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Grass Roots Books and Music
— 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis OR 97339 — 541-754-7668 |
| November 19, 2009 |
| Contents |
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| Newest Books |
Too Much Happiness: Stories
Alice Munro
Munro's latest collection delivers what she's renowned for: poignancy, realistic characters and a style nothing short of elegant. Through carefully crafted situations, Munro breathes arresting life into her characters, their relationships, and their traumas. Most of the stories concern the relationship between life and storytelling — how the construction of narrative reveals deeper truths or uncomfortable lies.
Hardcover, $25.95
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307269768 |
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The Original Laura: A Novel in Fragments
Vladimir Nabokov
When Vladimir Nabokov (Lolita) died in 1977, he left instructions for his heirs to burn the 138 handwritten index cards that made up the rough draft of his final, unfinished novel. His son has finally chosen to publish the narrative to preserve for posterity his father's final work. Laura will beguile Nabokov fans, who will find many of the author's perennial themes and obsessions percolating through the story.
Hardcover, $35.00
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307271891 |
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Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays
Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith brings to her essays all of the curiosity, intellectual rigor, and sharp humor that have attracted so many readers to her fiction. Smith casts her acute eye over material both personal and cultural — some published here for the first time — on diverse topics including literature, movies, going to the Oscars, British comedy, family, feminism, Obama, Katharine Hepburn, and Anna Magnani.
Hardcover, $26.95
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA); ISBN: 9781594202377 |
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The Ultimate Happiness Prescription: 7 Keys to Joy and Enlightenment
Deepak Chopra
The goal of life is the expansion of happiness, Chopra says. But in today’s demanding world, that goal seems elusive. Here, he shows readers seven keys to uncover the true secrets of joy in the most difficult times, sharing spiritual principles for a life based on a sense of your "true self" lying beyond the ebb and flow of daily living.
Hardcover, $19.99
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307589712 |
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Reading in the Brain
Stanislas Dehaene
How can a few black marks on a page evoke an entire universe of sounds and meanings? In this riveting investigation, Stanislas Dehaene provides an accessible account of the brain's reading circuitry. His research will fascinate readers interested in science and culture and educators who teach reading and must wrestle with pathologies such as dyslexia. Setting cutting-edge science in the context of cultural debate, this is an unparalleled guide to a uniquely human ability.
Hardcover, $27.95
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA); ISBN: 9780670021109 |
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The Piano Teacher
Janice Y.K. Lee
Janice Y.K. Lee's debut novel is a tale of love and betrayal set in war-torn Hong Kong. In 1942, on the brink of the Japanese invasion, Englishman Will Truesdale falls in love with Trudy Liang, a beautiful Eurasian socialite. Ten years later, Claire Pendleton arrives in Hong Kong and begins a relationship with Will. As she learns of his past, Claire learns how impossible choices emerge — between love and safety, courage and survival, the present and past.
Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA); ISBN: 9780143116530 |
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The Bird Watching Answer Book: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Birds in Your Backyard and Beyond
Laura Erickson
At some point, every bird-watcher has a question not answered in traditional field guides. How many feathers does a bird have? Do birds sleep while in flight? This handy little reference answers real life questions that have been sent to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology by birders of all levels from across North America. For every question, Erickson provides an answer that is practical, entertaining, and astute.
Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company, Inc.; ISBN: 9781603424523 |
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Inventory
The A.V. Club (The Onion)
Each week, the writers of The A.V. Club issue a slanted pop-culture list filled with challenging opinions and fascinating facts. Exploring such things as 24 great films too painful to watch twice, 18 songs about unappealing cities, and much more, Inventory combines new lists with a few favorites first seen in The Onion. Contributors include: Amy Sedaris, John Hodgman, and an epic foreword from essayist Chuck Klosterman.
Paperback, $18.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group; ISBN: 9781416594734 |
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One More Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit
Leigh Radford
One More Skein features 30 diverse projects that can be completed with one or two average-sized skeins or multiple bits of leftover yarn. Projects include an earflap hat; fingerless mitts; hemp jewelry; a felted, pleated sleeve to dress up a vase; and a multicolored blanket. All of them are quick and relatively easy to make, without sacrificing beauty or ingenuity.
Paperback, $19.95
Publisher: Abrams,Harry N Inc; ISBN: 9781584798026 |
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I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, Decorations, and Recipes That Use Less and Mean More
Anna Getty, Ron Hamad
Anna Getty — environmental advocate, writer, television personality, chef, and organic living expert — helps families reduce their carbon footprint and save money without sacrificing style or tradition. Anna advises how to best choose a tree (real or fake?), mitigate the negative effects of travel, recycle post-holiday, and more. She also shares favorite holiday recipes and homemade craft ideas.
Paperback, $24.95
Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC; ISBN: 9780811867672 |
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What's Wrong with My Plant? (and How Do I Fix It?): A Visual Guide to Easy Diagnosis and Organic Remedies
David Deardorff, Kathryn Wadsworth
This innovative guide is split into three parts. Part One presents easy-to-follow, illustrated diagnosis flow charts. Part Two offers a 100% organic way to fix problems. Part Three shows photographs and drawings of stressed, damaged, and diseased plants that help with accurate comparison. Whether your garden consists of herbs on a kitchen windowsill, a vegetable garden, a backyard border, or a patio container, this is an indispensable resource.
Paperback, $24.95
Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated; ISBN: 9780881929614 |
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Featured Book for Young Readers |
The Duchess of Whimsy: An Absolutely Delicious Fairy Tale
Randall de Seve and Peter de Seve
Recommended ages: 4 to 8
New Yorker artist Peter de Seve has teamed up with the author of Toy Boat to create this witty tongue-in-cheek story about an earl and an unconventional duchess. The duchess is fancy and fussy. The Earl of Norm is completely ordinary. He adores the Duchess but she ignores him. Can a grilled cheese sandwich bring them together?
Hardcover, $17.99
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA); ISBN: 9780399250958 |
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Norah Jones
The Fall
Genre: Pop/Folk
The Fall isn't a major change for Norah Jones, so much as it represents an evolution toward a new sound. Jones maintains her jazzy, sultry sound while pushing into more contemporary pop territory. ($18.95 ) |
Christine Lavin
Cold Pizza For Breakfast
Genre: Pop/Folk
The singer-songwriter's 12th album is the companion disc to Lavin's memoir, expected next year. There are nine new songs, two cover tunes, and three updated old favorites. ($15.95) |
David Rawlings
Friend of a Friend
Genre: Pop/Folk
The longtime sideman of Gillian Welch emerges with his debut solo CD. Rawlings cowrote many of the songs with Welch, who also adds vocal harmonies. The album's accompaniment is provided by Old Crow Medicine Show. ($13.95) |
Various Artists
Dalai Lama Renaissance
Genre: World/Ethnic
The Dalai Lama invited 40 leading thinkers to his residence in Dharamsala, India to discuss the world's problems and how we can solve them. What happened was surprising and unexpected. This soundtrack to the documentary features teaching from the Dalai Lama, accompanied by original devotional music. ($16.95) |
Medwyn Goodall
Medicine Woman 4: Prophecy 2012
Genre: New Age
Multi-instrumentalist Goodall's Medicine Woman CDs have been some of the most popular releases in the genre's history. On the fourth volume, Goodall mixes synthesized instrumentation, world music, and organic sounds to tell the story of the Mayan 2012 prophecy. ($15.95) |
John Mayer
Battle Studies
Genre: Pop/Folk
Battle Studies is the fourth album by the pop songwriter and guitarist. According to Mayer, the ablum "incorporates a lot of the lessons, a lot of the observations, and a little bit of advice." ($13.95) |
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Saturday, Nov. 21
1 pm
Grass Roots Loft |
Book Signing and Discussion with Catherine VanWetter, co-author of Overcomers, Inc: True Stories of Hope, Courage, and Inspiration, complied by Lynne Klippel
38 ordinary men and women have joined together to share stories of how they personally overcame trying times. They have compiled their stories into a book that is sure to touch your heart, brighten your day, make you laugh, cry, and reflect on what is truly important in life. VanWetter's chapter is entitled A Time of Grief - A Time of Peace. She is also the author of the recently released book and meditation CD, The Soul of the Heart. |
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Thursday, Dec. 3
7 pm
Grass Roots Loft |
Reading and Signing with Iris Paris
author of Once Upon a Chariot
Paris has written the story of of Norma Jean Belloff, who established the USA women's record for cross country biycling in 1948.
Told with charm and wit, this representation of the personal journal of the woman who established the USA record for Women's Cross-Country Cycling will grab your attention and your heart. Portrayals of the people she met and the experiences she encountered, told firsthand, enlighten us to a simpler time that was still wrought with the social difficulties we find today. |
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| Store News |
Grass Roots' 38th Birthday Party a Roaring Success!
We had a steady stream of celebrants who helped us consume four square feet of cake and five dozen cupcakes. The evening musical entertainment included some wonderful local musicians, with a surprise performance by Georges Liferman. Thanks to everybody who helped make the day so special.
"Worst First Sentence of a Novel" Competition Winners
Thanks to all of our entrants for the wonderful and terrible submissions.
- 1st Place: Mike McLaren
- 2nd Place: Betty Busch
- 3rd Place: Linda Gelbrich
- Winning Family: Angela, Sophia, and Holden Garner
Our Winning Sentence from Mike McLaren: The Catastrophe of Some Possible Future
"It was the kind of snowfall that no one would really remember, because it wasn’t really the snow that mattered; it was the mudslide, which almost went unnoticed by all six residents of Eddyville, because it happened on the same night when Marjorie Luttle caught Dunston Filpsteen peeking once more into her bedroom window and, finally having had enough, ran naked down State Highway 20, chasing the little man with a marble rolling pin, until both succumbed to and were flattened into the grass roots by the sludge oozing down from Cline Hill—a catastrophe that didn’t mean much in the scheme of anything since the unincorporated little community would have disappeared from boredom, anyway."
Read more at our blog.
Grass Root's Party Quiz
Congratulations to our winner, Norman Hommes, a true literary trivia king. |
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2009 National Outdoor Book Award Winners
- Nature and the Environment: Our Living Earth by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
- Outdoor Literature: Halfway to Heaven by Mark Obmascik
- Natural History Literature: Every Living Thing: Man's Obsessive Quest to Catalog Life, from Nanobacteria to New Monkeys by Rob Dunn
- Instructional: Girl on the Rocks: A Woman's Guide to Climbing with Strength, Grace and Courage by Katie Brown, photographs by Ben Moon
For a complete list of winners and reviews, visit noba-web.org. |
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No GRR Next Week
We won't be sending out a regular Grass Roots Reader next week.
It's been brought to our attention that jigsaw enthsiasts suffer without our weekly puzzle. So, this GRR has an extra one to help ease you through the puzzle drought. |
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 Independence Card
For the entire month of November, Icard holders receive:
- 10% off all books in our Biography section.
- 10% off our new line of shadow magnets (nine different designs).
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| This Week's Puzzles |
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| Reading Group Selection |
Tuesday, December, 1 6:30 pm
Grass Roots loft
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
This novel, told entirely through a series of letters, skillfully depicts the characters and concerns of the residents of Guernsey as they emerge from the horrors and hardships of the Second World War and the German occupation. Drawn together by their love of books and affection for each other, the unforgettable characters tell a moving tale of endurance and friendship. |
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Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
ISBN: 978-0-385-34100-4
Paperback
Regular price: $14.00
On sale for $11.90 until Dec. 1.
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On Our Nightstands |
 Gabrielle
Roll Around Heaven: An All-True Accidental Spiritual Adventure by Jessica Maxwell
Jessica Maxwell, adventure seeker and travel writer, tells of her unexpected spiritual search in true adventure writing fashion. Asking big questions and — with the help of a Holy Pig Farmer — fumbling toward honest answers, Maxwell's book is both insightful and very funny as she journeys to India, to a Yankees game, and toward a relationship with the God who spoke to her on the freeway. An excellent read no matter what you do or do not believe!
Hardcover, $25.00
Publisher: publisher; ISBN: 9781582702360 |
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Samantha
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeanette Walls
From the author of The Glass Castle comes the memorable story of Lily Casey Smith who, at fifteen, left home to teach in a frontier town. This book drew me into her life and her determination to overcome incredible personal obstacles kept me up late turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning.
Hardcover, $26.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group; ISBN: 9781416586289 |
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Tiffany
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
I rejoiced to discover Barbara Kingsolver has written a new novel! But when I realized how different it is from my favorite, The Prodigal Summer, I reserved judgment. But now, half-way through, I can't wait to return to it each evening. Kingsolver has crafted an involving story that arcs from 1930s Mexico and the exotic world of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Lev Trotsky, to McCarthy-era United States — all seen through the eyes of a sensitive narrator.
Hardcover, $26.99
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; ISBN: 9780060852573 |
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Anna
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
Now I understand now Dragon Tattoo has become an international sensation. This is a murder mystery, financial and journalistic thriller, dysfunctional-family saga, and character study of a very unusual heroine all in one. Larsson's story is full of detail, and yet the pace is brisk and the suspense builds — I turned off the phone to read the last 175 pages in one sitting.
Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group; ISBN: 9780307454546 |
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