Welcome to a special non-Wednesday edition of the newsletter!
I have a heckuva regular newsletter set to publish at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, but for now, I wanted to bring you this special Burghy gift guide for the readers in your life. The focus of this list is works by local authors published within the last year or so. I strongly encourage you to patronize any local bookshops for items you’d like to get. If they don’t have them in stock, they’d likely be able to order them for you before the holidays. However, I have linked to Amazon pages so you can read full synopses, reviews, etc. Some local bookshops for you to check out are White Whale Bookstore, City Books, or any one on this complete list of local indie bookstores.
These books are in alphabetical order by author surname. As always, there are no ads. If I have read any book on this list, I bought it myself and I never accept free copies or gifts. There’s lots of diverse representation in these books too, so hopefully you’ll find something for your person.
Let’s go, my yinzer readers …
The Fabled Stables series by Jonathan Auxier for ages 6-8
Jonathan Auxier was raised in Canada, and now lives in Pittsburgh with his wife and family where he writes “strange stories for strange children.” The Fabled Stables series of chapter books is whimsical, fun, and sure to be favorites for your kiddos with big imaginations.
Welcome to the Fabled Stables, a magical building filled with one-of-a-kind creatures. Creatures including the Gargantula, the Yawning Abyss, the Hippopotamouse . . . and Auggie. Auggie is the only human boy at the Stables, and he takes care of all the other animals.
Sad Animal Facts, Sad Animal Babies, and Let’s Be Weird Together by Brooke Barker for all ages
So I purchased Sad Animal Babies for my daughter as a gift last year having no idea that Brooke Barker is a Pittsburgher. Kismet! Her humorously illustrated and witty books are a favorite of mine and they’re a perfect gift for anyone in your life who appreciates or needs a chuckle or spot of fun.
Ever wonder what a mayfly thinks of its one-day lifespan? (They’re curious what a sunset is.) Or how a jellyfish feels about not having a heart? (Sorry, but they’re not sorry.) This melancholy menagerie pairs the more unsavory facts of animal life with their hilarious thoughts and reactions. Sneakily informative, and wildly witty, SAD ANIMAL FACTS will have you crying with laughter.
Punch Me Up to the Gods by Brian Broome
This book is a big big deal. It won the Kirkus Prize — a big big deal. Broome’s memoir covers his life growing up as a gay black person and coming of age in Pittsburgh’s gay scene in the 90s. The writing is gorgeous, evocative, raw and has so much depth. This is the best book I read all year from any author in any city. The Luther Vandross incident had me howling.
Isaly's Chipped Ham, Klondikes, and Other Tales from Behind the Counter by Brian Butko
This is one for every Pittsburgher young and old who appreciates a Klondike Bar or a good chipped chopped ham sandwich. I once lived two blocks from an Isaly’s and my little son and I (he’s 19 now) would walk down every Saturday morning to grab a coffee and half-pound of ham for me, and a smiley cookie for him. My hot take that will get me banned from this city? Isaly’s smiley cookies were a million times better than Eat’n Park’s. Come at me. This book by local author Brian Butko and published in conjunction with the Heinz History Center sounds amazing.
Isaly’s grew from horse-drawn milk wagons to become the world’s largest dairy store chain. Stores in hundreds of towns and neighborhoods popularized products like Chipped Ham, Skyscraper Cones, and the Klondike Bar. Learn the fascinating histories behind these products and more in this lavishly illustrated book.
Storm Blown and Snow Struck by Nick Courage for ages 8-12
For your kid who loves disaster movies and adventure stories come two books from local author Nick Courage (he splits his time between Brooklyn and Pittsburgh). Storm Blown was published last year while Snow Struck is a pre-order that will publish in January.
Storm Blown: “A suspenseful tale of survival surrounding the fictitious megastorm Valerie. Readers experience the first awakenings of the storm from Alejo's point of view in San Juan, Puerto Rico.”
The Ambulance Chaser by Brian Cuban
I bet he hates being called this, but Brian Cuban is the brother of Mark Cuban, and a successful Pitt-educated lawyer, author, addiction recovery advocate, and public speaker in his own right. His previous work, a memoir called The Addicted Lawyer, preceded his latest work, a fictional tale of a Pittsburgh-based lawyer whose life as a part-time drug dealer falls apart upon the discovery of human remains belonging to a high school classmate. My copy is on the way because I love supporting people who defy the odds and I will read anything with the Cathedral of Learning on the cover.
Dominicana by Angie Cruz
Published in 2019 with the paperback coming out last year, Pittsburgher Angie Cruz’s novel Dominicana won or was nominated for a slew of awards. It was a Good Morning America Book Club pick, an Amazon editors’ pick for Best Fiction, and was shortlisted for the 2020 Women’s Prize for Fiction. It “is a vital portrait of the immigrant experience and the timeless coming-of-age story of a young woman finding her voice in the world.” This is one to grab for your bookclub buddies.
I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick for Young Adults
Here’s one for the YA book lovers of all ages in your life. A thriller focusing on “two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.” Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca (a fave of mine), this 2020 book by Pittsburgher Kit Frick was called “a shivery delight” by People magazine, is an Amazon Teacher’s Pick, and is sure to be a favorite for whomever you gift it to.
You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love by Yona Harvey
University of Pittsburgh professor Yona Harvey contributed to Marvel’s World of Wakanda and co-authored with Ta-Nehisi Coates Black Panther and the Crew, but it’s her 2020 solo work, You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love that I’m here to tell you about.
Is it poetry? Yes. Do you have to be a poetry fan to love it? Heckin’ no. It’s not only the words, a few of which I’ll put here, but it’s the SHAPE of the words. I can’t explain it. Just grab this one for the literary lover in your life who appreciates writers who find new ways to use the printed word while making you think.
“I forget how daytime gnaws us till evening if we linger too long in its jaws”
“An apology — is not an eraser. Maybe a filling. A cover. For words spoken in haste.”
“She was not afraid. of breaking things. & that was key.”
MultiStories by Mark Houser
Here’s a fun book for the history or architecture lover in your life. MultiStories by Pittsburgh writer and speaker Mark Houser tells the stories of the tycoons and companies behind 55 of the most iconic skyscrapers including the Arrott and Frick buildings here in Pittsburgh. If you’ve ever taken a Doors Open Pittsburgh rooftop tour, Mark might have been the one giving it.
More than 100 years ago, towering marvels like New York's Flatiron Building thrilled the public and transformed cities across the country. Now take a tour of the best of these elegant landmarks still standing today in 31 U.S. and 5 international cities.
Sweet Tea by Piper Huguley
Hello, romance lovers! I’m waving to myself. I love a good romance book, particularly the modern kind. Enter Sweet Tea by Pittsburgh native and Wilkinsburg High grad Piper Huguley who takes us to Georgia (where she currently resides) to tell us a story released by Hallmark Publishing this year:
Althea Dailey has succeeded beyond her wildest dreams: she’s about to make partner at her prestigious law firm in New York. So why doesn’t she feel more excited about it? When she has to travel South for a case, she pays a long-overdue visit back home to Milford, Georgia. To her surprise, a white man she’s never met has befriended her grandmother.
Jack Darwent wasn’t interested in the definition of success dictated by Southern high society. His passion for cooking led him to his current project: a documentary and cookbook about authentic Southern food. Althea’s grandmother is famous for her cooking at Milford College, a historically Black institution. But Althea suspects Jack of trying to steal her grandmother’s recipes.
I’m here for it. Make it a movie.
The Lucky List by Rachael Lippincott for ages 12 and up and young adults
How did I not know that Rachael Lippincott, the co-author of the best-selling Five Feet Apart, which was made into a movie, is a Pittsburgher?! I really do not have my pulse on the City of Pittsburgh as many people wrongly believe. Adding to this gift guide is her latest book which was published this year, The Lucky List:
Emily and her mom were always lucky. But Emily’s mom’s luck ran out three years ago when she succumbed to cancer, and nothing has felt right for Emily since.Now, the summer before her senior year, things are getting worse. Not only has Emily wrecked things with her boyfriend Matt, who her mom adored, but her dad is selling the house she grew up in and giving her mom’s belongings away. Soon, she’ll have no connections left to Mom but her lucky quarter. And with her best friend away for the summer and her other friends taking her ex’s side, the only person she has to talk to about it is Blake, the swoony new girl she barely knows. But that’s when Emily finds the list—her mom’s senior year summer bucket list—buried in a box in the back of her closet. When Blake suggests that Emily take it on as a challenge, the pair set off on a journey to tick each box and help Emily face her fears before everything changes.
Panic Attack by Dennis Palumbo
Here’s a 2021 Pittsburgh-set thriller written by a Pittsburgh author. This is book six of the Daniel Rinaldi series. Grab the earlier books and gift a whole set.
Psychologist Daniel Rinaldi is no stranger to trauma. A survivor of not one, but two attempts on his life by a deranged killer, the therapist also counsels trauma patients in his private practice, and contracts with the Pittsburgh Police to help victims of violent crime cope with their experience. When a sports mascot is gunned down mid-field by a sniper at a college football game he attends, Rinaldi becomes an accidental yet integral part of the investigation.
The PLAIN Janes by Jim Rugg (with Cecil Castellucci) for ages 12 and up
Where my graphic novel peeps at? I know a bunch of you have kids that prefer to read this form of writing, as my daughter does. Pittsburgh cartoonist Jim Rugg’s name appears on the cover of several great books, but the newest series, The Plain Janes, is particularly badass. Published last year, this volume includes the original two stories--The Plain Janes and Janes in Love--plus a never-before-seen third story, Janes Attack Back.
When artsy misfit Jane Beckles is forced to leave her beloved city life behind for the boring suburb of Kent Waters, she thinks her life is over. But then she finds where she belongs: at the reject table in the cafeteria, along with fellow misfits Brain Jayne, Theater Jane, and sporty Polly Jane. United by only two things-a shared name and frustration with the adults around them--the girls form a secret club dedicated to fighting suburban apathy with guerrilla works of art scattered around their small town.
Baby Teeth (paperback) and Getaway by Zoje Stage
Zoje Stage, the best-selling author of Baby Teeth, is a Pittsburgher and the paperback version of Baby Teeth was released just last year while her latest, Getaway, was released this summer. Grab one or both for the thriller lover in your life.
“Unnerving and unputdownable, Baby Teeth will get under your skin and keep you trapped in its chilling grip until the shocking conclusion.”—New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline
“I’ve been waiting for a thriller to capture the emotional depth of women for years. . . . I can’t recommend Getaway enough.” —Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author of The Wives and The Wrong Family
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch
I’m breaking my own rule with this one because it was published a few years ago but, come on. A dystopian thriller set in Pittsburgh and written by a Pittsburgh author? Hells yeah.
Pittsburgh is John Dominic Blaxton’s home even though the city has been uninhabitable ruin and ash for the past decade. The Pittsburgh Dominic lives in is the Archive, an immersive virtual reconstruction of the city’s buildings, parks, and landmarks, as well as the people who once lived there. Including Dominic’s wife and unborn child.
When he’s not reliving every recorded moment with his wife in an endless cycle of desperation and despair, Dominic investigates mysterious deaths preserved in the Archive before Pittsburgh’s destruction. His latest cold case is the apparent murder of a woman whose every appearance is deliberately being deleted from the Archive. Obsessed with uncovering this woman’s identity and what happened to her, Dominic follows a trail from the virtual world into reality. But finding the truth buried deep within an illusion means risking his sanity and his very existence...
His The Gone World was published in 2019 and also takes place around these here parts:
Shannon Moss is part of a clandestine division within the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. In western Pennsylvania, 1997, she is assigned to solve the murder of a Navy SEAL's family—and to locate his vanished teenage daughter. Though she can't share the information with conventional law enforcement, Moss discovers that the missing SEAL was an astronaut aboard the spaceship U.S.S. Libra—a ship assumed lost to the currents of Deep Time.
We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian for young adults
Badass teen girls, unite! Published in hardcover last year and paperback this year, Pittsburgh author Siobhan Vivian’s book for young adults tells the story of “a toxic coach who finds himself outplayed by the high school girls on his team in this deeply suspenseful novel, which unspools over twenty-four hours through six diverse perspectives.”
Whew. And that’s it. A great idea is to also check out the Amazon pages for these local authors to find other older books they’ve published. You might find something there as well. Most local bookshops also have Pittsburgh writers sections. Happy shopping and remember! If people read more books, the world wouldn’t be such a garbage fire.
Amen.