• 'Definitely Better Now' by Ava Robinson
• 'A Forty Year Kiss' by Nickolas Butler
• 'Robert B. Parker's Buried Secrets' by Christopher Farnsworth
• 'Isola' by Allegra Goodman
• 'The Weekend Guests' by Liza North
• 'The Snowbirds' by Christina Clancy
• 'The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder' by C. L. Miller
• 'Open Season' by Jonathan Kellerman

• 'You Are Fatally Invited' by Ande Pliego
• 'The Queens of Crime' by Marie Benedict
• 'Blood Ties' by Jo Nesbo
• 'Deep End' by Ali Hazelwood
• 'First-Time Caller' by B.K. Borison

• 'Three Days in June' by Anne Tyler
• 'We All Live Here' by Jojo Moyes

Over the weekend I read the Teen All Iowa Reads book, 'Rez Ball' by Bryon Graves. With basketball season in full swing, it was the perfect book to read! You will be rooting for Tre Brun (the sophomore all-star) and the Red Lake Warriors the whole way through.

"These days, Tre Brun is happiest when he is playing basketball on the Red Lake Reservation high school team—even though he can’t help but be constantly gut-punched with memories of his big brother, Jaxon, who died in an accident.

When Jaxon's former teammates on the varsity team offer to take Tre under their wing, he sees this as his shot to represent his Ojibwe rez all the way to their first state championship. This is the first step toward his dream of playing in the NBA, no matter how much the odds are stacked against him.

But stepping into his brother’s shoes as a star player means that Tre can’t mess up. Not on the court, not at school, and not with his new friend, gamer Khiana, who he is definitely not falling in love with.

After decades of rez teams almost making it, Tre needs to take his team to state. Because if he can live up to Jaxon's dreams, their story isn’t over yet."

https://www.statelibraryofiowa.gov/.../teen-program...

I just started reading a debut Historical Fiction novel by Elizabeth O'Connor titled 'Whale Fall', about an isolated family on a Welsh island in the 1930's, and am loving O'Connor's writing style describing the wild landscape and bleak living conditions.

"In 1938, a dead whale washes up on the shores of a remote Welsh island. For Manod, who has spent her whole life on the island, it feels like both a portent of doom and a symbol of what may lie beyond the island's shores. A young woman living with her father and her sister (to whom she has reluctantly but devotedly become a mother following the death of their own mother years prior), Manod can't shake her welling desire to explore life beyond the beautiful yet blisteringly harsh islands that her hardscrabble family has called home for generations.

The arrival of two English ethnographers who hope to study the island culture, then, feels like a boon to her—both a glimpse of life outside her community and a means of escape. The longer the ethnographers stay, the more she feels herself pulled towards them, reckoning with a sensual awakening inside herself, despite her misgivings that her community is being misconstrued and exoticized." ~Goodreads.com (3.84 rating)

This weekend I saw the new Bob Dylan biopic 'A Complete Unknown,' and to paraphrase a line in the film, it quite nearly knocked me to the ground. I loved it so much I saw it twice, and also enjoyed the live music performed at the Palace on Saturday in between shows.

The film is directed by James Mangold and is based on the book 'Dylan Goes Electric' by Elijah Wald. It spans the first several years of Dylan's musical career, culminating in the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, a festival which celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2024.

I loved Mangold's 'Walk the Line,' but I loved this film in an entirely new way. I've always been a Johnny Cash fan, but after seeing this film I can say I'm a Bob Dylan fan. Timothee Chalamet kills it as Bob Dylan, and Edward Norton gives an incredible performance as Pete Seeger. I read a Variety magazine interview with Norton, and he said it best. 'I think people should just go see it and get lost in it.'

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director

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!

Today Betty brought us a copy of this article from the April 13, 1989, edition of the Cedar Valley Times. Betty was assistant librarian at the time the article is written and is featured in the photo. She was also gracious enough to take a photo with me today!

Tom Williams was the CVT staff writer and photographer for the 1989 article, and in it he describes some of our library's history, as well as how our library celebrated National Library Week. The library waived fines for overdue materials that were returned that week, and held a drawing for the book 'Eagles of the Northwest" by Candace Savage. Williams also shares the following quote from the August 30, 1904, edition of the Vinton Eagle:

"I was impressed that the library, for its cost and purpose, is superior to any other I have yet seen."~Dr. A.B. Storm, president of Ames College.

You can search for both news articles using our library's local newspaper archives by visiting www.vinton.lib.ia.us, clicking on the 'online resources' tab, selecting 'digital archives', then clicking the Vinton Public Library and Benton County Historical Society, Vinton, IA logo. Visit https://carnegielibrariesiowa.org for more information on our library and other Carnegie libraries in Iowa.

Stories like these are just one of the many reasons I love working at the Vinton Public Library. I am proud of our library's history, I love our readers and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve this fine organization.

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director

VS Seniors: Stop into the Vinton Public Library to work on your college and trade school scholarship applications! We’ll have free printing, free envelopes, snacks, and experienced professionals on hand to help answer your questions and provide essay feedback.

We're holding three sessions for your convenience:
Saturday, 2/15/25 from 9am-12pm
Saturday, 3/15/25 from 9am-12pm
Saturday, 3/22/25 from 9am-12pm

Join us for our monthly book club where you pick the book! This month we reading books written by authors with red hair. Get creative and have fun with it! We're meeting at two different times; pick the session that works best for you!

*Thursday, February 20th, 2025, at Noon

*Thursday, February 20th, 2025, at 6pm

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.

February is Black History Month, and we're proud to feature a special display on George Washington Carver in our Reading Room. Stop in to learn about Carver's life, his contributions to agriculture and much more. Thanks to our friends at the African American Museum of Iowa, this informative and eye-catching display will be here all month. #BlackHistoryMonth #GeorgeWashingtonCarver #librarylife

Our friends at REM gave us these kind-hearted notes in honor of National Compliment Day! We were so touched by their thoughtfulness we created a Kindness Display in our Reading Room. Check it out, and feel free to leave some kind words of your own! #librarylife #kindnessmatters #NationalComplimentDay

Yesterday was National Puzzle Day and these ladies enjoyed putting together a United States puzzle.

Meet Faith, one of our Kid Librarians!

Designer and Illustrator Spotlight: Micaela Alcaino. Alcaino is an award-winning book cover designer and illustrator; her passion lies in creating book covers that inspire others to immerse themselves in the written word and the imaginative worlds within books. (via her website @ https://www.micaelaalcaino.com/about-1) Check out the titles in our collection showcasing her work!

Did you know??......Well now you know!

If you like Elin Hilderbrand, try Kristy Woodson Harvey!!!

Check out these new titles by Kristy Woodson Harvey: 'The Summer of Songbirds' & 'Under the Southern Sky.'

Meet Maryn, our February Kid Librarian!

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