Adult Services

The 2013 movie 12 Years a Slave (DVD DRAMA TWE) is the true story of Solomon Northup, based on his 1853 memoir. Northup, a free African American man living in Saratoga Springs, New York, works as a farmer and a violinist. When two white men offer him work playing the violin, he travels with them… [...]

As we get close to Halloween, here are a couple of classics to scare and entertain you. For the movie we go to the 1931 Tod Browning film Dracula (DVD HORROR DRA), starring Bela Lugosi in the titular role. Count Dracula travels from Transylvania to London with a man named Renfield, who has been put… [...]

Read books nominated for the National Book Awards before winners are announced on November 14th. The following list includes fiction and nonfiction books in our collection at the Villa Park Public Library. You can visit the National Book Foundation's website for a complete listing of books selected for the longlist and finalists for the 2018 awards.… [...]

This week’s movie suggestion is 28 Days Later (DVD HORROR TWE), a 2002 film directed by Danny Boyle. It follows Jim, who awakens from a coma in a London hospital to find the hospital and the city deserted. He meets up with a few survivors who explained that a virus has spread amongst the majority… [...]

November highlights include titles like Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty, Hazards of Time Travel by Joyce Carol Oates, and Fox 8, a humorous short story by George Saunders. There will also be new books in popular series by Alexander McCall Smith and Louise Penny. Click on the title to place a book on hold and… [...]

Have you ever watched a movie and wondered, “Is there a book that is similar in subject matter that I can read to get more out of the experience?” Wonder no longer! In the coming weeks we'll post a TV show or movie you may have seen, paired with a related book owned by the… [...]

Did you read any of the following books featured on this year's National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature? If not, grab a copy from the library. Click on the title for item location and place a hold on the item if it is not available at the Villa Park Public Library. Winners will… [...]

Set the mood for October with a take on the classic Gothic genre in Dacre Stoker’s Dracula prequel. There is also plenty of suspense in store with Lisa Unger’s Under My Skin and holiday mysteries by David Rosenfelt and Donna Andrews. Click on the title to place a book on hold and be notified when… [...]

This September, pick up the next book in a long-running series, like Craig Johnson’s Longmire, J. A. Jance’s Joanna Brady, or Heather Graham’s Krewe of Hunters series. There will be family drama in new releases such as Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart and Button Man by Andrew Gross. In addition, watch out for suspense thrillers… [...]

This year marks 200 years since the release of Frankenstein and the classic Gothic novel continues to have a hold on our imagination. Checkout the following fiction and nonfiction books inspired by or related to Mary Shelley and Frankenstein. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="200"] Boy Robot by Simon Curtis[/caption] [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="202"] Clay by David Almond[/caption] [caption id=""… [...]