• 'More Or Less Maddy' by Lisa Genova
• 'See How They Hide' by Allison Brennan
• 'Into the Woods' by Jenny Holiday
• 'Mothers and Sons' by Adam Haslett
• 'How To Sleep At Night' by Elizabeth Harris
• 'Beautiful Ugly' by Alice Feeney
• 'Holmes is Missing' by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
• 'Presumed Guilty' by Scott Turow
• 'Rosarita' by Anita Desai
• 'Small Things Like These' by Claire Keegan
• 'The Big Empty' by Robert Crais
• 'The Texas Murders' by James Patterson

• 'Accidentally Amy' by Lynn Painter
• 'The Last Room On The Left' by Leah Konen
• 'Witchcraft for Wayward Girls' by Grady Hendrix
• 'The Unmaking of June Farrow' by Adrienne Young

• 'A Great Marriage' by Frances Mayes
• 'Northeaster: A Story of Courage and Survival in the Blizzard of 1952' by Cathie Pelletier
• 'Perfect Storm' by Paige Shelton
• 'North of Nowhere' by Allison Brennan

• 'The JFK Conspiracy' by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch
• 'Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed To Get Old' by Brooke Shields
• 'Buy What You Love Without Going Broke' by Jen Smith and Jill Sirianni

• 'Fly-Fishing with Leonardo Da Vinci' by David Ladensohn
• 'The Cut Flower Handbook' by Lisa Mason Ziegler
• 'You Can Farm' by Joel Salatin

• 'The Arts: A Visual Encyclopedia' published by Dorling Kindersley
• 'Monet: The Restless Vision' by Jackie Wullschlager
• 'Frida Kahlo: 40th Edition' by Luis-Martin Lozano
• 'Van Gogh: The Complete Paintings' by Rainer Metzger
• 'Artist's Watercolor Techniques' published by Dorling Kindersley

Fans of poetry will enjoy this diverse collection of poetry edited and introduced by Ada Limon titled 'You are Here: Poetry in the Natural World.' This collection is one of five books the director, Kelly Henkle, chose as part of the NEA Big Read 2025 list of books we are showcasing at the library. A few of my favorite poems from this collection were:

'You Belong to the World' by Carrie Fountain

'Nature, Which Cannot Be Driven To' by Diane Suess

'Letters' by Ilya Kaminsky

'There are More Ways to Show Devotion' by Hanif Abdurraqib

'No Ethical Transition Under Late Capitalism' by Torrin A. Greathouse

This collection can be found at the library! Check it out today. Happy reading, friends! ~Heather

This weekend I read Jonathan Evison's latest novel 'The Heart of Winter.' It is a lovely homage to the 70-year marriage between Ruth and Abe, college sweethearts whose story didn't exactly begin with love at first sight. It was the perfect post-holiday book for me, as early in the book their family is celebrating Christmas, and then the story progresses through the year, with flashbacks to the ups and downs of Abe and Ruth's life together.

This is my first time reading Evison's work, and it won't be my last. This title is new to our collection this month, and currently has 4.39/5 stars on goodreads.com.

Happy reading!
~Kelly Henkle, Library Director

Our library is pleased to present a special display of wood carvings from local artist Tom Garwood. Stop into the library between now and mid-February to view several display pieces including the fox pictured below.

Vinton native Tom Garwood has been carving for the past 35-40 years and is primarily self-taught. He is a member of the Cedar Valley Wood Carvers. He has received numerous awards for his work, including Best in Show, Non-Needlepoint at the Benton County Fair, 3rd Best in Show at the Iowa State Fair, 2nd Best of Show at the Cedar Valley Wood Carvers Show, 1st in Aquatics and 1st in Double Fish at the International Carvers Association. His work can be seen at the upcoming Cedar Valley Wood Carvers Show at the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids, March 1-2nd, 2025.

Join us for our 2nd Annual Red Carpet Party at the library! We will be watching the celebrity red-carpet arrivals in Hollywood for the Academy Awards. Our night includes Oscar-themed trivia games, beverages, appetizers, and more! Formal dress is encouraged but not required. Thanks to a generous donation from Express Limousine of North Liberty, we are also holding a raffle for a 2-hour limo ride prior to the event. Purchase your raffle ticket at the library, or as an add-on during the Eventbrite ticketing process. Add on an optional VPL wine or beer glass for $15 as well. Beast & Bird of Vinton will be onsite selling a variety of beers and wine. All proceeds will benefit the 2025 Children's Summer Reading Program at our library. Thank you for your support!

National Puzzle Day is January 29th, 2025, and we're celebrating with a puzzle swap! Between January 10th and January 22nd, drop off your puzzle and pick up one in exchange! Puzzles must be clean, in like-new condition, with all pieces included. Puzzles for all ages and difficulty levels welcome!

Sledding was preferred over skiing in our last THIS or THAT challenge! Check out our latest challenge: SNOW DAY or SPRING RAIN . Which do you prefer??? Stop in and vote!

Mondays: 9a-5p

Tuesdays: 9a-8p

Wednesdays: 9a-5p

Thursdays: 9a-8p

Fridays: 7a-4p

Saturdays: 9a-Noon

Sundays: Closed

Copy services: $0.20 per black and white, $0.25 per color

Fax services: $1.00 for 1-2 pages, $2.00 for 3+ pages

Notary services: No charge, call 319-472-4208 for availability

Free Wifi

Boardroom available at no charge; reservations required

Email: library@vintonia.gov
Website: vinton.lib.ia.us
Location: 510 2nd Avenue, Vinton, IA, USA
Phone: (319) 472-4208
Facebook: facebook.com/heartofvinton