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August 4, 2016
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Hello, Readers,


We'd like to give a massive thank you to everyone who attended our Harry Potter release party, as well as Waldo seekers and businesses who participated in Find Waldo Local throughout July! The magic and wonder of reading is strong at Grass Roots, and we're thrilled to witness it every year in the community we love. 


When it comes to our friends in the community, a special family comes to mind. Please join us in honoring the life of Michael Fridley, whose support of 18 years is felt by us all.


Read on for the latest in books, music, and more, including our new selection for the monthly reading group and new Oregon author events added. 


See you in the store!


~Marissa
New HardcoversNHardcovers


by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne
[Fiction] 


Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children. While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.



Hardcover; $29.99
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books; ISBN: 9781338099133
by Eowyn Ivey
[Fiction] 


In the winter of 1885, Lieutenant Colonel Allen Forrester sets out with his men on an expedition into the newly acquired territory of Alaska. Their objective: travel up the ferocious Wolverine River, mapping the interior and gathering information on the region's potentially dangerous native tribes. With a young and newly pregnant wife at home, Forrester is anxious to complete the journey with all possible speed and return to her. But once the crew passes beyond the edge of the known world, there's no telling what awaits them.



"Ivey's highly anticipated second novel, following The Snow Child. . .presents a compelling historical saga of survival." - Booklist, Starred Review



Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Little Brown and Company; ISBN: 9780316242851
by A.S. Byatt
[Non-Fiction] 


Born a generation apart in the mid-1800s, Fortuny and Morris were seeming opposites: Fortuny a Spanish aristocrat thrilled by the sun-baked cultures of Crete and Knossos; Morris a member of the British bourgeoisie, enthralled by Nordic myths. Through their revolutionary inventions and textiles, both men inspired a new variety of art that is as striking today as when it was first conceived. In this elegant meditation, Byatt traces their genius right to the source. Generously illustrated with the artists beautiful designs pomegranates and acanthus, peacock and vine among other aspects of their worlds, this marvel-filled book brings the visions and ideas of Fortuny and Morris to vivid life.


Hardcover; $26.95
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN: 9781101947470
by Jonis Agee
[Fiction] 


"Agee's emotionally rich tale is as wild and sprawling as the Midwestern plains. This is the Nebraska Sandhills a decade after the army's massacre of more than 200 Lakota at Wounded Knee in 1890. When middle-aged white rancher J.B. Bennett and the younger Native American Star are murdered, apparently together, their families collide. . .[involving] a poignant counterpoint to the cruelties born of ignorance and greed in the face of cultural difference. The story's several parts -- gritty Western, family saga, mystery -- work together for a memorable tale of heartbreak and redemption." - Publishers Weekly



Hardcover; $25.99
Publisher: William Morrow & Company; ISBN: 9780062413475
by Giuseppe Catozzella
[Fiction] 


"Growing up in her Somalian community, wracked by poverty and civil war, Samia Yusuf Omar is a champion long-distance runner from age eight. Her dream is to run in the Olympics in Beijing and then in London. How will she get there? How will she pay for it?. . .Based on a true story, this gripping first-person narrative tells how. . .she makes the horrific migrant trek from Somalia through Sudan to Libya and to the Mediterranean. . .The authors' final, heartbreaking note takes you back to the beginning and to her triumph, not of winning the race, but of the family's courageous daily struggle against brutal repression." - Booklist



Hardcover; $25.00
Publisher: Penguin Press; ISBN: 9781594206412
New PaperbacksNPaperbacks


by Lucia Berlin
[Fiction]


A Manual for Cleaning Women compiles the best work of the legendary short-story writer Lucia Berlin. With the grit of Raymond Carver, the humor of Grace Paley, and a blend of wit and melancholy all her own, Berlin crafts miracles from the everyday, uncovering moments of grace in the Laundromats and halfway houses of the American Southwest, in the homes of the Bay Area upper class, among switchboard operators and struggling mothers, hitchhikers and bad Christians.


"A posthumous collection of stories, almost uniformly narrated by hard-living women, that makes a case for the author as a major talent." - Kirkus Reviews



Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Picador USA; ISBN: 9781250094735
by Robert Macfarlane
[Non-Fiction]


For years now, the British writer Robert Macfarlane has been collecting place-words: terms for aspects of landscape, nature, and weather, drawn from dozens of languages and dialects of the British Isles. In this, his fifth book, Macfarlane brilliantly explores the linguistic and literary terrain of the British archipelago, from the Shetlands to Cornwall and from Cumbria to Suffolk, offering themed glossaries of hundreds of these rare, deeply local, poetical terms. Landmarks is a book about the power of language and how it can become a way to know and love landscape, from a writer acclaimed for his own precision of utterance and distinctive, lyrical voice.



Paperback; $18.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780241967874
by Anna Badkhen
[Non-Fiction]


"Badkhen's lyrical, off-the-beaten-path travel memoir also serves as a trenchant sociological study of one of the planet's largest remaining group of nomads, the Fulani, of West Africa. Embedding herself with a Fulani family, she thoroughly immerses herself in their culture and their lifestyle -- a curious hybrid of the primitive and the contemporary -- as they, together with herds of cows, trek their way across the Mali savannah during their seasonal migration to the grasslands. Inevitably, the journey is dotted with incursions of modern life. Still, the Fulani display a remarkable ability to adapt to certain new realities while honoring centuries-old traditions. . ." - Booklist



Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Riverhead Books; ISBN: 9780399576010
by Anil Ananthaswamy
[Non-Fiction]


"Science journalist Ananthaswamy (The Edge of Physics) skillfully inspects the bewildering connections among brain, body, mind, self, and society. . .profiling sufferers of a range of neurological ailments, including Allen, whose Alzheimer disease has 'scrambled his narrative,' and the pseudonymous David, who has body integrity identity disorder and believes that he must have his leg amputated. Laurie, a schizophrenic, struggles with inner voices that taunt her and lead her to attempt suicide. . . and Graham, a Cotard's syndrome sufferer whose delusion convinced him that he was brain dead. These patients' stories help shed light on [neurological disorders and] current notions of what the self really is. . ." - Publishers Weekly



Paperback; $16.00
Publisher: Dutton Books; ISBN: 9781101984321
by Amitav Ghosh
[Fiction]


"The final novel in Ghosh's dynamic trilogy about India's involvement in the Opium Wars between England and China is rife with antic lust, lost love, and foul greed. Ghosh's ebullient fluency in the colorful argot of the contentious worlds he brings forth distinguishes this passionately researched series. . .Sailor and carpenter Zachary Reid, a mixed-race American, becomes entangled with a British opium magnate and his lonely wife. Kesri Singh, a career soldier serving the East India Company, finds his loyalties severely tested. . .and opium trader Bahram's widow, Shireen, bravely seeks the truth about her husband's life and death. . ." - Booklist, Starred Review



Paperback; $17.00
Publisher: Picador USA; ISBN: 9781250094711
New For Young ReadersYR


by Emily Winfield Martin
[Fiction]
Ages 1 to 4


Portland author Emily Winfield Martin shows little ones that letting their imaginations run free will lead them into fantastical day dreams. Whether cloud-gazing or wandering through a museum, reading a book or playing in a tide pool, the children in this board book encounter magical creatures such as dragons, unicorns, griffins, and jackalopes. Whimsical rhyming text accompanies the dream-worthy illustrations.





Board Books; $8.99
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers; ISBN: 9781101935224
by Tom Angleberger
[Fiction]
Ages 6 to 9


From husband-and-wife team Tom Angleberger (Origami Yoda series) and Cece Bell, author/illustrator of the Newbery Honor graphic novel El Deafo, comes the start to a funny and clever illustrated chapter-book series about a mystery-solving Venus flytrap. The plant detective works tirelessly with his assistant Nina the Goat on his community's unsolved cases. There's no case too big, but there are definitely cases too small for this endearingly self-important plant detective. Combining wacky humor and a silly cast of characters with adventure, friendship, and mystery, this uniquely engaging series is perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Ricky Ricotta, Captain Underpants, and the Galaxy Zack series.



Paperback; $5.95
Publisher: Amulet Books; ISBN: 9781419709654
New Bargain BooksNewBargain


Featured this week:


New MusicMusic


Check back next week!
Events at Grass RootsEventsGRR


Cory Frye

   

Wednesday, August 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR


Murder in Plainview. On June 21, 1922, Linn County sheriff Charles Kendall and Reverend Roy Healy drove out to the town of Plainview to arrest a moonshining farmer named Dave West. By the end of the day, all three men were dead. First responders found Sheriff Kendall facedown with his pistol still holstered. The court appointed William Dunlap as the new sheriff, but within a year, someone killed him, too. Author and journalist Cory Frye delivers a riveting, detailed account of these shocking and tragic crimes that haunted Linn County for decades.


Cory Frye, 43, is a multiple award-winning writer and editor based in Oregon's lush, mushy Willamette Valley. His work has appeared in the Albany Democrat-Herald (where he currently serves as news editor), Corvallis Gazette-Times, Oregonian, Under the Radar, Stereo Subversion, Yahoo! Music, iTunes and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The author will be reading and signing books at this event.
Gina Oschner

   

Wednesday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR


Summoned to his mother's bedside as she nears the end of her life, young Maris must hear a new version, his mother's version, of his own story.  Maris was born knowing things: his very large, very special ears enable him to hear the secrets of the dead, as well as the memories that haunt his Latvian hometown. He finds himself heir to an odd assortment of hidden letters, letters from which he would weave a story that could finally expose -- and maybe even patch -- the holes in the fabric of his family and their town. 


Gina Oschner is the author of The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight, a novel long-listed for the Orange Prize, and two story collections. Her awards include the Flannery O'Connor Award, the William Faulkner Prize, the Oregon Book Award, Guggenheim and NEA grants, and the Raymond Carver Prize. The author will be reading and signing books at this event.
Judy Li & M.L. Herring  

   

Saturday, September 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR


OSU Press has  recently published Ricky's Atlas by local Corvallis author Judy Li, illustrated by M. L. Herring, also of Corvallis. This is their second children's book, and the sequel to Ellie's Log, which was set in the Andrews Experimental Forest. Ricky's Atlas follows the same cast of characters in their summer adventures east of the Cascade Mountains, where Ricky and Ellie explore the science of wildfire ecology. 


Judith L. Li, a retired associate professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at OSU, participates in National Science Foundation-sponsored Long Term Ecological Research at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest and works with K-12 science teachers. M. L. Herring lives on a peach farm near Corvallis. She writes and illustrates for OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences, where she is an associate professor and director of communications. The author and illustrator will be reading and signing books at this event.
Community EventsCommunityEvents



Darkside Show Times for 8/5-8/11


-Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble -PG-13 The extraordinary documentary of the renowned international musical collective created by legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma. 



-Cafe Society -PG-13 In his latest film, Woody Allen conjures up a 1930s world long passed to tell a deeply romantic tale of dreams that never die. Steve Carell, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart. Comedy-Drama.


-Hunt for the Wilderpeople -PG-13 A boy and his foster father become the subjects of a manhunt after they get stranded in the New Zealand wilderness. Sam Neill. Comedy. 99% RT.


Arts/Literary Events


Willamette Writers on the River: Quarterly Open Mic


Monday, September 19, at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (sign-up at 6:15)
First Presbyterian Church
114 SW 8th St.
Corvallis, OR


These quarterly readings are free and open to everyone. The number of readers is limited by the available time. First to sign up is first to read. Time limit per reader is 7 minutes. No graphic violence, sex, or hate speech. If you don't want to read, please come hear some talented writers present their work. 


Community Events with Grass Roots CEGR


John Hunter
Film & Panel Discussion
 
Friday, August 5, at 7:00 p.m.

Linus Pauling Middle School

1111 NW Cleveland Ave.
Corvallis, OR

 
The OSU School of History, Philosophy and Religion presents a showing of the award winning film, World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements. The film follows teacher John Hunter as he leads his class through an 8-week transformation, from students of a neighborhood school to citizens of the world. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring John Hunter, creator of the WPG, Mary Yates, former ambassador to Burundi and Ghana and Sr. Director for African Affairs in the Obama Administration as well as students and teachers of the game.


This event is free and open to the public. Grass Roots will be selling books at this event. 
Store NewsStoreNews


Musical Celebration of Life for Michael Fridley



On May 7th, Corvallis lost a wonderful musician and friend to music communities and music scholars far and wide. He, his wife Victoria, and their son Daniel have been dear friends to us and the bookstore since their arrival to our community. We have treasured memories of Michael playing his lute and guitar for us during holiday seasons as a gift to the store, creating magical evenings.



As a musician, his breadth of knowledge about music history and experience with diverse musical styles was a source of inspiration to many. Throughout his life he appreciated and performed rock, blues, folk, country, bluegrass, jazz, classical, and early music. His first instrument was the trumpet, but by high school the guitar became his focus. He also played lute, banjo and recorder, relishing the collaboration of playing in ensembles. Guided by a desire to serve the music, when he took a solo it was to enhance and extend the creative choices of the musicians he loved to play with.



In honor of Michaels' many musical interests, talents, and friends, there will be a Musical Celebration of Life:



Saturday, August 20th, at 1:00 p.m.

West Hills First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis

4515 SW West Hills Rd.

Corvallis 97333



A reception will immediately follow. For those wishing to make a donation in honor of Michael's memory, the family would like you to please consider the ArtsCare program at the Arts Center, Benton Hospice Service, or an organization of your choice that promotes music education and performance.

Reading Group SelectionReadingGroup


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


Join Tiffany as she leads our September reading group with Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse, winner of the 2015 Langum Prize for Historical Literature. 


Nell Stillman's road is not easy. When her boorish husband dies soon after they move to the small town of Harvester, Minnesota, Nell is alone, penniless yet responsible for her beloved baby boy Hillyard. Not an easy fate in small-town America at the beginning of the 20th century. In the face of nearly insurmountable odds, Nell finds strength in lasting friendships and in the rich inner life awakened by the novels she loves.



Regular Price: $16.00
On sale for: $13.60

Until Tuesday, September 6


Publisher: Milkweed Editions

ISBN: 9781571311115
Night StandsNightStands


Mary

[Fiction]


What an provocative, unique read. Told through a series of short stories, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl follows Lizzie, a woman who spends her life obsessing about her weight. From growing up as an overweight teen to her thin adult years, we get a glimpse into the toll her struggles take on her relationships and self-worth. Anyone who has ever internalized society's body image pressures and turned them against themselves will find something to relate to -- which is to say, almost everyone.



Hardcover, $16.00
Publisher: Penguin Books; ISBN: 9780143128489
JigsawJigsaw


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Grass Roots Books and Music | 227 SW 2nd Street | Corvallis | OR | 97330