Even Library staff can struggle to keep up with all the bookish news out there. From social media to local papers, books are a hot topic. In this monthly post we are highlighting some regional literary news and connecting you with our library collections so you can keep your finger on the pulse of Pittsburgh. Check out what was trending and topical this past month.
News Story: WESA – Pittsburgh author awarded Pulitzer Prize for book on Harriet Tubman’s role in a Civil War raid
Book mentioned – Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom During the Civil War by Edda L. Fields-Black
“This book offers the first full account of Harriet Tubman’s Civil War service and the Combahee River Raid. It details how Tubman commanded a ring of spies, scouts, and pilots and participated in military expeditions behind Confederate lines.”
eFormats: This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby, in eAudio on Libby, and in eAudio on Hoopla.
News Story : City Paper – In Warhol’s Muses, author Laurence Leamer examines how the pop artist exploited the women who inspired him
Book mentioned – Warhol’s Muses by Laurence Leamer
“From the New York Times bestselling author of Capote’s Women comes an astonishing account of the revolutionary artist Andy Warhol and his scandalous relationships with the ten women he deemed his “superstars,” beginning in 1964 and culminating four years later when Warhol was shot and almost killed.”
News Story: KDKA – Meeting Rachel Ekstrom, a best-selling author, about her latest books
Book mentioned – Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom-Courage
“When Dorothy’s obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf-themed wedding Rose is hosting.”
eFormats: This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Hoopla.
News Story: KDKA – Talking to a local author who explores the journey of c-section recovery
Book mentioned – Strength in Every Scar: A Mother’s C-section Journey by Ruth Fleury
“Strength in Every Scar: A Mother’s C-Section Journey offers a raw and heartfelt glimpse into the realities of motherhood through the lens of five C-section deliveries. Author Ruth Fleury shares her deeply personal experiences-the challenges, the triumphs, and the strength she discovered with each birth.”
News Story: Book Riot – The Complexity of Race and Gender in Appalachia
Book mentioned – Black Freedom Struggle in Urban Appalachia edited by J.Z. Bennett
“Positioning Pittsburgh as a pivotal space within the region while proposing an anti-carceral framework for understanding education, the anthology examines how people live the struggle for freedom and broadens discussions about the prison-industrial complex, labor, and place in Appalachia–sparking questions motivated by a shared commitment to liberation.”
Book mentioned: To Belong Here: A New Generation of Queer, Trans and Two-spirit Appalachian Writers edited by Rae Garringer
“Themes of erasure, environmentalism, violence, kinship, racism, Indigeneity, queer love, and trans liberation course through the volume and exemplify the writers’ resilience in reconciling their complex and often contradictory connections to home. A collective exploration of rejection and acceptance, To Belong Here calls for a more inclusive future in Appalachia–one where everyone can thrive.”
Book mentioned: Tar Hollow Trans by Stacy Jane Grover
“Tar Hollow Trans investigates the ways the labels of transgender and Appalachian have been created and understood and reckons with the ways the ever-becoming transgender self, like a stigmatized region, can find new spaces of growth.”
eFormats: This title is also available for checkout as an eBook on Libby.
News Story: Post Gazette – Review: Unleashing the bear
Book mentioned – I Have Not Considered Consequences by Sherrie Flick
“I Have Not Considered Consequences delves into the complexities of grief, desire, and a peculiar intersection between humans and bears. Flick’s evocative and thought-provoking stories follow characters like Bobby, a local home inspector who zips into a bear suit on his daily rounds, and a Gen-X couple, Matty and Trudy, navigating the ups and downs of their adult lives, from a dead fish named Patti Smith to dashed dreams of indie rock stardom.”