Ready to broaden your reading horizons? Every year we offer up fresh reading prompts as part of our #BroaderBookshelf reading challenge. Use these staff recommendations and reviews to get started, and don't forget to check out our special events and author visits related to the challenge. 

 

Swipe to Unlock
Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Technology (Business)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, January 30
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a fiction or nonfiction book about technology".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Woman in the Dunes
Goodnight Punpun. Vol. 03
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Books Written by Japanese Authors

  • Ariel H.
  • Saturday, January 28
Fulfill the "Read a book written by an author of Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese descent" prompt with these titles. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
The Sorrow of War
She Weeps Each Time You're Born
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Books Written by Vietnamese Authors

  • Ariel H.
  • Saturday, January 28
Fulfill the "Read a book written by an author of Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese descent" prompt with these titles. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki
If I Had Your Face
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Books Written by Korean Authors

  • Ariel H.
  • Saturday, January 28
Fulfill the "Read a book written by an author of Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese descent" prompt with these titles. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
A Thousand Steps into Night
Counterfeit
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Books Written by Asian Authors

  • Ariel H.
  • Saturday, January 28
Fulfill the "Read a book written by an author of Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese descent" prompt with these titles. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 reading challenge. Find more lists here.
Machines of Loving Grace
The Most Human Human
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Technology (Artificial Intelligence)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, January 27
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a fiction or nonfiction book about technology".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
If then
American Inventions
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Technology (History)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, January 23
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a fiction or nonfiction book about technology".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Accidental Pinup
Love in Color
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Read an Author's Debut Title (Romance)

  • Ariel H.
  • Saturday, January 21
Fulfill the "Read a book written by an author of Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Vietnamese descent" prompt with these titles. This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 reading challenge. Find more lists here.  
All the Gay Saints
Let's All Die Happy
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Poetry After 2003 - Award Winning Authors

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, January 20
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a collection of poetry published since 2003".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Anthropocene Lullaby
Light for the World to See
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Poetry After 2003 - Prosaic & Poetic

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, January 16
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a collection of poetry published since 2003".  (These titles are by authors who write novels and articles in addition to poetry). This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Blog
Richland Library Main

Giving Horror a Chance

  • Laura Bliss Morris
  • Friday, January 13

I am not a fan of Horror books--psychological, thriller, slasher--essentially anything with even a remotely scary feel has me quaking in my ballet flats. Which is why I was shocked to find myself literally hanging on to every word during Stephen Graham Jones' recent visit to Richland Library.

Wild Beauty = Belleza Salvaje
Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Poetry After 2003 - Translations

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, January 13
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a collection of poetry published since 2003".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
If They Come for Us
Let's All Die Happy
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Poetry After 2003 - Debut Titles

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, January 09
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a collection of poetry published since 2003".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Viability
Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Poetry After 2003 - More than 100 pages

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, January 06
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a collection of poetry published since 2003".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton 1965-2010
Collected Poems
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2023 - Poetry After 2003 - Collections

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, January 02
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge prompt "read a collection of poetry published since 2003".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2023 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
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
Before the Big Bang
The Seed Detective
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Wednesday, December 14
Among the latest science titles are two from award-winning authors whose books regularly appear on the nonfiction best-seller lists.  Unlike most previous books on Covid-19, which have focused on the medical drama of the pandemic, David Quammen’s Breathless takes a purely scientific perspective on the struggle to understand the virus.  Siddhartha Mukherjee’s
Martha Graham
Savor
Staff Picks

New in Biography and Memoir

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, December 12
New and noteworthy titles include You Don’t Know What War Is, the diary of twelve-year-old Yeva Skalietska, who had to flee Ukraine with her grandmother at the outset of the current war, and Neil Baldwin's Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern.&nbsp
Ella Minnow Pea
Britt-Marie Was Here
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Humorous Fiction with Character Name

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Juliet Takes a Breath
Alex, Approximately
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Teen with Character Names

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Mr. Malcolm's List
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Romance with Character Name

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
My Name is Asher Lev
Florence Adler Swims Forever
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Historical Fiction with Character Name

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Queenie
The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Fiction with Character Name

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
Alias Grace
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Mystery/Thrillers with Character Name

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Giovanni's Room
Jane Eyre
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Classics with Character Name

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Little Bee
The Wangs Vs. the World
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Literary Fiction with Character Names

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
LeBron, Inc.
Hunting Eichmann
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Nonfiction with Character Names

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Binti
Ender's Game
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Fantasy/Sci-Fi with Character Names

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Beloved
Hannibal
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Horror with Character Names

  • Mahogany S.
  • Friday, November 11
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with the character's name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
4 3 2 1
420 Characters
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Number in the Title

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, November 01
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with a number in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Windmaker. Volume One
Smoking the Bible
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - African Countries Authors (Western Africa)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, October 31
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book by an author from an African nation".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Girl with Braided Hair
Bird Summons
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - African Countries Authors (Northern Africa)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, October 31
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book by an author from an African nation".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Kintu
Tropic of Violence
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - African Countries Authors (Eastern Africa)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, October 31
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book by an author from an African nation".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Heart of Redness
Afterland
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - African Countries Authors (Southern Africa)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, October 31
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book by an author from an African nation".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Impatient
The Book of Chameleons
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - African Countries Authors (Central Africa)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Monday, October 31
Check out one of these titles and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book by an author from an African nation".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Only Good Indians
Night of the Mannequins
Staff Picks

Stephen Graham Jones: Must Read Horror 🔪🩸⚰️

  • Chantal W.
  • Friday, October 07
Bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones will be the 2022 #BroaderBookshelf featured author.  Although Jones writes in other genres, he is best known for his horror writing.  His stories can be gory but always features brave, ordinary people that you can't help pulling for and Jones definitely delivers great character development for main and side characters alike. 
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.
Harlem Sunset
An Unlasting Home
Staff Picks

Fictional Period Pieces

  • Chantal W.
  • Sunday, October 02
If you love historical fiction (or a blend of history with fantasy, mystery and romance) then check out 2022's best period pieces.  Use one of these titles to complete a prompt for the 2022 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge while you're at it.  Happy Reading!
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.
Post York
Windows on the World
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Graphic Novels set in NY

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, August 31
Check out one of these graphic novels and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a fiction or nonfiction book set in California or New York".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Stage Dreams
California Dreamin'
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Graphic Novels set in CA

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, August 31
Check out one of these graphic novels and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a fiction or nonfiction book set in California or New York".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Murder of Emmett Till
Nelson Mandela
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Graphic Novels with Character Names (Non-Fiction)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, August 31
Check out one of these graphic novels and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with a characters name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
I Am Alfonso Jones
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Graphic Novels with Character Names (Fiction)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, August 31
Check out one of these graphic novels and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a book with a characters name in the title".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
The Personal Librarian
Carolina Built
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022: Read a Historical Fiction Novel

  • Chantal W.
  • Saturday, August 20
Participating in our 2022 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge?  Check out this list to find a book to complete the Read a Historical Fiction Novel prompt.  And if you don't find what you are looking for here try these lists too: 
Sisters in Arms
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022: WWII Historical Fiction

  • Chantal W.
  • Saturday, August 20
One of the 2022 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge prompts is to read a Historical Fiction novel.  If the World War II era is one that makes you nostalgic then you might want to try one of these choices as the book to fulfill this prompt.  You will find mystery, literary fiction and spy thrillers among the choices. Happy Reading!
Mycroft Holmes
Dead Dead Girls
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022: Historical Mysteries

  • Chantal W.
  • Friday, August 19
One of the prompts for our 2022 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge is to read a historical fiction novel.  If you love yourself some suspense then combine your history and mystery with these titles.
The Codebreaker's Secret
Harlem Sunset
Staff Picks

Murder and Mayhem Fiction

  • Chantal W.
  • Thursday, August 18
Check out these fiction titles from this year to get your Murder and Mayhem fix.  Some of these may even help you meet a prompt on the 2022 #BroaderBookshelf challenge.
Hear My Voice
Sing, Don't Cry
Staff Picks

Immigration and Refugee Stories: Children's Novels and Nonfiction

  • Caitlin B.
  • Tuesday, August 16
Refugee and immigrant stories are American stories. Richland Library has a multitude of beautiful novels and nonfiction books that tell a variety of stories of children and families coming to America in search of a better life. You can place books on hold online or call us in the Children's Room at (803) 929-3434 and we will happily place holds for you to pick up in the CR or at any branch location. 
Marwan's Journey
A Thousand White Butterflies
Staff Picks

Immigration and Refugee Stories: Picture Books

  • Caitlin B.
  • Tuesday, August 16
Refugee and immigrant stories are American stories. Richland Library has a multitude of beautiful picture books that tell a variety of stories of children and families coming to America in search of a better life. You can place books on hold online or call us in the Children's Room at (803) 929-3434 and we will happily place holds for you to pick up in the CR or at any branch location. 
Marwan's Journey
A Thousand White Butterflies
Staff Picks

Immigration and Refugee Stories: Picture Books

  • Caitlin B.
  • Tuesday, August 16
Refugee and immigrant stories are American stories. Richland Library has a multitude of beautiful picture books that tell a variety of stories of children and families coming to America in search of a better life. You can place books on hold online or call us in the Children's Room at (803) 929-3434 and we will happily place holds for you to pick up in the CR or at any branch location. 
You're Not Listening
Listen!
Staff Picks

Are You Listening?: Self Improvement Books on Communication

  • Chantal W.
  • Tuesday, August 16
One of the 2022 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge prompts this year is to read a self improvement book.  Are you looking to be a better communicator?  Then these books about mindful listening, communication and how to have hard conversations with family, friends, coworkers and community members might be for you and you get to check off a #BroaderBookshelf prompt at the same time.
The Pioneers
1776
Staff Picks

American Biographer

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, August 09
Author David G. McCullough, who died on 7 August, has left a rich legacy of biographies and histories that met with both critical and public acclaim.  The recipient of two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Book Awards, among many other literary prizes, McCullough published a series of best-selling books from 1968 to 2019, all still fresh and relevant for their insight and erudition.  Check out these landmark works from our collection.
Dancing at the Pity Party
Be Gay, Do Comics!
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Graphic Novel Memoirs by Non-Celebrities

  • Mahogany S.
  • Thursday, August 04
Check out one of these graphic novels and fulfill the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge prompt "read a memoir by someone who is not a celebrity".  This list is part of the #BroaderBookshelf 2022 Reading Challenge. Find more lists here.
Post-traumatic
Brown Girls
Staff Picks

Center for Fiction 2022 First Novel Prize Longlist

  • Bland L.
  • Monday, August 01
The Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize was created in 2006 to honor the best debut fiction of the year.  The longlist for this year's prize has just been announced.  Check out these exciting new first novels from our collection.
Blog
Richland Library North Main

#OwnVoices: Sorrowland - A Review

  • Mahogany S.
  • Wednesday, July 27

"Going against tended to end more rightly, more justly, than going with. People were wrong. Rules, most of the time, favored not what was right, but what was convenient or preferable to those in charge."

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.
How to Read a Book
Get Good with Money
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Non-Celebrity Self-Discovery

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, June 29
The #BroaderBookshelf challenge helps expand your reading habits to discover authors, genres and books you might not otherwise pick up. More #BroaderBookshelf booklists can be found here. Get personalized recommendations 
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
The Ravenmaster
My Dog Tulip
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Non-Celebrity Memoirs with Animals

  • Sara M.
  • Tuesday, June 21
The #BroaderBookshelf challenge helps expand your reading habits to discover authors, genres and books you might not otherwise pick up. Check out one of these memoirs by somebody who isn't a celebrity - but who does have something to do with animals!  Hawks, sheep, pigs, dogs (so many dogs) - even the occasional royal raven.
The Memory Librarian
Black Sci-fi Short Stories
Staff Picks

Afrofuturism and Africanfuturism

  • Adele C.
  • Friday, June 17
Early late at night I wander off into a land You can go, but you mustn't tell a soul There's a world inside Where dreamers meet each other Once you go it's hard to come back Let me paint your canvas as you dance  
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
Malibu Rising
Dead Dead Girls
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022: Fiction Set in CA or NY

  • Morgan R.
  • Thursday, May 12
The #BroaderBookshelf challenge helps expand your reading habits to discover authors, genres and books you might not otherwise pick up. Read one of these fiction titles to fulfill the "Read a fiction or non-fiction book set in California or New York" prompt. Click on the title to see all available formats.
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.
The Book of Mother
Cursed Bunny
Staff Picks

2022 International Booker Prize

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, April 19
The long list and short list titles were announced this month for the 2022 International Booker Prize.  This prize was created in 2004 to recognize works of fiction that weren't eligible for the regular Booker Prize (awarded to books by authors hailing from anywhere in the British Commonwealth).  The winner will be announced on 26 May, but in the meantime, check out these nominees from our collection.
Everything is Illuminated
Fahrenheit 9/11
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #9 - Starting with 'Eva Luna')

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, March 15
☕ Take a deep dive into all the books seen and referenced on the Gilmore Girls from Season 1 to A Year in the Life.  📚 Just in time for our winter weather. So, grab your books, a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa), and bundle up by the fire. ❄️Smells Like Snow❄️ (except for SC)   Since there are 408 titles, there will be multiple lists sent out over the next few months. Enjoy!
Eloise at the Plaza
Emma.
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #8 - Starting with 'The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test')

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, March 08
☕ Take a deep dive into all the books seen and referenced on the Gilmore Girls from Season 1 to A Year in the Life.  📚 Just in time for our winter weather. So, grab your books, a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa), and bundle up by the fire. ❄️Smells Like Snow❄️ (except for SC)   Since there are 408 titles, there will be multiple lists sent out over the next few months. Enjoy!
Blog
Richland Library Cooper

In Defense of Short Stories

  • Charlotte D.
  • Friday, June 30

Short stories sometimes get a bad rap - but these collections just might change your mind about the writing form.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-ya Sisterhood.
Driving Miss Daisy.
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #7 - Starting with 'Deenie')

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, March 01
☕ Take a deep dive into all the books seen and referenced on the Gilmore Girls from Season 1 to A Year in the Life.  📚 Just in time for our winter weather. So, grab your books, a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa), and bundle up by the fire. ❄️Smells Like Snow❄️ (except for SC)   Since there are 408 titles, there will be multiple lists sent out over the next few months. Enjoy!
The Crimson Petal and the White.
Crucible
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #6 - Starting with 'The Crimson Petal & The White')

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, February 22
☕ Take a deep dive into all the books seen and referenced on the Gilmore Girls from Season 1 to A Year in the Life.  📚 Just in time for our winter weather. So, grab your books, a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa), and bundle up by the fire. ❄️Smells Like Snow❄️ (except for SC)   Since there are 408 titles, there will be multiple lists sent out over the next few months. Enjoy!
Dune
Dune.
Staff Picks

What to Read If You Like: 'DUNE'

  • Ariel H.
  • Friday, February 18
So, you've finally seen the movie and/or read the book. Great! Check out the rest of the Dune series or other series of similar themes!  Be careful with how much spice you consume...
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Count of Monte Cristo (2002.
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #5 - Starting with 'The Code of the Woosters')

  • Ariel H.
  • Friday, February 11
☕ Take a deep dive into all the books seen and referenced on the Gilmore Girls from Season 1 to A Year in the Life.  📚 Just in time for our winter weather. So, grab your books, a cup of coffee (or hot cocoa), and bundle up by the fire. ❄️Smells Like Snow❄️ (except for SC)   Since there are 408 titles, there will be multiple lists sent out over the next few months. Enjoy!
Turn Right at Machu Picchu
It's What I Do
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - True Travel Tales

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, February 11
Fulfill the "Read a book about a journey" prompt for this year's Broader Bookshelf challenge with one of these nonfiction travel books.  Travel writing can take you all the way around the world from the comfort of your living room! Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Nothing but Blackened Teeth
Taaqtumi
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Folk Horror

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, February 10
Did you really love Midsommar?  Want more of The Wicker Man?  Then you want more folk horror in your life!  Folk horror takes some element from folklore - nature spirits, Fair Folk, Japanese oni  - and incorporates it into a horror narrative.  Whether it's a creepy cult, the darkest part of the forest, or an animal that doesn't look quite right in the broad daylight, folk horror delivers the scares.  
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 Sparrow
The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Fantastic Voyages

  • Sara M.
  • Friday, February 04
Fulfill the "Read a book about a journey" prompt for this year's Broader Bookshelf challenge with one of these fantasy, sci-fi, or horror books!   Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
The Luminous Dead
World War Z
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Sci-Fi Horror

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, February 03
Do you like your horror to come with a sci-fi frame?  Here are some books that cross genres to give you a little bit of both! Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Coraline
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Horror for the Easily Frightened

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, January 27
So you saw that we're asking you to read a horror book for this year's reading challenge, and your immediate response was "nope, not this fraidy cat!"  If you don't read horror because you don't want to be too scared, here are a few options for you.  Some are older classics, which tend to be a little less scary to modern eyes, and some are modern books with a lower chill factor.  Keep in mind that horror is subjective - what's terrifying to one person doesn't even move the needle for another, so your mileage may vary!
Dread Nation
Handling the Undead
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Horror with Zombies

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, January 20
Do you like your books to have brrrrains?  Perhaps a little bite?  This list has all kinds of zombies - fast zombies, slow zombies, disease zombies, magic zombies, any kind of zombie you want. Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Staff Picks

RM's Reading List

  • Alison B.
  • Thursday, January 13
Kim Namjoon, also known by his stage name RM, is the leader of the worldwide famous K-pop group BTS. Beyond being a talented rapper, creative songwriter/producer, team mentor, and impressive dancer, he is also an avid reader. Below is a list of reading recommendations he has shared spanning across genres and countries of origin.