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. 

 

My Heart is a Chainsaw
The Shining Girls
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - The Horror of Final Girls

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, January 13
What's a final girl?  In a horror movie, usually in slasher films, the final girl is the last survivor who confronts the killer and usually lives to tell the tale.  Think Laurie Strode from Halloween, Nancy Thompson from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and even Ellen Ripley from Alien.  They exist in books too - and there's a bit of a trend lately of books with characters meta-aware of the trope.  Check out this list of horror books with tough ladies who fight back.  
Collected Ghost Stories
The Exorcist
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2022 - Classic Horror

  • Sara M.
  • Thursday, January 06
If you want to understand where any genre is going, you have to understand where it's been.  This list of classic horror novels (arbitrary cutoff: pre-Stephen King) includes a little bit of everything: psychological thrillers, sexy vampires, cosmic horror, haunted houses, and of course g-g-g-ghosts! Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Song of Solomon
Americanah
Staff Picks

Picks from Levar Burton's Book Club

  • Megan M.
  • Tuesday, January 04
Check out this list of picks from Levar Burton's Book Club.The latest pick is Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 
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. 
Blog
Richland Library Edgewood

#OwnVoices: Children's Books Reflection of 2021

  • Taelor J.
  • Thursday, June 23

Missed out on 2021 book releases? Don't worry, you can find #OwnVoices books published in 2021 for both younger and older children here. I don't forget to look out for what's to come in 2022!

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
Naturalist
The Ants
Staff Picks

Naturalist: E. O. Wilson, 1929-2021

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, December 28
In his long and distinguished career, scientist and author Edward O. Wilson, who died on 26 December, wrote as much for a popular audience as he did for his academic peers.  In addition to several books on ants (on which he was a world authority), he published widely on evolutionary biology and conservation.  One of his collaborations with fellow ant expert Bert Hölldobler, The Ants, won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction.
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.
Super Volcanoes
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2021
Staff Picks

New in Science

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, December 21
Check out the latest in science writing from our collection.  Notable titles include Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law, by best-selling author Mary Roach (dubbed "America's funniest science writer" by the WaPo) and Scientist: E. O.
Carrie
Carrie.
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #4 - Starting with 'Carrie')

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, December 13
☕ 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!
Beloved
Bel Canto
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #3 - Starting with 'Bambi')

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, December 13
☕ 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!
Life After Life
The Shining Girls
Staff Picks

Time Travel Adventures

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, November 29
Take a journey with these characters and travel through time for the ultimate adventure!
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.
The Art of War & Other Classics of Eastern Philosophy
Anna Karenina.
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #2 - Starting with 'Angela's Ashes')

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, November 24
☕ 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!
Bicycling with Butterflies
Water
Staff Picks

Expand Your Knowledge of the World

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, November 24
🌎Take a look at some titles that will continue to grow and challenge what you think you know about the world. Keep seeking to grow and learn more about the world you live in. These books will hopefully change how you see the world, and may encourage you to help build a better world for all (if you haven't already done so). Take a look below, and enjoy!
The Other Black Girl
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Staff Picks

Book-to-TV In Development: Part IV

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, November 23
As of November 2021, these are the current highly anticipated titles that are being transformed for TV.
Mexican Gothic
Americanah
Staff Picks

Book-to-TV In Development: Part II

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, November 23
As of November 2021, these are the current highly anticipated titles that are being transformed for TV.
The Vanishing Half
The Power
Staff Picks

Book-to-TV In Development: Part I

  • Ariel H.
  • Tuesday, November 23
As of November 2021, these are the current highly anticipated titles that are being transformed for TV.
1984
1984
Staff Picks

Rory Gilmore's Reading Challenge (List #1 - Starting with '1984')

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, November 18
☕ 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!
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!🌱
The Promise
A Passage North
Staff Picks

2021 Booker Prizewinner

  • Bland L.
  • Friday, November 05
South African novelist/playwright Damon Galgut has won the 2021 Booker Prize, England's most prestigious literary award, for his epic novel The Promise, the intergenerational story of an Afrikaner farming family torn apart by an unfulfilled bequest of the family matriarch.  (Galgut has twice before been shortlisted for the prize.)
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
The Last Thing He Told Me
Malibu
Staff Picks

Sandhills Staff Picks

  • Morgan R.
  • Wednesday, October 27
Curious to know what our staff read, watch, and listen to? Well you’re in luck, because we can’t wait to share some of our favorites with you!  Bonus: You can use one of these titles to fulfil the #BroaderBookshelf 2021 prompt to "Read a book suggested by a Library staff member".  
Blog
Richland Library Main

Sandhills Staff Picks of 2021

  • Morgan R.
  • Wednesday, October 27

Curious to know what our staff read, watch, and listen to? Well you’re in luck, because we can’t wait to share some of our favorites with you!  Bonus: You can use one of these titles to fulfil the #BroaderBookshelf 2021 prompt to "Read a book suggested by a Library staff member".  

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 
Hatchet
Alida's Song
Staff Picks

Remembering Gary Paulsen (May 1939 - October 2021)

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, October 14
            Gary Paulsen, a well-known YA fiction author, passed away on the morning of October 13, 2021.  A list has been created to recognized the amazing contributions he has made to many readers throughout the world. 
Blog
Richland Library Main

#OwnVoices: Clean Getaway by Nic Stone (A Review)

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, June 23

How to Go on an Unplanned Road Trip with Your Grandma:
    Grab a Suitcase: Prepacked from the big spring break trip that got CANCELLED.
    Fasten Your Seatbelt: G'ma's never conventional, so this trip won't be either.
    Use the Green Book: G'ma's most treasured possession. It holds history, memories, and most important, the way home.

What Not to Bring:
    A Cell Phone: Avoid contact with Dad at all costs. Even when G'ma starts acting stranger than usual.

Isolde
Exposed
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Translations)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some Translated titles that are only one word.    Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Feed
Conjure
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Poetry)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some Poetry titles that are only one word.    Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Nightchaser
Bounty
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Romance)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some Romance titles that are only one word.    Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Less
Cygnet
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Fiction)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some General Fiction titles that are only one word.    Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
It
Pivot
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Horror)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some Horror Fiction titles that are only one word.    Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Deathless
Heartless
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Fantasy)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some Fantasy titles that are only one word.   Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Legendborn
Speak
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Young Adult)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some fiction titles that are typically marketed to young adults.   Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Cod
Craftivism
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - One Word Titles (Nonfiction)

  • Mahogany S.
  • Tuesday, October 12
Books with One Word Titles span genres. Here are some non-fiction titles that are only one word. (Some have subtitles but we're not counting those.)    Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Unbowed
The Basics of Ecology
Staff Picks

🌍World Environmental Health Day [September 26, 2021]🌍

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, September 20
Here is a list to jump-start your dive into learning more about the biosphere you live in, and the ecosystems surrounding you (and also living within you). In addition, for those that are familiar with environmental science, there are additional books to expand your knowledge while possibly making an activist out of you.
The Only Plane in the Sky
After the Fall
Staff Picks

Fall and Rise: 9/11, 20 Years On

  • Bland L.
  • Tuesday, September 07
As the nation prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, consider these titles from our collection to learn more about what happened on that day, both from the perspective of the immediate aftermath and from more-recently published accounts that incorporate new information.  This mix of histories, memoirs, and grap
The Women with Silver Wings
2013 Instrument Rating Test Prep
Staff Picks

Aspiring Female Pilots

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, August 25
✈️Zara Rutherford, a 19-year old Belgian pilot, may become the world's youngest female pilot to fly around the world to date. Currently the title is held by Captain Shaesta Waiz, an Afghan refugee, who completed the trip in 2017 at age 30. Rutherford mentioned a huge reason for doing this flight was to help encourage more girls/young women to go into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)✈️
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 
Black Sun
A Little Hatred
Staff Picks

NPR's 50 Best Sci-fi and Fantasy of the Decade

  • Ariel H.
  • Monday, August 23
📚NPR ran a Summer online poll to see what the top 50 Sci-fi and Fantasy reads were for the decade. Their list included multiple book series and some standalone novels.  📚Below you will find all the books in each series. Most of the formats listed are in physical books, but be sure to click on the titles if you prefer another format such as eBook, eAudio, and/or Audiobooks. 📚Find your next adventure! 
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. 
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
The Bear and the Nightingale
Staff Picks

Popular BookTok books

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, August 04
Here is a list of what's currently trending on BookTok!
It Ends with Us
Sense and Sensibility
Staff Picks

Must Read Love Triangles❤️

  • Ariel H.
  • Wednesday, August 04
Whether you're here because of a book suggestion from Tik-Tok or for a bit of fun, we have just the list to keep you entertained with a hint of drama! Decisions...Decisions...Decisions...! 🤔
The Lost Apothecary
Purple Hibiscus
Staff Picks

Herbal Aficionado

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, July 29
With the season of Summer beaming down on us and more time outdoors, grab a hold of a fiction read that will encourage a little foraging in the woods.🍃
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 (
Best of Japan.
Seeing Kyoto
Staff Picks

Japan 2021 for Olympics 2020

  • Helene F.
  • Wednesday, July 14
We now get to see Japan, her culture and history after seeing China and Korea present their cultures in previous Olympic Games.  What do you want to learn about first, anime, manga, the language, the food, and the places they all come together in?  Looking for more, and in different formats? Check out our personalized recommendations here or call us at 799-9084.
The Olympics, A Very Peculiar History
Olympic Track and Field
Staff Picks

Tokyo Olympics 2020

  • Helene F.
  • Tuesday, July 13
Tokyo Olympics 2020 games are about to begin!  The trials for the USA team members are going on now.  You can pick and choose which parts of the games you watch, the gymnastics, track and field, soccer, equestrian, or one of the new sports like surfing.  Looking for more? Check out our personalized recommendations here or call us at 799-9084.
How to Be Human
Notes on Grief
Staff Picks

New in Biography and Memoir

  • Bland L.
  • Thursday, June 24
Featured in this roundup of new titles are memoirs by two authors with ties to the Midlands: Columbia native and Today Show anchor Craig Melvin, who writes of his complicated relationship with his father in Pops: Learning to Be a Son and a Father;
The White Tiger
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021:Read a Book by a Journalist (Fiction)

  • Chantal W.
  • Tuesday, May 18
One of our prompts for the 2021 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge is to read a book by a journalist, but if nonfiction is not your game then try your hand at these fiction offerings.   There are some great middle grade titles here if you want to try your hand at something different or if you have a kiddo with whom you would like to share the reading experience.
Betrayal
Guantanamo Voices
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021:Read a Book by a Journalist (Nonfiction)

  • Chantal W.
  • Tuesday, May 11
Here is a list of nonfiction books that will help you complete the 2021 #BroaderBookshelf prompt of reading a book by a journalist.  These were the titles that didn't make it onto the other Read a Book by a Journalist lists...here you'll find books about a host of other subjects including business, food, music, sports and travel.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy
Our Women on the Ground
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021:Read a Book by a Journalist (Histories)

  • Chantal W.
  • Friday, May 07
One of the reading prompts for the 2021 #BroaderBookshelf Challenge is to read a book by a journalist.  Here's a list of histories to get you started.  In these offerings you will find intricate plotting, fast and slow pacing, compelling writing, thorough research and rich detail.  Enjoy the challenge!
Blog
Richland Library Cooper

Being Vietnamese-American

  • Charlotte D.
  • Wednesday, May 05

For Asian-American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, representation matters in our books.

Artemis
Reynard the Fox
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - Antihero's and Villains as the protagonist

  • Mahogany S.
  • Thursday, April 01
Do you believe there's always an "other" side to each story?  Well here they are. Read some titles that talk about the perspective of the villain or an antihero. Some are tricksters and some are downright murderers. All are darkly enjoyable.   Learn more about the Broader Bookshelf challenge and see more lists here.
Blog
Richland Library Edgewood

Read Woke Across America Week

  • Taelor J.
  • Friday, March 05

Let’s show out children a world where everyone does not look the same, worship the same, or even think the same—and that this is the beauty of the world. Let’s teach them that in spite of our differences, we’re more alike than different, and learning brings us closer together. Let’s join together and Read WOKE Across America!

The Way You Make Me Feel
Simon Vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - Young Adult Romance Novels

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, February 22
Fulfill the "Read a Romance Novel" prompt for this year's Broader Bookshelf challenge with one of these young adult romances!  They're great books for teens and they also have a lot of crossover appeal for adults.  All of the subgenres in adult romance appear in YA romance as well, so you're sure to find something you love here!
The Witness
The Unsung Hero
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - Romantic Suspense

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, February 15
Fulfill the "Read a Romance Novel" prompt for this year's Broader Bookshelf challenge with one of these romantic suspense novels!  Romantic suspense books still have a central romance plot, but they also have a thriller or suspense element that shares the spotlight.
Spoiler Alert
Motorcycle Man
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - Contemporary Romance Novels

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, February 08
Fulfill the "Read a Romance Novel" prompt for this year's Broader Bookshelf challenge with one of these contemporary romances.  A contemporary romance is set in the time it was written in, but can be about anything - this list has books about cowboys, cosplayers, yarn store owners, and princes!  (A surprising number of princes.)  
Blog
Richland Library Main

#OwnVoices: Bring On the Blessings (Book #1 of Blessings series)

  • Ariel H.
  • Thursday, June 23

When a post-Reconstruction African-American community succumbs to a desperate need for funds and purpose, its mayor puts the small town up for sale and finds a buyer in Bernardine Brown, who believes the town's sale to be a sign from God. 🏠🏠

Night Song
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
Staff Picks

#BroaderBookshelf 2021 - Historical Romance Novels

  • Sara M.
  • Monday, February 01
Fulfill the "Read a Romance Novel" prompt for this year's Broader Bookshelf challenge with one of these historical romances!  They're set in a wide variety of times and places (it's not all Regency!), so you're sure to find one that makes your heart sing!