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

• 'The Wren in the Holly Library' by K.A. Linde
• 'Just Some Stupid Love Story' by Katelyn Doyle
• 'Swan Song' by Elin Hilderbrand
• 'The Rom-Commers' by Katherine Center
• 'The Housemaid is Watching' by Freida McFadden
• 'The Glassmaker' by Tracy Chevalier

• 'How to Age Disgracefully' by Clare Pooley
• 'For the Love of Summer' by Susan Mallery
• 'Not in Love' by Ali Hazelwood
• 'Oh Crap! Potty Training' by Jamie Glowacki

• Hot Lead' by Bradford Scott
• 'Dry Road to Nowhere' by William W. Johnstone
• 'Man Hunt' by Hunter Ingram
• 'No Range is Free' by E.E. Halleran
• "Tall Trouble in Terlingua' by James J. Griffin
• 'Feud on the Mesa' by Lauran Paine

• 'The Summer We Started Over' by Nancy Thayer
• 'Amish Love Letters' by Shelley Shephard Gray
• 'Swan Song' by Elin Hilderbrand
• 'All The Glimmering Stars' by Mark Sullivan
• 'The Promise of Tomorrow' by Mary Ellen Taylor
• 'Life, Loss, and Puffins' by Catherine Ryan Hyde
• 'The Song of Sourwood Mountain' by Ann H. Gabhart

"Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.

Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist — and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.

Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.

This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking."

Credit: https://www.statelibraryofiowa.gov

Do you find yourself ever struggling to find meaning in life? Or has someone you loved died and left a lingering fear of death? If either of these questions keep you up at night: please read the memoir entitled "When Breath Becomes Air" by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi. A neurosurgeon so versed in the literary world that I at once felt he was my kin even though I am far removed from the scientific life.

Kalinithi showed me the virtue that lies in examining a life lived when you know you're dying. Diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer in his mid-30's, he at once became the Patient and the Doctor. I saw a glimpse into the health care world via a dying surgeon's point of view and it floored me. What I found so utterly calming was that he did not rage against the dying light like Dylan Thomas but accepted his fate calmly and effortlessly. Almost as if he was born to dissect death for the reader and show you not to fear the inevitable. But embrace it. Make plans. Be guided by it, even.

Kalinithi wrote: "I began to realize that coming face to face with my own mortality, in a sense, had changed nothing and everything. Seven words from Samuel Beckett began to repeat in my head: 'I can't go on. I'll go on.'"

It's available at the library and on the Libby app. Happy reading, friends. ~Heather

15-year-old Shannon Lynch has just transferred to Tommen College due to relentless bullying at her previous high school. Hoping for a fresh start, she keeps her head down and stays off of anyone's radar. Until she develops feelings for the star rugby player #13. Johnny Kavanaugh is a 17-year-old rugby star with sights set on making it in the professional league. Hiding an injury, he's desperate to impress the talent scouts watching him, which leaves no room for mistakes. But what happens when the shy new girl invades his every thought? Will they eventually give in to their feelings? Or will Shannon get her heart broken over her very first love? Will Johnny accept that he loves something more than rugby? 11,000/10 would definitely recommend!! This book and the 2nd book absolutely WRECKED me. This is the first ever book where I was so enraptured, I forgot that the characters aren't real people. Definitely read book 2: "Keeping 13" next!

Note: This story is set in Ireland and has some Irish slang and names. The beginning of the book has a glossary of terms. The end of the book has a playlist that goes with the story.

~Micah, VPL Volunteer

It's an odd fact that most of what we know about our world comes from secondhand sources. So many people are contained within their small-town bubbles and rely on their faith in the news outlets and history books to tell them what the rest of the world is like. Of course, this isn't really a problem; these are secondhand sources, but they are for the most part reliable descriptions of the way things are.

What if that wasn't the case?

"Wool" by Hugh Howey is a dystopian science fiction book set in a massive underground silo after the outside world has been deemed uninhabitable by the government. The citizens spend their entire life in this claustrophobic metal tube. Many of the inhabitants are always watching a live camera feed of the plains outside, hoping to see some chance to return to a way of life they've never experienced. The main plot of the story revolves around the small society's growing distrust of the flow of information. It's a very dark and oppressive read, but the growing mystery kept me intrigued throughout the entire book.

The story has several themes, of course mostly revolving around the practicality of blind faith, but also talking about instinct and whether it's right to live a life so different from our ancestral roots. The end of the book wraps up the novel's mystery quite well but leaves ethical questions for you to interpret.

~Loren H., VPL Volunteer

This month I'm teaming up with my niece to read 'Investigators: Ants in our P.A.N.T.S.' by John Patrick Green. We're reading together as part of our library's Joined Forces Book Club. This is a graphic novel and is part of a series of books about an alligator and a crocodile who team up to catch the bad guys. It's a very popular series with kids, and so far, I'm loving it! We stopped today on a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to my next reading session with Marley!

Is there a young person in your life you could invite to our Joined Forces Book Club? You'll make memories and encourage the lifelong love of reading! We meet the last Thursday of every month at 5pm at our library; hope to see you there!

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director

Summertime is for sun, fun, and reading! Last week we kicked off our 2024 Summer Reading Program with a bang and have doubled last June's average daily attendance! We have books, programs, challenges and prizes for kids and adults, so sign up today in Beanstack! We'll see you at the library!

Congratulations to these young readers for signing up for our 2024 Summer Reading Program through Beanstack! They've won a four-pack of tickets to Lost Island Theme Park!

These two lucky ladies won our Farmers Market book drawing! Congrats to Nicole and Mazy!!! Yay! We will be at the market next month on July 18th again! Happy reading, ladies!

This little lady has read 200 books! Way to go!

Thanks to the generous support of the Vinton Community Foundation our library will soon be installing a bike repair station outside of our North entrance. We are pleased to do our part to promote healthy activity in Vinton! Why not ride your bike to the library today?!

At just 10 weeks old, this little guy has read 100 books!

The Summer Reading Program has officially started! We had a great crowd today to see Cold-Blooded Redhead and her reptiles. Attendees of all ages enjoyed learning, discussing and touching the various reptiles.

Lindsay Butikofer-McDermott, who is a nurse and the owner of Cold-Blooded Redhead, enjoys sharing her reptiles and does bookings for birthday parties! We highly recommend her.

Here's the latest New York Times Top 10 Bestselling Hardcover Fiction titles; check it out if you're looking for ideas for your next summer read!

Our Summer Reading Program is in full swing! Thank you to the businesses and individuals that supported our children's programming through financial contributions and prizes! Also thank you to everyone who attended and donated to our 1st annual Red Carpet Fundraiser! The funds raised through this event allowed us to make this summer's fun even bigger and better than ever!

This little dude has read 300 books! Great work!

We have the best volunteers! Thank you, Lyla K. for volunteering during our Science Wizards event!

It was a windy night at the Vinton Parks & Recreation Department Farmer's Market but we had a great turnout of kids interested in the Summer Reading Program and coloring hackysacks! Kids took home VPL pencils and color-changing cups! We can't wait to see you next month!

Looking for a good book? Here is a list of the top 20 adult fiction books checked out from our library so far this year!

This friend has read 100 books! Way to go!!

Book Buddies is back for the Summer! We will have High School volunteers on Thursdays from 10 am to 12 pm to read with a young reader. We still have some slots open for tomorrow. Stop in and sign up!

*Reading Buddies counts towards your reading challenge*

Hours of Operation:

Mondays: 9a-5p

Tuesdays: 9a-6p

Wednesdays: 9a-5p

Thursdays: 9a-8p

Fridays: 9a-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