Last week's VPL Newsletter contained an error in the date of the VPL Memory Cafe. The correct date for our first Memory Cafe is Friday, May 31st at 10am in the library boardroom. This event is being held for individuals in our community living with dementia and their caregivers. We will serve coffee and cookies, and will have a variety of dementia-friendly activities and conversation.

• 'Last House' by Jessica Shattuck
• 'Look on the Bright Side' by Kristan Higgins
• 'Lies and Weddings' by Kevin Kwan
• 'The Return of Ellie Black' by Emiko Jean

• 'Yours Truly' by Abby Jimenez
• 'You Are Here' by David Nicholls
• 'The House That Horror Built' by Christina Henry
• 'Bright and Tender Dark' by Joanna Pearson
• 'The Last Murder at the End of the World' by Stuart Turton
• 'You Like it Darker' by Stephen King

• 'When We Were Silent' by Fiona McPhillips
• 'One Perfect Couple' by Ruth Ware
• 'Southern Man' by Greg Iles
• 'If Something Happens to Me' by Alex Finlay
• 'The Year of the Locust' by Terry Hayes
• 'Stuart Woods' Smolder' by Brett Battles
• 'Mind Games' by Nora Roberts
• 'Clete' by James Lee Burke
• 'First Frost' by Craig Johnson
• 'A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants' by Ann Claire

Over the weekend I read "She's Not Sorry" by Mary Kubica. This was a quick thriller/mystery read that will have you keep guessing until the end. Meghan is divorced with a teenage daughter and is also an ICU nurse in Chicago. Meghan cares deeply for her daughter and patients. During one of Meghan's shifts, she gets assigned to a patient named Caitlin, who tried to commit suicide by jumping off of a bridge. Generally, Meghan tries not to get attached to Caitlin's family, but for some reason she is letting her guard down. Come to find out, there was a witness that may have seen Caitlin on the bridge, and she wasn't alone.....Could Caitlin have been pushed? Was it a family member? An ex? The man who is attacking women at night? This had a great twist at the end and I highly recommend checking it out!

~Kellie

I never thought I would enjoy audiobooks but over the weekend I had a quiet house to myself and deep cleaned while listening to Taffy Brodesser-Akner's "Fleishman is in Trouble" on the Libby app. Have I mentioned how much I love the Libby app?! I live in rural Shellsburg so I'm driving at least 20 minutes to get anywhere and now I'm listening to audiobooks rather than music (no one likes the music I listen to anyhow!) That being said, "Fleishman is in Trouble" seems to be either a hit or miss for readers. For me it was a hit, but I'm in my 40's and could relate to the main topic: divorce and the difficulties of raising children during said divorce.

"Recently separated Toby Fleishman is suddenly, somehow--and at age forty-one, short as ever--surrounded by women who want him: women who are self-actualized, women who are smart and interesting, women who don't mind his height, women who are eager to take him for a test drive with just the swipe of an app. Toby doesn't mind being used in this way; it's a welcome change from the thirteen years he spent as a married man, the thirteen years of emotional neglect and contempt he's just endured. Anthropologically speaking, it's like nothing he ever experienced before, particularly back in the 1990s, when he first began dating and became used to swimming in the murky waters of rejection.

But Toby's new life--liver specialist by day, kids every other weekend, rabid somewhat anonymous sex at night--is interrupted when his ex-wife suddenly disappears. Either on a vision quest or a nervous breakdown, Toby doesn't know--she won't answer his texts or calls.

Is Toby's ex just angry, like always? Is she punishing him, yet again, for not being the bread winner she was? As he desperately searches for her while juggling his job and parenting their two unraveling children, Toby is forced to reckon with the real reasons his marriage fell apart, and to ask if the story he has been telling himself all this time is true." ~Goodreads.com (3.64 rating)

Check it out on the Libby App! Happy reading, friends! ~Heather

Last week I read "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver. It is a modern-day retelling of the Charles Dickens classic "David Copperfield", set in the hills of Appalachia. Demon is born to a drug-addicted teen mother, has never met his father, and is raised by a variety of foster families, self-appointed guardians, and his peers. He has been granted no favors in life, endures abhorrent working conditions at an age much too young for work, is exposed to poverty and a multitude of addictions, and weaves every detail into an unforgettable narrative. In life and in fiction there are no guarantees for a happy ending. Never have I read a book where I wanted a happier ending for a character than I did for this boy.
I would recommend reading Dickens' "David Copperfield" first for the deepest appreciation of this story. It currently has 4.51/5.0 stars on goodreads.com.

~Kelly Henkle, Library Director

Sugar Rush to celebrate the last day of school!

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

It's always exciting to see the first blooms at the library!

May is Short Story Month! Check out our latest display featuring collections of short stories that are perfect for those busy days! Happy reading!

If you have any of these symptoms, stop by the library!

A fan of Netflix's Bridgerton series? Read Julia Quinn's series before Season 3 wraps up! The library has you covered!

Our Children’s Librarian, Kellie, is having fun at Tilford Elementary today. Students are learning how to sign up for the Summer Reading Program and what activities will be happening at the library during the summer.

"The Women" by Kristin Hannah is #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list this week and we have multiple copies for our patrons to enjoy!!!

"An intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided." ~Goodreads.com (4.66 rating)

Looking for that perfect beach read? Check out author Emily Henry!!!

On Friday we had special guests, Kelli and Jenna from Tanager! This group had lots of laughs and even the parents got involved! We will miss Kelli and Jenna over the summer but will be excited to have them back next school year!

In honor of Memorial Day, we are displaying the 100th Quilt of Valor made by Vinton's own Rita Moore. Rita passed away earlier this year, and the quilt is on loan to our library thanks to the generosity of Rita's family. Thank you!

Check out these top reads in Fiction!!! Have you read them yet?

Library Hours of Operation

Mondays: 9a-5p

Tuesdays: 9a-6p

Wednesdays: 9a-5p

Thursdays: 9a-8p

Fridays: 9a-4p

Saturdays: 9a-Noon

Copy services: $0.20/black & white, $0.25/color

Fax services: $1.00 for 1-2 pages, $2.00 for 3+ pages

Free wifi

Boardroom available by reservation

Email: library@vintonia.gov
Website: www.vinton.lib.ia.us
Location: 510 2nd Avenue, Vinton, IA, USA
Phone: 319-472-4208
Facebook: facebook.com/heartofvinton