• 'Story of my Life' by Lucy Score
• 'We Need Your Art: Stop Messing Around and Make Something' by Amie McNee
• 'Girl Anonymous' by Christina Dodd

• 'Dylan Goes Electric' by Elijah Wald
• 'The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus' by Emma Knight
• 'Battle Mountain' by C. J. Box

• 'Storm Warning' by Elizabeth Goddard
• 'Beyond Reasonable Doubt' by Robert Dugoni
• 'Seashells In My Pocket' by Terri Wangard
• 'Rolling Toward Clear Skies' by Catherine Ryan Hyde
• 'The Sunflower House' by Adriana Allegri
• 'The Party Line' by Carolyn Brown
• 'My Three Dogs' by W. Bruce Cameron

• 'Killer Trail' by Joseph Chadwick
• 'Ghost Coach' by Robert Vaughan
• 'The Wyoming Bubble' by Alan Vaughan Elston
• 'Rio Fuego' by Wayne D. Dundee

When I saw this book, with "Mercury" scrawled across the front cover, I immediately thought of Alan Jackson. (His fans will get the reference!) Unfortunately, there was no further mention of him or the car.

The book begins somewhat oddly, with a man behind the bleachers at a ballfield where his wife is coaching their son in a baseball game. As he encourages himself that he will tell his wife something, the pay phone rings and the man, Waylon Joseph, answers reluctantly. In answer to that call, Waylon reports to his older brother at the Presbyterian Church. The brothers work at their father's roofing company, and a leak in the ceiling during summertime Bible lessons has caused the pastor to summon the company to stop the falling plaster and purple rainwater that is falling on the heads of the children in the pews. In short order, a dead body is found in the attic just beneath the belfry.

Abruptly, the entire subject is dropped, and the next chapter seems to start an entirely new book. Seventeen-year-old Marly West and her mother drive into Mercury, Pennsylvania, on their way from eastern Ohio, in search of a new town to start over once again. This time wasn't like the others. The excitement had gone from seeing another new town, and Marly was bored.

It must be assumed that mother and daughter leave their previous home in somewhat of a hurry, because they leave behind their favorite casserole dish and a Blockbuster movie card that has nine punch holes in it. The reader can feel their eagerness to resettle and begin again. "Mercury is part family saga, part mystery, and 100 percent unputdownable," says fellow author Ann Hood of this novel. Goodreads rates "Mercury" at 3.81 out of a possible 5. A few parts are a bit too gritty, but I did enjoy the story. It's ready and waiting at VPL!

~Connie, Library Assistant

'Three Days in June' by Anne Tyler is a short and sweet journey with a happy ending. I need a happy ending every now and then! Gail Baines is dealing with her daughter's wedding, her soon to be son-in-law's infidelity, and her ex-husband staying over uninvited before the wedding, and he has brought a cat that needs a home! Tyler has a way of making the mundane everyday facets of life come alive to the point that her characters always make me wonder about the secret emotional lives of people I meet in passing. I adore her writing style. It's very casual yet poignant at once somehow. If you are in the mood for second chances & light romance, then check this out today. It's a keeper. Happy reading, friends! ~Heather

Mina Ellis is a newly graduated child psychologist eager to get started in her field. Mourning the loss of her brother, who had passed 6 years prior, she attends a bereavement support group where she meets Sam Hunter, a reporter who may have an interesting case for her. Alice Webber is a 13-year-old girl living in the small town of Banathel, who claims to be haunted by a long dead witch. Mina hopes to prove Alice's symptoms are merely the product of a mental illness and can be treated scientifically. However, Alice's symptoms become far more disturbing and seemingly unexplainable. The small town she lives in is highly superstitious and firmly believes in the existence of witches and has their own way of dealing with evil. Can Mina help Alice in time before the town performs their "riddance" ritual, or will superstitions and fear lead to destruction? 10/10 would recommend! Beginning was a little slow but definitely gripped me until the end.

~Micah R., VPL Volunteer

This month I read 'Beartown' by Fredrik Backman for our library's Community Book Club. It's the first in a trilogy set in the fictional town of Beartown, a town devoted to youth hockey. We meet Kevin and Benji, two star players from the junior team who are nearly inseparable both on and off the rink. We also meet Peter, the junior club's general manager who was a star hockey player years ago, and is now faced with a challenging task, and Maya, Peter's daughter who is a lot more interested in playing her guitar than having anything to do with hockey. These and many other characters' stories play out amid the backdrop of the ice rink, but when tragedy strikes, their loyalty to Beartown and the hockey club is profoundly shaken.

I highly recommend this book for its highly developed characters and variety of heavy-hitting themes. This isn't the first time I've read a book by Backman, and it surely won't be my last. 'Beartown' currently has 4.3/5 stars on goodreads.com.

Happy reading!
Kelly Henkle, Library Director

We are excited to announce that ‘The Queen of Sugar Hill’ by ReShonda Tate is the featured title for #TogetherWeRead! Together We Read is a digital book club connecting readers to the same ebook & audiobook at the same time - no waitlists, no holds.

"The Queen of Sugar Hill" tells the story of Hattie McDaniel, the first African American woman to win an Academy Award, focusing on her life after her Oscar win for "Gone With the Wind" and the challenges she faced as a Black actress navigating Hollywood's challenging social landscape, particularly highlighting her struggles with restrictive housing covenants in a neighborhood called "Sugar Hill" where she bought a home despite facing backlash from white neighbors; the book explores her personal life, friendships with other Hollywood figures, and her fight for racial equality.

More info: www.togetherweread.com/US/

Thank you to our friends at the Libby App for sponsoring Together We Read 2025!

Join Jean Wilson (writing as J L Wilson) to discover the steps that go into crafting a novel. J L has 40 books in print and can give you an idea of the who, what, where, and how of publishing. Join her in one or all of these workshops, each 60-90 minutes long:

*Saturday, March 15th, 2025 @ 9am: Class 1
Gives you the basic tools of the trade: what goes into a novel, how to determine point of view, your author voice, software to use - the nitty-gritty.

*Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 @ 9am: Class 2
Digs into the Who and Why of your book. This is all about creating characters and finding their goals and motivations.

*Saturday, March 29th, 2025 @ 9am: Class 3
The Where and When of your book. Choose your setting and time period wisely because you will be living there with your characters as you write.

*Saturday, April 5th, 2025 @ 9am: Class 4
Jumps into Plots and Pacing, making sure your plot lines hang together and your pacing keeps your audience engaged.

*Saturday, April 26th, 2025 @ 9am: Class 5
Gives you an overview of publishing: where and how do you submit your work or self-publish it? What goes into that?

Space is limited: RSVP to library@vintonia.gov to reserve your spot today! This event is intended for adults and is offered at no cost.

Join us for our monthly book club where you pick the book! This month our chosen theme is 'Winds of Change.' Get creative and have fun with it! We will meet two times; pick the time that works best for you!

• Tuesday, March 25th, 2025, at 6:00pm
• Thursday, March 27th, 2025, at 11:30am

Congratulations to our Children's Librarian Kellie!! Kellie recently completed training through Breathe For Change so that she can teach Social-Emotional Learning, Mindfulness and Yoga to children in our community! Our intention with this program is for Kellie to lead group classes to children here in our library and out in our community at no cost to participants. Watch for more details! Kellie is pictured below with members of her group of fellow students, passionate about teaching mindfulness to kids! Join us in congratulating Kellie!!

Join us in welcoming our library intern, Danielle! This Spring Danielle will be providing Computer Q&A assistance to patrons of our library on a limited basis. Watch for more info!

Congratulations to Kathy B. on winning one of four door prizes at our Red-Carpet Fundraiser bash!

Today three of Mr. Walson’s History Classes visited from Vinton Shellsburg High School and learned about Andrew Carnegie, his legacy, and our library. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to share our library’s story!

We always have a community puzzle going at the library! Check out our latest completed candy-themed puzzle!

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