1984
April and the Extraordinary World
Staff Picks

Just Checked In

  • Richland Library
  • Friday, April 26
This list is regularly updated and shows some of the latest items that have been checked in at the library.
Bluey Season 3
The Shaggy Dog
Staff Picks

Coming Soon for Children

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, April 25
This list is regularly updated and shows items that have been ordered and will soon be available for checkout.
The Black Girl Survives in This One
Four Eids and a Funeral
Staff Picks

Coming Soon for Teens

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, April 25
This list is regularly updated and shows items that have been ordered and will soon be available for checkout.
5 Centimeters Per Second
47 Days With Jesus
Staff Picks

Coming Soon for Adults

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, April 25
This list is regularly updated and shows items that have been ordered and will soon be available for checkout.
5 Centimeters Per Second
47 Days With Jesus
Staff Picks

Coming Soon

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, April 25
This list is regularly updated and shows items that have been ordered and will soon be available for checkout.
The Women
The Meaning of Marriage
Staff Picks

Most Popular

  • Richland Library
  • Thursday, April 25
This list is regularly updated and shows 500 of the most popular items being checked out at the library.
Catch Me if You Can
The Gardner Heist
Staff Picks

True Crime - Hold the Murder

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, March 29
Do you love true crime but want something a little less... bloody?  Here's a list of true crime books about heists, cons, spies, and hacks - everything but murders.  (There may be violent content, but murder is not the main theme in these books.)  
Tom Lake
Blood Debts
Staff Picks

The Southern Book Prize 2024

  • Sarah C.
  • Friday, March 01
Each February, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance awards the Southern Book Prize to the best Southern books of the year.  Titles are nominated by indie booksellers and voted on by their customers.  This year's winners are:Fiction - Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Goodbye Earl
The Brittanys
Staff Picks

Galentines Day Reads

  • Savannah G.
  • Tuesday, February 13
Happy Galentine’s Day! Show your girlfriends you really care by sharing a good book with them. From thrilling mysteries to heart-warming comings of age tales, this list is all about the power of female friendships.
We Were Once a Family
Tremor
Staff Picks

2023 National Book Critics Circle Award Winners

  • Megan M.
  • Friday, January 26
This year's winners include:Fiction: I Am Homeless if This Is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore Nonfiction: We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian Biography: Winnie and Nelson by Jonny Steinberg How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Beowulf
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2024 - Nobel Laureates in Literature

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, January 18
Check out a book from this list to fulfill the 2024 Broader Bookshelf prompt "Read a book by a Pulitzer or Nobel Prize winning author".  Please note that the Nobel Prize in Literature is given to an author, not a specific book.This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2024 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Before Freedom, when I Just Can Remember
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2024 - Books with When in the title

  • Adele C.
  • Wednesday, January 17
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2024 Reading Challenge prompt, "Read a book with If or When in the title".This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2024 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Your Face Belongs to Us
Power and Progress
Staff Picks

Financial Times Best Business Books of 2023

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, December 11
London’s Financial Times has released a list of the year’s best business titles.  It includes books treating such timely topics as AI (The Coming Wave), cryptocurrency (
The Last White Man
On Girlhood
Staff Picks

Quick Reads

  • Morgan R.
  • Thursday, November 30
Love to read but short on time? Trying to complete a yearly reading goal like the #BroaderBookshelf Reading Challenge? In a reading slump? Check out one of these quick reads to get you back on track and feel accomplished! Need more inspiration? Try our Personalized Reading Recommendations. 
From One Cell
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2023
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, November 16
In addition to titles from perennial best-sellers Carlo Rovelli (White Holes) and Neil deGrasse Tyson (To Infinity & Beyond), recent science publications include a new edition of a monumental classic,
Cosmic Scholar
Emily Dickinson Face to Face and "a Hedge Away"
Staff Picks

New and Notable Biographies and Memoirs

  • Bland L.
  • Wednesday, November 15
You’ve probably already heard of the new memoirs by Barbra Streisand (My Name Is Barbra) and Britney Spears (The Woman in Me), but here are some other recent releases you might find worth a read.
I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home
Call Me by Your Name
Staff Picks

2023 Charleston Literary Festival Authors

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, October 03
The Charleston Literary Festival, which will run from 3 to 12 November, has entered the lit-fest big leagues, to judge from the roster of writers participating this year.  In addition to contemporary fiction stars such as Rebecca Makkai and Claire Keegan, luminaries such as Lorrie Moore, Richard Ford, and Margaret Atwood are also on the list.  Nonfiction is well represented too, with noted historians Simon Schama and Simon Sebag Montefiore, public TV regular Lucy Worsley, perennial best-seller Tracy Kidder, and New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik
500 All-time Great Recipes
Ancient Israel
Staff Picks

The Selden K. Smith Holocaust Collection, Part 1

  • Leighan C.
  • Friday, June 30
Richland Library welcomes items from the personal Holocaust collection of Dr. Selden K. Smith. Housed primarily at Richland Library Main the collection includes over 250 items.
Mr. B
Easy Beauty
Staff Picks

2023 Pulitzer Prizes

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, May 08
Check out the 2023 Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists in the categories of fiction, history, biography, memoir/ autobiography, poetry, and general nonfiction.
Urban Jungle
National Audubon Society Mushrooms of North America
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, May 04
Ben Wilson is a historian and the subject of much acclaim for previous books such as Metropolis.  Now he has ventured into science with Urban Jungle: The History and Future of Nature in the City, an intriguing look at how hu
Magnificent Rebel
Bruno Schulz
Staff Picks

Notable New Biographies & Memoirs

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, April 28
Among the new biographies/memoirs I’m looking forward to reading are Anne de Courcey’s Magnificent Rebel, about shipping line heiress Nancy Cunard’s tumultuous life in 1920s Paris, and New Yorker writer Burkhard Bilger’s Fatherland, about his discovery of hi
The Ferryman
Practice Makes Perfect
Staff Picks

LibraryReads for May 2023

  • Sarah C.
  • Wednesday, April 19
Each month, LibraryReads lists the top upcoming titles recommended by librarians across the country.  All these books will be published in May 2023, so stay ahead of the curve and get on the holds list now!
Dear Librarian
The DEFA Film Library's (East) German Film Collection.
Staff Picks

Love your library!

  • Lisa G.
  • Wednesday, February 01
As we celebrate our library's 30th anniversary this month, we thought we would highlight some streaming videos about libraries. Check out these awesome titles. Happy Valentine's Day!
Number the Stars
Hitler Youth
Staff Picks

Tween Books for International Holocaust Remembrance Day

  • Alex B.
  • Friday, January 27
The United Nations observes January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day as it's the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Six million Jews died through systemic persecution under the Nazi regime 1933-1945. Now more than ever, it's crucial to talk to kids about important events in history. Check out these books for kids aged 9+ for age appropriate fiction and nonfiction books about the Holocaust.   Visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website for more information: https://www.ushmm.org/ 
Saving Main Street
The LEGO Story
Staff Picks

New Business Books

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, December 22
Notable new titles include Walt Bogdanich’s When McKinsey Comes to Town, about the influential and controversial consulting firm known for the draconian measures it often recommends to its client businesses, and Gary Rivlin’s Saving Main Street, about the re
Rising Troublemaker
The Complete Cookbook for Teen Chefs
Staff Picks

2022 Teen Nonfiction Favorites

  • Jennifer N.
  • Thursday, December 01
Great books on finances, social issues, history, literature, sciences, and so much more has been added to our list of favorite nonfiction titles for teens this year. Pick up one of these illuminating titles today.  Looking for more great teen books?  Check out our personalized recommendations form or give us a call at 803.929.3470. 
The Diviners
Truly Devious
Staff Picks

11 YA Books for Adults

  • Alex B.
  • Thursday, October 27
Of course anyone can read YA! Here's a few books to get you started if you've never read anything in the YA genre as an adult. From dystopian fiction (Scythe and The Grace Year) to romance (Instructions for Dancing) to fantasy (This Woven Kingdom and Strange the Dreamer), there's a little something for every reader.  
South to America
Ardennes 1944
Staff Picks

2022 Charleston Literary Festival Authors

  • Bland L.
  • Wednesday, October 05
This year’s Charleston Literary Festival, taking place November 4-13, will feature a spectacular array of fiction and nonfiction writers.  The fiction roster includes literary-fiction heavyweight Ian McEwan, as well as best-selling authors Geraldine Brooks and Nic Hornby.  Among those representing nonfiction are African American studies scholar Eddie S.
All This Could Be Different
When We Were Sisters
Staff Picks

2022 National Book Award Longlists

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, September 16
The 2022 National Book Award longlists have just been announced.  The finalists will be named on 4 October.  In the meantime, check out these contenders in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, young people's literature, and translated literature.
Nickel and Dimed
Bait and Switch
Staff Picks

Remembering Barbara Ehrenreich

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, September 06
Barbara Ehrenreich, who for more than fifty years dissected American culture in a series of perceptive books (many of them best sellers), died on 1 Sept.
Assignment Russia
The Brink
Staff Picks

The Cold War

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, July 22
The Cold War was famously never a declared “war” but an ideological struggle that unfolded in a decades-long series of proxy conflicts.  Researchers are still uncovering new information from archives and other sources to better explain this strange period, which one historian has referred to as the “Fifty-Year Wound.”  Check out these recent titles from our collection if you’re curious to learn more.
Who Killed Jane Stanford?
The Ghosts of Eden Park
Staff Picks

Historic True Crime

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, June 21
Many true crime books are roughly contemporary in setting.  But there’s a whole subgenre of nonfiction crime narrative drawn from historical cases, many of them scandalous in their day and some of them still unsolved.  A recent standout in this subgenre is Who Killed Jane Stanford? by respected historian Richard White, which explores the poisoning murder of the widow of Stanford University founder Leland
An Immense World
Bird
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, June 06
Atlantic staff writer Ed Yong is a rising star in the science-writing world.  He received a Pulitzer in 2021 for his reporting on the pandemic, and his first book, I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life, was a best seller.  Now his second book,
Level Up
The Good Retirement Guide 2022
Staff Picks

New Business Books

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, June 03
Noteworthy new titles include Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back, by Georgia politician (and serial entrepreneur) Stacey Abrams and her business partner, Lara Hodgson; Dade Hayes and Dawn Chmielewski’s Binge Times: Inside Hollywood's Furious Billion-Dol
Never Simple
Beatrix Potter
Staff Picks

New in Biography and Memoir

  • Bland L.
  • Wednesday, June 01
Liz Scheier’s Never Simple, about her difficult upbringing as the child of a mother with Borderline Personality Disorder, has been getting a lot of notice, as has Mary Laura Philpott’s Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives, a set of
Chasing Me to My Grave
Refractive Africa
Staff Picks

2022 Pulitzer Prizewinners

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, May 09
The 2022 Pulitzer Prizes have just been announced.  Check out the following prizewinners and finalists in the categories of fiction, biography, general nonfiction, history, and poetry.
The Heartbeat of Trees
National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America
Staff Picks

Arbor Day Reads

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, April 22
National Arbor Day is observed annually on the last Friday in April (4/29 this year), although South Carolina marks its own Arbor Day on the first Friday in December, since saplings planted at that time of year will have a better chance of becoming established before the brutal heat of summer arrives.
Bellevue
CERTAIN PEOPLE
Staff Picks

True Tales of the Gilded Age

  • Sara M.
  • Tuesday, April 05
Are you all caught up on the HBO series The Gilded Age?  Check out these nonfiction books about the real people and places of New York society in the late nineteenth century.
My Son John
The New Jim Crow
Staff Picks

Help! My Adult Child Talks Like a Communist!

  • Keith B.
  • Tuesday, April 05
In Leo McCarey's Red Scare cult classic, My Son John, John (Robert Walker) comes home from college with a raft of radical ideas. His devout Catholic mother Lucille (Helen Hayes) and American Legion member father Dan (Dean Jagger) become increasingly uneasy, unable to relate to John's leftist views. In one of the best, and most certainly melodramatic depictions of the possible gulf between generations caused by political differences, Lucille begins informing on John to the FBI agent played by Van Heflin. 
Orwell's Roses
A Little Devil in America
Staff Picks

2021 National Book Critics Circle Award Finalists

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, February 10
The finalists for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Awards were recently announced.  Given annually since 1976, they are the only major book awards selected by critics.  The winners will be announced in March.  Check out the following finalists from our collection, in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, biography, autobiography, poetry, and criticism.  (The list also includes the finalists for the NBCC's John Leonard Prize for Best First Book.)
The Girl with the Louding Voice
Black Sunday
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022: African Authors

  • Morgan R.
  • Tuesday, January 04
Fulfill the prompt, "Read a book by an author from an African nation" with one of these engaging books. Find out more information about the #BroaderBookshelf challenge here. Need more suggestions? Fill out a Personalized Reading Recommendation form. It's a quick and easy way to find your next favorite read. 
Patricia Highsmith
Redeeming Justice
Staff Picks

New in Biography and Memoir

  • Bland L.
  • Wednesday, December 29
Notable new releases include Chinese artist/activist Ai Weiwei’s 1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows and Indian economist (and prolific author) Amartya Sen’s Home in the World.  Carole Angier’s
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
After Henry
Staff Picks

Remembering Joan Didion

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, December 27
Joan Didion, who died at age 87 on 23 December, astutely sized up American culture from the 1960s onward in a series of nonfiction and fiction works that met with both critical and popular acclaim.  The prolific Didion is perhaps still best known for her first two essay collections, Slouching Towards Bethlehem and
Trillions
Get Good with Money
Staff Picks

New Business Books

  • Bland L.
  • Wednesday, December 22
This batch of new business books features some sharp corporate take-downs, including Peter Robison’s Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing and Bartow J.
Intimacies
The Reading List
Staff Picks

35 Best Book Club Picks of 2021

  • Mona Verma
  • Monday, December 20
Book clubs are a great way to spark conversations and connect with people. After reading a really good book, I am always curious to know what other people thought of it. It is interesting to see how each person interprets a book differently and the animated discussions which follow based on how you relate to the book. 
Now Beacon, Now Sea
The Secret to Superhuman Strength
Staff Picks

New York Times Books of the Year: Biography and Memoir

  • Bland L.
  • Sunday, November 28
The recently released list of the New York Times notable books of 2021 includes a number of compelling biographies and memoirs you won't want to miss.  Check these titles out from our collection.
All Her Little Secrets
On Girlhood
Staff Picks

100+ Debut Authors for 2021 📚

  • Chantal W.
  • Tuesday, November 16
Looking for someone new to read?  Give these 2021 debut authors a try - you will find a fine selection of fiction and nonfiction, as well as some of the buzziest books of 2021.
Braiding Sweetgrass
The Botany of Desire.
Staff Picks

If You Like...Braiding Sweetgrass

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, November 08
📚Below you'll find a variety of books that share a theme or more with Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Enjoy!🌱
All That She Carried
A Little Devil in America
Staff Picks

2021 National Book Award Finalists

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, November 02
The 2021 National Book Award finalists in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature have recently been announced.  While you're waiting to learn who the winners will be (to be announced on 17 November), check out these finalists from our collection. 2021 National Book Awards
No One is Talking About This
Call Me by Your Name
Staff Picks

If you can't make it to the Charleston Literary Festival . . .

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, October 21
This year's Charleston Literary Festival, running from 5-14 November, features a stellar lineup of speakers, with an admirable mix of fiction and nonfiction authors, ranging from icons such as Paul Auster and Walter Isaacson to recent stars such as Yaa Gyasi and Patricia Lockwood. But if you can't make it to the festival, don't worry - Richland Library features many titles by the participating authors.  Check out the list below; given the variety of the author list, you're sure to find something to intrigue you.
The Most Fun We Ever Had
Honey and Spice
Staff Picks

Picks from Reese's Book Club 🌞

  • Megan M.
  • Wednesday, October 20
Check out these selections from Reese Witherspoon's popular book club. The April 2024 pick is The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo 
The Many Lives of Mama Love
Say You're One of Them
Staff Picks

Picks from Oprah's Book Club

  • Megan M.
  • Tuesday, August 24
Check out this list of Oprah's Book Club picks.The most recent Oprah pick is The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin 
Killing the Black Body
Four Hundred Souls
Staff Picks

National Wellness Month: Black Women's Health

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, August 05
August is National Wellness Month⚕️ Here is a list on systemic racism and the history on the battle for control of black women's health throughout the centuries. Also, included are some wellness guides promoting self-care and healing. 
Shutdown
Women Don't Ask
Staff Picks

New Business Books

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, July 22
As one might expect, business books examining the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy are now coming out.  Adam Tooze, author of the definitive account of the Great Recession’s worldwide impact (Crashed), is back with
Moon of the Crusted Snow
Touching the Void.
Staff Picks

Beat the Heat - Winter Books for Summer Reading

  • Sara M.
  • Wednesday, July 21
For some people, a "beach read" is likely to be a book about people having fun in the sun - splashing in the waves, vacationing by the pool, sizzling on the beach.  Not me.  I am hot enough already, and by the time July comes around I am tired of being hot.  I want to read about snow!  I want hats and scarves and murder on the slopes!  I want ice floes and frostbite and all the avalanches you can give me.  Cool me down!  These books are all set in the cold - maybe they'll help you beat the heat.
The Arbornaut
Fear of a Black Universe
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, July 15
New titles by best-selling authors Michael Pollan (This Is Your Mind on Plants), Peter Wohlleben (
Girls Like Us
Accused!
Staff Picks

SC Young Adult Book Award Nominees 2021-2022

  • Heather M.
  • Wednesday, June 23
"Since 1976 when sixteen schools participated, the South Carolina Book Award program created by the South Carolina Association of School Librarians has expanded to include almost 64,000 participating students.
The Night Watchman
A Treatise on Stars
Staff Picks

2021 Pulitzer Prizes

  • Bland L.
  • Saturday, June 12
The winners of the 2021 Pulitzer Prizes have just been announced.  Check out the winners (and finalists) in the categories of fiction, history, general nonfiction, biography, and poetry from our collection.
Black is Brown is Tan
The Case for Loving
Staff Picks

Celebrate Loving Day for Families

  • Heather M.
  • Thursday, June 10
Celebrate Loving Day by sharing stories of families brought together by love. "The “Loving” in Loving Day is actually the last name of Mildred and Richard Loving. The Loving Day Story begins when they were arrested for being married in 1958 because they were an interracial couple living in Virginia.
Our Time is Now
Our Time is Now
Staff Picks

Our Vulnerable Democracy: Past, Present and Future

  • Chantal W.
  • Friday, April 23
One of the many things that we learned in the year 2020 is that democracy is a fragile thing.   How do we as regular citizens combat white supremacy?  How do we go about demanding that the institutions that are the foundation of our democracy and government be fairer and actually represent all of us and not just some of us? 
Anansi the Spider
Folk Tales & Fables of Asia & Australia
Staff Picks

Good Folk Tales and Fairy Tales for Storytelling

  • Rebecca T.
  • Friday, April 09
In their well-respected book, Storytelling: Art and Technique, Ellin Greene and Augusta Baker tell us: "A good story for telling is one that has something to say and that says it in the best possible way." Check out some of these books to learn more about the traditional art of storytelling and to find folk tales and fairy tales that have something to say and are written in the best possible way!
Ernest Hemingway
Across the River and into the Trees
Staff Picks

One True Sentence

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, April 06
With Ken Burns's highly anticipated three-part documentary on Ernest Hemingway currently airing on PBS, now is a good time to dive into the works of this most celebrated of 20th century American literary masters, whose writing style profoundly influenced (for better or worse) many authors who followed him and whose literary sensibility is still something of a touchstone.  In addition to Hemingway's own fiction, nonfiction, and correspondence, the following list includes the definitive multivolume biography by Michael Reynolds, as well as Mary Dearborn's critically acclaimed 2017 bio.
The Removed
Love After the End
Staff Picks

Books by Indigenous Authors

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, March 16
Listed below are works by Indigenous authors and their various formats. 
Barracoon
The Best American Magazine Writing 2020
Staff Picks

Let's Talk Race: A Book List Inspired by 1619

  • Richland Library
  • Tuesday, February 02
Inspired by the New York Times' 1619  audio series hosted by Nikole Hannah-Jones, each title in this list corresponds to the thematic elements of an episode. For episode 3, listen to our curated playlist in Freegal.  
Standing on Her Shoulders
Because I Was a Girl
Staff Picks

Women Making History for Tweens & Teens

  • Heather M.
  • Monday, February 01
From Vice President Kamala Harris to Michaela Goade, the first BIPOC woman to win a Caldecott medal, these are just a few of the women making history in 2021.  Let's be clear.  Women have always made history.  Sadly, they have been overshadowed, overlooked or just plain erased from many history books.  But no more. 
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. 
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:
With the Fire on High
With the Fire on High
Staff Picks

YA Books about Family and Self Discovery

  • Kenyanah B.
  • Wednesday, November 18
Blood bound, blended, or chosen family can get complicated. Delve into the family secrets, rivalries, and, time honored traditions in the following novels. Looking for more?  Check out our personalized recommendations form or call us at 803-799-9084.
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.
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.
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.
Dirty Wars and Polished Silver
The Mammoth Book of Combat
Staff Picks

The First Casualty

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, October 01
The first casualty of war, it has been famously said, is the truth, which is why war correspondents have played such a crucial role throughout history.  And it hasn’t been just a “boys’ club” – Martha Gellhorn, Rebecca West, and others made a name for themselves reporting from zones of conflict.  More recently, Marie Colvin (tragically killed in Syria in 2012) and Clarissa Ward (author of a new memoir, On All Fronts) have done the same.
I Dissent
American Women Activists' Writings
Staff Picks

Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, September 21
From The Notorious RBG to I Dissent, explore the life and work of Ruth Bader Ginsburg with these books and movies that span all age ranges.
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree
The Index of Self-Destructive Acts
Staff Picks

2020 National Book Awards: The Long Lists

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, September 18
The long lists for the 2020 National Book Awards have just been announced.  The winners will be announced on November 18.  Check out the following titles from our collection in the award categories of fiction, nonfiction, literature in translation, young people's literature, and poetry.
All My Friends Are Dead
We Should All Be Feminists
Staff Picks

Books You Can Read in a Day

  • Kristin A.
  • Wednesday, June 24
Not ready to tackle another 500 page novel? Looking for a quick read that still packs a big punch? We've got you covered. Each of these great titles is 100 pages or less, but will keep you engaged from the first page to the last. The perfect size for a lazy afternoon on the couch. 
Turn Right at Machu Picchu Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
The Most Beautiful Walk in the World A Pedestrian in Paris
Staff Picks

Armchair Travel

  • Kristin A.
  • Friday, April 10
Did you know that your Richland Library card could be used as a passport? Travel the world without ever leaving your couch with a few simple clicks. Use your tablet or phone to download these titles and soon you'll be wandering through fields of lavender in Provence, hiking the Pacific Crest trail, or preparing fresh pasta in Italy. Just don't forget to send us a postcard!
Seeing Stars
Life of the Party
Staff Picks

National Poetry Month

  • Morgan R.
  • Wednesday, April 01
April is National Poetry Month  and while we are currently #AloneTogether, we can still enjoy some of the simple things in life, like a great poem to take us out of the now and into the artistic world of a poet's mind. Check out Cloud Library, Overdrive, and Hoopla for even more great poetry that you can download instantly.
American Honey
Death in Paradise [DVD]. Season 1
Staff Picks

Staff Picks: Sandhills

  • Morgan R.
  • Wednesday, March 18
Enjoy this collection of books, music, movies, and more from the staff at Richland Library Sandhills. 
Memory Piece
A Likely Story
Staff Picks

Picks from the Belletrist Book Club

  • Megan M.
  • Wednesday, March 04
Check out these picks from Emma Robert's Belletrist Book Club. The April 2024 Pick is Memory Piece by Lisa Ko 
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!
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.
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!
The Annotated African American Folktales
The Annotated Brothers Grimm
Staff Picks

Celebrated and Annotated : Classic Literature

  • Rebecca K.
  • Friday, June 21
It's time to revisit the classics! Explore your old favorites with extra historical, social, and political context, and learn more about the story behind the story. 
The Ecology Book
Down from the Mountain
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, April 26
Check out these science titles recently added to our collection.  David Quammen’s The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life and Frans De Waal’s Mama’s Last Hug: Animal Emotions and What They Teach Us About Ourselves have both made the New York Times nonfiction best-seller list, but the other titles listed here are equally worthy of your attention, including the latest from naturalist E.O.
Frederick Douglass
The Road Not Taken
Staff Picks

2019 Pulitzer Prize Winners

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, April 15
The 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winners have just been announced.  The winners in the various categories are: Fiction: Richard Powers, The Overstory History: David W. Blight, Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom
My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me
Rags & Bones
Staff Picks

Inspired by Folklore: Reimagined Fairy Tales

  • Rebecca K.
  • Tuesday, April 09
Fairy tales aren't just for children. Check out these retellings of beloved classics, and see which magical tales will become your new favorites!
Best. State. Ever.
Wiregrass Country
Staff Picks

Swamp Stories: Florida History

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, February 18
From Ponce de Leon to Walt Disney, Florida's history has always been a little bit different from its neighbors.  Check out some books to learn a little more about what makes the Sunshine State unique. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf2019 reading challenge.  Find more lists here.
The Zookeeper's Wife
The Crime and the Silence
Staff Picks

The Banality of Evil: Holocaust Nonfiction

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, January 14
Take a wider view of the horrors of the Holocaust with these nonfiction books.  (A list of personal Holocaust survivor memoirs can be found here.) This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf2019 reading challenge.  Find more lists here.