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November 25, 2015
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Happy Thanksgiving, Readers!
 
Grass Roots is closed Thursday for the holiday, but we'll be open regular hours Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Join us this weekend for Small Business Saturday/Indies First and shop small at your local independent bookstore! All of our bargain cookbooks will be 20% off and with our wide selection you're sure to find something for every taste! We're also giving away free Indies First reusable shopping bags (with a $20 purchase) to help you carry your holiday treats home! Before you go, be sure to fill out a slip telling us why you choose to shop local and you'll be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to Grass Roots! 

As you're contemplating holiday "shopportunities," why not take a break from your screen? Come enjoy real conversation, real books, and real hot apple cider! We'll be serving it up for Cider Monday, November 30 in the store. 

More holiday happenings as we move into December: don't forget tickets for Corvallis Winter's Eve on December 4 (Grass Roots will be participating), and treat yourself to local downtown holiday shopping. And on December 5, celebrate Buy Local First Day and Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day (more information below)! Our kids' section is perfect for reading stories to your little ones.
 
Amazing new non-fiction titles have cropped up this week in store, including powerful essay collections by the late Oliver Sacks and Christopher Hitchens, geeky reads galore, and lovely seasonal books for young readers.

Happy holidays,

~Marissa
New HardcoversNHardcovers

by Oliver Sacks
[Non-Fiction]  
 
No writer has succeeded in capturing the medical and human drama of illness as honestly and as eloquently as Oliver Sacks. During the last few months of his life, he wrote a set of essays in which he movingly explored his feelings about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death. "It is the fate of every human being," Sacks writes, "to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death." Together, these four essays form an ode to the uniqueness of each human being and to gratitude for the gift of life.

Hardcover; $17.00
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780451492937
by Christopher Hitchens
[Non-Fiction]

This collection of essays brings together some of the finest pieces Hitchens published over the last two decades for the first time in one book, addressing with characteristic wit and erudition the subjects he is best known for, including: the case against God, faith and religious observance; the case for intervention in Iraq; indictments of towering political figures like Bill and Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, and Henry Kissinger; and celebrations of the writers and thinkers whose work meant most to him. Often prescient, always pugnacious, and formidably learned, Hitchens was a polemicist for the ages. 

Hardcover; $30.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781476772066
by Randall Munroe
[Non-Fiction]  
 
Have you ever tried to learn more about some incredible thing, only to be frustrated by incomprehensible jargon? Randall Munroe is here to help. In Thing Explainer, he uses common words to provide simple explanations for some of the most interesting stuff there is, including: food-heating radio boxes (microwaves), computer buildings (datacenters), and the other worlds around the sun (the solar system). How do these things work? Where do they come from? What would life be like without them? Funny, interesting, and always understandable, this book is for anyone age 5 to 105 who has ever wondered.

Hardcover; $24.95
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; ISBN: 9780544668256
New PaperbacksNPaperbacks

by Matt Parker
[Non-Fiction]

"If you don't believe that mathematics can be fun, you should read this book. Parker, a mathematician and stand-up comic, takes the reader on an entertaining voyage through many recreational topics. These include some more or less familiar aspects of number theory, but also polygonal numbers, packing problems, graph theory, and computer logic and algorithms. The fascinating excursions into geometry and topology -- including discussions of noncircular wheels, knot theory, and the geometry of four-dimensional objects -- are especially noteworthy. . .The writing style is friendly, humorous, and relaxed as the author reveals the problems' solutions. . ." - Library Journal

Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; ISBN: 9780374535636
by Richard Zoglin 
[Non-Fiction]

With his topical jokes and his all-American, brash-but-cowardly screen character, Bob Hope was the only entertainer to achieve top-rated success in every major mass-entertainment medium of the century. He virtually invented modern stand-up comedy, a public-spirited entertainer whose Christmas military tours and unflagging work for charity set the standard for public service in Hollywood. Hope could be cold, self-centered, tight with a buck, and perhaps the least introspective man in Hollywood. But he was also a tireless worker, devoted to his fans, and generous with friends. Hope is both a celebration of the entertainer and a complex portrait of a gifted but flawed man. 

Paperback; $18.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; ISBN: 9781439140284
by Ryan Britt
[Non-Fiction]

Pop culture and sci-fi guru Ryan Britt has never met a monster, alien, wizard, or superhero that didn't need further analysis. Alternating between personal anecdote, hilarious insight, and smart analysis, Luke Skywalker Can't Read contends that Barbarella is good for you, that monster movies are just romantic comedies with commitment issues, that Dracula and Sherlock Holmes are total hipsters, and, most shockingly, shows how virtually everyone in the Star Wars universe is functionally illiterate. Romp through time and space, from the circus sideshows of 100 years ago to the Comic Cons of today, from darkest corners of the galaxy to the comfort of your couch. 

Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Plume Books; ISBN: 9780147517579
by Anna Gavalda
[Fiction]

Mathilde forgets her bag in a cafe and a week later an unknown man returns it to her. Following this encounter, Mathilde decides to throw caution to the wind and change her life entirely. Yann does a favor for one of his neighbors and is asked to stay for dinner as thanks. The following morning Yann throws caution to the wind and decides to change his life entirely. These two novellas by bestselling author Anna Gavalda are among her most moving and inspiring. Life, Only Better is a touching cleverly crafted book about choices and their consequences.

Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Europa Editions; ISBN: 9781609452940
New For Young ReadersYReaders

by Nancy Tillman
[Fiction]
Ages 1 to 4
 
Bells jingle, sleds dash through the snow, trees are topped with sparkling stars, and children everywhere dream of candy canes and presents. But the best gift of all -- the most magical gift of the season -- is when we spend Christmas with those we love. This New York Times-bestselling author and artist has created a special, beautiful book that families will want to share year after year -- and now it's available as a board book. Readers will want to look for the Spirit of Christmas image that Nancy has hidden on every page!

Board Books; $7.99
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; ISBN: 9781250064530
by David Martin
[Fiction]
Ages 3 to 7
 
Sweet illustrations and simple language bring Hanukkah to life for the youngest of children in this delightful sticker book. Candles on the menorah, ready to light! At Hanukkah, there are many much-anticipated rituals -- latkes to eat, dreidels to spin, presents to give and receive, and shiny gold treats. Add some free-form fun, from shadow puppetry to singing and dancing, and you have a warm, truly child-friendly celebration.
 
Paperback; $5.99
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA); ISBN: 9780763679729
by Ryan T. Higgins
[Fiction]
Ages 3 to 7
 
Bruce the bear likes to keep to himself. That, and eat eggs. But when his hard-boiled goose eggs turn out to be real, live goslings, he starts to lose his appetite. And even worse, the goslings are convinced he's their mother. Bruce tries to get the geese to go south, but he can't seem to rid himself of his new companions. What's a bear to do?
 
Hardcover; $17.99
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion; ISBN: 9781484730881
New Bargain BooksBargain

Check back next week!
New MusicNMusic

Check back next week! (Holiday music to come...)
Events at Grass RootsEventsGRR

Take Your Child To a Bookstore Day
 
Saturday, December 5
Grass Roots Books and Music
227 SW 2nd Street
 
Grass Roots is celebrating Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day! Stop by the store on December 5th and pick up an ornament for your child to color at home. Return it by December 13th to be entered into a holiday raffle to win a prize! You'll also get a coupon that can be used immediately for 30% off any one children's bargain book. Plan to come back to the store to see all of the ornaments on display for everyone to enjoy through the holidays! 
Community EventsCommunityEvents

Darkside Show Times for 11/27-12/3

-Dying To Know: Ram Dass & Timothy Leary -NR An intimate portrait of two friends, Ram Dass & Timothy Leary, the era they shaped, and their exploration of the next frontier -- death. Documentary narrated by Robert Redford. 

-The Assassin -NR A young woman is raised by a nun who trained her in the martial arts. After 13 years of exile, she is returned to the land of her birth as an exceptional assassin, with orders to kill her former betrothed. English subtitled Mandarin. 

-Heist -R When their attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope goes awry and a shootout ensues, Vaughn and Cox are forced to flee on foot and hijack city Bus 657 and take the passengers hostage. Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

-Experimenter -PG-13 In 1961, famed social psychologist Stanley Milgram conducts a psychology experiment in which people think they're delivering electric shocks to an affable stranger strapped into a chair in another room. Peter Sarsgaard, Winona Ryder.

Arts/Literary Events

Winter's Eve 2015
A benefit for Assistance League of Corvallis
Downtown Corvallis on Madison Ave., 5:00 to 9:30 p.m.

Experience an evening of glittering holiday magic in a fun-filled tent on Madison Avenue. Receive amazing discounts from over 40 premier Corvallis merchants, bid on over 100 fabulous finds on this year's silent auction, and enjoy tasty samples from local restaurants, wineries and breweries. Tickets are only $40, $45 the night of the event. Tickets available at The Clothes Tree, The Inkwell Home Store, Rice's Pharmacy and Gifts, and Schmidt's Garden Center or online at www.alcorvallis.org.

Community Events with Grass Roots CEGR

A Conversation with Tracy Daugherty

Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 7:30 p.m.
CH2M Hill Alumni Center
Oregon State University
725 SW 26th St.
Corvallis, OR

Oregon State University will host a conversation with Joan Didion biographer and OSU Professor emeritus Tracy Daugherty.

Daugherty's latest book, The Last Love Song, is a biography of American author and journalist Didion. The book, which was published in August by St. Martin's Press, debuted at No. 11 on the New York Times best-seller list for hardcover nonfiction.

The Last Love Song is the first printed biography about the reclusive Didion, a narrative that traces her life from her youth in Sacramento to her marriage and partnership with her late husband, writer John Gregory Dunne, and beyond.

Keith Scribner, an author and professor in the School of Writing, Literature and Film in OSU's College of Liberal Arts, will interview Daugherty about his work at the event, which is free and open to the public. Refreshments and a book signing will follow. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event.

Store NewsStoreNews

2016 PNBA Shortlist

The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association has chosen its 2016 Book Awards shortlist. The six winners will be chosen from among these 12 titles in early January.
JigsawJigsaw

The jigsaw will return next week!
Reading Group SelectionReadingGroup

by Jonathan Gottschall
Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Join Ne� as she leads our December reading group with The Storytelling Animal by Jonathan Gottschall, a NYTimes.com Editor's Choice and a Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Finalist.

Humans live in landscapes of make-believe. We spin fantasies. We devour novels, films, and plays. Even sporting events and criminal trials unfold as narratives. Yet the world of story has long remained an undiscovered and unmapped country. Now Jonathan Gottschall offers the first unified theory of storytelling. He argues that stories help us navigate life's complex social problems just as flight simulators prepare pilots for difficult situations. Storytelling has evolved, like other behaviors, to ensure our survival. Drawing on the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and evolutionary biology, Gottschall tells us what it means to be a storytelling animal and explains how stories can change the world for the better. 
 
Regular Price: $14.95
On sale for: $12.71
Until Tuesday, December 1
Publisher: Mariner Books
ISBN: 9780544002340

Night StandsNightStands

Tiffany
[Fiction]

J.K. Rowling's third mystery written under the pen name Robert Galbraith reunites readers with ex-military detective Cormoran Strike and his partner, Robin Ellacott, and explores the nature of evil in the human psyche. As Robin prepares to get married, she opens a package, expecting to find wedding favors but uncovering a severed leg instead. This gruesome delivery sets Cormoran and Robin on the trail of a serial killer -- but first they have to discover which of three men harboring grudges from the past really is the murderer. Fans of dark, psychological mysteries will find themselves captivated and guessing until the end.  And admirers of the series will appreciate the continued character and relationship development of Cormoran and Robin.

Hardcover, $28.00
Publisher: Mulholland Books; ISBN: 9780316349932
Kerry
[Fiction]

Johanna -- aka Dolly Wilde -- is a few years older than me, but reading about her frantic, often misguided attempts to "build" herself brought me right back to my 15-year-old self. I wasn't as bold as Johanna, but I was rooting for her as she entered the hypermasculine world of music journalism, adopting her persona as the acerbic, promiscuous, fearless Dolly Wilde.

Paperback, $15.99
Publisher: Harper Perennial; ISBN: 9780062335982
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