One Book Belgrade

2023 Selection: The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan

One Book Belgrade, our annual community read, will be reading The Last Green Valley, a historical fiction novel based on the local Martel Family. In 1944, Stalin's forces push into Ukraine, and the young Emil and Adeline Martel family must make a terrible decision: Do they wait for the Soviet bear’s intrusion and risk being sent to Siberia? Or do they reluctantly follow the wolves—murderous Nazi officers who have pledged to protect “pure-blood” Germans?

The library will be hosting a number of related events to tie-in with the book during January & February, which will cumulate in a Meet the Author Event on Feb 16 with Mark Sullivan.

Thank you to this year's program sponsor, Martel Construction, for sponsoring the program series.

How to Get a Copy

The library has a number of copies available for a two-week period! Please pick up and return the book directly to the Belgrade Community Library. We also have Large Type, audiobooks on CD, and a Spanish copy of the novel.

Adult Winter Reading

Pick up a paper reading log in the library. If you read at least 5 books between January and February, you'll be entered to win a gift card to a local business! Multiple logs can be submitted with no repeat books. Audiobooks, graphic novels, and e-books all count towards the goal as long as they have at least 150 pages. Reading The Last Green Valley will count as an additional entry!

All logs must be submitted by February 28 to be eligible for prizes. If you attend any of the tie-in events and bring a donation to the Food Drive, you'll get an entry (make sure you sign in during the event so we can track entries!).

Ancestry.com

As part of the One Book Belgrade series, Martel is sponsoring an in-library building use subscription to Ancestry.com! Visit the library to access this top-of-the-line genealogy database to build your family tree with the world's largest collection of online family history records. Visit ancestrylibrary.com while in the library building!

Library Food Drive

January - February

The Library will be hosting a food drive during Jan & Feb. We ask that donations are brought the Public Services Desk. Bringing a food item donation to an event will count as an extra entry towards winter reading prizes.

	Adult Crafternoon LIVE! Thursday, January 12th 2-3:30pm Join local artist Pat Hamlin with BAM in painting your own Green Valley postcards. We will be using acrylics to paint along to Pat's instructions on creating serene scenes. Sign-up online required. Adult Crafternoons funded by the Peggy Novotny Memorial.
	Researching Your Family History Workshop Thursday, January 19th 6-7:30pm Learn how to research your own family history with this hands on workshop, including strategies, resources, and methods, with Tricia Thompson of the Gallatin County Genealogical Society. RSVP required through the OLLI @ MSU Website; in collaboration with OLLI @ MSU. To register, create a free account through the OLLI website (click "Log On" or "Create Account" near the top of the page. Registration opens Jan 4 at 9am. Presentation Slides that were used for the class.
	Teen Crafternoon & Honey Tasting Friday, January 20th 4:30-5:45pm The Youth Services Librarian will lead teens in crafting colorful beeswax candles and doing a blind tasting with different kinds of honey, in line with the book's reoccurring beekeeper theme. Sign-up required.
	4th Thursday Book Club Thursday, January 26th 6:30-7:45pm Join the 4th Thursday Book Club as they discuss The Last Green Valley.
	Bread, War, & Memory Thursday, February 2nd 6-7:30pm Bread has been a staple food in many western cultures for thousands of years. Mary Murphy, American historian, will lead us in looking at the substance and memory of bread during war. This presentation is free and open to the public, in collaboration with OLLI @ MSU.
	Kids' Art Club with the Bozeman Art Museum Friday, February 3rd 2:30-4:00pm Bozeman Art Museum will lead kids through a bee-themed art project (in conjunction with the beekeeping theme throughout The Last Green Valley) during an early release Friday. Sign-up required.
	EXTRA EVENT: Researching Your Family History Workshop Wednesday, February 8th 6-7:30pm Learn how to research your own family history with this hands on workshop, including strategies, resources, and methods, with Tricia Thompson of the Gallatin County Genealogical Society. RSVP for a spot for this class. This is a repeat of the class on Jan 19, since that class filled up! Presentation Slides that will be used.
	Russia and Ukraine: Past and Present with James Meyer Thursday, February 9th 6-7:30pm MSU history professor and Belgrade resident James H Meyer will discuss the historical and present-day relations between Russia and Ukraine. A specialist on Russia and the Middle East who has spent more than four years living and researching in the former Soviet Union, Meyer writes frequently about the Russia-Ukraine war on his blog, "Jim Meyer's Borderlands." This presentation is free and open to the public, in collaboration with OLLI @ MSU.
	Group Volunteering at Gallatin Valley Food Bank Monday, February 13th 5:30-7:00pm Give back to one of our valentines - our community - just in time for Valentine's Day with this fun group event at the Gallatin Valley Food Bank! Families welcome, age limit 8 and up. Sign-up required.
	Meet the Author with Mark Sullivan Thursday, February 16th 6-7:30pm Meet Mark Sullivan and hear about the journey to create this compelling story inspired about the Martel family. There will be a Q&A as well as book signing. You will not want to miss this event moderated by Chrysti the Wordsmith. This event is at the Holiday Inn Express in Belgrade!