June 12, 2008
|  |  | phone: 541-754-7668 address: 227 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis, OR
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| | New Books
| | | | The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World
A Summer of Hummingbirds: Love, Art, and Scandal in the Intersecting Worlds of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, , & Martin Johnson Heade
| | The Necessary Revolution: How Individuals and Organizations Are Working Together to Create a Sustainable World Peter Senge, Bryan Smith, Nina Kruschwitz, Joe Laur, Sara Schley
Companies around the world are leading the change from dead-end "business as usual" tactics to transformative strategies that are essential for creating a sustainable world. Brimming with inspiring stories from individuals and organizations tackling social and environmental problems around the globe, The Necessary Revolution reveals how ordinary people are transforming their businesses and communities. Among the stories are the evolution of Sweden’s "Green Zone," Alcoa’s water use reduction goals, GE’s eco-imagination initiative, and Seventh Generation’s decision to shift some of their advertising to social change programs. Hardcover, $29.95
Publisher: Doubleday Publishing, ISBN-13: 9780385519014
| | | | | | A Summer of Hummingbirds: Love, Art, and Scandal in the Intersecting Worlds of Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, , & Martin Johnson Heade Christopher Benfey
A Summer of Hummingbirds reveals how the lives of some of our most noted writers, poets, and artists — including Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Martin Johnson Heade — intersected to make sense of their post-Civil War world. Renowned critic Christopher Benfey maps the intricate web of friendships, family, and romance that connected these larger-than-life personalities to one another. Meticulously researched, the book uses the image of the hummingbird, tracing its "route of evanescence" as it travels in circles to and from these great thinkers. Hardcover, $25.95
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), ISBN-13: 9781594201608
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| Featured Book for Young Readers
| | | | | EverGail Carson LevineRecommended ages: 12 and up Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine (Ella Enchanted) has created a stunning mythological tale of flawed gods, unbreakable vows, and ancient omens in this story of Kezi, a girl confronted with a terrible destiny. Attempting to thwart her fate, Kezi and her love, Olus — the god of wind and loneliness — embark on a series of dangerous, seemingly impossible quests. The story combines romance, adventure, and an exploration of faith. Hardcover, $16.99
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; ISBN-13: 9780061229626
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| New in Paperback
| | | | The Maytrees
On Chesil Beach
Lottery
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Annie Dillard
Pulitzer Prize winner Dillard ( Pilgrim at Tinker Creek ) is best known for her nonfiction. This 11th book (her second novel), set on Cape Cod, is a story about a broken family. The plot follows the courtship and marriage of Toby Maytree and Lou Bigelow, who fall in love shortly after World War II. In spare, elegant prose, Dillard traces the Maytrees' decades of loving and longing. Filled with the breathtaking descriptions of the natural world that have earned Dillard comparisons to Thoreau and William Blake, this is a story to be savored with careful attention to every detail. Paperback, $13.95
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; ISBN-13: 9780061239540
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Ian McEwan
Ian McEwan's emotionally charged novel follows an inexperienced young couple through their disastrous wedding night at a Dorset hotel in 1962. Florence is a talented musician who dreams of a career on the concert stage and of the perfect life she will create with Edward, an earnest young history student at University College of London. Ian McEwan captures with understanding and compassion the innocence of Edward and Florence at a time when marriage was presumed to be the outward sign of maturity and independence. Paperback, $13.95
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group; ISBN-13: 97803073861759
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Patricia Wood
There are some familiar ingredients in this novel: a slow, gentle guy who has the disquieting habit of seeing people for who they really are, an unscrupulous family, and unsuitable but loving and loyal friends. The action centers on how winning a $12-million lottery jackpot complicates the life of 32-year-old Perry L. Crandall, a dedicated employee of a marine supply store in Everett, WA. Wood keeps the reader guessing about how the story will end, and portrays Perry's worldview with charm and depth. Paperback, $14.00
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA); ISBN-13: 9780425222201
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| Music
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Emmylou Harris $18.95
Genre: Pop/Folk
Harris' new album follows in the style of her last few releases — ethereal arrangements awash in pedal steel and graceful acoustic instrumentation. The album displays Harris's ability to bring new life to songs that have been overlooked or forgotten. Two songs — the June Carter tribute, "How She Could Sing The Wildwood Flower" and the beautiful "Sailing Round the Room" — were co-written by and performed with Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The list of guests also includes Dolly Parton and dobro player Mike Auldridge. Hear samples of All I Intended to Be at allmusic.com
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Solomon Burke $18.95
Genre: Folk/Pop
This is the third in a series of excellent Soul/R&B albums that have marked a renaissance in Burke's career. The title song and one other are new tunes Eric Clapton gave to Burke for this album. Burke is in splendid form, finding more in the nooks and crannies of this material than most anyone else could discover. Guests include Eric Clapton, Ben Harper, and Keb Mo.  Recommended if you like: Van Morrison, Al GreenHear samples of Like a Fire at allmusic.com
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Railroad Earth $16.95
Genre: Pop/Folk
Railroad Earth's music combines elements of bluegrass, rock and roll, jazz, Celtic and more. The group is known for its extensive live improvisation and lyrical songwriting within an acoustic base. Amen Corner is the band's most diverse effort to date, incorporating horns on one cut and Gospel tinges throughout. Hear samples of Amen Corner at allmusic.com
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Sevara Nazarkhan $17.95
Genre: Ethnic/World
In Sen (which means "you" in Uzbek), Nazarkhan leaps boldly into contemporary writing and production. This is the album she has always wanted to make: a beats-laden gem underscored by traditional instrumentation and Uzbek-language lyrics provided by Uzbek poets. Hear samples of Sen at allmusic.com
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Dan Zanes $17.95
Genre: Ethnic/World
One of the most original artists for young listeners has created an album of diverse Latin music. The songs are in Spanish, but they don't endeavor to teach the language. Instead, Zanes is teaching compassion as his multicultural band uses melody and rhythm to represent the many stripes of Latin identity among his New York neighbors. Guests include Lila Downs, Marc Ribot and the Villa-Lobos Brothers. Hear samples of Nueva York at allmusic.com
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| | Reading Group News
| | | | | Next meeting: Tuesday, July 1, 6:30 to 8:00 pm, in the cozy Grass Roots loft.
Book: The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy No experience or membership necessary: first-timers always welcome! Vancouver's Chinatown in the late 1930s and '40s provides the backdrop for this poignant first novel, told through the vivid reminiscences of three children of an immigrant Chinese family. The siblings grapple with their individual identities in a changing world as they strive to gain autonomy from the strictures of history, family, and poverty. The Jade Peony was selected by the Literary Review of Canada as one of the "100 Most Important Books in Canadian History" in 2005. It was also an American Library Association Notable Book of the Year in 1998, and was winner of the 1995 Trillium Award (shared with Margaret Atwood). 
Paperback, $14.95
Publisher: Other Press, LLC.
ISBN-13: 9781590512166
On sale for $12.71 (15% discount) until July 1.
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| | This Week's Jigsaw
| | | | | Thank you to all who've let me know how much they are enjoying the weekly jigsaw. People are discovering that they can change the shape and number of pieces, or visit the jigzone home page and do other puzzles too. So, if you have a few minutes, check it out and assemble a picture featuring this week's books and music. Assemble this week's Grassroots Jigsaw Puzzle
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| On Our Nightstands
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Jack:
Last Lecture
Randy Pausch
Hardcover, $21.95
Sandy:
At Large and At Small: Familiar Essays
Anne Fadiman
Hardcover, $22.00
Tiffany:
Walking the Wrack Line: On Tidal Shifts and What Remains
Barbara Hurd
Hardcover, $22.95
Melody:
New Moon
Stephenie Meyer
Paperback, $10.99
Deborah:
Coal Black Horse
Robert Olmstead
Paperback, $13.95
Anna:
Falling Man
Don DeLillo
Paperback, $14.00
Linda:
Grains of Sand
Gary Greenberg
Hardcover, $20.00
Corrine:
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex
Mary Roach
Hardcover, $24.95
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