Blog
Richland Library Main

Faces at the Carillon Parade

  • Margaret D.
  • Monday, November 25
Columbia has hosted the Carillon Parade annually since 1953, both to usher in the holiday season and to showcase the area’s bands and talent. The library’s Local History Digital Collections allows us to see the evolution of the parade and to catch a glimpse of the smiling faces it inspired.
Bastard out of Carolina
The Lords of Discipline
Staff Picks

15 Novels Set in The Carolinas

  • Mona Verma
  • Saturday, November 23
You can specially relate to novels set in the Carolinas if you grew up in this part of the world. Browse through these best selling novels which have local and nostalgic backdrops such as the low country, the Citadel, beaches in Charleston, North Carolina marshlands, mountains and much more.
Brooklyn
City of God
Staff Picks

Southeast Staff Picks Pt. 3

  • Brittany S.
  • Thursday, November 21
Have you ever wondered what we're checking out? Take a look at what titles Richland Library Southeast and Lower Richland's staff have picked as their faves. There's definitely a variety to choose from!
The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen
How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
Staff Picks

Cookbooks Sin Carne: Vegetarian Cooking

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, November 15
Whether you've been a vegetarian for years, just started Meatless Mondays, or want to learn a few tricks to increase the variety of green things on your plate, there's something here for you in these cookbooks.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Handmade Holiday: Festive Finishes

  • Laura Bliss Morris
  • Friday, November 15
Instead of run-of-the-mill holiday packaging, I thought I’d try my luck at some more decorative finishes this year. I’ve got time, right?
Blog
Richland Library Main

Pachinko - A Book Review

  • Mona Verma
  • Thursday, December 05
The reason why Pachinko has resonated so deeply with its readers is that the seemingly simple themes of family, faith, fate, and identity are also profoundly universal.
The New Best Recipe
The Cake Bible
Staff Picks

Essential Cookbooks

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, November 08
These are the essential cookbooks every home cook needs close at hand - classics you can reach for and depend on for a variety of cuisines. From Madhur Jaffrey to Julia Child, try cooking a new favorite today!
The Age of Adaline
Django Unchained
Staff Picks

Southeast Staff Picks Pt. 2

  • Brittany S.
  • Thursday, November 07
Have you ever wondered what we're checking out? Take a look at what titles Richland Library Southeast and Lower Richland's staff have picked as their faves. There's definitely a variety to choose from!
The Living Dead
Children of Blood and Bone
Staff Picks

Southeast Staff Picks Pt. 1

  • Brittany S.
  • Thursday, November 07
Have you ever wondered what we're reading? Check out titles that Richland Library Southeast and Lower Richland's staff have had on their reading list. There's definitely a variety to choose from!
Clothes, Clothes, Clothes
Slow Days, Fast Company
Staff Picks

50 Years of Great Memoirs

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, November 01
Earlier this year The New York Times Book Review's critics compiled a list of their 50 favorite memoirs published in the last 50 years. (Upon close examination, the list is actually heavily weighted toward more-recent releases, but no matter....) Most of them are available from Richland Library's collection - check out the titles below.
100 Things Every Homeowner Must Know
Mayo Clinic Family Health Book
Staff Picks

Adulting is Hard

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, November 01
Adulting is hard - make it easier on yourself by learning how to cook, fix your car, wash your clothes, keep an eye on your money, and more - all for free at the library!
Table Style
Great Balls of Cheese
Staff Picks

Celebrate!

  • Rebecca K.
  • Friday, November 01
If you need a little inspiration when you're planning holiday parties and family gatherings, these books are full of good tips for entertaining like a pro!
Blog
Richland Library Main

Handmade Holiday: Gift Ideas

  • Laura Bliss Morris
  • Tuesday, November 12
This year, instead of spending a fortune on a last-minute run to the store, I thought I’d try my luck at some handmade gifts—something with a little more Hygge vibe.
A Man Called Ove
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
Staff Picks

I Like My Characters Quirky

  • Kristin A.
  • Tuesday, October 29
Do you prefer interesting, unique characters? Check out this curated list of quirky, likeable, and relateable characters. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll want to read them over and over. Not finding what you are looking for? Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
The Bromance Book Club
The Confession Club
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for November 2019

  • Sarah C.
  • Tuesday, October 29
Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country. All these books will be published in November 2019, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Submerged. Vol. 01
Anthony Bourdain's Hungry Ghosts
Staff Picks

Ten Terrifying Comics

  • Thomas M.
  • Saturday, October 26
Fans of the grotesque, gory, and macabre will feel right at home in these comics for mature readers, while regular readers will quickly feel squeamish.
My Reading Life
The Stone Necklace
Staff Picks

Community Wide Reads

  • Mona Verma
  • Saturday, October 26
Its wonderful when diverse people connect by shared reading. One Book One Community is a book selected to be read by the whole community. Its the biggest and best local book club. The 2019 book selection is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. The reading culminates in an author event at Richland Library Main.
10 Things I Hate About You
10 Things I Hate About You
Staff Picks

Like it's 1999

  • Keith B.
  • Friday, October 25
Travel back to 1999, one of the great years in movie history. Witness the imaginative flights and dramatic heights of the end of the second millennium with fresh perspective. Revisit beloved blockbusters. Join the cult of a favorite you might have missed.
Adventures of Omanakuttan
Apur Sansar
Staff Picks

Passport to Cinema: India

  • Keith B.
  • Monday, October 21
From Bollywood to Tollywood India produces over 1,000 films a year, in Hindi, Bengali and several other languages. Take a journey into the subcontinent, home of many epic musicals and the work of legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray.
Blog
Richland Library Main

What We're Reading 📚: October 2019

  • Chantal W.
  • Tuesday, October 29
Look what we've been reading! You should totally check these titles 📘 out to read in print📖, ebook📱, or audio book🎧
Blog
Richland Library North Main

Blood Sugar - A Review

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, October 28
"This book will sit heavy with you and leave you wondering about your sense of humor and the need to watch bad things happen."
Z Zombie Stories
ZombieWorld
Staff Picks

Books with Bite - Zombie Edition

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, October 16
Some romance included *shudder*. Fast zombies, slow zombies, partial zombies - we got 'em. Enjoy the books that bite!
Blood Song
Let the Right One in
Staff Picks

Books with Bite - Vampire Edition

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, October 16
No romance included. All scary beasts, all the time. Enjoy the terror that comes with a bite.
Six of Crows
Burglars Can't Be Choosers
Staff Picks

Caper & Heists

  • Megan M.
  • Monday, October 14
Like your crime fiction with a dash of audacity? Check out these high jinks...
Blog
Richland Library Main

Publisher’s Business Model Will Limit Access to eBooks

  • Richland Library
  • Friday, October 11
We want to alert you to some upcoming changes by Macmillan Publishers, one of the largest book publishers, that will impede access and the ability for public libraries to offer readers popular eBooks in a timely manner.
The Good Immigrant
Our Women on the Ground
Staff Picks

New Essay Collections

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, October 10
These hot new essay collections all came out this year - they're all well reviewed and they all count for your #BroaderBookshelf challenge!
Amores Perros
Birds of Passage
Staff Picks

Passport to Cinema: Latin America

  • Keith B.
  • Thursday, October 10
Explore the rich diversity of Latin American culture and history through films set in the region.
Last Witnesses
Secondhand Time
Staff Picks

Nobel Laureates in Literature, 2009-2019

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, October 10
Prolific Austrian novelist and playwright Peter Handke has won the 2019 Nobel Prize in literature. Check out his novels The Afternoon of a Writer and The Moravian Night from our collection. You may also be interested in works by other recent recipients of the prize, a sampling of which are listed below.
The Yellow House
The Tradition
Staff Picks

2019 National Book Award Finalists

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, October 08
The finalists for the 2019 National Book Awards have just been announced. Check out these great titles in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people's literature.
Ninth House
The Body
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for October 2019

  • Sarah C.
  • Saturday, October 05
Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country. All these books will be published in October 2019, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now! This month's LibraryReads features our own Mahogany S.! She reviewed Joe Hill's Full Throttle, saying:
The High Tide Club
The Best Cook in the World
Staff Picks

Southern Authors

  • Kristin A.
  • Saturday, October 05
From the South Carolina coastal waters, to the scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, these authors are sure to make you feel right at home! Not finding what you are looking for? Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
The Last Stone
Deliver Us
Staff Picks

Unsolved: True Crime

  • Sara M.
  • Tuesday, October 01
By the time you read these books, they may be out of date! New DNA data sources and technology have recently identified the Golden State Killer, the Norcal Rapist, and Texas murder victim Orange Socks, among others. Enjoy these books about unsolved cold cases (some of them very cold indeed!)
Blog
Richland Library Main

Hiring Help

  • Bayne Dangerfield
  • Monday, September 30
How to Get your Time Back and Scale Your Small Business
The Blade Itself
Daughter of the Blood
Staff Picks

It's Over: Completed Fantasy Series

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, September 30
Ever breathlessly turn the last page of a book and find out, to your dismay, that it's the first in a trilogy and the next book hasn't been written yet? Worried your favorite author is going to die before finishing your favorite series? Still angry at George R. R.
The Case of the Fickle Mermaid
The Mermaid's Daughter
Staff Picks

Here Be....Mermaids

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, September 24
If you have a hankering for some fantasy, and want to take a break from Dragons, here are some Mermaid stories sure to entertain you. Also make a Mermaid craft or two, and interpret your dreams when the Mermaids swim their way through.
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect
No Exit
Staff Picks

Locked Room Mysteries

  • Megan M.
  • Monday, September 23
You'll recognize the Locked Room scenario from many murder mystery books and TV shows: An impossible murder takes place in a sealed room (or train!) with no possible escape route for the perpetrator. Check out these traditional and not-so-traditional Locked Room mysteries and find out who dunnit!
Turn Right at Machu Picchu
A Walk in the Woods
Staff Picks

Armchair Travel

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, September 19
Books can take you places! A well written travel memoir can make you feel like you've climbed to the top of Mount Everest or thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Travel the world without leaving your reading nook with one of these great books.
Revolutionary Mothers
How to Build a Museum
Staff Picks

American History- Without All The Sugar

  • Morgan R.
  • Wednesday, September 18
America's history is deep, complicated, and pretty uncomfortable to talk about at times. These books delve into the complexities of America, its troublesome past, its noble accomplishments, and hopes for a brighter future. While these selections only scratch the surface, there are thousands more to be found at your local Richland Library location, or at your fingertips through our eResources apps.
How to Draw What You See
Keys to Drawing with Imagination
Staff Picks

Now Fill In the Details: Learn to Draw

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, September 16
First, draw an oval. Then, draw another oval. Connect the ovals with a rectangle. Now, fill in the details! Did you ever try to learn to draw that way? Did anybody actually learn to draw that way? Try these books instead - real drawing technique, whether you want to draw lifelike portraits, comics, or caricatures.
Blog
Richland Library Main

OFF BOOK: Markie Gaddis

  • Laura Bliss Morris
  • Friday, June 24
Artist, maker and costume designer, Markie Gaddis goes off book to kick off her library residency.
Blog
Richland Library Main

My Mom Has Dementia

  • Lee P.
  • Monday, September 16
My daughter is four and my mom is seventy-four. Sometimes they are more similar than they are different.
Transforming Your Life Through Self-care
The Creativity Challenge
Staff Picks

Low-Key: How to Keep (or Find) Your Cool

  • Morgan R.
  • Sunday, September 15
Self-care is all the rage, and while you may think it is a self-centered millennial obsession, there is power in nurturing your whole self, beginning with your mind. Sometimes life gets crazy. Sometimes stress gets the best of us. Sometimes we need to find our inner calm before we totally lose it. Try these titles and start living that low-key life!
Blog
Richland Library Main

Back to Cool 🎶

  • Keith B.
  • Friday, September 13
Channel your inner back-to-school nostalgia with our throwback Freegal playlist Mix Tape: Back to Cool.
Caramelo
The House on Mango Street
Staff Picks

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

  • Sarah C.
  • Friday, September 13
National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) is a time to recognize and celebrate the diverse heritage, culture, and contributions of Hispanic and Latinx Americans. Inspire your own celebrations by checking out some of these great titles from Latinx authors!
Country Music
The Encyclopedia of Country Music
Staff Picks

Are You Ready for the Country?

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, September 12
If you’re one of the many people looking forward to the first episode of Ken Burns’s documentary Country Music, to air on PBS on September 15, you might want to supplement your viewing with some of Richland Library’s books on this most American of music genres. Whether your tastes run toward classic country, alt-country, Americana, or somewhere in between, we’ve got you covered! You can even
In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe
More Deadly Than the Male
Staff Picks

Scary Stories to Keep You Up All Night

  • Rebecca K.
  • Wednesday, September 11
It's almost fall, the perfect time for dark, eerie, spine-tingling tales! Don't be afraid to pick up one of these horror story collections, full of enough thrills and chills to give you nightmares.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Required Reading Refresh

  • Laura Bliss Morris
  • Tuesday, October 29
Pique your teen reader’s interest by recommending these fresh takes on the required reading from your glory days.
The Traveler's Guide to Space
The Space Barons
Staff Picks

What's New in Space Exploration

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, September 09
The past few years have been big in unmanned space exploration - a rover found organic matter in Mars rocks, we landed a robot on an asteroid, new exoplanets are popping up all the time! Here are some recent books on what's going on way above our heads and what it means for us here on Earth.
The Memory Book
The Fixer
Staff Picks

Talking with Teens About Dementia

  • Richland Library
  • Monday, September 09
Books are one of the best ways to open the door on a topic and start a conversation with your teen about tough issues like a dementia diagnosis. While there are many books out there, below are some of our staff's recommendations to help get the conversation started for your family. For more on dementia, visit RichlandLibrary.com/Access.
The Three Rules of Everyday Magic
Switch
Staff Picks

Talking with Children About Dementia

  • Richland Library
  • Monday, September 09
Books are one of the best ways to open the door on a topic and start a conversation with your children about tough issues like a dementia diagnosis. While there are many books out there, below are some of our staff's recommendations to help get the conversation started for your family. For more on dementia, visit RichlandLibrary.com/Access.
Blog
Richland Library Ballentine

What Can You Do In Ballentine's MakerSpace?!

  • Melissa Sprenne
  • Wednesday, May 04
What's most important, in my opinion, are the connections between people and their ideas that happen in these spaces. And that you are making a thing - something you can hold and be able to say, "I made this!"
Give Me Your Hand
Alias Grace
Staff Picks

Black Widows: Fictional Female Killers

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, September 04
Female serial killers, spree killers, vengeance killers - find them all in this list! Spoiler warning: in some of these books knowing that the killer is female may be a spoiler. Proceed at your own risk.
Blog
Richland Library North Main

Coming Full Circle with Music

  • Jocelyn T.
  • Tuesday, September 03
"Joining different people with different ideas and gifts to contribute is truly beautiful...."
All the Single Ladies
Bulls Island
Staff Picks

Celebrating Dorothea Benton Frank

  • Sarah C.
  • Tuesday, September 03
Dorothea Benton Frank, beloved author of Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms, passed away on Monday, September 2 at the age of 67. Celebrate the life of this South Carolina author by re-reading your favorite titles or checking her out for the first time.
The Floating World
Parable of the Talents
Staff Picks

Cli-Fi: Climate Change in Fiction

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, September 02
"Cli-fi" is a catch all term for fiction that in some way explores the consequences of climate change. The Chicago Review of Books runs a monthly column, Burning Worlds, highlighting the best of these books. Some are set in our present and some in our future; all address the impact of our climate on our stories.
No Judgments
The Long Call
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for September 2019

  • Sarah C.
  • Friday, August 30
Each month, LibraryReads lists the top ten titles recommended by librarians across the country. All these books will be published in September 2019, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
That Churchill Woman
The Confessions of Frannie Langton
Staff Picks

New Historical Fiction

  • Kristin A.
  • Friday, August 30
These are the must read historical fiction titles for 2019 (so far!)
The Cider House Rules
Dead Poets Society
Staff Picks

Pairs Nice with Pumpkin Spice

  • Laura Rogers
  • Thursday, August 29
A little scary, a little cozy, a little back-to-school... these titles all have some quality that makes you want to grab your pumpkin spice latte or hot apple cider and curl up with a bowl of popcorn.
Database

Enciclopedia Moderna

For high school students to adult. Enciclopedia Moderna is a Spanish language reference source perfect for both native Spanish speakers and students of the Spanish language.

Read More | Access
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
On a Pale Horse
Staff Picks

World Class Series

  • Mahogany S.
  • Thursday, August 29
In a book slump? Thinking about starting a new series? Here are a few suggestions of the first book in a series, across all genres that will help you get the reading bug.
Database

MEDLINE

MEDLINE provides authoritative medical information on medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the health care system, pre-clinical sciences, and much more.

Read More | Access
All That Heaven Allows
An Autumn Afternoon
Staff Picks

Dreaming of Autumn?

  • Allison T.
  • Tuesday, August 27
Ready for fall colors and temperatures? Get in the mood with these films set in autumn.
(Don't) Call Me Crazy
The Man Who Couldn't Stop
Staff Picks

Unquiet Minds: Mental Health Memoirs

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, August 26
Memoirs can offer a window into the lives of people experiencing mental illnesses and provide connection, representation, and information. This list showcases a wide variety of diagnoses and experiences.
Start Origami
Origami
Staff Picks

The Art of Origami

  • Kimberly Jones
  • Thursday, August 22
Looking to learn the art of origami and don't know where to start. These items are sure to put you into a folding frenzy.
Blog
Richland Library Blythewood

STEAM Ahead With Reading

  • Kelly H.
  • Friday, August 23
I’m proposing a new acronym: STREAM – Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics.
Dark Companion
Jane Eyre's Husband
Staff Picks

Lend Me Your Eyre

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, August 21
Are you a fan of Jane Eyre? Do you want to be? Check out these titles that are inspired by Charlotte Bronte's classic story. And check out Jane Eyre too if you haven't already.
A San Diego Romance
Law Man
Staff Picks

Swoonworthy Single Parent Romances

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, August 21
Romances about single parents come with extra stakes - nobody wants a child to get attached to somebody and then be disappointed. These books all feature a single mom or single dad working hard to raise a child alone and find lasting love.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Last Summer Hoorah!

  • Emily Stoll
  • Friday, August 16
Turn the page on the final days of summer with some great picks from Richland Library staff.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Ghosts of Photographers Past

  • Margaret D.
  • Friday, August 16
Working with photograph archives I often feel the “presence” of the photographers who created the collection. It is as if they are watching to make sure I get it right.
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
Theft
Staff Picks

If You Loved Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch Try...

  • Morgan R.
  • Wednesday, August 14
Donna Tartt's Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece The Goldfinch is an expertly crafted coming-of-age story full of everything an award winning book should have and more. It is emotional, gripping, and paced to match real life with an over-arching melancholy tone. The connection between art and humanity is one of the prominent themes, and Tartt's arresting language makes this book one that will stick with you for years to come. The audiobook is a work of art in and of itself, with the narrator David Pittu's Audie award-winning perfomance.
Americanah
Internment
Staff Picks

Just One Word

  • Rebecca K.
  • Wednesday, August 14
Do books with one-word titles pique your curiosity? These authors chose a single word to represent hundreds of pages of storytelling. If you've ever wondered what these titles mean, check them out and discover how a story can be distilled into just one word.
Blog
Richland Library St. Andrews

Ask a Flower: Herbs

  • Lindsey T.
  • Thursday, August 22
Come here for the answers to all your herb questions!
#NotYourPrincess
Woman Who Owned the Shadows
Staff Picks

Indigenous Arts: Books by Native American Authors

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, August 12
Decolonize your bookshelf with these books from Native American and Canadian First Nations authors. From fantasy to memoir to young adult and graphic novels, these authors are writing rich and varied books for everyone. You may notice that there are many recent titles - we are currently in the middle of a Native literary Renaissance, so expect to see even more great books from these perspectives!
America Day by Day
The Lost Continent
Staff Picks

Wide Open Spaces: American Road Trip Books

  • Sara M.
  • Saturday, August 10
Summer is almost over, but there's still time for a road trip! Get some snacks you'd never buy anywhere but at a gas station, make a playlist, and set your cruise control for these books about traveling across our vast country by highway.
Starting a Business All-in-one for Dummies
Real Estate Investing 101
Staff Picks

Brave New World (of Business)

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, August 09
If you’re interested in recent trends in business, check out these new titles recently added to our collection. Several consider how the world of work has been radically transformed. Seasonal Associate is German novelist Heike Geissler’s account of her stint working at an Amazon fulfillment center in Leipzig. Philadelphia journalist Emily Guendelsberger writes of her experiences at a series of similarly stressful stopgap jobs in
Sugar's Twice As Sweet
Alex
Staff Picks

Get to First Base: Sports Romances

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, August 09
Already love sports romances, or ready to dip your toe in the pool? To play doubles, you'll need to really get your head (and heart) in the game. Are you ready to make a forward pass? Be careful - you might get thrown a curve ball, but you definitely miss 100% of the shots you don't take!