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

• 'Our Kind of Game' by Johanna Copeland
• 'Hard to Kill' by James Patterson and Mike Lupica, a Jane Smith Thriller
• Regular Type and Large Type
• 'House of Glass' by Sarah Pekkanen
• 'Charlotte Illes is Not a Teacher' by Katie Siegel

• 'I Was a Teenage Slasher' by Stephen Graham Jones
• 'A World of Hurt' by Mindy Mejia
• 'Things Don't Break on their Own' by Sarah Easter Collins
• 'Witness' by Jamel Brinkley

• 'A Hunger to Kill: A Determined Detective, and the Quest for a Confession That Changed a Small Town Forever' by Kim Mager
• 'A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon' by Kevin Fedarko

I just adore Neil Gaiman. His writing style reminds me of the wonder I felt as a child when everything in the world was still magical and tinged with mystery. I just can't get enough of him. This week, I listened to Neil Gaiman's 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' on Libby (do you have your library card #? Libby is great for audiobooks!) and was swept away into a world where magic still exists. Check out the Goodreads.com (Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Fantasy in 2013) synopsis below:

"A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.

A groundbreaking work as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark, 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out." ~Goodreads.com (4.2 rating)

Happy reading, friends!

~Heather E., Circulation Manager

I have seen so many people rave about this book, and it has been on my list for quite some time. I am so glad I did not wait any longer. 'Before We Were Yours' follows Rill Foss, a child who became an orphan along with her other siblings in 1939. The children were sent to a home that was run by Georgia Tann; Tann was a child trafficker who ran the Tennessee Children's Home Society. I like the way that Lisa Wingate writes in past and present day. We get to learn Rill's story and her fight for survival and her siblings. You also meet May Crandall and Avery Stafford in present day. Read along to learn how Rill, May and Avery's story are somehow connected.

The emotions are a rollercoaster with this one, but it is a must read!

~Kellie Roberts, Children's Librarian

'The Girl in the Locked Room' by Mary Downing Hahn

Who among us loves freaky, spooky, chilling fiction? I do, I do! This is junior fiction, catalogued as suitable for AR 4.3, but I thought it was a little dark and creepy for that age. I loved it! You read it and decide for yourself.

In the beginning we meet a little girl alone in a dark room. She has no memory prior to the room, but she has recurring dreams of men on horseback, riding up to the house, stamping loudly up the stairs, pounding their fists on the door as they demand that she come out. The girl hides under a pile of ragged dresses in an old wardrobe until they go away. Time passes slowly, years, decades, centuries? There are portraits and painted scenes in heavy frames, but she can't remember who they are; for that matter, she doesn't remember who she is, where she is, or how long she has been there. Sad and a bit scared, she takes the pictures down and turns them to the wall.

One day, the girl hears strange sounds "like an army" coming closer and closer. Men and machinery tear away the surrounding countryside exposing the ancient 3-story mansion to the world once again. A man arrives with his family to begin the restoration of the home into an historic inn. I won't ruin the story or the outcome by telling you more but I liked this book so much that I read two additional books written by the same author; 'One For Sorrow' and 'Took.'

I heartily recommend them to anyone looking for spine-chilling tales. These books and more are available at the Vinton Public Library. Check them out!
~Connie B., Library Assistant

I recently read Amy Tintera's thrilling suspense novel 'Listen for the Lie.' It tells the story of Lucy, a young woman who was found at the scene of her best friend's brutal murder with no memory of what happened. Everyone suspects that she did it; however, she was never convicted. Several years later a popular true crime podcast, 'Listen for the Lie,' brings this story back into the spotlight. The podcaster returns to Lucy's hometown, determined to get answers to this disturbing cold case.

This is Tintera's first novel for adults, having previously written Young Adult fiction. This book is what I like to call a 'fast and furious'; once I started I blazed through it until the end. Check it out if you're looking for a twisty, page-turning suspense novel! It currently has 4.13/5 stars on goodreads.com.

Happy Reading!

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director

VPL Note: We have 'Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective' and 'Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher', both by Katie Siegel, available for checkout in regular type.

Katie Siegel is a former wannabe child detective who eventually realized that writing mysteries was more fun that trying (and failing) to solve them. She is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she did a lot of theatre (and got a journalism degree in her spare time). Katie has been creating video content on a variety of platforms for over a decade and is an experienced writer and actor. On TikTok, she's garnered a large audience for her humorous sketches and creative story concepts. Katie also writes and produces the fantasy radio advice show podcast, Dear Liisphyra. You can follow her on social media @katiefliesaway (or don't, live your life).

~From inside back cover of 'Charlotte Illes Is Not a Detective', c2023, Kensington Publishing Group

Good at cleaning and organizing? Come join our team! We are hiring a Janitor for 10 hours each week, scheduled outside of library operating hours. Apply today by visiting https://cityofvinton.org under the Government tab or stop into the library for an application. Submit completed applications to Kelly Henkle via email at khenkle@vintonia.gov.

Did you know our library has policies on a wide variety of topics, including but not limited to internet use, animals in the library, and proctoring exams? Our policies are approved by our library board of trustees, and reviewed regularly according to accreditation standards set by the State Library of Iowa. Check them out on our website by visiting www.vinton.lib.ia.us under the 'About' tab, or ask to see our policy book at the library's main circulation desk.

Our library is selling a collection of 25 of Mark Twain's books, Author's National Edition, on auction. Please visit govdeals.com/vintonia for details and to place your bid. Auction ends August 8th, 2024 at 2:36PM CDT.

Our newest display focuses on the Olympics & features a 1996 Olympic Torch Banner that was donated to our library in memory of Harold Cassens by Shirley and Lawrence Mann & Stan and Nancy Geiken. The Olympic Torch came through Vinton in 1996! Stop in and check out the display!

Congrats to our Farmers Market raffle winner: Alycia L.!!! Alycia took home some Vinton Public Library swag: a t-shirt and two beer glasses! Yay! We love our patrons!

The ISU Insect Zoo was bugtastic! Thank you Iowa State University for bringing this program to our community! This event was made possible thanks to a generous patron donation to our library's 2023 Red Carpet Party!

ACT I of Benton County brought the noise to the library tonight for a fantastic evening event!! They performed several well-known 80's rock songs from their upcoming production of 'Rock of Ages' and answered questions about their experiences acting! Thanks to the entire cast, directors and crew for a fun night at the library!

This little library friend has read 400 books! #1000booksbeforekindergarten

Keep reading, keep logging, make sure to stop in the library to collect your prizes!

(Gasp) "I have never seen anything like this before!" Direct quote from a child when I got out these jumbo magnatiles. The State Library of Iowa is letting us borrow these magnetic tiles for a few weeks. Stop in and build with these jumbo tiles! These girls built a 'heart shaped box.'

Do people still read physical books? Yes they do! This chart shows our library's total circulation last fiscal year. 63% of our circulation was the checkout of physical books, 10% was physical renewals, and 26% were digital materials. Whatever your preference, let us be your source for books, magazines, audiobooks, ebooks and more!

Have you read any of the New York Times Top Six Best Sellers this week?

1) 'A Death in Cornwall' by Daniel Silva

2) 'The Women' by Kristin Hannah

3) 'The Summer Pact' by Emily Giffin

4) 'Swan Song' by Elin Hilderbrand

5) 'Fourth Wing' by Rebecca Yarros

6) 'Iron Flame' by Rebecca Yarros

Stop in and check one of these titles out today!

This friend has read 100 books. Keep up the good work! #1000booksbeforekindergarten

Looking for your next Mystery series? Check out Peter Swanson's 'Henry Kimble' series!

It's almost the weekend! Do you have your weekend reads picked out? Stop in today; we are open Thursdays until 8pm!!! #LateNightsAtTheLibrary #librarylife #librarylovers #weekendreading

This reader is halfway there! #1000booksbeforekindergarten

This friend has read 300 books! Keep up the great work!

This group had fun making and eating cowboy caviar. Thank you, ISU Extension, for bringing this edible activity!

Another finished puzzle at the library! Yay! Stop in this weekend and help us start a new puzzle! #puzzle #librarylife #librarylovers

August is American Artist Appreciation Month and our latest display showcases talented American artists! Check it out today! #americanartists #librarylife #librarylovers

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