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September 8, 2016
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Dear Readers,


With sunshine streaming through the store windows as we enjoy folk music and the latest in books, it's hard to believe the season is changing so soon! Be prepared for another year with our 2017 wall calendars, engagement calendars, and datebooks. A great selection has already arrived.


New in hardcover this week: Eagerly awaited follow-up novels by Jonathan Safran Foer, Amy Stewart, and Amor Towles, plus two Florida-centric romps by bestselling comedy writers. 


There's so much more to see with critically acclaimed memoirs by three women writers now in paperback; fantastic new releases for kids and teens; and new music featuring Emmylou Harris, Jack White, and Wilco just hitting our shelves.


Don't forget to check out our updated community and store events below!


Happy reading,


~Marissa
New HardcoversNHardcovers


by Jonathan Safran Foer

[Fiction]


"Family and what it means to be Jewish, subjects of infinite complexity, are novelist Foer's preoccupation and inspiration. In his first novel in 11 years -- a far longer, edgier, and more caustically funny tale than. . .Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close -- he choreographs the disintegration of the once blissfully close marriage of architect Julia and TV writer Jacob, exploring how their changing relationship affects their three sons (so cannily portrayed), especially the eldest, Sam. . .[who] contemplates Abraham's predicament in preparation for his bar mitzvah. . .[Foer] astutely and forthrightly confronts humankind's capacity for the ludicrous and the profound, cruelty and love." - Booklist, Starred Review


Hardcover; $28.00
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; ISBN: 9780374280024
by Amy Stewart
[Fiction] 


"In this comic mystery set in 1915 and based on actual events, Constance Kopp, the first female deputy sheriff in Bergen County, N.J., is still packing a pistol and an attitude after her first crime-fighting adventures in Girl Waits with Gun. . .Stewart's second volume in her Kopp Sisters Series is a clever, suspenseful, and funny tale of a formidable woman facing crime, politics, social stigma, all while nailing evildoers. [But Constance's] new career is in jeopardy when a prisoner she is guarding -- Baron von Matthesius, a sneaky, dangerous con man facing undisclosed but serious charges -- escapes her custody. . ." - Publishers Weekly


Hardcover; $26.00
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin; ISBN: 9780544409941
by Amor Towles
[Fiction] 


When, in 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, he is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel s doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery.


"A masterly encapsulation of modern Russian history, this book more than fulfills the promise of Towles' stylish debut, Rules of Civility." - Kirkus Reviews


Hardcover; $27.00
Publisher: Viking; ISBN: 9780670026197
by Carl Hiaasen
[Fiction] 


"Andrew Yancy (Bad Monkey) returns in this immensely entertaining wild ride through the Florida Keys. He is still doing penance. . .for an earlier assault with a car vacuum. But when the star of a redneck reality show called Bayou Brethren goes missing, Yancy sees a chance to win back his real cop job at the sheriff's office. Merry Mansfield, the Razor Girl, is sharp, that's for sure, and one of the coolest characters Hiaasen has ever brought to the page. . .the ultimate beach read for anyone with a taste for Hiaasen's skewed view of a Florida slouching toward Armageddon." - Booklist, Starred Review


Hardcover; $27.95
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780385349741
by Dave Barry
[Non-Fiction] 


Every few months, Dave Barry gets a call from some media person wanting to know, What the hell is wrong with Florida? Somehow, the state's acquired an image as a subtropical festival of stupid, and as a loyal Floridian, Dave begs to differ. Sure, there was the 2000 election. And people seem to take their pants off for no good reason. And it has flying insects the size of LeBron James. But it is a great state, and Dave is going to tell you why. Join him as he celebrates the Sunshine State's earliest history to the fun-fair of weirdness that it is today.


Hardcover; $27.00
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons; ISBN: 9781101982600
New PaperbacksNPaperbacks


by Elizabeth Alexander
[Non-Fiction]


"Poet Alexander (Crave Radiance: New and Selected Poems) tells us at the outset that this memoir about the sudden death of her husband is not a tragedy but rather a love story. . . As Alexander describes, with spellbinding grace, their vital bond, devotion to beauty, and joy in their two sons, her wonder and gratitude for their time together rise up from the page like the scent of the flowers [he] planted for her, the brightness of the colors he loved, and the music of their family conversations. . .A radiant book of love's everlastingness and art's infinite sustenance." - Booklist, Starred Review


Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; ISBN: 9781455599868
by Nancy Marie Brown
[Non-Fiction]


In the early 1800's, on a Hebridean beach in Scotland, the sea exposed an ancient treasure cache: 93 chessmen carved from walrus ivory. Norse netsuke, each face individual, each full of quirks, the Lewis Chessmen are probably the most famous chess pieces in the world. Nancy Marie Brown's Ivory Vikings explores these mysteries by connecting medieval Icelandic sagas with modern archaeology, art history, forensics, and the history of board games. In the process, Ivory Vikings presents a vivid history of the 400 years when the Vikings ruled the North Atlantic and an extraordinarily talented woman artist of the twelfth century: Margret the Adroit of Iceland.


Paperback; $16.99
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; ISBN: 9781250108593
by Mary Karr
[Non-Fiction]


In The Art of Memoir, master memoirist Mary Karr synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and black-belt sinner, providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre. Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr's own process as she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir.


"Karr write[s] exquisitely and without pretense, often with raw authenticity. A must-read." - Publishers Weekly


Paperback; $15.99
Publisher: Harper Perennial; ISBN: 9780062223074
by Sandra Cisneros
[Non-Fiction]


"By gathering together more than 40 essays and musings written for various occasions and undertakings between 1984 and 2014, Cisneros, beloved author of the novel The House on Mango Street. . .has created her first work of non-fiction, a patchwork-quilt memoir resplendent with one hundred color photographs. Her reflections on houses she's lived in. . .form a unifying motif, along with accounts of her early struggle to envision a way forward as a self-described American Mexican and working-class writer. . .Cisneros writes frankly and tenderly of independence and connection, injustice and transcendence, resilience and creativity, the meaning of home and the writer's calling." - Booklist, Starred Review


Paperback; $15.00
Publisher: Vintage; ISBN: 9780345807175
edited by David Lehman and Edward Hirsch
[Poetry]


The Best American Poetry series is a vivid snapshot of what a distinguished poet finds exciting, fresh and memorable (Robert Pinsky); a guiding light for the mood and shape of modern American poetry. Each year, this series presents essential American verse and the poets who create it. Truly the best American poetry has appeared in this venerable collection for over twenty-five years. This edition includes poems chosen by editor Edward Hirsch as the best of 2016, featuring poets such as Rick Barot, Emily Fragos, Philip Levine, and Adrienne Su.


Paperback; $18.99
Publisher: Scribner Book Company; ISBN: 9781501127564
New For Young ReadersYR


by Bill Martin
[Fiction]
Ages 1 to 4


In honor of its 50th Anniversary, the classic Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is available for the first time as a lift-the-tab board book.With the complete and unabridged text and art of the classic Brown Bear story, this format has brand-new look and feel. Readers will discover the classic rhythmic text featuring colorful animals, brought to life in Eric Carle's powerful collage art.




Board Books; $9.99
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company; ISBN: 9781627797238
by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston
[Fiction]
Ages 3 to 8


A little girl sails her raft across a sea of words, arriving at the house of a small boy and calling him away on an adventure. Through forests of fairy tales and across mountains of make-believe, the two travel together on a fantastical journey that unlocks the boy's imagination. Now a lifetime of magic and adventure lies ahead of him . . . but who will be next? A Child of Books is a stunning prose poem on the rewards of reading and sharing stories, an immersive and unforgettable reading experience that readers will want to pass on to others.


Hardcover; $17.99
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA); ISBN: 9780763690779
by Ann M. Martin and Annie Parnell
[Fiction]
Ages 8 to 12


Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle has gone away unexpectedly and left her niece, Missy Piggle-Wiggle, in charge of the Upside-Down House and the beloved animals who live there: Lester the pig, Wag the dog, and Penelope the parrot, among others. Families in town soon realize that like her great-aunt, Missy Piggle-Wiggle has inventive cures for all sorts of childhood (mis)behavior: The Whatever Cure and the Just-a-Minute Cure, for instance. What is a stressed out parent to do? Why, call Missy Piggle-Wiggle, of course! New York Times-bestselling author Ann Martin brings her signature warmth and comic genius to a new character. 


Hardcover; $16.99
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; ISBN: 9781250071699
by Daniel Sweren-Becker
[Fiction]
Young Adult


Seventeen-year-old Cody and her boyfriend, James, were two of the lucky ones randomly selected before birth to receive genetic engineering. Known as the Ones, this one percent of the population is healthy, beautiful, and talented -- and to some, that's not fair. Mounting fear and jealousy of the Ones' success leads to the creation of the Equality Movement, which quickly gains enough political traction to demote Cody, James, and others like them to second-class citizens. Themes of justice, discrimination, and terrorism mix with actual science to create a frightening version of our near future in Daniel Sweren-Becker's pulse-pounding thriller.


Hardcover; $17.99
Publisher: Imprint; ISBN: 9781250083142
New Bargain BooksNewBargain


Featured this week:


 


Regular price: $17.95
Promo price: $10.98!








Regular price: $8.00
Promo price: $4.98!








Regular price: $14.95
Promo price: $8.98!








Regular price: $18.99
Promo price: $9.98!
New MusicMusic




Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris

The Complete Trio Collection 3 CD Set

Pop/Folk


The iconic trio released two albums together, Trio (1987) and Trio II (1999), which have combined to sell more than five million copies worldwide and win three Grammy Awards. Both of these classic albums have been newly remastered for a three-CD collection packed with rare and unreleased music produced by Harris.
($29.98)


Jack White

Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016

Pop/Folk


The definitive, remastered Jack White songwriting collection, spanning his 20+ year career. It includes White's acoustic-based recordings with the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and his acclaimed solo projects, with B-Sides, remixes, alternate versions, and previously unreleased studio recordings.

($16.97)


St. Paul & the Broken Bones

Sea of Noise

Pop/Folk


The Alabama-based soul band delivers grit, elemental rhythm, tight-as-a-drumhead playing, and a profound depth of feeling. They have already created a maelstrom of interest with their debut album Half the City and roof-raising live shows.
($13.98)


Wilco

Schmilco

Pop/Folk


Schmilco is Grammy-award winning Wilco's tenth studio album and it's follow-up to last year's Star Wars. The loose, mostly acoustic alt-rock record was recorded at the band's Chicago loft.

($13.98)


The Frightnrs

Nothing More to Say

Reggae


The Frightnrs escort Daptone into the world of long-playing reggae with both the sweetest and the roughest record of the decade. Nothing More to Say is a rocksteady masterpiece the likes of which has not reared its head since the golden era of Studio One. 

($15.98)


Paper Bird

Paper Bird

Pop/Folk


On Paper Bird, the band collaborates with world-renowned musician, singer and songwriter John Oates, who calls their sound "three distinctly unique female lead singers whose harmonies blend together as one. . .united with an inventive, cohesive rhythm section trio."

($12.98)
Events at Grass RootsEventsGRR


Dick Weinman
"Thanks for Messing Up My Life," from 

   

Monday, September 12 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR


"Thanks for Messing Up My Life" is the title of the story by Dick Weinman which has been published in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Gratitude. Dick's story is one of the 101 selected from the thousands of submissions, and tells the story of how Dick survived a life changing traffic accident, while at the same time enduring the pain of his wife, Ginny's, inexorable battle with Alzheimer's.
 
Dick Weinman, Professor Emeritus of Media Communication, has had a concurrent career as narrator, voice actor, and broadcaster, including 25 years hosting OPB's "Morning Edition." 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.
 
Carla Wise

   

Monday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR


This is a pivotal moment for humans on Earth: we are beginning to experience the effects of our destabilizing climate and understand that our world is at risk. Chaotic weather, wildfires, crop failures, and other signs of a warming world are increasing as experts issue ever more dire warnings. 


Written by a biologist and mother who needed to come to terms with her deepening fears, Awake on Earth is an exploration of climate change that is grounded in science, holistic, and personal. In it Carla Wise considers what we are facing, why, and how we might respond with more honesty, courage, and even grace. This event is co-sponsored by the Spring Creek Project. The author will be reading and signing books at this event.
Hob Osterlund
   

Wednesday, September 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Grass Roots Books & Music
227 SW 2nd St. 
Corvallis, OR


Albatross live long -- sometimes longer than 60 years -- and spend the majority of their time airborne, gliding across vast oceanic expanses. They are model mates and devoted parents. In nesting season, they rack up inconceivable mileage just to find supper for chicks waiting on the islands of the Hawaiian archipelago. Holy Mōlī is a natural history of the albatross, a moving memoir of grief, and a soaring tribute to ancestors. It's the story of how albatross guided the author on her own long journey, back to the origin of a binding bargain she struck when she was 10 years old.


Hob Osterlund is an award-winning writer and photographer whose work has appeared in National Geographic Explorer, The New York Times, Nature, and more. As Founder of the Kauai Albatross Network, she serves as Habitat Liaison for property owners who host Laysan albatross. She lives on Kauai with her partner. The author will be reading and signing books at this event.
Community EventsCommunityEvents



Darkside Show Times for 9/9-9/15


-Summertime -NR A young woman from the countryside moves to Paris and begins a passionate love affair with a feminist leader in 1970s France. Izia Higelin, Cecile de France. Comedy-Drama. French, subtitled. 91% on RT!



-Brother Nature -R Hoping to propose to his girlfriend, a straight-arrow politician meets her wild brother while spending time at her family's lakefront house. Taran Killam, Gillian Jacobs, Bobby Moynihan. Comedy.


-Southside With You -PG-13 Future U.S. President Barack Obama (Parker Sawyers) and lawyer Michelle Robinson (Tika Sumpter) go on a fateful first date in the summer of 1989. Drama, Romance. 92% RT.


-Don't Think Twice -R Turmoil strikes a New York improv troupe when one member leaves to star in a television show. Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, Mike Birbiglia. Comedy. 99% RT.


-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


Poems & Pears


Saturday, September 10, at 3:00 p.m.

USDA Germplasm Repository's World Pear Collection



Please join us for an afternoon of poetry and pear exploration, in the orchard at the USDA Germplasm Repository's World Pear Collection, located east of Corvallis, 1 mile south on Peoria Road from Highway 34.



This free event was organized by Corvallis native Emily Beezhold, stage name Timmy Straw, now a musician and writer in Portland. Enjoy an hour of poetry by locally renowned writers Karen Holmberg, Eric Wayne Dickey, and Stephanie Adams-Santos, followed by an opportunity to explore and sample pears from around the world. On-site sampling only; fruit is not available to take home.





Random Reviews: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
Reviewed by Paul Kopperman; sponsored by Friends of the Library


Wednesday, September 14, at 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR
 

Willamette Writers on the River: Words Matter: A Writing Workshop on Dialogue with Susan Kelly


Saturday, September 17, at 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Comfort Suites
1730 NW 9th St.
Corvallis, OR


In a story, you get to know a character through her actions, her speech, her view of the world and from other characters' perspectives of her. Spend a day with Susan Kelly learning how to create dialogue that snaps, pops and crackles. Attendees will have an opportunity to work on one of their own scenes. Susan Kelly is a romantic-comedy author, writing craft teacher and the founder of Gomboc Words, a blog about the business side of writing. Registration EXTENDED to Thursday, Sept. 15.


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. 


Friends of the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library Fall Festival Book Sale



Saturday, September 24, at 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

and Sunday, September 25, at 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Corvallis Public Library
645 NW Monroe Ave.
Corvallis, OR


High quality paperback books will be available for $1-$4. Additional hours for members only will be Friday, September 23 at 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Anyone can become a member for $10 at the door. The annual Fall Festival book sale benefits the libraries of Alsea, Corvallis, Monroe, Philomath and the Bookmobile. More information available at Friends of the Library



Community Events with Grass Roots CEGR


None this week!
Store NewsStoreNews


Get whisked away by historical fiction



 


Take a journey through the decades with our featured historical fiction -- like bookseller Emma (reading Lilac Girls) and Grass Roots Reader editor Marissa (reading The Snow Kimono), taking a cue from the iconic Reading Woman


Historical fiction on display includes acclaimed author Tracy Chevalier's frontier saga, William T. Vollmann's epic novel of the Nez Perce War, and a romance between literary legends by Mark Beauregard. Let the good old times roll!
Reading Group SelectionReadingGroup


There will be no Grass Roots Reading Group Meeting in October. Please watch the Grass Roots Reader for more information next month!



Night StandsNightStands


Marissa

[Non-Fiction]


Doerr has become a literary sensation with his Pulitzer Prize-winning titan of a historical novel, All The Light We Cannot See, which became one of the biggest bestsellers I've witnessed at Grass Roots (and with witnessing Rome itself on my agenda, its meaning is all the more poetic through an author's eyes). One wonders how Doerr's ability to turn an exquisite phrase has attracted such high praise, and his methods for his craft as a writing resident in Rome, which is lovingly detailed in this travelogue -- along with the ancient city's stunning ruins, raw chaos, and enchanting otherness. 


Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Scribner Book Company; ISBN: 9781416573166
JigsawJigsaw


Click to solve this week's jigsaw!
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Grass Roots Books and Music | 227 SW 2nd Street | Corvallis | OR | 97330