Lake Oswego Reads has done it again. With their selection of Tilt by Emma Pattee, organizers have given us a timely book that uses fiction to get us to think about our current reality. Set over the course of a single day, the novel follows a nine-months-pregnant woman’s physical and emotional journey as she navigates her way across the wreckage of Portland, Oregon after a massive earthquake. Lake Oswego’s recent ice storm event in January of 2024, gave us all a preview of the need to be prepared for natural disasters which makes the topic of Tilt, an especially relevant read.

Here are some other reasons why you should read Tilt.

•The author is a climate journalist whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and more…AND she lives in Portland!

•It was named of one of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2025

•Tilt was an NPR favorite fiction read of 2025 and a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice

•It was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Excellence in Fiction

•Vogue voted it a Best Book of 2025

Comments from Lake Oswego Selection Committee members perhaps give some of the most compelling reasons to pick up this story.

“Like everyone else on the Steering committee, I was captured by this book and couldn’t put it down,” relates Steering Committee member Cherie Dupuis.

Retired Library Director Bill Baars adds, “This book has the potential to save lives.”

Definitely food for thought which will be cooked up by the programming the LO Reads has scheduled throughout the month of April. Here are a few highlights. Find a complete schedule online. Many of the events will be livestreamed on the library’s YouTube channel.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE BIG ONE? Hear what Scott Burns, Emeritus Professor of Engineering Geology at PSU, has to say about the geology of the Pacific Northwest, the dangers of subduction earthquakes, and how to prepare for them. Wednesday, April 1. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and event starts at 5:30 p.m.  Oswego Heritage House, 398 Tenth Street.

A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN AT LAKEWOOD. Since Tilt’s main character is a playwright, and her husband and actor, the Lakewood Center is peeling back the curtain to show you what goes on behind the scenes of a regional production. Registration for the backstage tour is limited to 10 and can be done online. Friday, April 3 at 1:30 p.m. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street.

LAKE OSWEGO READS ART SHOW. Join artists for a memorable evening as they explain the art they created after reading Tilt. Light refreshments will be served. Tuesday, April 7; doors open at 6:00 p.m., program starts at 6:45 p.m. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street.

LAKE OSWEGO AMATEUR RADIO EMERGENCY SERVICES PRESENTATION. Learn how LOARES will support communications in Lake Oswego during an emergency. Weather permitting, a long-distance radio station will be set up on the grass in front of the library for participants to send messages nearby or across the country. Wednesday, April 8. Long Distance Radio Station Demos from noon to 5:00 p.m.; Presentation at 5:30 p.m.  Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

EMERGENCY WATER DISTRIBUTION DEMO.  Learn how to fill your Emergency Water Containers after a prolonged water system disruption. Water Treatment Plant Operator, Cole Trusty, has devised a system that pulls potable water from fire hydrants which can serve the hydration needs of an entire neighborhood. Thursday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m. at the Adult Community Center, 505 G Avenue.

AAUW BE 2 WEEKS READY PRESENTATION. Join the members of the American Association of University Women in taking the fear out of emergency preparedness for a Cascadia Event. Learn useful strategies for you and your neighbors with Oregon State’s Be 2 Weeks Ready Plan. Saturday, April 11 at 10:00 a.m., Oswego Heritage House, 398 10^th Street.

LEGO CLUB SURVIVVE THE QUAKE ENGINEERING CHALLENGE.  Lego Club builders are invited to design structures that can withstand an earthquake. Kids can place their creations on the library’s earthquake tables and test how well their engineering holds up when the shaking starts. Saturday, April 11 at 3:00 p.m. Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

GEOLOGY ROCKS: FAULTS, VOLCANOES, AND EARTHQUAKES IN OREGON. Join retired geologist Ian Madin for an accessible talk on Oregon’s geology and the forces that shape the landscape and drive earthquake activity in the Pacific Northwest. Sunday, April 12 at 4:00 p.m., Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

CLIMATE, HAZARDS, AND RESILIENCE FOUNDATIONS. Explore hands-on, age-appropriate tools that make disaster preparedness accessible and relevant. Deepen your understanding of local climate risks, learn ways to anticipate future hazards and identify ways to foster individual and community resilience. Saturday, April 18 from 2:00 pm. To 4:00 p.m. Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

PREPLO: WORKING TOGETHER AFTER DISASTER. Learn how the Be 2 Weeks Ready program can help you and your neighbors in the event of a disaster. Wednesday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m. Lake Oswego Public Library, 706 Fourth Street.

SHAKE AT THE LAKE. Six teens are invited to this 60-minute escape room which finds them studying at a friend’s house when suddenly a huge earthquake strikes. They must work together using logic and quick thinking to decode clues and sole puzzles to keep everyone sale, Registration is required. Lake Oswego Public Library, 70 Fourth Street.

MINI EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FAIR. Enjoy 10+ informational booths, live demonstrations and interactive activities and giveaways while supplies last. Sunday, April 26 at 5:30 p.m. Lakeridge High School, 1235 Overlook Drive.

LO READS AUTHOR PRESENTATION. Emaa Pattee will be here in person to discuss her book and answer questions from the community. Free tickets to hear her in person will be available at the library beginning April 1. If you don’t have a ticket you can watch the event later on TVCTV television channels as well as on the Library’s YouTube channel. Sunday, April 26 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Lakeridge High School Auditorium. (Doors open at 6:30 p.m.) 1235 Overlook Drive.

AND IN OTHER NEWS....

HOP AT THE HUNT returns to the Lake Oswego Hunt historic Equestrian Center at 2725 Iron Mountain Blvd. on Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m. Guests can enjoy photos with “Hop” the Bunny, meet local first responders, and an egg hunt with candy and prizes. The egg hunt is recommended for toddlers through age 7.

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Kevin Costello kevin.costello@cascadehasson.com 503.939.9801

Riley Costello riley.costello@cascadehasson.com 971.322.6205