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June 2, 2016
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Welcome to June, Readers,

As we ease into warmer weather, fill your time traveling or outdoors with excellent reading -- we're always happy to recommend something new for you. This week brings music releases and the latest books: autographed first editions of Neil Gaiman's non-fiction collection, for a limited time only! 

Plus, a celebration of national parks from Terry Tempest Williams, an examination on Star Wars (a great Father's Day gift for the sci-fi-loving Dad), and an Oregon-based book for middle-grade readers, Avenging the Owl -- meet the author, and join us for some "owl-around" fun presentations, in the store this Monday!

All this and upcoming events, including one in July that looks red, white, and blue all over...with a hat and glasses...what could it be?

Keep scrolling to find Waldo and find out!

~Marissa
New HardcoversNHardcovers

(Autographed First Edition!)
by Neil Gaiman
[Non-Fiction] 

An inquisitive observer, thoughtful commentator, and assiduous craftsman, Neil Gaiman has long been celebrated for the sharp intellect and startling imagination that informs his bestselling fiction. Now, The View from the Cheap Seats brings together for the first time ever more than 60 pieces of his outstanding nonfiction, exploring a broad range of interests and topics including (but not limited to): authors past and present; music; storytelling; comics; bookshops; travel; fairy tales; America; inspiration; libraries; ghosts; and the title piece, at turns touching and self-deprecating, which recounts the author's experiences at the 2010 Academy Awards in Hollywood.

Hardcover; $26.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 9780062262264
by Terry Tempest Williams
[Non-Fiction]

America's national parks are breathing spaces in a world in which such spaces are steadily disappearing. Now Terry Tempest Williams, author of the beloved memoir When Women Were Birds, returns with a literary celebration of our national parks, an exploration of what they mean to us and what we mean to them. Part memoir, part natural history, and part social critique, Williams creates a series of lyrical portraits that illuminate the unique grandeur of each place while delving into what it means to shape a landscape with its own evolutionary history into something of our own making.

Hardcover; $27.00
Publisher: Sarah Crichton Books; ISBN: 9780374280093
by Noah Hawley
[Fiction]
 
"On a foggy August night, a private plane flying from Martha's Vineyard to New York City crashes into the ocean 16 minutes after takeoff, killing nine of the 11 persons aboard. The corporate jet was being used by David Bateman, multimillionaire founder of 24-hour news network ALC. . .As the narrative weaves between the aftermath of the crash to the backstories of those who died, conspiracy theories abound about Bateman's fame and wealth. . .Hawley (The Good Father) ramps up suspense as the investigation into the crash proceeds. . .A pulse-pounding story, grounded in humanity." - Booklist, Starred Review

Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; ISBN: 9781455561780
by Cass Sunstein
[Non-Fiction]

In this fun, erudite and often moving book, Cass R. Sunstein explores the lessons of Star Wars as they relate to childhood, fathers, the Dark Side, rebellion, and redemption. As it turns out, Star Wars also has a lot to teach us about constitutional law, economics, and political uprisings. In rich detail, Sunstein tells story of the film's wildly unanticipated success and what it has to say about why some things succeed while others fail. Ultimately, Sunstein argues, Star Wars is about the freedom of choice and our never-ending ability to make the right decision when the chips are down.

Hardcover; $21.99
Publisher: Dey Street Books; ISBN: 9780062484222
by Noam Chomsky
[Non-Fiction]

In an incisive, thorough analysis of the current international situation, Noam Chomsky argues that the United States, through its military-first policies and its unstinting devotion to maintaining a world-spanning empire, is both risking catastrophe and wrecking the global commons. Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the expanding drone assassination program to the threat of nuclear warfare, as well as the flashpoints of Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, he offers unexpected and nuanced insights into the workings of imperial power on our increasingly chaotic planet. Fierce, unsparing, and meticulously documented, Chomsky delivers the indispensable understanding of the central conflicts and dangers of our time.

Hardcover; $28.00
Publisher: Metropolitan Books; ISBN: 9781627793810
New PaperbacksNPaperbacks

by Peter Nichols
[Fiction]

Set against dramatic Mediterranean Sea views and lush olive groves, The Rocks opens with a confrontation and a secret: What was the mysterious, catastrophic event that drove two honeymooners apart so suddenly and absolutely in 1948 that they never spoke again despite living on the same island
for 60 more years? And how did their history shape the Romeo and Juliet like romance of their (unrelated) children decades later? Centered around a popular seaside resort club and its community, The Rocks is a double love story that begins with a mystery, then moves backward in time, era by era, to unravel what really happened decades earlier.

Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Riverhead Books; ISBN: 9781101983393
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. . .

Paperback; $17.99
Publisher: Mulholland Books; ISBN: 9780316349895
by Judd Apatow
[Non-Fiction]

Before becoming one of the most successful filmmakers in Hollywood, Judd Apatow was the original comedy nerd. Sick in the Head gathers Apatow's most memorable and revealing conversations with comedy legends into one hilarious, wide-ranging, and incredibly candid collection that spans not only his career but his entire adult life. And along the way, something kind of magical happens: What started as a lifetime's worth of conversations about comedy becomes something else entirely. It becomes an exploration of creativity, ambition, neediness, generosity, spirituality, and the joy that comes from making people laugh.

Paperback; $18.00
Publisher: Random House Trade; ISBN: 9780812987287
by Elif Shafak
[Fiction]

In 1540, 12-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan's menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan's beautiful daughter, Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire's chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota's help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history. Yet even as they build Sinan's triumphant masterpieces -- the incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques -- dangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with jealousy erupting among Sinan's four apprentices. . .

Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143108306
by Clark Elliott
[Non-Fiction]

In 1999, Clark Elliott suffered a concussion when his car was rear-ended. Overnight his life changed from that of a rising professor with a research career in artificial intelligence to a humbled man struggling to get through a single day. At times he couldn't walk across a room, or even name his five children. Doctors told him he would never fully recover. But after he crossed paths with two brilliant Chicago-area research-clinicians, the ghost of who he had been started to re-emerge. Remarkably, Elliott kept detailed notes throughout his experience, astounding documentation that is the basis of this fascinating book.

Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143108290
New For Young ReadersYR

by Sue Fliess
[Fiction]
Ages 4 to 8

Soar into an enchanting miniature world full of fairies. These playful creatures are all around us, if you know just where to look. And if you want to have one come to you, build a fairy house of twigs and blooms and wait patiently for a fairy to take up residence. Children are fascinated with miniature worlds and the fairies who inhabit them. A forever friend awaits each reader in the pages of this lovely picture book with illustrations by a Disney animator.



Hardcover; $16.99
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; ISBN: 9781627790819
by Melissa Hart
[Fiction]
Ages 10 to 14
(Upcoming author event at Grass Roots!)

For the first time in his life, Solo is labeled a troubled kid. He'd always gotten good grades, had good friends, and gotten along with his parents. But when his parents uproot him and move the family from California to backwoods Oregon, Solo starts to lose track of the person he was. This is a story about staying true to yourself when things get tough, about the difficult issues of suicide and depression, but more than anything it captures the powerlessness of being a kid. It won't be easy, but the wild beauty of Oregon may be just what Solo and his family need to help them start over.

Hardcover; $15.99
Publisher: Sky Pony Press; ISBN: 9781634501477
New Bargain BooksNewBargain

More coming soon!
New MusicMusic


Paul Simon
Stranger to Stranger
Pop/Folk

As heard on NPR: "His music still pulses with the feeling of invention; he's still discovering new ways to communicate, new percussive beats, challenging new frameworks for observations about joy, death, and everything in between."
($15.98)

Robert Ellis
Robert Ellis
Pop/Folk

Robert Ellis' third record pushes the boundary of his contemporary Americana sound. Ellis brings together Texas country with moments of psychedelia, rock, soul, and more for an original groove.
($13.98)

Bonnie Bishop
Ain't Who I Was
Pop/Folk

Bishop is a Grammy-winning songwriter who has penned songs for Bonnie Raitt. Her first record in five years pairs her Texas country with Dave Cobb's soulful Memphis production.
($12.98)

Leyla McCalla
Day for the Hunter a Day for the Prey
Pop/Folk

Cellist McCalla is best known as a one-time member of Carolina Chocolate Drops. Her eclectic music mixes elements of jazz, folk, classical, and Louisiana.
($15.98)
Events at Grass RootsEventsGRR

Melissa Hart
Monday, June 6, at 4:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR

Avenging the Owl takes readers on a hero's journey with 13-year-old Solo Hahn. After his father tries to commit suicide, his mother moves the family from their Southern California beach home to a landlocked trailer in Oregon. Solo is forced to do community service at the local raptor rehabilitation center after he accidentally injures a neighbor with Down syndrome while trying to kill a great-horned owl that's hurt his beloved pet. School Library Journal calls Avenging the Owl, a middle grade book (ages 11-13), "a good action-adventure story compelling enough for reluctant readers. Hand to fans of books about the great outdoors and the wilderness." 

Melissa Hart is a contributing editor at The Writer Magazine, and a Literature and Creative Writing teacher for Laurel Springs distance-learning high school. She's the author of two memoirs. Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Orion, Hemispheres, Education Week, and other publications. This event will feature a raptor slide show and owl pellet dissection! The author will be reading and signing books at this event. 
Susan Conrad
Friday, June 17, at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR

Inside: One Woman's Journey Through the Inside Passage is a plucky adventure memoir of the sea and soul told by a woman on a big adventure in a small boat along the coast of western North America. In Spring 2010, with her world scaled down to an 18-foot sea kayak and the 1,200 mile ribbon of water called the Inside Passage, Susan Conrad launched a journey that took her north to Alaska. On the way, she forged friendships, lived her dream, and discovered the depths of her own strength and courage.

Susan Marie Conrad grew up on a small farm near Woodbourne in upstate New York. By dint of exploring the mountains of Colorado, Oregon, and Montana, she eventually discovered the dynamic and addictive environment of coastal British Columbia and Washington State, where she thrives as an adventure-seeker. Susan is a writer, photographer, personal trainer, kayak instructor, and outdoor enthusiast. The author will be reading and signing books at this event.
Bill C. Hall
 
Wednesday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR

McCallandia is a novel that imagines a world where Oregon's colorful, iconic Governor, Tom McCall, becomes president of the United States. In the pages of McCallandia, you'll visit a world where Tom McCall is Richard Nixon's successor. President McCall brings his unique style, candor, and environmental ethic to Washington, and the world changes. For the better. McCallandia features an outside cast of supporting characters, including Hunter Thompson, Ken Kesey and Steve Prefontaine. Publisher Matt Love calls McCallandia "The best political novel ever written about Oregon."

McCallandia is the first novel by Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall, who, like Tom McCall, made the transition from journalism to politics. Bill is a native Oregonian and met Tom McCall in 1978, when he volunteered for his ill-fated comeback campaign. Hall lives in Newport. The author will be reading and signing books at this event.
Barbara Quinn 
 
Wednesday, June 29 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR

Quinn-Essential Nutrition is your trustworthy manual for eating -- and enjoying! -- healthful food as you live your life in the real world. Inspired by her widely distributed newspaper column, Quinn On Nutrition, registered dietitian Barbara Quinn thoughtfully unpacks and delivers reliable answers to over 100 current nutrition topics. From pregnancy to old age, sports to diabetes, Quinn-Essential Nutrition is your user guide to healthful eating -- no matter what your circumstance.

Barbara Quinn, MS, RDN, CDE is a registered dietitian nutritionist and certified diabetes educator affiliated with the Diabetes and Nutrition Therapy program at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Quinn is also certified Health and Wellness coach.
Community EventsCommunityEvents

Darkside Show Times for 6/3-6/9

-High-Rise -R Dr. Robert Laing is the newest resident of a luxurious apartment in a high-tech concrete skyscraper. Life seems like paradise to the solitude-seeking Laing. But as power outages become more frequent and building flaws emerge, particularly on the lower floors, the regimented social strata begins to crumble and the building becomes a battlefield in a literal class war. Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Elisabeth Moss.

-A Hologram for The King -R A beautiful doctor (Sarita Choudhury) and a wise-cracking taxi driver (Alexander Black) help an American businessman (Tom Hanks) who's trying to close the deal of a lifetime in Saudi Arabia. Directed by Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run).

-The Meddler -PG-13 The Meddler transcends its cutesy title and familiar premise with a heartfelt look at family dynamics that's honored by a marvelous performances from Susan Sarandon and JK Simmons. 

-The Man Who Knew Infinity -PG-13 In 1913 a self-taught Indian mathematics genius forged a bond with his brilliant, eccentric mentor professor at Trinity College, Cambridge. The true story of a friendship that forever changed mathematics. Jeremy Irons, Dev Patel.

Arts/Literary Events

Reviewed by Susan and Bob Poole; sponsored by Friends of the Library

Wednesday, June 8, 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

None this week!
Store NewsStoreNews

Find Waldo Local 2016

Where's Waldo? In Corvallis, of course! The famous children's book character in the striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting 20 different local businesses throughout our community this July. Those who spot him can win prizes, including stickers, book coupons, gift certificates, and more. From American Dream Pizza to Tried & True Coffee, from The Inkwell Home Store to Grass Roots Books & Music, Waldo figures will be well hidden in local business establishments. Find Waldo is a great summer vacation activity, and a wonderful way for residents to support local business and the Buy Local First movement. The search for Waldo will be from July 1st -31st (all month long). 

To participate, pick up a "Find Waldo Local in Corvallis!" passport at Grass Roots with the names of all the participating businesses, and then get your passport stamped or signed for each Waldo you spot. The first 100 Waldo seekers to get their passports stamped or signed at 10 or more sites can bring their passports back to Grass Roots to collect prizes. For fifteen or more stamps, you'll be entered into a grand prize drawing on August 1, at Grass Roots at 1:30pm.

This year, participants can also #ColorWaldoAndWin: when you share a completed coloring sheet of Waldo on Instagram, you'll be entered into a drawing to be one of five lucky winners of a deluxe prize pack. 
 
Keep watching the Grass Roots Reader for the full list of participating businesses!
Theses on species: featured animal books


Lions and tigers and bears and crows and dragon fish and...well, you get the idea. But what secrets don't we know about the animal kingdom? Find out about species weird and wonderful, exotic and endangered in these truly fascinating reads showcased in our science section.
Job opening at Grass Roots

Love books and looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity? Grass Roots Books & Music has an immediate opening for a receiving clerk.

This position is both intellectually and physically demanding. Potential applicants must be avid readers and love sharing their knowledge of what they've read, be highly computer literate, and easily able to learn new programs and systems quickly in a multi-tasking environment. Successful candidates must interact well with coworkers and customers, but also be able to function independently.

To download more information and a complete job description, please click the following links:
JigsawJigsaw

The jigsaw puzzle is taking a short break -- come back next week!
Reading Group SelectionReadingGroup

Tuesday, June 7, at 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

Please join us for our June reading group with All the Wild that Remains by David Gessner.

Award-winning nature writer David Gessner takes us on an inspiring journey as he renews his own meaningful relationship with the wild, confronting American overconsumption, and fighting environmental injustice -- all while reawakening the thrill of the words of his two great heroes, Edward Abbey and Wallace Stegner. Archetypal wild man Edward Abbey and proper, dedicated Wallace Stegner left their footprints all over the western landscape. Gessner follows the ghosts of these two remarkable writer-environmentalists, braiding their stories and asking how they speak to the lives of all those who care about the West.

Regular Price: $16.95
On sale for: $14.41
Until Tuesday, June 7

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393352375
Night StandsNightStands

Marissa
by Ruby McConnell
[Non-Fiction]

"The truth is, men are no better (or worse) equipped than women to survive in the wilderness." So begins McConnell's must-have outdoor handbook geared toward women, shedding light on an unfortunately underrepresented group in such an area of reference. From the essentials of getting the right pack fit for backpacking, to safety and first aid training, to ingenious methods of cooking over a fire and more, McConnell's tips will inspire women to break new ground in wild ways. I look forward to consulting it during many a hiking or camping expedition over the summer!

Paperback; $18.95
Publisher: Sasquatch Books; ISBN: 9781632170057
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Grass Roots Books and Music | 227 SW 2nd Street | Corvallis | OR | 97330