Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Cover Me, I'm Going In!

To fulfill the "Choose a Book Based on Its Cover and Read It" prompt you'll have to use your own judgment while browsing our displays, stacks, or book lists - but to help you out we've all chosen a few of our favorites.  Here are some of the books I've read in the past few years with covers that made me look twice!   This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge.  Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

AF AM Teen & YA Reads

Explore coming of age with these compelling novels centered around being young and black-- ranging from romance, psych thrillers, fantasy, and much more. 
Staff Picks

Indie Games for Everyone

Enjoy this diverse collection of games from smaller developers and publishers. Just because these games are made by small studios (or even just one person!), it doesn't mean they're any less great. From well-known crafting sims to isolating space adventures, to living a small-town farming life, these games offer something for every game.
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Utopian Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new!  Utopian sci fi features a setting that, at least on the surface, is a more or less perfect future.  Of course, actual happiness is boring - expect most utopias to have a dark underbelly or a nasty neighbor bent on conquest!   This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge.  Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

Fight with Your Friends!

Beat up your friends in this assortment of Fighting Game titles!
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Dystopian Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new!  Dystopian sci fi explores its protagonists' response to a broken world.  It can feature a future which has technologically regressed back to the Stone Age or a future where all humans are pure consciousness enslaved by computers - if it's in the future and it's bad, it's a dystopia.
Staff Picks

Role-Playing Games That Will Keep You Gaming

These RPGs are long and immersive experiences, each with their own rich world and characters. Ranging from delightful reimaginings of well-known video game icons, to notoriously difficult and dark Action-RPGs, this list has something for everyone.
Staff Picks

Essential Metal Albums

Enjoy some of the best heavy metal that Richland Library has to offer! From the very beginnings with Black Sabbath, to the contemporary albums of Mastodon and Dragonforce, this cross-section of notable metal albums should be more than enough to satisfy any headbanger.
Staff Picks

These Graphic Novels Will Shock and Horrify You!

These works are not for the faint of heart! These are some of the best of the best of horror comics and manga, each one more horrifying than the last. Readers, beware!   CN: Blood, Gore, Language, Nudity (They're not for kids!)
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020 - Feminist Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new!  Feminist sci fi tends to deal with themes like reproduction, gender inequality, and sexuality, providing contrast with contemporary gender relations by using science fiction's "what if" potential. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge.  Find more lists here.
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Richland Library Main

2019's Most Checked-Out Adult Books

Richland Library is recapping what caught the attention of our customers in 2019. It's your access to the most checked-out items over the last year.

Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2020: Military Science Fiction

Fulfill the "Read a Science Fiction Book" prompt by choosing a book from your favorite subgenre or trying something new!  Military sci fi can be about grunt shock troops, peacocking admirals in Her Imperial Majesty's Space Navy, hard drinking engineers below decks - anything with a military focus in the future or a "what if" situation. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2020 reading challenge.  Find more lists here.
Staff Picks

K-Dramas at Richland Library!

K-Dramas? What is that? K-Dramas are Korean TV shows. If you are looking for a new show to binge watch or to help you in your journey of learning the Korean language, give these awesome shows and movies a try. 
Staff Picks

If You Liked Saga, Then Try...

End the Decade with some great Image Comics! If you like quirkiness, beautiful art, and/or a little bit of moral ambiguity, give these comics a try. 
Staff Picks

Movies That Make You Feel Smart

These works are cerebral and often deceptive. They feature brilliant characters in fantastic situations who either outsmart or are outsmarted in extreme, life-or-death situations. These movies are often heavy, and require all your attention to make sure you keep up with the twists and turns throughout. 
Staff Picks

8 Great TV Shows for Teens

From vampires, comedy, supernatural, and more. These popular TV series are sure to keep your attention.
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Richland Library Sandhills

Let the Light Shine with Yule

Looking for another way to celebrate the turn to a new year? Consider Yule, a 12-day festival beginning with the winter solstice that celebrates light, prosperity, and joy.

Staff Picks

Children's Books for Adults

These works might have been written with children in mind, but there's something for everyone in these classics.
Staff Picks

Award-Winning Animation

Animation isn't just for kids! This wide assortment of animated works are aimed at all sorts of audiences, with all sorts of themes as well. Enjoy 25 award-winning animated films from across the past two decades. 
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Richland Library Lower Richland

Mind-Bending Fiction

These tales of extreme circumstances and games of death lead you to wonder what exactly is going on...

Staff Picks

Sandhills Staff Picks of 2019

It's that time of year again when "Best Of" lists are everywhere you turn. Well, we are jumping on the bandwagon here at Richland Library Sandhills and have curated a very special list just for you of our favorites reads this year (with just a few from last year!)
Staff Picks

Classic Children's Books

Classic books are a part of our society's literary heritage. For good or for ill, they have shaped the world we live in and inform our present while opening windows into our past. Classic books add a rich layer to a child's reading experience and can give teachable moments in the context of a story. Classic titles are also a great choice for advanced readers who are ready for longer books and more complex language. Choose one of these titles to read together or independently. 
Staff Picks

Cookbook Vacations

Cook globally!  These books will take you on a culinary vacation all around the world - and you don't even have to put your tray table in the upright and locked position.
Staff Picks

Wordless Graphic Novels

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these titles speak volumes. These examples of sheer visual storytelling will illuminate the imagination.
Staff Picks

Southeast Staff Picks Pt. 3

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!
Staff Picks

Cookbooks Sin Carne: Vegetarian Cooking

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.  
Staff Picks

Essential Cookbooks

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!
Staff Picks

Southeast Staff Picks Pt. 2

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!
Staff Picks

Southeast Staff Picks Pt. 1

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!
Staff Picks

Adulting is Hard

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!
Staff Picks

Like it's 1999

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. 
Staff Picks

Passport to Cinema: India

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. 
Staff Picks

Five Great Comics For Fans of Dungeons, Dragons, and Tabletop RPGs

Whether you've got your own Dungeons & Dragons handbooks or have never rolled 20-sided dice before, we have some great graphic novels for you. Each of these titles puts a unique spin on the imagination, teamwork, and personalities that go into role-playing games. If you're between the ages of 12-18 and interested in joining a D&D group, contact the Richland Library Teen Center at (803) 929-3470 and ask about registering for one of our upcoming sessions.
Staff Picks

2019 National Book Award Finalists

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.
Staff Picks

It's Over: Completed Fantasy Series

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.
Staff Picks

Here Be....Mermaids

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.
Staff Picks

Now Fill In the Details: Learn to Draw

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.
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Richland Library Main

OFF BOOK: Markie Gaddis

Artist, maker and costume designer, Markie Gaddis goes off book to kick off her library residency.  

Staff Picks

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

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!
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Richland Library Main

Required Reading Refresh

Pique your teen reader’s interest by recommending these fresh takes on the required reading from your glory days.

Staff Picks

Talking with Teens About Dementia

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.
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Richland Library Ballentine

What Can You Do In Ballentine's MakerSpace?!

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!

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Richland Library North Main

Coming Full Circle with Music

"Joining different people with different ideas and gifts to contribute is truly beautiful...."

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.

Database

World Almanac for Kids

For students in grades 6-9, their teachers, and parents. World Almanac for Kids presents articles, videos, games and information on a wide range of subjects with age appropriate content and a

Staff Picks

World Class Series

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.
Staff Picks

Lend Me Your Eyre

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.
Staff Picks

Fractured Fairy Tales

Looking for an updated retelling of your favorite fairy tales from when you were a child? Check out this list of fractured fairy tales for a new spin on an old classic.
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Richland Library Main

Last Summer Hoorah!

Turn the page on the final days of summer with some great picks from Richland Library staff.

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Richland Library St. Andrews

Ask a Flower: Herbs

Come here for the answers to all your herb questions!

Staff Picks

Indigenous Arts: Books by Native American Authors

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!
Staff Picks

Wide Open Spaces: American Road Trip Books

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.
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Richland Library Main

Hit 🔄 on Your Summer Reads

Before taking one last summer trip, don't forget to pack these suggested titles with you.

Staff Picks

Growing Up 80's

If you've finished the latest season of Stranger Things and you're full of nostalgia, check out these books about coming of age in the 1980's!
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Richland Library North Main

So you want to read...Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler's Birthday was on June 22nd, so you may have been seeing her name on different blogs and news sites.

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Richland Library St. Andrews

Open Mic Night (July 2019)

We celebrated big with nearly 100 people attending Rasheen Richardson's last Open Mic at St. Andrews.

Staff Picks

Beyond Lothlorien: Diverse Epic Fantasy

Do you miss Game of Thrones?  Love Lord of the Rings?  But also like reading books with diverse casts including people of color and LGBT+ characters that draw on a variety of cultural traditions?  This list is for you! "High" or "epic" fantasy, as opposed to "low" fantasy, tends to take place in a world other than our own.  It may involve epic quests, big stakes, and lots of magic.  Elves and dragons are permitted but not required!
Staff Picks

Feather Your Nest: Fiber Arts for the Home

Does your home need a little refresh?  Living room looking a little stale?  Bedroom too sterile?  Update your space yourself!  These books will help you knit, crochet, sew, and use other techniques to make your space shine.
Blog
Richland Library St. Andrews

Ask a Flower: Tomato Edition

Are you a first time tomato-grower? Come here for answers to all your tomato questions!

Staff Picks

Queer Comics For Teens

Below is a list of graphic novels featuring queer leads for teen readers. They range from realistic to fantastical, but they share a theme of acceptance and pride in who you are.
Blog
Richland Library St. Andrews

Open Mic Night (Jun 2019)

Song and rhyme flowed at St. Andrews with over 15 performers taking the stage.

Staff Picks

Novels in Verse

Once upon a time, every book was also a poem.  Gilgamesh, the Iliad, the Mahabharata, Beowulf - all our oldest stories are told in verse.  As prose took over printed books, stories told in verse became rarer.  It's hard to write a book of poetry that tells a story but is still great poetry; these novels for teens and adults do it well.  
Staff Picks

Circadian Rhythm - Single Day Books

Some books take place over weeks, months, even millenia (I'm looking at you, James Michener.)  Others are set in a far shorter period of time.  Enjoy this list of books, long or short, that take place over the course of a single day or less!
Staff Picks

Move over 1984 and Brave New World

Women who lead! Women are doing it for themselves!  Rush to your library before these titles disappear, like water bottles from the grocery store's shelves.   Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions.
Staff Picks

Ear Reading Favorites for Teens

Plug into these engaging titles for teens while walking, biking, or kicking back on the beach. 
Staff Picks

Women VS Zombies VS Mad Scientists

Mind over movement   Tired of same old, same old in stories?  Want to mix things up? Then slide over to your local library or personal electronic device to check them out. Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions.   
Staff Picks

Homeschooling from A to Z

When I started homeschooling twenty years ago, I read everything I could get my hands on about home education. From Montessori to Waldorf, from Charlotte Mason to John Holt, I wanted to dive deep and find out which path was right for my family. While our educational road has had many twists, turns, and even some dead ends, there is nothing like crafting a homemade education. Below is a wide variety of educational options to explore. Grab your library card and dig in! 
Staff Picks

If You Liked: The Poet X

Have you read The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo? I’m sure you have. Don’t stop there, check out these great coming of age stories.
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Richland Library St. Andrews

Open Mic Night (May 2019)

Records broken for youngest performer to perform at Richland Library St. Andrews's Open Mic!

Staff Picks

Inspired by Alice

If you can't get enough of the absurd fantasy world and peculiar characters of Lewis Carroll's classic Alice tales, try these modern books, inspired by the magic of Wonderland. 
Staff Picks

Run away Van Helsing or Dracula

Women with their own style! Want characters that don't fit any mold?  These women are not reflective of anyone else!  Soar to your local library to check them out. Ask your local librarian for even more suggestions.
Staff Picks

Fame and Fiction: Celebrity Authors

You may know their names from sports, tv, movies, and music, but did you know these famous folks have written books too? Here are some fiction titles from celebrity authors. 
Staff Picks

Ten Toasty Manga Recommendations From the Teen Anime Club

The teen anime club at Richland Library Main, T.O.A.S.T. (Team Of Anime-Seeking Teens) recommends the following ten titles for anyone looking to give manga a try. You will find romance, fantasy, science fiction, action, horror, and lots of gorgeous artwork in the pages of these series.
Staff Picks

What's New in Multicultural Fiction for Teens

The world today is quickly changing and society is becoming distinctly diverse. Teens and young adults can learn about their peers from different cultures through multicultural fiction. Reading these interesting books can lead to freedom from bias, prejudice and misinformation. The books explore stories of  teens from racial and ethnic minorities, who are trapped between two different worlds.
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Richland Library St. Andrews

Ask a Flower (April 2019)

Do you have questions about the garden at St. Andrews, gardening, or plants in general? This blog series is focused on what you want to know! 

Blog
Richland Library St. Andrews

Open Mic Night (April 2019)

More than 15 performers came out to St. Andrews to celebrate National Poetry Month!

Staff Picks

The Many, Many Reading Recommendations From NashiCon 2019

Richland Library was at NashiCon asking attendees what they're reading. The responses available in our catalog are listed below, including plenty of manga and novels for all kinds of readers.
Staff Picks

Inspired by Folklore: Reimagined Fairy Tales

Fairy tales aren't just for children. Check out these retellings of beloved classics, and see which magical tales will become your new favorites!