July 24, 2008
|  |  | phone: 541-754-7668 address: 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis, OR
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| | Announcing: Our Breaking Dawn Release Party
| | | | | Werewolf or vampire —which appeals to your inner nature? Find out the night of Friday August 1st with the Grass Roots crew. That's right. We're excited to announce that we will be hosting a bridal-reception themed Breaking Dawn midnight release party! And the uglier the dress, the better! Help us decide who deserves Bella's heart (and who does she deserve?), take pictures at La Push (chopper included!) or Forks, and brave an all-out brawl between Edward and Jacob (on a Wii; no need to bring your own boxing gloves). We are also excited to announce another spell-binding performance by the AAA Theater, the troupe that brought the magic of Harry Potter to life in years past. The party will begin at 10pm on Friday, August 1. At midnight, we'll start selling copies of Breaking Dawn and handing out prepaid orders. In order to provide the best party possible, we need some idea of how many people want to come! Please RSVP by emailing us at groots@peak.org with an estimated number of people in your party. Your email guarantees you and your party a reserved spot for the event. If the number of people who want to come exceeds our store capacity, we may move the party to OddFellows Hall. Prepay and get a 15% discount: If you prepay for your copy anytime before 7 pm on August 1, we'll set it aside for you to pick up at the party or any time afterwards. You can prepay at the store, or by phone using a credit card. Hardcover, $22.99 ($19.54 if you prepay)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, ISBN-13: 9780316067928
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| Five Good Books
| | | | How Fiction Works
A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Birders and Their Quest to See it All
Alive in Necropolis
The Family Book: Amazing Things to Do Together (The Family Book Series)
The History Detectives Explore Lincoln's Letter, Parker's Sax and Mark Twain's Watch: And Many More Mysteries of America's Past
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James Wood
What makes a good story? What is style? What's the connection between realism and real life? These are some of the questions James Wood answers in this first book-length essay by one of the finest critics of his generation. Ranging widely — from Homer to David Foster Wallace, from What Maisie Knew to Make Way for Ducklings — Wood takes readers through the basic elements of the art. The result is a highly readable and thought-provoking treatise on the ways, whys, and hows of writing and reading fiction that is plainspoken, funny, and blunt. Hardcover, $24.00
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, ISBN-13: 9780374173401
| | | | | | A Supremely Bad Idea: Three Birders and Their Quest to See it All Luke Dempsey
The moment two friends showed Luke Dempsey a small bird flitting around the bushes of his country garden, he fell madly in love. Before he knew it, he was lost to birding mania. A Supremely Bad Idea is his account of an epic journey around America in search of the rarest and most beautiful birds the country has to offer. Both a paean to avian beauty and a memoir of the back roads of America, this is also a comic romp. Hardcover, $24.99
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, ISBN-13: 9781596913554
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Doug Dorst
This charming story maps the lives of a small town where ghosts and the living are sometimes indistinguishable from one another. That's what police officer Michael Mercer discovers the night he saves the life of a teenage boy left unconscious in a cemetery. Later, Michael witnesses nocturnal incidents that turn out to be the afterlife activities of local residents who've been dead for decades. Dorst nimbly juggles multiple plot lines and a complicated cast in this debut novel. Hardcover, $25.95
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA); ISBN-13: 9781594489877
| | | | | | The Family Book: Amazing Things to Do Together (The Family Book Series) Philippa Wingate (Editor), David Woodroffe (Illustrator)
Age Range: 9 and up
The Family Book has an old-fashioned look that's deliberate – a reminder of the days when families had more time together. The subtitle Amazing Things To Do Together applies to some topics (prove you're a mathematical genius, escape from a charging elephant), but other ideas are more ordinary (prepare the perfect breakfast in bed, make a family photo collage). The Family Book is quirky and fun — a great accompaniment to times when you want to switch off the TV and computer and interact together. Hardcover, $16.99
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.; ISBN-13: 9780545057578
| | | | | | The History Detectives Explore Lincoln's Letter, Parker's Sax and Mark Twain's Watch: And Many More Mysteries of America's Past Barbara Karg
This is the perfect companion to the hit PBS series History Detectives, filled with intriguing case files, pictures, how-to's, and checklists that bring mysteries to life. From genealogical research to patent and property searches to DNA analysis and more, it gives you the lowdown on all of the high-tech tools that help get to the bottom of a case. Packed with useful information for the whole family, it will deepen your appreciation of how seemingly ordinary objects can connect you to important people and events from the past. Reminder: All books in our history section are 10% off plus stamps in July for I-card holders. Paperback, $19.95
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; ISBN-13: 9780470190630
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| For Readers of All Ages
| | | | | Appetite for DetentionSloan TanenAge Range: 12 and up From back-to-school anxiety and chick cliques to gym class, teachers, and other eye-rolling icons of school life, these photographic scenes of the teen experience are ingenious and hilarious. The interweaving storylines star seven chicks from various social circles, from "it" girl Caitlin (the only pink chick in school) to friendless Edgar. Tanen's unsentimental portraits will appeal to teens who rely on a wicked sense of humor to endure school, as well as to older readers who remember those days well but not fondly. Hardcover, $14.99
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing; ISBN-13: 9781599900759
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| New in Paperback
| | | | Thursday Next: First Among Sequels
Playing for Pizza
August
New England White
The Beautiful Miscellaneous
| | Thursday Next: First Among Sequels Jasper Fforde
Jasper Fforde has delighted book lovers since the character of literary sleuth Thursday Next first appeared. Now, in the fifth installment of this popular series, Fforde blends elements of mystery, campy science fiction and screwball fantasy. Packed with word play, bizarre and entertaining subplots, and old-fashioned suspense, Thursday's quest to save literature unites the author's prodigious imagination, satirical gifts, literate humor, and sheer silliness. Paperback, $15.00
Publisher: Viking Penguin; ISBN-13: 9780143113560
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John Grisham
Grisham's tale of touchdowns and tortellini features Rick Dockery, a 28-year-old third-string NFL quarterback whose appearance in the final minutes of a decisive game creates disastrous results. Overnight, he becomes a national laughingstock shunned by all other U.S. teams. But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent find a team that needs him. That's how Rick becomes starting quarterback for the mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy. Grisham perfectly captures the tone for this humorous and often touching fish-out-of-water story. Paperback, $7.99
Publisher: Dell Publishing; ISBN-13: 9780440244714
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Gerard Woodward
Woodward's novel is the first in a trilogy focusing on the deeply troubled Jones family. An accident on a Welsh bicycling tour leads Aldous Jones to discover the Evans' farm, which becomes the site of subsequent family vacations. The Jones' family life, mirrored with the idyllic Evans clan, is dramatic and often dark. The eldest son is a brilliant but antisocial pianist, and the mother descends into drug use. Aldous is the novel's most compelling character, leading the story to its elegiac end. (The Jones family also is featured in I'll Go to Bed at Noon and A Curious Earth. Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.; ISBN-13: 9780393332711
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Stephen L. Carter
The author of The Emperor of Ocean Park returns to the New England university town of Elm Harbor, where a murder cracks the veneer that has hidden the racial complications of the town’s past and the secrets of a prominent family. University president Lemaster Carlyle and his wife Juli , dean of the divinity school, are African Americans in a sea of white folk. Julia was the murdered man’s lover years ago, and this connection forms the core of a mystery that deepens as Julia closes in on the motive behind the murder. In a book where each character's race is important, Carter has managed to spike his thriller with wryly affectionate campus satire. Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN-13: 9780375712913
| | | | | | The Beautiful Miscellaneous Dominic Smith
Critically acclaimed author Dominic Smith's novel explores the fault lines that can cause a family to drift apart and the unexpected events that can pull them back together. Nathan Nelson is the average and disappointing son of a genius. But when Nathan is injured in a terrible accident and awakens from a coma, his perceptions of sight and sound are altered, and he now has a prodigious memory. Eventually Nathan begins to unravel the mysteries of his new mind and tries to make peace with the crushing weight of his father's expectations. Paperback, $14.00
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group; ISBN-13: 9780743271257
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| Music
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Avett Brothers $7.95
Genre: Pop/Folk
North Carolina's Avett Brothers play acoustic music that has roots in traditional folk and bluegrass, but also captures the high spirits and no-boundaries attitude of rock & roll. Following their 2006 EP Gleam, this sequel features the more restrained side of brothers Seth and Scott. The EP's 6 songs feature acoustic guitar, banjo, and vocals.
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Dr. Dog $15.95
Genre: Pop/Folk
This Philadelphia quintet weaves late 60s pop with contemporary indie spirit. Dr. Dog's 5th release has been eagerly anticipated since their previous album, which was regarded as one of 2006's best pop efforts. With increased comfort in the studio, the band has expanded its acoustic base with a wider spectrum of instruments.  Recommended if you like: Spoon, My Morning JacketHear samples of Fate at allmusic.com
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Archie Fisher $17.95
Genre: Pop/Folk
Windward Away is the Scottish bard's first new studio release in nearly 20 years. Fisher's gently poetic ballads are evocative of the rough beauty of Scotland's border country, with songs of sea and land, love and loneliness. This is Fisher's masterwork from a career stretching back to the early 1960s. Recommended if you like: Dick Gaughan, Stan Rogers Hear samples of Windward Away at allmusic.com
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Buddy Guy $16.95
Genre: Jazz
Guitarist Guy has been recording for more than four decades, and his wailing electric guitar and vocal phrasing have come to define the sound of Chicago blues. Guests include Eric Clapton, Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. Hear samples of Skin Deep at allmusic.com
| Putumayo Presents: Reggae Around the World Various Artists $15.95
Genre: Ethnic/World
Originally released in 1998 but long unavailable, the album features 11 musicians, including songs by Ernest Ranglin (Jamaica), South African superstar Lucky Dube (S. Africa), Majek Fashek (Nigeria ), and American bluegrass signer Peter Rowan. Hear samples of Reggae Around the World at allmusic.com
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| | Reading Group News
| | | | | Next meeting: Tuesday, August 5, 6:30-9:00 pm, in the cozy Grass Roots loft.
Book: The Brief Wondrous Live of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz No experience or membership necessary: first-timers always welcome! Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight Dominican ghetto nerd. Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the fuku – the curse that has haunted Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and ill-fated love. Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of his family, displaying warmth, humor, and insight into the Dominican–American experience. "...a wondrous first novel that is so original it can only be described as Mario Vargas Llosa meets "Star Trek" meets David Foster Wallace meets Kanye West. – New York Times  Hardcover, $24.95
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), ISBN-13: 9781594489587
On sale for $21.21 (15% discount) until August 5.
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| | On Our Nightstands
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Jack: The Man Who Forgot How to Read Howard Engel Hardcover, $19.95
Sandy:
The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein
Hardcover, $23.95
Tiffany:
Runner
Thomas Perry
Tiff is reading an advanced copy from the publisher. The book will be released in January 2009.
Melody:
Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
Chelsea Handler
Hardcover, $24.95
Anna:
The Other
David Guterson
Hardcover, $24.95
Linda:
The Shack
William P. Young
Paperback, $14.99
Corrine:
Interpreter of Maladies: Stories
Jhumpa Lahiri
Paperback, $13.95
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