he instead wills it to a top student of his, Claude. When his daughter Mariana finds the truth and feels betrayal, she must find a way to learn to cope with such a great loss, and her new feelings for Claude. If you have a love for music, drama, and a unique voice, definitely give it a read! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
