In this list you will find stories of contemporary life in Pittsburgh – literary fiction and domestic fiction. Stories of modern immigrants, coming-of-age tales for college students, the sisterhood of sports fans, all types of romance and heartbreak.

If you're looking for an action-packed, robot-filled, cat-tinged but realistic story, check out "Catfishing on CatNet."

Here are some recent contemporary fiction titles aimed at middle grade level readers with LGBTQ+ characters. 

From science fiction to historical fiction and memoirs, these books portray various experiences of both Blackness and queerness.

This memoir manifesto by cultural critic Johnson navigates Blackness, masculinity and queerness while asking readers to explore the social forces that shape their lives.

With wit and smarts, these romances explore love, identity and self-discovery.

If you’ve watched the Netflix series "Tiny Pretty Things," about social drama at an elite ballet school, and now want more stories of teenagers devoted to dance, this is the booklist for you. 

Written by Black authors from different countries, of different ages and from different life experiences, these short story collections masterfully find the moments in life when people’s personalities change – either deliberately or inadvertently.  

The speculative is a space in fiction where the unexpected and impossible can creep in. These recent collections of short stories all deal in the speculative fiction realm but vary in approach and tone. Take a look and find one to suit your mood!