Corvallis has no shortage of resident authors—not to mention well-published ones. Here are a few recently published books by successful Corvallis authors, recommended by Jon Munster of the Book Bin and Jack Wolcott at Grass Roots Books and Music.
YOUNG ADULT
Katie Kacvinsky: Middle Ground (November 2012)
The sequel to Awaken, Middle Ground explores a digital dystopia in which most interactions are confined to the online realm. Geared toward teenagers, the book follows a 17-year-old girl in Los Angeles who rebels against her technology-dependent society and is faced with a 1984-esque reprogramming. The book serves as a cautionary tale for where our own digital dependence might land us. Katie Kacvinsky is the author of four books, with the final book in the Awaken series set for release in 2013. Her humorous teen romance Second Chance came out in October 2012.
http://katiekacvinskybooks.wordpress.com/
Tom Birdseye: Storm Mountain (August 2010)
Tom Birdseye brings more than 30 years of mountaineering experience, including his climbs of major peaks in the Cascades, to his story of survival on Storm Mountain. Aimed at students in grades 4 to 6, the book follows the adventures of 13-year-old Cat and her cousin Ty as they climb the mountain that claimed their fathers’ lives. The two must use their mountaineering skills to overcome avalanches, blizzards, and other dangers. The goal: to scatter their fathers’ ashes on the summit.
FICTION
Ashna Graves: No Angel (October 2012)
This mystery novel is set in the “fictional” town of Willamette, Oregon, described as: “A small university town that had curbside recycling before nine-tenths of the country knew what it was, but that bars homeless people from the library reading room because they smell bad and snore.” It continues Ashna Graves’ adventures of reporter Jeneva Leopold, who is drawn into a complex web of characters while investigating the murder of a homeless man.
http://www.ashnagraves.com
George Estreich: The Shape of the Eye (March 2011)
Described as super-popular at Grass Roots, George Estreich’s books include both fiction and poetry. His most recent book The Shape of the Eye is a memoir about raising a daughter with Down syndrome. The book received the 2012 Oregon Book Award in Creative Nonfiction. Estreich’s collection of poems, Textbook Illustrations of the Human Body, came out in 2005.
www.georgeestreich.com
John Larison: Holding Lies (August 2011)
Based in rural Oregon, Holding Lies follows Hank Hazelton, a 59-year-old fly-fishing guide who becomes entangled in a murder while trying to reconnect with his daughter. Memorable characters and a small-town wilderness setting bring Northwestern subculture to life while exploring deeper issues such as environmental degradation. John Larison is an instructor at OSU—plus a fly-fishing guide and a field editor for Fly Fisherman magazine.
NON-FICTION
Kathleen Dean Moore: Moral Ground: Ethical Action for a Planet in Peril (September 2011)
A professor of philosophy at OSU and co-founder of the Spring Creek Project, Kathleen Dean Moore collected testimony from more than 80 religious leaders, scientists, writers, and leaders. This collection of essays presents a moral call to action in the face of environmental tragedy, particularly global climate change.
www.riverwalking.com
Carol Deppe: The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times (October 2010)
Carol Deppe offers gardening advice and down-to-earth techniques to face a diversity of challenges from dietary restrictions to environmental disasters. The book has a strong emphasis on self-reliance and the propagation of resilient, adaptive plants—plus ducks and chickens—that will permit a garden to flourish regardless of financial or natural disasters.
www.caroldeppe.com
Tracy Daugherty: Just One Catch (August 2011)
A four-time winner of the Oregon Book Award, Tracy Daugherty helped found the Masters of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at OSU. His most recent book, Just One Catch, is the first biography of Joseph Heller, author of the satirical novel Catch-22. Daugherty is also the author of Hiding Man: A Biography of Donald Barthelme, named a Notable Book by the New Yorker and the New York Times.
www.tracydaugherty.com
For more local authors, visit www.grassrootsbookstore.com/local-authors-0.
by Jen Matteis
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