A Blade So Black
Children of Blood and Bone
Staff Picks

YA Reads: 1st in a Series

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, December 23
A new year is upon us, which means it's time to stock up on some more books.  How about stocking up on a new series? Listed below are the 1st books in a YA series. Beware! Some of the series are not completed yet, and others are on their way to becoming a tv series and/or feature film.  Enjoy!
The Queen of Katwe
The Joy Luck Club.
Staff Picks

Books similar to "The Queen's Gambit"

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, December 21
So, you enjoyed the Netflix show The Queen's Gambit, and now you're ready to conquer the world of chess! Okay, maybe not. Maybe you're just looking to be captivated and entertained by something chess-themed. Here are a few selections to get you started. Happy reading!
Blog
Richland Library Main

New Year, New Reads

  • Emily Stoll
  • Thursday, January 21

Expand on your reading list with the 2021 Broader Bookshelf Reading Challenge.

Blog
Richland Library Main

#OWNVOICES: Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, October 12

Vivian couldn’t decide what appealed to her more, hot coffee and fresh scones, or that man in the corner who looked like a tall mug of hot chocolate. ☕📚

Why choose?

Best American Food Writing 2018
The Best American Food Writing 2019
Staff Picks

Food Writing (and Watching)

  • Bryan B.
  • Thursday, December 17
 These passionate works are not just about the foods, but the science behind them as well as the lives of the people who create, consume, and make their living through it. 
Database

U.S. Newsstream

US Newsstream provides access to news resources from around the nation including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and The Los Angeles Time

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Agent Running in the Field
The Little Drummer Girl
Staff Picks

Remembering John le Carré

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, December 15
British writer John le Carré, who died on 12 December, leaves behind a legacy of some of the most highly regarded spy novels of the Cold War era and beyond.  Born David Cornwell in 1931, le Carré worked for the British domestic and foreign intelligence agencies (MI5 and MI6) in the 1950s before turning full-time to writing after the international success of his third novel, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, published in 1963.
Yoshi No Zuikara 1
Perfect World 1.
Staff Picks

New Manga Series of 2020

  • Thomas M.
  • Saturday, December 12
Here are series that launched or received new editions in 2020, expanding manga shelves for readers to escape into a number of genres.
Blog
Richland Library Main

The Five Stages of Batman Fandom

  • Thomas M.
  • Friday, December 18

No fan ever reads through the same franchise twice, for it's not the same franchise and they're not the same fan.

Blog
Richland Library Main

Great BIPOC Graphic Novels

  • Thomas M.
  • Monday, December 14

BIPOC, an acronym representing People Of Color with an emphasis on Black and Indigenous people, is a category of special significance in American culture.

The Midnight Library
Clap when You Land
Staff Picks

Goodreads Choice Awards: Best Books of 2020

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, December 08
The 12th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards decided by readers, posted the winners December 8, 2020--after three rounds of voting that started late October 2020. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig won overall best book of the year. Listed below are the winners for all 20 categories ranging from Fiction, Humor, Memoir & Autobiography, Food & Cookbooks, Graphic Novels, Debut Novels, Picture Books and many more. 
African American Poetry
Homeland Elegies
Staff Picks

Oprah Magazine Best Books of 2020

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, December 07
"Books are both solace and inspiration. They light the way, even while enabling temporary escape from life's worries...we wanted to share the best books 2020 had to offer." - Oprah magazine 
Mexican Gothic
A Knock at Midnight
Staff Picks

Amazon Editors' Top 20 Best Books of 2020

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, December 07
Every year Amazon's Editors select 100 titles they deemed as the best books to represent that year. Titles vary from literature and fiction, mystery, thriller, and suspense, romance, cooking, food, and wine, children's books, and many many more. 
Blog
Richland Library Main

Most Popular Historic Images in November 2020

  • Margaret D.
  • Monday, December 07

With over 7,000 images in the Local History Digital Collections it can be hard to find those hidden gems. Take a look at what your neighbors found interesting in November, 2020.

The Other Mrs.
The Red Lotus
Staff Picks

35 Best Psychological Thrillers of 2020

  • Mona Verma
  • Saturday, December 05
If you enjoy novels of psychological suspense and are looking for new books to read in this genre, here are 35 titles for you. Gone Girl was a bestselling novel which catapulted this genre to new heights of popularity and made way for many more books which have some permutation and combination of suspense, mystery, terror and complex characters who may or may not be mentally stable. Here is a collection of the best thriller novels published in 2020.
Database

Newspapers.com

Dating from the late 1600s into the 2010s, Newspapers.com Library Edition contains full and partial runs of regional, state, and local titles from the United States and other countries. 

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The Vanishing Half
Ring Shout
Staff Picks

Sandhills Staff Picks of 2020

  • Morgan R.
  • Monday, November 30
December is one of my favorite months because it is the time of year when everyone puts out their "Best of" lists. Here are the top picks curated by staff at the Sandhills location. 
Take It Back
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for December 2020

  • Sarah C.
  • Monday, November 30
Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in December 2020, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
This is How You Lose the Time War
The Shining Girls
Staff Picks

Time Travel

  • Kristin A.
  • Monday, November 23
If you could travel to any point in time, what would it be? Would you go back in time...or forward? While time travel is not yet a reality, we can experience it vicariously through the lives of different fictional characters. Choose your time machine carefully though because you never know where you might end up.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Dishes to Make Date Night Sizzle 🔥

  • Richland Library
  • Friday, November 20

Local Chef David Grillo (Cantina 76) and his wife Cheryl serve up dishes to make date night sizzle at home. Kick off your evening with a traditional Sangria followed by the main course—Arroz Con Pollo.

Shuggie Bain
The New Wilderness
Staff Picks

2020 Booker Prize

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, November 19
The Booker Prize is the biggest British literary award, given to the best original novel written in English and published in the UK or Ireland.  This year’s winner is Shuggie Bain, Douglas Stuart’s autobiographical debut novel, about a young boy growing up poor in Glasgow with his dysfunctional, alcoholic mother. Check out this prize-winning novel, as well as any of the other Booker Prize finalists, from Richland Library’s collection.
Tree
Wishtree
Staff Picks

An Arbor Day Celebration

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, November 19
Arbor Day (the first Friday in December) is the beginning of tree planting season in South Carolina.  Celebrate safely by finding moments to walk among the trees and appreciate their quiet majesty. Reading can also deepen our knowledge of even every day subjects. This curated selection of books offers titles for everyone - stories about the importance of trees, the science and even hands-on activities. 
The Dead Are Arising
Leave the World Behind
Staff Picks

2020 National Book Awards

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, November 19
The winners of the 2020 National Book Awards have just been announced:
Where the Light Enters
The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou.
Staff Picks

Jill Biden's Reading List

  • Thomas M.
  • Wednesday, November 18
Dr. Jill Biden, former Second Lady of the United States and soon to be First Lady, is also an accomplished English professor and champion of community colleges. In her memoir, Where The Light Enters, she quotes a bunch of authors across a spectrum of genres. Here is a reading list made up of the works she cites.
A Duke by Default
You Had Me at Hola
Staff Picks

15 Must-Read Diverse Romance Novels

  • Mona Verma
  • Tuesday, November 17
Love comes in all colors. Do browse this list of excellent Romance novels with beautiful storylines, witty conversations and interesting plot twists.These love stories  represent the diversity in the real world. If you have not heard of these diverse Romance authors yet, do read their books as they are very talented writers.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Becoming a Poll Manager

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, November 18

The 2020 election was one for the books with the record breaking poll numbers and poll worker shortages due to COVID-19. But with a little training, I was able to not only use my voice by voting, but also to help others participate in the power of using theirs by becoming a poll manager. 

Firefly. The Complete Series
Stranger Things.
Staff Picks

Friendship

  • Helene F.
  • Saturday, November 14
Friendships near and far Connecting with friends and family, we are able to listen to each other's experiences.  Let these items show us that we are not alone in how it feels to be human.    Looking for more? Check out our personalized recommendations here or call us at 799-9084.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Let's Talk Race: A Culinary Conversation

  • Heather M.
  • Thursday, November 12

"The man and the woman who became enslaved enslaved the palate of those who enslaved them. From feijoada, to jambalaya, we flipped it on ’em. And we keep flipping it on ’em."
--Michael Twitty

Written in the Stars
The Office of Historical Corrections
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for November 2020

  • Sarah C.
  • Tuesday, November 10
Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in November 2020, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Conjure Women.
Godshot.
Staff Picks

Debut Novels of 2020

  • Morgan R.
  • Friday, November 06
Do you read faster than your favorite author can crank out her latest book? While you are waiting, try one of these debut novels by your newest favorite author! 
Blog
Richland Library Main

Stories of Struggle: A Book Review

  • Morgan R.
  • Friday, November 06

Claudia Smith Brinson's Stories of Struggle: The Clash Over Civil Rights in South Carolina shines a light on some of South Carolina's most influential pioneers of social justice.

Blog
Richland Library Main

SPIRE Reading Curriculum

  • Emily J.
  • Wednesday, January 06

Looking for reading resources for your student or child? Read about the SPIRE program that is available at Richand Library's Education Studio. 

Outland.
An Age of Kings.
Staff Picks

Sean Connery 1930-2020

  • Keith B.
  • Thursday, November 05
Revist a favorite performance from the late scottish actor or take a chance on one you haven't yet seen. 
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls
Stay with Me
Staff Picks

First Person Narratives

  • Kristin A.
  • Thursday, November 05
It is said that the best way to get to know a person is by walking a mile in their shoes. Perhaps that is what is so fascinating about first person narratives. They give you the opportunity to get inside the head of that character and experience the story through their eyes. You share their feelings and experiences, and are immersed in their world in a way that is different from other perspectives. So take a different view and check out a few of these first person narratives.
Blog
Richland Library Main

#OwnVoices: The Secret Lives of Church Ladies

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, June 23

The nine stories in this collection feature four generations of characters grappling with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church's double standards and their own needs and passions.

Blog
Richland Library Main

Most Popular Historic Images in October 2020

  • Margaret D.
  • Monday, December 07

With over 7,000 images in the Local History Digital Collections it can be hard to find those hidden gems. Take a look at what your neighbors found interesting in October, 2020.

Blog
Richland Library Main

Let's Talk Race DIY Book Club: Biased

  • Morgan R.
  • Monday, November 02

Let's Talk Race DIY Book Clubs bring together the essential components of a good book discussion:  an introduction to share, questions to prompt conversation and further reading. 

Blog
Richland Library Main

Let's Pretend This Never Happened : A Book Review

  • Mona Verma
  • Saturday, October 31

Let's Pretend This Never Happened  by Jenny Lawson is a completely hilarious, inappropriately outrageous and a truly courageous memoir. Miss Lawson details events from her unconventional childhood in Wall, Texas where she grew up poor with her sister Lisa, her loving mom and her eccentric yet endearing dad.

The Secret Lives of Planets
The Fragile Earth
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, October 27
Science writing has its own celebrities, and a few them have new books coming out.  Astrophysicist Janna Levin is back with her fourth book, Black Hole Survival Guide, while famed biologist and #1 world “ant guy” Edward O. Wilson sums up a long lifetime of research and discovery with Tales from the Ant World. 
Blog
Richland Library Sandhills

Let's Talk Race DIY Book Club: How to Be an Antiracist

  • Sarah Shuster
    Heather M.
  • Monday, October 26

Let's Talk Race DIY Book Clubs bring together the essential components of a good book discussion:  an introduction to share, questions to prompt conversation and further reading. 

Many are recognizing for the first time that neutrality on racism is no longer an option. Many are seeking exactly what Dr. Ibram X. Kendi offers in How To Be An Antiracist—a deep dive into racist systems and policies, and a call to action for actively pursuing anti-racism personally and in our own spheres of influence.

Billion Dollar Loser
Better, Not Perfect
Staff Picks

Billion Dollar Loser (and other new business books you may enjoy)

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, October 22
Check out these new business titles recently added to our collection.  Considering the news of the antitrust suit that the US Department of Justice has just brought against Google, Zephyr Teachout’s Break ’em Up: Recovering Our Freedom from Big Ag, Big Tech, and Big Money is a timely read indeed.
Blog
Richland Library Eastover

#OwnVoices: Monday's Not Coming

  • Kimberly Jones
  • Thursday, June 23

Friends are like family. So, when your best friend goes missing what do you do. If you are anything like Claudia, you go looking for answers.

Killing the Black Body
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
Staff Picks

The Brutal History of Black Bodies & Medicine

  • Heather M.
  • Wednesday, October 21
As with so much of American history, the field of medicine made advancements at the expense of numerous Black lives.  Yet, this trauma did not end with emancipation.  The stereotypes and inhumane treatment persisted through Jim Crow.  The vestiges remain today and play out in racial health disparities that have come into even sharper focus with COVID-19.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Healing the Black Body (and Mind)

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, October 22

Find both national and local resources and initiatives that promote healing and health in the Black community.  

My Vanishing Country
His Very Best
Staff Picks

New in Biography and Memoir

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, October 20
Several of these new titles have been getting rave reviews, for example Debora Harding’s Dancing with the Octopus, a shocking true-crime memoir, and Kerri Arsenault’s Mill Town, about the author’s return to her struggling blue-collar hometown in Maine.
John Constantine, Hellblazer. Vol. 01, Original Sins
Staff Picks

Comics For Fans of "The Boys"

  • Thomas M.
  • Thursday, October 15
If you've caught up on the subversive superhero series The Boys and are looking for comics in the same vein, check out the titles below. Whether you're looking for irreverent humor, icons falling from grace, redemption for imperfect heroes, or protagonists who fight dirty to take on dark evils, these series are for you. As an additional recommendation, click here to check out Irredeemable from Hoopla.
Blog
Richland Library Sandhills

Career Development: Discover Yourself

  • Emily Barber
  • Thursday, December 10

Self-discovery is essential to making career decisions that will build a happy life. Here are four questions to help you discover yourself.

What to Eat when You're Pregnant
Nurture
Staff Picks

Educating and Preparing Yourself for Childbirth

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, October 14
Congratulations on your new addition! Listed below are a few informative books for the expecting mother and family. These topics range from what to eat while you're pregnant to the various birthing types. It's always good to brush up on some of the latest advice from current moms, but during this season of COVID it's more important than ever. Hopefully, some of these titles can be useful for you, or a loved one. 
The Avengers
Black Panther. Vol. 01, A Nation Under Our Feet
Staff Picks

Year of the misfits

  • Helene F.
  • Tuesday, October 13
Misfits taking the stage   Have you ever felt like a fish out of water?  Have you wanted to step out of your comfort zone? Different people, becoming a family, in every sense of the word.  Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions!
Staff Picks

Elections in the United States

  • Allison T.
  • Monday, October 12
Brush up on your knowledge of voting and elections in the United States using these resources.
Watchmen
Grass
Staff Picks

2020 Harvey Award Winners

  • Thomas M.
  • Sunday, October 11
The winners of the 2020 Harvey Awards, which are selected by comics industry professionals, have been announced across six categories. Check out some of the best recent comics below. The full list of nominees can be found here.  
Blog
Richland Library Main

Learning at Home: Multisensory Spelling

  • Emily J.
  • Monday, October 19

Many times, children have trouble identifying the separate letter sounds or phonemes in words. Fingerspelling is a handy multisensory strategy to help children learn how to spell.  They learn to pull apart words into separate sounds (segmenting) and to associate a letter’s sound with the letter’s written form.

Poems 1962-2012
Nativity Poems
Staff Picks

Nobel Poetry

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, October 08
American poet Louise Glück has just been awarded this year’s Nobel Prize in literature.  Despite poetry’s status as the “oldest” literary genre, this most distinguished of literary prizes has more often gone to fiction writers than to poets in recent years. If you’re curious to explore Glück’s poetry, as well as that of other remarkable poets who have received the Nobel in the past fifty years, check out any of the titles listed below from our collection.
The Wolf Gift
Bitten
Staff Picks

Witches and Werewolves

  • Kristin A.
  • Wednesday, October 07
Something wicked this way comes. Dust off your broom and check out these books about witches and werewolves that you can really sink your teeth into. They're sure to put a spell on you.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Most Popular Historic Images in September 2020

  • Margaret D.
  • Thursday, October 08

With over 7,000 images in the Local History Digital Collections it can be hard to find those hidden gems. Take a look at what your neighbors found interesting in September, 2020.

Blog
Richland Library Main

SC Science Standards: Plant Growth and Survival

  • Emily J.
  • Friday, October 30

Plants tell an important story about the environment. Take time to explore and investigate the plants in the backyard with your kindergartener. Visit local gardens and discuss the types of plants in the area. Ask questions about how the environment provides plants with the resources they need to survive, water and sunlight