• 'Swept Away' by Beth O'Leary
• 'Salt Water' by Katy Hays
• 'This Book Will Bury Me' by Ashley Winstead
• 'Elphie: A Wicked Childhood' by Gregory Maquire
• 'The Beijing Betrayal' by Joel C. Rosenberg
• 'The Strawberry Patch Pancake House' by Laurie Gilmore
• 'Nobody's Fool' by Harlan Coben

• 'Thrill Ride' by Amy Ratcliffe
• 'Wicked: The Graphic Novel Part I' by Gregory Maquire, adapted and illustrated by Scott Hampton
• 'Broken Country' by Clare Leslie Hall
• 'Count My Lies' by Sophie Stava
• 'The Love We Found' by Jill Santopolo
• 'Nobody's Food' by Harlan Coben

• 'Trusting God: Resting in Peace' by Brenda L Ferry
• 'Lethal Prey' by John Sandford
• 'Emma Madison Master Meddler' by Pat McDermott Michener

• 'Leave No Trace' by A. J. Landau

Over the weekend there was a lot of driving involved so I was able to read 'Allegedly' by Tiffany D. Jackson, using the Libby App. I have mixed feelings on how this book ended, and I am afraid if I type my review I will either 1) give too much away or 2) sway opinions. With that being said, here is the summary from Goodreads.

"Mary B. Addison killed a baby.

Allegedly. She didn’t say much in that first interview with detectives, and the media filled in the only blanks that mattered: A white baby had died while under the care of a churchgoing black woman and her nine-year-old daughter. The public convicted Mary and the jury made it official. But did she do it? She wouldn’t say.

Mary survived six years in baby jail before being dumped in a group home. The house isn’t really “home”—no place where you fear for your life can be considered a home. Home is Ted, who she meets on assignment at a nursing home.

There wasn’t a point to setting the record straight before, but now she’s got Ted—and their unborn child—to think about. When the state threatens to take her baby, Mary must find the voice to fight her past. And her fate lies in the hands of the one person she distrusts the most: her Momma. No one knows the real Momma. But who really knows the real Mary?"

I went straight to @instagram and requested to follow the private account of author, Jen Beagin, after reading 'Big Swiss.' (Yes, she accepted! ) This was, hands down, the funniest book I have read in a long time. I should preface that statement with the fact that my sense of humor can be dark, a bit dry (fans of the tv series 'Fleabag' will love this book!) and a wee bit weird. That being said, the main character, Greta, is a transcriptionist for a sex therapist and lives in a run-down Dutch farmhouse overwhelmed with a beehive, and the house has zero indoor plumbing in New York. It's a wreck. She's a wreck. She's in her mid 40's, probably needs medicated, and could use intense therapy herself, but everything she thinks and says is utter comedy. She finds herself nearly stalking one of the patients of the sex therapist she works for, & a strange, wild relationship ensues between them. This book was available on the Libby App and I'm off to read 'Vacuums in the Dark' by Beagin next, hopefully laughing the entire way through that book as well! Happy reading, friends! ~Heather

My choice for this month’s Adventures in Bookclubbing ‘Winds of Change’ theme was ‘The Light Pirate’ by Lily Brooks-Dalton. Dark skies warn of an incoming hurricane in a small town in Florida. Kirby, a lineman, fearless by design, is convinced it won't be as bad as predicted. His wife Frida, pregnant with their first child, is traumatized by the hurricane in her past that brought the two of them together. Frida pleads with Kirby to evacuate yet acquiesces and shelters in place with her two young stepsons while Kirby leaves to work. Exhausted and emotionally spent, Frida retreats to her dark room, instructing the boys to stay inside. But curiosity and budding bravado get the better of them and when Kirby comes home, they’re gone.

The story continues dramatically from there, jumping forward in time to see how the pebbles dropped during this hurricane ripple into the future for the people, place, and elements. Brooks-Dalton’s writing is hypnotic; readable, tense, and comforting at once. This is my first foray into Cli-Fi (climate fiction) and won’t be my last.

Fans of Cli-Fi are sure to treasure this book; it currently has 4/5 stars on goodreads.com. If you’re looking for more, try ‘The Year of the Flood’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Odds Against Tomorrow’ by Nathaniel Rich, and ‘Florida’ by Lauren Groff.

Happy reading!

Kelly Henkle, Library Director

Who let the dogs out?! Check out our latest completed community puzzle!

Last Friday, children were having fun all over the library. Outdoor chalk, Expressive Arts with Tanager and a game of chess! Grab some friends and come hang out at VPL!

Interested in reading more books but don't know where to begin??? Pick a genre to start! Love Contemporary Fiction? Try out these 5 titles below! Have a suggestion? Let us know!

Our Books and Cooks Cooking Competition is Saturday, April 12th at 10:30am. Looking for some inspiration? Stop in and check out our latest display in the Reading Room!

Kids can now join the library ‘Calm Crew’ and get a free t-shirt! Thanks to the Friends of the Vinton Public Library, Theisen’s and lots of community support, we are now offering yoga classes for kids! Email kroberts@vintonia.gov for more information.

Following the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball tournaments? Looking to sneak in some reading during the commercial breaks? Check out this list of hoops-themed titles available for checkout at the Vinton Public Library!

Today we were able to visit an RTI (response to intervention) group at the Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School. Students were given a challenge to recreate a book cover. Stop in the library to see their display of art!

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