Here are some books that appeared on various news shows in the last few weeks. If you are an avid reader of Garden and Gun and enjoy stories about good food and drink then you will probably savor Julia Reed's But Mama Always Put Vodka in Her Sangria. If you grew up in the eighties when MTV was born and came of age then you may want to dive into VJ, coauthored by the five original VJs.    Do any of the books listed below sound like your kind of read?  

Do you fancy yourself a good speller? Like some good clean fun and friendly competition? Or maybe you didn’t quite make it onto Jeopardy but you know your smarts could shine on a local stage?

January is a month for new beginnings when people take up new activities and hobbies.  South Carolina’s abundant woodlands and fields, public parks and generous yards offer great opportunities for budding bird watchers.  Whether you are a beginning or an experienced birder, you can find many resources at the Richland Library.  Here are just a few of them.

Written by: Blythe Camenson

Written by: Linda Pritchard and Leila Roberts

Ever wonder if Santa Claus has an alter ego?  I never did---liked him just as he appeared in “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”  Santa Claus was the kindly giver of toys each Christmas and an early guiding light into “grown up” belief as each new birthday added different possibilities of doubt about the unseen.  Occasionally an adult with a wicked gleam in his eye would remind us of the switches Santa supposedly carried to punish bad children, but I never placed much stock in that…until recently.  In looking for a new Christmas novel to read, I stumbled upon Krampus: the Yule Lord  by Brom.  The origins of the being known as Krampus are somewhat hazy.  He seems to have been a primal figure in European folklore, originally representing nature and fertility, possibly akin to the Norse god Loki. Having horns, he was transformed by the coming of Christianity into a figure of fear and evil.   Gradually, he became associated with St. Nicholas and evolved into Santa’s terrifying assistant of punishment, dispensing coals and switches.  Brom takes this figure of old European mystery and Norse mythology, transplants him to hills of modern West Virginia amid poverty, criminal bosses and lost dreams to weave a wild tale of furious redemption and renewed hope. 

At Richland Library we’re always looking for ways to improve your library experience.  We love listening to your recommendations and making changes whenever we can.