April Seed Library News

 

Happy April, Gardeners!

It might not come as a surprise that I have trees on my mind when we have Arbor Day this month, so I wanted to share some interesting things I've learned about trees and how they support us. I read an interesting article from my realtor's magazine, American Lifestyle, called Miyawaki Forests are Taking Root, and it sent me on a journey to be continued further down the email.

In other news, if you missed the Edible Gardening Group meeting in March, I wanted to share one of the key takeaways that I got from Brandon of Slice of Heaven Farm: cultivate the soil around your veggies early and often (starting at about 2 weeks in) as this will keep weeds from having the chance to take root!

April Book Club Picks

   Here is what the Sandy and Hoodland libraries are reading in April!

Men's Book Club

Monday, April 7th
7:00 PM
Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow

For further information please contact Maureen Houck: mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Digital Book Club 

Thursday, April 3rd
7:00 PM
Online via Zoom

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

For further information and to receive the Zoom link, contact Kat Aden: kaden@ci.sandy.or.us

Women's Book Club

Thursday, April 10th

6:00 PM

Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Book Club Trivia Night

For further information please contact Maureen Houck: mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Hoodland Book Club

Tuesday, April 15th

4:00 PM

Hoodland Community Room

West With Giraffes by Linda Rutledge

For further information please contact Alex Steinmetz: asteinmetz@ci.sandy.or.us

Happy March, Gardeners!

There have been some wonderful developments in the works for this year. And all of them are because of our wonderful Sandy Seed Library volunteers.

First, I would like to share that we have a new garden club that will be meeting in the library every 4th Monday, from 6:30 to 8pm. This group will be led by our volunteer Leslie. There has been a lot of expressed interest for a gardening club that meets on a weeknight to accommodate those that have traditional work schedules. I am grateful to Leslie for initiating a way for members of the community to come together face to face.

Second, you might have noticed a new logo on this email. Another one of our fabulous volunteers, Adrienne, helped me with my vision of giving our seed library a branding refresh. There were a few things that we wanted to achieve: we wanted to have our own, unique feel while also tying in with LINCC's recent rebranding as well as with that of the City of Sandy, and at the same time we wanted to honor our past and also celebrate our home within the library. Adrienne came up with this delightful logo design that keeps our original carrot, honoring our founder Susie, and acknowledges our place in the library with the book.

Finally, I have diligently been getting seeds into the cabinet. So far VEG:A-BEANS are out, and by the time you read this I am hoping that all VEG:C-CORN will be there.

Your Reading Guide to the 2025 Oscars

The 2025 Oscars are set to air on March 2, 2025, and this year there are several nominations that are rooted in works of fiction and non-fiction that you can find at your local Clackamas County Library!

While most readers would agree that it's difficult to find a movie that lives up to the book, if you're interested in trying, here are a few of this year's nominations:

Wicked

Nominated for 10 awards:

        - Best Picture

        - Best Actress in a Leading Role (Cynthia Erivo)

        - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Ariana Grande)

        - Costume Design

        - Editing

        - Makeup & Hair

        - Original Score

        - Production Design

        - Sound

        - Visual Effects

Based on the best-selling book by Gregory Maguire, which was later turned into an award-winning musical, Wicked tells the story of Elphaba before she became the notorious Wicked Witch of the West. 

Part 1 of the Wicked series (part 2 releases in November 2025) made over $600 million worldwide at the box office, making it one of the bigger movies of 2024. Gregory Maguire's 2000 book has sold over 5 million copies, proving that the story resonates with every generation and can be enjoyed by all. 

Conclave

Nominated for 8 awards:

        - Best Picture

        - Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ralph Fiennes)

        - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Isabella Rossellini)

        - Costume Design

        - Editing

        - Original Score

        - Production Design

        - Adapted Screenplay

Robert Harris' novel of the same name explores the process and procedure behind the selection of a new pope. Conclave sat on several best-seller lists when it was released, and with a cast like Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, and John Lithgow, it was destined to be an Oscar nominee. 

Resonating with both Catholics and non-Catholics, Conclave keeps you guessing until the very end. 

A Complete Unknown

Nominated for 8 awards:

        - Best Picture

        - Best Actor in a Leading Role (Timothée Chalamet)

        - Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Edward Norton)

        - Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Monica Barbaro)

        - Costume Design

        - Directing

        - Sound

        - Adapted Screenplay

If you haven't heard about the fiasco at Newport, let this book and film be your introduction. Based on Elijah Wald's book Dylan Goes Electric, A Complete Unknown is a biopic based on the life of Bob Dylan, specifically his rise as America's premiere folk artist and the transition he made when he started playing electric instruments (hint: it was not well received). 

Chalamet is getting praise for his turn as Bob Dylan, including from the artist himself. If you're a fan of history, music, and the 60s, this one is for you. 

*You can get on the hold list for A Complete Unknown here. 

Dune: Part 2

Nominated for 5 awards:

        - Best Picture

        - Cinematography

        - Production Design

        - Sound

        - Visual Effects

It's not frequent that sequels get nominated for the highest film award in America, but the love for Dune is undeniable. The second half of the Frank Herbert's Dune saga grossed $714 million dollars worldwide, making it one of the top movies of 2024. 

A classic for sci-fi fans, Dune's imagery helped the first part win 6 Oscars, and it will be interesting to see if part 2 takes home the same awards. If you're looking to dip your toe into the world of science fiction, Herbert's classic novel is a great start. It's also available as a graphic novel, if you want a more visual representation. 

The Wild Robot

Nominated for 3 awards:

        - Best Animated Feature

        - Best Original Score

        - Best Sound

   

The first in a series of juvenile fiction novels, The Wild Robot is a family favorite. With over 5 million copies sold, The Wild Robot consistently ranks high on lists of "must-read." The movie, which grossed over $300 million, is favored to win Best Animated Feature at this year's Academy Awards. 

The sequel is currently in production at DreamWorks.

Nickel Boys

Nominated for 2 awards:

        - Best Picture

        - Best Adapted Screenplay

You may recognize the name Colson Whitehead from his other novels such as Harlem Shuffle or The Underground Railroad, but his 2019 novel, Nickel Boys is the first to be adapted for the screen. 

This Pulitzer Prize — winning novel is based on the true story of the historic Dozier School, a reform school in Florida known for its history of abuse. A story of friendship and survival, the Nickel Boys is sure to stick with you long after the credits stop rolling. 

     

*The film version of Nickel Boys was not available in the LINCC system at the publishing time of this blog post. 

Don't forget to check out the Academy Awards airing on March 2, 2025, to see which adaptations take home a statue! 

March Book Club Picks

  Here is what the Sandy and Hoodland libraries are reading in March!

Men's Book Club

Monday, March 3rd
7:00 PM
Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

For further information please contact Maureen Houck: mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

Digital Book Club 

Thursday, March 6th
7:00 PM
Online via Zoom

The Hunter by Tana French

For further information and to receive the Zoom link, contact Kat Aden: kaden@ci.sandy.or.us

Women's Book Club

Thursday, March 13th

6:00 PM

Hoyt Community Room in the Sandy Library

Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan*

For further information please contact Maureen Houck: mhouck@ci.sandy.or.us

*Due to the weather, the February Women's Book Club was cancelled, so they will discuss the Becoming Mrs. Callahan at the March meeting. 

Hoodland Book Club

Tuesday, March 18th

4:00 PM

Hoodland Community Room

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

For further information please contact Alex Steinmetz: asteinmetz@ci.sandy.or.us

February Seed Library News

Happy February, Gardeners!

I want to thank everyone who made it to our 6th-annual seed swap! It truly was a wonderful event. The smiles and laughter were contagious, and it was a joy to see everyone who left with their arms full of the bounty that was offered.

Stay tuned for the exciting, new collaborations sprouting up in our community and some new seeds being added to the library! Not only do we have donations from the seed swap, but I have received donations from the following nurseries: Baker Creek, Peaceful Valley, Portland Nursery, and Territorial Seeds. With some help from my volunteers, we will get these processed and into the cabinet as soon as possible.

National Library Lover's Month Challenge

 

February is National Library Lovers month and the Sandy and Hoodland libraries want to you Explore Your Library. 

For the month of February, we are hosting a challenge designed to get you, as a patron, out of your comfort zone and to help you explore other areas of the library. 

The first step is to pick up a loyalty card at the Sandy Library Info desk or the Hoodland Main desk (or if you're more technologically savvy, you can sign up on sandy.beanstack.com). 

On the cards (or online), you'll see various challenges for you to try out. 

The challenges include:

• Check out a display item
• Check out an item from the Library of Things
• Check out a "NEW" item
• Attend a library program
• Post to your social media using the hashtag #iloveSAPL or #iloveHOPL
• Learn a new library skill (holds, enable your checkout history, etc.)
• Write a short "Community Picks" review

Each time you complete a challenge, head to the Info or Out desk at Sandy (Main desk at Hoodland) to get your stamp. Once you've collected 5 stamps, head to the Info desk to get your pick of our brand-new LINCC-branded swag. 

Thanks for being a part of the Sandy and Hoodland libraries, and happy exploring!