We hope you enjoy our latest VPL Newsletter; to subscribe, email library@vintonia.gov. See you at the library!

• 'The Myth of American Idealism' by Noam Chomsky
• 'Hiking Iowa' by Seth Brooks
• 'Framed: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions' by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey (large print)

• 'The Mistletoe Mystery: A Maid Novella' by Nita Prose
• 'The Mighty Red' by Louise Erdrich (large print)
• 'What Does It Feel Like' by Sophie Kinsella

*'Triangle' by Danielle Steel

*'One Big Happy Family' by Susan Mallery

*'Lies He Told Me' by James Patterson (Large Type)

*'The Last One at the Wedding' by Jason Rekulak

*'The Love Elixer of Augusta Stern' by Lynda Cohen Loigman

*'The Boyfriend' by Freida McFadden

New Large Type Westerns are in today!!!

~'One Against a Bullet Horde' by Walker A. Tompkins

~'Omaha Crossing' by Ray Hogan

~'A Heap of Killing' by Robert Vaughan

~'Bring Me Wild Horses' by Chuck Martin

~'Rough Rider of the Ragged Rimrock' by James J. Griffin

~'Stories of the Golden West' by Jon Tuska

This week I started reading 'The Lincoln Highway' by Amor Towles. Set in 1950's America, this novel tells the story of 18-year-old Emmett Watson as he follows the Lincoln Highway east to New York City. I'm told Towles is a gifted storyteller, and that this book is a great introduction to his writing style. Here is a quote from an online Goodreads reviewer:

"What an inventive and absorbing read this is. The characters are wonderful - all memorable in their own special way, the storyline is just an escapade full of humor and joy, not to mention some moving scenes thrown in for good measure. Can’t praise it enough!"

'The Lincoln Highway' currently has 4.23/5 on goodreads.com.

Happy reading!

~Kelly

It's officially spooky season so what better way to celebrate than a book about seances, supernatural forces, and a haunted house! Enter: 'I'll Be Waiting' by Kelley Armstrong. This is my second book by Kelley Armstrong and I'm loving it so far.

"Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future… together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car accident, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, “I’ll be waiting for you.”

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press—the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn’t Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium—a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton’s family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter…in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she’s haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn’t her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn’t her real name.

That’s when she finds the first body...." ~Goodreads.com (3.98)

Other titles at the library by Kelley Armstrong include: 'Hemlock Island,' 'Murder at Haven's Rock,' and 'The Boy Who Cried Bear.' Check her out today and happy reading, friends! ~Heather

The Friends of the Vinton Public Library are pleased to partner with Virginia Gay Hospital and Clinics Gifts of Hope for the 2024 Breast Cancer Awareness Walk/Run Challenge! Register by clicking the link below; there is no charge to register. You can make an optional donation to Gifts of Hope and the Friends of the Vinton Public Library. Thank you for your support!

Gifts of Hope October Breast Cancer Awareness Walk/Run Challenge (runsignup.com)

To encourage a sense of community and creativity, our library is holding a community quilt project. The blocks will be assembled into a finished quilt that will be auctioned off in the Spring/Summer of 2025. The proceeds from the auction will benefit future programming at the Vinton Public Library. We hope the project appeals to beginning quilters, experienced quilters, and everyone in between. Thank you for supporting our library!

• Submit a 9 1/2" X 9 1/2" unfinished quilt block
• Fabric available at the library
• Email library@vintonia.gov with any questions
• Team of quilters helping with the project

VPL Note: We have a wide selection of Kristin Hannah's novels, including her latest book, 'The Women,' available in regular type and large type.

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People’s Choice award for best fiction in the same year. Additionally, it was a selection of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club in 2023. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week. In 2018, The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstores’ bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and the Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Source: https://kristinhannah.com/about-kristin-bio/

Test your puzzle-solving skills this October at our library's escape room! Teams of 2-6 people, ages 8 and up, spend an hour trying to 'escape' by looking for clues and solving puzzles. Call 319-472-4208 to reserve your spot today!

Join us at Vinton's Celebration Park for lunch with the library staff! Bring a sack lunch and join us in the gazebo for a casual conversation about books; we’ll have a limited number of adult fiction titles available for checkout. We'll meet every Monday in September and October, beginning September 9th, from 12:00pm to 1:00pm. Everyone is welcome. Scheduling subject to staff availability and the weather.

• Monday, October 14th
• Monday, October 21st
• Monday, October 28th

Join us for our monthly book club where you pick the book! This month pick a book with a one-word title and join us for a discussion. This is a great way to connect with fellow readers and learn about new authors and titles. We're meeting twice this month; pick the time that works best for you!

• Tuesday, October 15th at 6pm
• Thursday, October 17th at 12pm

We had a great time at our Raven Wreath Craft night! Thank you to VPL volunteer, Micah Redenbaugh, for leading this spooktacular event! #halloweencrafts #librarylife #librarylovers

This week we welcomed three groups of Vinton Shellsburg Community Schools students from Mr. Walston's high school history class. VPL Staff gave tours of our library, shared some of our library's unique history, and answered questions.

Our first group went through the Escape Room and escaped!! Call the Vinton Public Library to reserve your spot. 319-472-4208.

Thank you, Benton County ISU Extension, for the outside fun! We enjoyed Storytime and pumpkin exploration in the beautiful weather.

With just a little help from Dad, they escaped the Grouchy Librarian Escape Room!

It's Fire Prevention Week. Stop in and check out some books about fire safety, firefighters, and fire trucks!

He's cruisin' along in the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge. This friend has read 700 books!

Our latest THIS OR THAT challenge is all about pets! Which do you prefer: cats or dogs? Stop in and vote or comment below! #thisorthat #librarylife #librarylovers

More escape room fun for the whole family!!

This friend is using the Beanstack App to log her 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Reading Challenge. She just hit 400 books. Way to go!

Our Children's Librarian Kellie recently received her certification in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Join us in congratulating her on this accomplishment!

Meet Elliot, our October Kid Librarian! Come check out his display.

Are you a fan of the cult-classic film 'Practical Magic' starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock? Did you know it's based on a book? Check out Alice Hoffman's novel and the popular film today!

Hours of Operation:

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