New kids' books that put a spring in my step!

Spring is doing its annual dance on the streets of downtown Corvallis, and every day I gaze longingly out of the windows of Grass Roots.  Oh, how I long for the sunshine everyday!  For the trees to leaf out in green brilliance... for it to be warm enough in the morning to induce me to ride my bike to work... for the opportunity to eat my lunch outside every day.  Sigh, it all sort of makes me wish I was a kid again, back in the Midwest where spring was a much-anticipated explosion of warmth after a long, cold, and bleak winter.  Since the reality is that I will never be a kid again (and hopefully never live in the Midwest again), I have decided to revisit my childhood, and springtime thoughts, in books.

I was ever-so-charmed when the book Farm, by Elisha Cooper, arrived on my cart of books to shelve.  The cover of the picture book features a watercolor illustration of a rooster, and a simple farm in the background as I remember them back in Illinois.  "Look!  A John Deere tractor!" I exclaimed as I turned the pages.  "Look!  DeKalb corn signs!" my heart practically sang.  The story is an informative and gentle trip through the seasons on a Midwestern farm, and I think the illustrations are just lovely and sweet.  I am definitely considering adding this one to my own library.
(ISBN 0545070759, $17.99)

Spring also makes me think of bunnies bouncing in the yard.  Bunny Days by Tao Nyeu features three cozy and imaginative stories of six little bunnies and their neighbors Bear and Mr. and Mrs. Goat.  The bunnies find themselves the victims of unfortunate mishaps, but Bear always seems to find a solution.  In the end everybody has tea together, and I am happy to see that Bear is a great knitter of scarves.  Is there nothing Bear can't do?
(ISBN 0803733305, $16.99)

April approaches and with it will come Earth Day's 40th anniversary on the 22nd.  While Corvallis is one of the most earth-conscious places I have ever lived (yeah, did you see I'm from the Midwest?  Earth-friendly, not-so-much...), not every place in the country is as fortunate.  The city of Islip, New Jersey, for example, produces almost twice as much garbage as the national average.  In fact, in 1987, Islip was at the center of a media frenzy regarding the "Garbage Barge."  Jonah Winter and Red Nose Studio has recreated and fictionalized the story in Here Comes the Garbage Barge.  In this colorful book, Cap'm Duffy St. Pierre travels far and long to find a place to deliver his barge full of garbage.  It's told with humor and truly amazing illustrations.  It is a great story and book for kids and adults alike!
(ISBN 0375852182, $17.99)

Ahhh...now that I've had my story time for the day, I believe I'm ready for a nap under a blossoming tree.  Unfortunately, it looks to be a bit damp for that today.  I hope real spring comes soon...

In the meantime, I'll see you at the bookstore--

Pamela.

Featured in the store this week: "The Pacific" and Books for Birders

I realize, of course, that those two topics are not exactly related.  However, they are both featured displays at Grass Roots this week.

If you've been keeping up with the miniseries on HBO, the book The Pacific by Hugh Ambrose (yes, the son of noted historian Stephen Ambrose) should be of interest.  Books always read better than movies and provide detail that movies never have time for.  If the miniseries has piqued your interest, you should try reading on of the biographies about the featured soldiers.  I'm Staying with My Boys by Jim Proser details the life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC.  Robert Leckie penned his autobiography, Helmet for my Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific, as did E.B. Sledge, whose autobiography is titled With the Old Breed.

The warmer weather and the coming of spring has also brought out an abundance of birds.  Before heading out on your next hike, stop by and check out our display of birding books, including Birds of the Willamette Valley Region by Harry Nehls, Tom Aversa, and Hal Opperman.  If you're more of an armchair birder, the new book Bald Coot and Screaming Loon by Niall Edworthy may be of interest.  It explores the mysterious behavior of birds more than their habitats and identifying characteristics, and looks like a good read.

There's always lots of good stuff to see at the bookstore.  We hope to see you here soon!

2010 PEN/Faulkner Award Winner announced

It was announced on March 23 that Sherman Alexie won the 2010 PEN/Faulkner Award Winner for his novel War Dances.

You can read more about it here:
PEN/Faulkner Winner
and here:
Reader reviews at Goodreads

STUCK! (I think my brain is blocked!)

Woefully, it appears that even those of us who work in bookstores, surrounded by thoughts, ideas, and inspirations, are occasionally stuck.  I can't believe I've come to the end of my week here and I haven't thought of anything to blog about.  Wandering around the store, my eyes flitting across the covers, I finally stumbled across something that described how I'm feeling perfectly: Stuck: Why We Can't (or Won't) Move On by Anneli Rufus.  Oh how I desire change, and yet fear it.  The book examines the things people get "stuck" on, why they get stuck, and what moves them on.  In this case, the title alone stirred an idea in my brain, and I went in search of more inspiration.
(ISBN 1-58542-776-4  $15.95)

Moving across the store, I espied Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. Apart from its ability to inspire me to write, it is a wonderful book that entertains.  I always enjoy sitting down with Lamott's books, and this one was my gateway drug.  The book taught me about her, and felt as much like a guide to life as a guide to writing.  Most importantly, it convinced me of the power of, well, let's call them "icky" first drafts: Sometimes you just need to get your thoughts down on paper without editing.  (She has a new novel coming out next month, continuing the story of my beloved fictional friends Elizabeth and Rosie.  I'm sure I'll be talking more about it soon!)
(ISBN 0-385-48001-6  $15.00)

Sometimes, however, a solution to my writer's block is demanded right now.  For that there's Magnetic Poetry's "Writer's Remedy."  Sometimes you just need to take what's in front of you and shove it around a little bit.  Magnetic poetry is also a great way to communicate with the ones you live with and just don't see often enough.  You can leave mysterious messages on the refrigerator and see if anyone else can figure out your thought.  Good times. ($14.95)


With all of this at my fingertips, surely I can come up with something to blog about.  Oh wait--I guess I just did.  Ta-da!

See you at the bookstore,
Pamela.

Rhapsody in Red...and White...and Sometimes Blush

The semi-annual "Rhapsody in the Vineyard" wine walk visited downtown Corvallis last weekend, and with it came a pleasant array of people and potables into our neighborhood.  Eager to get out and sample some delights myself, I did my best to read up on wine and wine tasting so I could make the most of my experience.

First up, I had to take a look at Wine Drinking for Inspired Thinking, by Michael J. Gelb.  Being at least a moderately creative person myself, I wondered how comsuming one of my favorite libations might help that creativity blossom.  The book starts out by providing a basic education of wine.  Gelb discusses tasting wine and buying it, and pairing it with food.  My favorite suggestion?  Pair popcorn with champagne.  Anything that goes well with popcorn is a win in my notebook.  Perhaps while I am munching on my popcorn and sipping my fine champagne all of my creative juices will be freed.  I'll write that book in no time.  I feel so...inspired...
(ISBN 0-7624-3868-1, $19.95)

The next step is to find out where to buy the best wine.  I am fortunate to be living in the Willamette Valley, and Corvallis is a great town for wine lovers.  Wine Trails of Oregon by Steve Roberts is an excellent guidebook for discovering great wines from all around the state.  It conveniently groups wineries into easy tours, and discusses their finest products and facilities.  In 24 unique trips, it covers the whole state.  Ready to try something new?  Pick up this book.  If you're going a little further afield, we also carry Wine Trails of Washington.
(ISBN  0-9792698-1-4, $24.95)




I hope someday my own wine trails will lead me to Ponzi Vineyards to sample their famed Pinot Noir.   The vineyard's founder, Nancy Ponzi, also has a great affinity for delicious food.  Her book, The Ponzi Vineyards Cookbook, features some of her favorite recipes.  Flipping through it and admiring the outstanding photography, it's hard to pick just one.  Please come and look at it and tell me what to cook!
(ISBN 0-9816822-4-3, $24.95)




In the end, I had a fantastic time at the wine walk.  My favorites included the fine Tempranillo from Nuthatch Cellars, and, surprisingly, a Gewurtzraminer from Depoe Bay Winery.  A little red, a little white, but the only thing blushing last night was me; I'm afraid wine consumption does turn my cheeks pink.  :-)


See you at the bookstore!
Pamela.

Coast Weekend

As much as I love living in Corvallis, I find that I need to get out of town every now and then. Two of the reasons I moved here from Illinois were for the beauty of the great outdoors and how close both the mountains and the ocean are. To celebrate my birthday this weekend, I plan to take advantage of my proximity to the coast by taking a little overnight trip there with My Honey. Since it is my birthday present, there is still some surprise in our exact location, but I'm excited to try and plan some activities anyway. How to do that? With a stack of books, of course!



I moved here in August 2000, and ever since then, I have been a huge fan of William L. Sullivan's hiking and outdoor guides. Since I know that from here we are at least heading west, I will be checking out 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range. The newest edition was published last year, and includes a few color photos along with its very useful collection of maps, trails, and places to visit. I never make a trip to the coast without tossing it into my car.
($16.95 paperback, isbn 0981570119)





A book I just discovered today that may also be a useful tool for my Oregon adventures is The Northwest Nature Guide by James Luther Davis. This handy book provides a month-by-month guide to the best bets for viewing wildlife--animals and plants both--throughout Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. For each month, they provide information about the best things to see, and the best places to see them. March on the Oregon coast? I will definitely be scouting locations to view migrating whales. A few pages of color photographs provide temptation, and will definitely lure me out of town again.
($24.95 paperback, isbn 0-88192-867-4)



I don't know about you, but as I walk along the Oregon beaches, I have an irresistible need to pick up pebbles and bits of shells and...stuff...from the sand and collect it in my pockets. If I come home from the coast without a little bit of something that's been bathed in cold Pacific seawater, then I must not be feeling well. While at the beach, though, I also see things that will definitely not fit in my pockets, but I can't help but wonder how they got there or where they came from. Bonnie Henderson writes of her own discoveries, and their place in the larger world, in Strand: An Odyssey of Pacific Ocean Debris. In case it rains, this will be a great book to include in my collection of options to read while I listen to the waves crash on the beach.
($18.95 paperback, isbn 0-87071-299-3)



As if that isn't enough, I will probably take one or two novels to read. Such difficult decisions I have to make just for one night away: How am I supposed to pick between the seven books I'm currently reading? Sigh... Unfortunately I don't think My Honey will ever understand my dependence on books, but at least I know that my friends at Grass Roots always will.

See you soon at the bookstore, my friends!
Pamela.