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October 22, 2015
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You're invited, Readers!

Please join us at the Whiteside tomorrow evening for readings by Oregon authors, food, and music at The Magic Barrel: A Reading to Fight Hunger. This annual premier literary event is also an excellent cause -- Grass Roots donates 100% of net proceeds from book sales to Linn Benton Food Share. We'll see you there!

And coming to the Valley Library soon: Celebrate the legacy and history of OSU through photography in a new book by Lawrence Landis, A School For the People, to be published by OSU Press. Meet the author and grab your copy this Saturday! That's just the beginning of an incredible lineup...see who else is coming to town below. 

Along with an expanded stock of coloring books for adults, plus new music from Elvis Costello and more, continue reading to discover just a few of the latest and greatest book arrivals in the store. Now is the time to dream up wish lists! The holidays are just around the corner...

Happy reading,

~Marissa
New HardcoversNHardcovers

by Robert Galbraith
[Fiction]  
 
When a mysterious package is delivered to Robin Ellacott, she is horrified to discover that it contains a woman's severed leg. Her boss, private detective Cormoran Strike, is less surprised but no less alarmed. There are four people from his past who he thinks could be responsible -- and Strike knows that any one of them is capable of sustained and unspeakable brutality. With the police focusing on the one suspect Strike is increasingly sure is not the perpetrator, he and Robin take matters into their own hands. But as more horrendous acts occur, time is running out for the two of them. . .

Hardcover; $28.00
Publisher: Mulholland Books; ISBN: 9780316349932
by Kate Morton
[Fiction]

Living on her family's estate in Cornwall, England, Alice Edevane is a bright, inquisitive, innocent, and precociously talented 16-year-old who loves to write stories. But the mysteries she pens are no match for the one her family is about to endure. One midsummer's eve, after a beautiful party drawing hundreds of guests to the estate has ended, the Edevanes discover that their youngest child, 11-month-old Theo, has vanished without a trace. What follows is a tragedy that tears the family apart in ways they never imagined. Decades later, Theo's case has never been solved, though Alice still harbors a suspicion as to the culprit. . .

Hardcover; $28.00
Publisher: Atria Books; ISBN: 9781451649321
by John Grisham
[Fiction]  
 
Sebastian Rudd is not your typical street lawyer. He defends people other lawyers won't go near: a drug-addled, tattooed kid rumored to be in a satanic cult, who is accused of molesting and murdering two little girls; a vicious crime lord on death row; a homeowner arrested for shooting at a SWAT team that mistakenly invaded his house. He hates injustice, doesn't like insurance companies, banks, or big corporations; he distrusts all levels of government and laughs at the justice system's notions of ethical behavior. Gritty, witty, and impossible to put down, Rogue Lawyer showcases the master of the legal thriller at his very best.

Hardcover; $28.95
Publisher: Doubleday Books; ISBN: 9780385539432
by Dan Marshall
[Non-Fiction]  
 
"Recent grad Marshall leaves it all behind -- job, girlfriend, dream life in L.A. -- to return home to Utah to care for his parents. His mother has had cancer for 15 years, and it's back with a vengeance. Worse in some ways, his marathon-running, take-charge dad is rapidly disappearing into Lou Gehrig's disease. . .Marshall and his other siblings shoulder it all -- by swearing, drinking, racing wheelchairs down the halls of hospitals, and caring for their loved ones -- while their world somewhat literally falls down around them. . .He's only human, [and] that's what counts most in this raucous, rowdy, heartbreaking story." - Booklist

Hardcover; $27.99
Publisher: Flatiron Books; ISBN: 9781250068828
by Jane Smiley
[Fiction]  
 
A lot can happen in one hundred years, as Smiley shows to dazzling effect in her Last Hundred Years trilogy. But as Golden Age, its final installment, opens in 1987, the next generation of Langdons face economic, social, political and personal challenges unlike anything their ancestors have encountered before. Michael and Richie work in the high-stakes world of government and finance in Washington and New York, but they soon realize that one's fiercest enemies can be closest to home; Felicity worries that the farm's once-bountiful soil may be permanently imperiled, by more than the extremes of climate change. And all the Langdon women find themselves charged with carrying their storied past into an uncertain future.

Hardcover; $26.95
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307700346
New PaperbacksNPaperbacks

by Lena Dunham
[Non-Fiction]

Dunham illuminates the experiences that are part of making one's way in the world: falling in love, feeling alone, being 10 pounds overweight despite eating only health food, having to prove yourself in a room full of men twice your age, finding true love, and most of all, having the guts to believe that your story is one that deserves to be told. Exuberant, moving, and keenly observed, Not That Kind of Girl is a series of dispatches from the frontlines of the struggle that is growing up. 

"Touching, at times profound, and deeply funny . . . Dunham is expert at combining despair and humor." - Publishers Weekly

Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Random House Trade; ISBN: 9780812985177
by Amanda Palmer
[Non-Fiction]

"[Palmer's book] explores her relationship with [the fear of asking for help] through her experiences as a creator, a businesswoman, a friend and a wife. Palmer's journey from Boston street busker to crowd-funding success story and central figure of a devoted online community offers many examples of what can be accomplished when someone is willing to tear out those stitches and risk the 'no,' but she's also brutally honest about just how difficult the asking is. . .Palmer frames many of her 'lessons learned' in terms of their practical meaning for fellow artists. . .instructive to anyone who struggles with fear of the 'no.'" - Shelf Awareness

Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; ISBN: 9781455581092
edited by Antonia Fraser
[Non-Fiction]

"Readers love to read about what other readers are reading, and when those readers are also the authors of many of their favorite books, then reading about their reading habits becomes, in and of itself, a good read. In this updated edition of esteemed British biographer Fraser's 1992 anthology, an international cast of revered novelists, poets, playwrights, and essayists reveal why they became reading fanatics, what books prompted their love for the written word, and how they were professionally and personally influenced by what they read. . .Voracious or eclectic, these reading experiences shaped the way the authors pursued their craft. . ." - Booklist

Paperback; $18.00
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; ISBN: 9781632862280
New For Young ReadersYReaders

by Nina Laden
[Fiction]
Ages 1 to 4
 
In this third title in Nina Laden's Peek-a series, the classic game of peekaboo becomes spookily fun! Colorful pictures and lively, rhyming text featuring bats, jack-o'-lanterns, and ghosts galore help children predict what is peeking through die-cut windows. Read the clue, guess the rhyme, giggle wildly, and repeat!



Board Books; $6.99
Publisher: Chronicle Books; ISBN: 9781452133966
by Katie Cotton
[Non-Fiction]
Ages 4 to 8
 
"Arresting charcoal portraits of endangered animals, drawn in near-photographic detail, command attention in this counting book, which begins with 'one lion' and ends with '10 zebras.' The large-scale black and white images are set against white backgrounds and paired with poems printed in a bright orange suggestive of the threats the animals face. Cotton's pensive, unrhymed works describe the animals' behaviors, physical attributes, and beauty. . .Endnotes offering information about the animals and their endangered statuses conclude this powerful tribute to vulnerable creatures." - Publishers Weekly

Hardcover; $22.00
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA); ISBN: 9780763682071
by Kevin Sherry
[Fiction]
Ages 7 to 10
 
Everyone thinks the Loch Ness monster is one-of-a-kind. But that just means Nessie's lonely. And only yeti Blizz Richards and his team of cryptozoologists can help her find a friend just like her. With a little help from a time-traveling leprechaun, the gang travels back 65 million years to the age of dinosaurs to begin the search. But they aren't ready for the dangers that wait for them: monstrously mean dinos. Giants with razor-sharp teeth. Terrifyingly cute little kitties. Can Blizz keep his team safe, or will they have to sacrifice everything to help Nessie find a friend?

Hardcover; $8.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545556194
by Sarah Mlynowski
[Fiction]
Ages 9 to 12
 
"In a society where everyone has a neatly defined magical talent, Nory is a misfit. There are Flares, Fuzzies, Flickers, and Flyers, each having particular skills. Nory is a Fluxer, able to transform herself into an animal. But her magic is wonky. Her kitten mixes with a beaver or a dragon, and she has no control over it. When she fails the entrance exam for her father's school, Nory feels that she is a complete failure. . .[But] with the guidance of her very wise teacher, Nory makes friends with other children who are dealing with all sorts of uncontrolled magic. . ." - Kirkus Reviews

Hardcover; $14.99
Publisher: Scholastic Press; ISBN: 9780545800457
by Ryan Graudin
[Fiction]
Young Adult
 
The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule. To commemorate their Great Victory, they host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The prize? An audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball in Tokyo. Yael, a former death camp prisoner, has witnessed too much suffering, and the five wolves tattooed on her arm are a constant reminder of the loved ones she lost. The resistance has given Yael one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. But can she be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and stay true to her mission?

Hardcover; $18.00
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9780316405126
New Bargain BooksBargain

Get creative with our wide variety of arts and crafts bargain books! We have limited copies of each title on knitting, painting, decorative projects, and more, so check them out before they're sold out.

 



New MusicNMusic


Elvis Costello
Pop/Folk

This is the companion piece to Costello's brand new memoir of the same name. The record features greatest hits, as well as some rarities, b-sides, and unreleased cuts.
($19.95)

Joanna Newsom
Divers
Pop/Folk

Newsom is the contemporary heir to Kate Bush's folk-art-rock. With her lush arrangements and idiosyncratic vocals, Newsom sounds like an artist from another time.
($17.98)

Andrea Bocelli
Cinema
Classical

The celebrated opera singer's new collection features familiar songs from movies throughout the years. Bocelli applies his trademark tenor to pieces from West Side Story, Phantom Of the Opera, Breakfast At Tiffany's, and more.
($13.99)

Harry Connick Jr.
That Would Be Me
Jazz

Connick earned his reputation over the years as a piano man and a singer in the great tradition of Sinatra. His new collection finds him pushing his comfort zone a bit, collaborating with popular producers on a range of originals and cover tunes.
($11.96)
Events at Grass RootsEventsGRR

David Baker

Thursday, October 29, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St.
Corvallis, OR

Bruno Tannenbaum is a self-described "working class gourmet food writer" with a weakness for expensive wines and indulgent meals, but lately Bruno's excesses have come back to haunt him -- leaving him broke, fired from his job as a food columnist at the Chicago Sun-Times, and nursing a spot on his mother's couch, separated from his family. Then Bruno stumbles on the secret to an infamous bottle of wine, the 1943 Trevallier, worth a small fortune (and major acclaim) to whoever locates it. In a desperate attempt to kick-start his waning career and maybe even earn that small fortune, Bruno embarks on a journey across Europe to find the Trevallier. . .

David Baker has spent time working in commercial vineyards and making passable pinot noir in his garage. He holds an MFA from Columbia College, Chicago and currently lives in Oregon's Willamette Valley. He is the Director of Interactive Communications at Oregon State University in Corvallis.

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Community EventsCommunityEvents

Darkside Show Times for 10/23-10/29

-Learning To Drive -R Wendy's husband has just left her for a younger woman; Darwan is a taxi driver from India on the verge of an arranged marriage. Their unlikely friendship awakens them to the joy, humor, and love in starting life anew. Patricia Clarkson and Ben Kingsley.

-Time Out Of Mind -NR Richard Gere delivers a soul-baring performance as George, a man who struggles to find food and a place to sleep in New York City. George meets a gregarious, down-and-out ex-jazzman (played by Broadway legend Ben Vereen) who inspires him to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Jena Malone). Cinematically stunning and shot in an eloquently observational style.

-Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension -R In this sixth and supposedly final installment of the Paranormal Activity horror films, the Fleege family finds a set of video tapes featuring young Kristi and her sister, Katie, being inducted to the demonic coven of their grandmother. The filmmakers promise that this time you will see the paranormal activity occur. Scary!

-Grandma -R Lili Tomlin is Grandma. I mean, what else is there to say? 92% on RT.

Arts/Literary Events

Wild in the Willamette: Book Launch

Wednesday, November 4, at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR

Wild in the Willamette is a guidebook and literary compendium to natural areas in the mid-Willamette Valley, published by OSU Press. The goal of the book is to introduce readers to those areas of the mid-Willamette Valley that may be new to them, through enticing trail descriptions, engaging essays by noted authors, and clear maps. Wild in the Willamette is a not-for-profit project originated in 2011 through the vision of the late Gail Achterman, a pioneer for the protection of Oregon's natural resources. Featuring author readings, guest speakers, and book signings and sales. All proceeds from the publication will be directed to Greenbelt Land Trust! 

Reviewed by Patricia Lacy; sponsored by the Friends of the Library

Wednesday, November 18, at 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR

Community Events with Grass Roots CEGR

The Magic Barrel: A Reading to Fight Hunger

Friday, October 23, at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30)
Whiteside Theatre
361 SW Madison Ave.
Corvallis, OR

The Mid-Willamette Valley's premier literary event, The Magic Barrel: A Reading to Fight Hunger, is held each fall in Corvallis to raise funds for Linn Benton Food Share. This unique event is named after Bernard Malamud's short story collection,The Magic Barrel, and features writers from around Oregon sharing their fiction, poetry, and works of nonfiction in brief readings.

The evening begins and ends with music, drinks, and complimentary food, with all proceeds benefiting Linn Benton Food Share. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event, with all proceeds donated to Linn Benton Food Share. For more event details and this year's list of readers, visit https://magicbarrel.org/.
Larry Landis

Saturday, October 24, at 4:30 p.m.
OSU Valley Library Rotunda
201 SW Waldo Pl.
Corvallis, OR

A School for the People tells the story of OSU's nearly 150 years as a land grant institution through more than 500 photographs, maps, documents, and extensive captions. In-depth chapters focus on themes such as campus development, the growth of academics, the evolution of research as a major focus of the university, campus life and organizations, and, of course, athletics. A capsule history includes many of the iconic photographs associated with the university.

Lawrence A. Landis has been an archivist at Oregon State University since 1991. During that time, he has served as assistant university archivist, university archivist, and since 2011, director of the Libraries' Special Collections & Archives Research Center. He began his archives career as the photographs archivist for a major special collection at the University of Texas at Austin. He has degrees from the University of North Texas and Texas Christian University, and did postgraduate work at UT-Austin. He has researched many aspects of OSU's history, particularly its built environment and buildings designed by architect John V. Bennes. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
OSU Visiting Writer series: T. Geronimo Johnson

Thursday, November 5, at 7:30 to 9:00 p.m.
OSU Valley Library Rotunda
201 SW Waldo Pl.
Corvallis, OR

In his second novel, longlisted for the 2015 National Book Award, Johnson continues his unique inquiry into questions of race and class, this time with a satiric edge. Southerner D'aron Davenport is having a tough time adjusting in his freshman year at Berkeley (aka Berzerkeley). When D'aron reveals in history class that his hometown holds an annual Civil War reenactment, his friends decide to stage a performative intervention as a form of protest. However, weighed down by their misconceptions about the South as well as their hyperliberal, overly intellectualized theories about race and history, the students find that their actions have tragic, unintended consequences. 

T. Geronimo Johnson was born in New Orleans. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and a former Stegner Fellow at Stanford, Johnson has taught writing at UC Berkeley, Stanford, Iowa Writers' Workshop, The Prague Summer Program, San Quentin, and elsewhere. His first novel, Hold it 'til it Hurts, was a finalist for the 2013 PEN/Faulkner Award. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.

Tuesday, November 10, at 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
LaSells Stewart Center
875 SW 26th St.
Corvallis, OR

Michael Beschloss is an award-winning historian of the Presidency and the author of eight books, including the magnificent bestseller Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989. His most recent book is Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Beschloss writes a sports history column that appears in The New York Times both in print and online every Saturday, called HistorySource.

Called "the nation's leading Presidential historian" by Newsweek, Beschloss appears regularly on Meet the Press, The Today Show, The Daily Show and all NBC network programs, providing expert analysis of the executive branch. In 2005, he won an Emmy for his role in creating and hosting the Discovery Channel series Decisions that Shook the World. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.
Crazy Eights Author Event (Albany)

Saturday, November 14, at 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Albany Public Library
2450 14th Ave. SE
Albany, OR

Speed dating, only with authors! Each author will have eight minutes to address the audience about their life as a writer and introduce a featured book. It will be a fast-paced literary slam. A mixer, wherein the authors will interact one-on-one with members of the audience to discuss their work and personally sign books, will follow the rapid-fire presentations. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.

Authors include:
  • Bill Cameron (Friends of Mystery Award for County Line forthcoming title Accelerant)
  • K.B. Dixon (Oregon Book Award finalist, The Sum of His Syndromes; Eric Hoffer Award)
  • Molly Gloss (Oregon Book Award winner, Falling From Horses; PNBA winner) 
  • Lisa Ohlen Harris (Oregon Book Award finalist, The Fifth Season
  • Justin Hocking (Oregon Book Award winner, The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld)
  • Jane Kirkpatrick (Noted for 23 historical novels, WILLA Awards, Oregon Book Awards finalist)
  • Jody Seay (Oregon Book Award fiction finalist, The Second Coming of Curly Red)
  • Molly Best Tinsley (Oregon Book Award winner, Throwing Knives; thriller Broken Angels)
  • Emcee: George Byron Wright (Noted for Oregon-based novels; In the Wake of Our Misdeed)
Store NewsStoreNews

Coloring books for adults

Looking for something that will keep you busy but relaxed at the same time? Coloring is calming, promotes creative thinking, and isn't just for kids. 

We have an excellent array of coloring books in many intricate designs, from mandalas to animals to floral patterns. Stop by and see them for yourself!
Lost and found


Have you lost a very small stuffed friend? This bunny hopped a little too far from home and ended up reading all the books in the bookstore! 

We hope to get this little fellow back home safe and sound. Let us know if you're the owner!
Kirkus Prize

Winners of the second annual Kirkus Prize, sponsored by Kirkus Reviews and worth $50,000 each, are:
JigsawJigsaw

Solve this week's jigsaw!
Reading Group SelectionReadingGroup

by Jonathan Lethem
Tuesday, November 3, at 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Join Kerry as she leads our November Reading Group with Dissident Gardens by Jonathan Lethem, winning author of the National Book Critics Circle Award and MacArthur Fellowship.

Rose Zimmer, the aptly nicknamed Red Queen of Sunnyside, Queens, is an unreconstructed Communist who savages neighbors, family, and political comrades with the ferocity of her personality and the absolutism of her beliefs. Her equally passionate and willful daughter, Miriam, flees Rose's influence for the dawning counterculture of Greenwich Village. Despite their differences, they share a power to enchant the men in their lives, including Rose's aristocratic German Jewish husband, Albert; her feckless chess hustler cousin, Lenny; and Miriam's (slightly fraudulent) Irish folksinger husband, Tommy Gogan. Through Lethem's vivid storytelling we come to understand that the personal may be political, but the political, even more so, is personal.
 
Regular Price: $15.95
On sale for: $13.56
Until Tuesday, November 3
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 9780307744494

Night StandsNightStands

Marissa

[Fiction]

You need not read Bardugo's Grisha trilogy to delve into the standalone Six of Crows (set in the same fantasy universe), but after devouring this book, you'll want to. I've got a soft spot for that "ragtag group of skilled misfits team up to pull off dangerous heist" kind of plot, and the rave reviews from Bardugo's enthusiastic fanbase sweetens the payoff. Full of refreshingly diverse characters, high-stakes action, and plenty of twists, but what kept me turning pages was the ever-changing point of view of each likeable narrator, especially when not everything goes according to plan. My favorite YA adventure of the season!

Hardcover, $18.99
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; ISBN: 9781627792127
Linda

[Fiction]

This is an excellent book, designed with glorious, exceptionally fine writing. A world of suffering, seen through the thoughts of a young boy and into his teenage years, is keenly brought forward in such a clear and precise way that we can feel the angst and sorrow of this Indian boy's immigrant family. An accident leaves his brother brain damaged, and Sharma takes us by the hand through the family changes. Hugely autobiographical (as admitted by the author), this perfectly written story glows with ideas and feelings that shine as bright and exacting as the stars in the sky.

Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company; ISBN: 9780393350609
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