Read-alikes for Popular Books in 2018

LibraryReads recently released their favorite of the favorites 2018. These are the top ten books that librarians across the county have loved recommending throughout this year. If you’re looking for something to read that is like a popular book from this year try one of these. Links are to the title in the Charleston County Public Library catalog.

LibraryReads Favorite of the Favorites 2018.

If you liked Educated by Tara Westover, try The Only Girl in The World by Maude Julien.

If you liked An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, try The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner.

If you liked Circe by Madeline Miller, try Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin.

If you liked The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware, try The Black Painting by Neil Olson.

If you liked The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, try Educated by Tara Westover or The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

If you liked The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin, try Eternal Life by Dara Horn.

If you like The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, try The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.

If you liked There There by Tommy Orange, try The House of Broken Angels by Luis Alberto Urrea.

If you liked The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory, try It Happened One Wedding by Julie James.

If you liked The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn, try Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.

Read-alike suggestions come from Novelist Plus, a database offered by Charleston County Public Library that connects similar titles and authors together. Bonus, it’s not an algorithm doing the linking but a trained librarian who works for novelist. Next time you find a title or author you really liked give Novelist a try to find another title or author that is similar.

Want help with Novelist or finding a book to read contact the Mt. Pleasant Regional Library at MtpReference@ccpl.org, (843)849-6161, leave a comment below, or come by the library located at 1133 Mathis Ferry Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464.

Favorites of the Favorites 2018

2018 National Book Award Winners Announced

The National Book Foundation announced the winners of this year's National Book Awards. Below are the winners with a link to the title in our catalog.

Fiction

The Friend, by Sigrid Nunez

Nonfiction

The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke, by Jeffrey C. Stewart

Translated Literature

The Emissary, by Yoko Tawada, translated by Margaret Mitsutani

Poetry

Indecency, by Justin Phillip Reed

Young People's Literature

The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo

For the long list of finalist, click here to go to the National Book Foundation website.

Top Ten Books of November 2018

Library Closed for Veterans Day

Dinovember

Top Ten Books of October 2018

Most Banned Books of 2017

In honor of Banned Books Week, September 23-29, the American Library Association created an infographic listing the top ten most challenged books of 2017.

If you'd like to know more about why any of these titles were challenged, click here to view an annotated list of the top ten most challenged books for every year through 2001.

Click here to search for any of the titles in our catalog.

Click here to search for any of the titles in Overdrive/Libby.

Click here to search for any of the titles in hoopla.

If you'd like more information please leave a comment below or contact the Mt. Pleasant Regional Library, located at 1133 Mathis Ferry Rd., Mt. Pleasant, by phone, (843) 849- 6161, or by email, MtpReference@ccpl.org.

Learn to Bake with the Library

Anyone else completely obsessed with "The Great British Baking Show"? I've never been a person to enjoy cooking or baking but I am completely sucked in to this television show! I want to learn how to make all the yummy bakes including pies, cakes, puddings, and custards.

If you have never seen "The Great British Baking Show" you can check out the show's DVDs from the library. Click here to see which seasons are available. Some of the seasons are also available for streaming on hoopla, click here to check it out and start streaming.

If you're wanting to learn how to make all the yummy goodness try:

Rose's Baking Basics: 100 Essential Recipes, with More Than 600 Step-by-Step Photos by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Best selling author and baking expert, Rose Levy Beranbaum, guides readers through no fuss recipes such as brownies, holiday pies, birthday cakes, and homemade bread. Beranbaum uses a streamlined and simplified approach along with instructive photos to help you along the way. Throughout the book she shares tips and methods for best flavors and foolproof results.

Click here to view in our catalog.

The Great British Bake Off Big Book of Baking by Lisa Collister 

This cookbook contains 120 recipes from both the judges and bakers of The Great British Bake Off! Using easy-to-follow techniques there are recipes for biscuits, bread, cakes, and all the yummy goodness created on the show. Chapters showcase the best recipes from the challenges including Mary and Paul's Signature Bakes, Technical Challenges, and Showstoppers along with best bakers' recipes from the show. This book is a great guide to baking whether you're new to baking or a well-practiced home cook, with step-by-step photographs to help guide readers through more complicated techniques.

Click here to view in our catalog.

If you'd like more resources about learning how to bake please leave a comment below or contact the Mt. Pleasant Regional Library, located at 1133 Mathis Ferry Rd., Mt. Pleasant, by phone, (843) 849- 6161, or by email, MtpReference@ccpl.org.

Top Ten Books of September 2018

Closed for Labor Day

Word and Excel Classes at Mt. Pleasant Regional Library

Writing Class: From Draft to Traditionally Published Novel

Spaces are still available for the class with J.C. Sasser. Writers wishing to participate should send the following information to MtpReference@ccpl.org.

1. Full name
2. Telephone number
3. Email address
4. Confirm novel draft completed Y/N (it is not necessary to send a sample at this time).

Reading Suggestions: The Crown

If you enjoyed Netflix's "The Crown" try the books below to get a royal fix while we wait for Season 3.

Click on a title to view it in our catalog.

Non-Fiction

The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II by Catherine Ryan











The Crown: The Official Companion Volume 1 Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and The Making of a Young Queen, 
(1947-1955) by Robert Lacey

Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Royal Marriage by Gyles Brandreth

Prince Philip: The Turbulent Early Life of the Man Who Married Queen Elizabeth II by Philip Eade

Ninety-nine glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown

Fiction

Mrs. Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn

Also available on Overdrive , Libby, and hoopla.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Top Ten Books of August 2018

Write On! Literacy Celebration

The end of summer reading will be here before you know it. Between Saturday, July 28 and Saturday, August 4 there will be a weeklong, system-wide series of fun events including writing workshops and author talks geared towards older young adults and adults.

At the Mt. Pleasant Regional Library we will host two of those programs, a Volunteer Fair and a Fiction Writing Workshop with Grady Hendrix.

The Volunteer Fair is on Thursday, August 2 from 2 to 4 p.m. where you can come explore volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits.

The Fiction Writing Workshop with Grady Hendrix is on Friday, August 3 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Author Grady Hendrix will facilitate a fiction writing workshop open to anyone 16 or older. Pre-registration is required. Please email mtpreference@ccpl.org or call 843-849-6161 to register.

Grady's book Paperbacks from Hell won the Stoker Award in 2017 for Distinguished Achievement in Non-Fiction.

Books by Grady Hendrix (click on the book title to see it in our catalog)
Horrorstör  (eBook and downloadable audiobook available)
My Best Friend’s Exorcism (eBook and downloadable audiobook available)
Paperbacks from Hell

Growing Citrus in South Carolina

Top Ten Books of July 2018

Library Closed for Fourth of July

Summer Reading at CCPL

Have you been reading this summer and want to win great prizes?

Join in our summer reading programs, there is a program for every age group (children, teens, and adult).

Click here to find out more or to start logging your reading.