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Book Lists

The following is a collection of booklists put together by the First Floor staff. Check back often for updates and new lists. Enjoy!

New Arrivals

A selection of the latest titles to arrive on our shelves. Check back often for updates!

 

Our Newest Booklists

  • Consent Zines
    After the incident in Steubenville, Ohio, people have been doing a lot of thinking and talking about sexual assault and consent issues. Find these zines and more in the zine collection on the First Floor, New and Featured, Main Library.
  • Read-Alikes: Born Bad
    They were born this way. Fiction featuring evil, murderous children.
  • Read-Alikes: Life After Life
    If you enjoyed the historical fiction or time-bending aspects of Life After Life, then try one of these. . .
  • Read-Alikes: The Prisoner's Dilemma
    Guilty or innocent, these stories begin after the conviction.
  • Read-Alikes: Tenth of December
    Poignant short story collections that probe the unsettling darkness.
  • Zane Presents...
    Have you read all of the books by Zane? Did you know there is a whole series of books called Zane Presents - books by other authors but endorsed by the queen of African American erotic fiction herself?.
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General Fiction


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African & African American Fiction


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Inspirational Fiction

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GLBT

  • Dashing Detectives
    Accusation and crime make these fascinating and suspenseful reads. Look for them and others in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection.
  • Family Drama!
    Sometimes you can't save the drama for your mama. Especially if she is causing the drama in your life. These tales of broken families and the perils of childhood can be found in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection on the First Floor of the Main Library.
  • Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror Can Be Gay Too!
    These tales of other worlds and the supernatural cross gender roles as well as reality.
  • GLBT Fiction to Watch Out For
    They're here, they're queer, and they're ready to be read! Check out these bold new fiction titles from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection today.
  • Growing Up and Coming Out
    If they can do it, you can too.
  • Imaginary Life Can be Gay
    A list of new GLBT fiction featuring self-discovery, missing persons, and tortured pasts.
  • Life Can be Gay
    A list of GLBT memoirs about how life can be hilarious and heartbreaking.
  • Restless Romantic
    M/M romances from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection on the First Floor of the Main Library.
  • Rousing Romances
    Lesbian love stories for the hopeless romantic and the hesitant heartbroken. Find these and more in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection on the First Floor of the Main Library.

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Historical Fiction


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Holidays

  • Holiday Fiction
    Heartwarming tales for the holidays.
  • Holiday Survival Guide: Stories
    In the mood for a holiday story? We offer a medley of new novels, well loved classics, short stories, anthologies, and one non-fiction winner.
  • Horribulous Halloweenus Hilarious
    Horror can be so much more than just scary or horrifying. The following list of books will show you the other masks horror can wear.
  • Humorous Holiday Books
    Shopping, baking, wrapping presents . . . take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season with one of these humorous holiday stories!
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Horror


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Mysteries & Thrillers

  • Amateur Detectives
    Detectives come in all kinds of packages in these fun mysteries.
  • Animal Mysteries
    From pet detectives to furry perpetrators, these animal mysteries will have you wagging your tail!
  • Christian Mysteries
    Popular mysteries in the Christian fiction genre.
  • Classic Whodunnits
    Even if you already know the ending, these classic whodunnits are worth another read.
  • A Dash of Suspense: Culinary Mysteries
    Dig in to these mysteries dealing with all things culinary.
  • Effective Detectives with Linear Perspective
    Featuring some awfully clever private investigators with unmatched craft and wit.
  • Forces of Murder
    Discover new mysteries and thrillers wherein natural disasters form the backdrop for murder!
  • Get Cozy Between the Covers
    Softer vehicles of murder and mystery featuring parasols and tea for the kinder, gentler souls among us.
  • History Mysteries: 20th Century
    Get your U.S. History mysteriously.
  • Hold On!
    Mysteries at treacherous waterfalls, adventures in white water rapids, kayak trips down raging rivers, journeys on perilous waterways of all kinds—enjoy these exciting (and soggy) summertime reads.
  • Holidays, Interrupted
    It's a not-so-merry Christmas in these mysteries and thrillers.
  • How Does Your Garden Whodunit Grow?
    A tranquil garden is the scene of a shocking crime! Sleuths rake through clues and dig out "whodunit" in this group of botanically based mysteries.
  • Librarians as Detectives
    Is your neighborhood librarian a closet sleuth? All of these mysteries feature librarians as the crime investigator extraordinaire.
  • Librarians as Victims
    Who knew that people had such pent up frustration against their local library staff? Check out these mysteries where the prey is the town librarian.
  • More Historical Mysteries
    Some feature famous characters, and all of these novels of detection are set in a time clearly distinct from our own. That's right—before cells phones, before computers.
  • Muslim Mysteries
    These whodunits all have an Islamic connection, whether it's the location, the detective, the victim, or the suspect. This list was created to enhance the library's Muslim Journeys programming throughout 2013, sponsored through a grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  • Mysteries...
    New mysteries, classic mysteries, nonfiction books about mysteries-- we've got it all right here!
  • The Mystery of Nancy Drew
    Fiction and non-fiction about that famous girl detective!
  • Mystery Parodies
    Choose an affectionate, tongue-in-cheek send-up of a classic detective tale for a tremendously entertaining summer read.
  • Reluctant Mysteries
    Not much of a mystery reader? One of these books just might change your mind!
  • Scandals in Scandinavia
    Think that life is calmer where it's colder? These mystery and suspense novels set in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Greenland will prove that theory wrong.
  • Scandinavian Mystery Rocks!
    Great fiction not written by Stieg Larsson.
  • Suspense Series
    There are tons of quality suspense series out there, but as every fan of a series knows, it's best to begin at the beginning. You'll understand the basic premise, discover unique personalities of the main characters, and learn interesting facts that may come into play in later books. Presenting the first volumes of several popular thriller series.
  • Sweden Is A Mystery
    An increase of crime in Sweden has been credited with an increase in Swedish crime novel writing, and the quality of this infusion into the mystery genre cannot be denied.
  • Watching the Detectives
    Graphic Novels about mystery and crime.
  • Women Spy Novels
    The world of women operatives in fiction spans the globe and includes dangerous situations, covert operations, and extreme tactics.


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Romance


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Science Fiction & Fantasy


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Short Stories

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World Fiction


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Featured Authors

  • Author Spotlight: John Irving
    John Irving is a celebrated novelist known for his masterful blending of the comic and the tragic in his endearing storytelling.
  • Author Spotlight: Jodi Picoult
    Bestselling author Jodi Picoult is a wizard with domestic drama, combining aspects of legal thrillers and suspense novels with frank explorations of relationships within and surrounding families.
  • Author Spotlight: Richard Russo
    Russo is a true master of character development, blending a deep insight of human nature with observations that are often hilarious and always heartfelt.
  • The Dark Ladies of Fiction
    Five female authors who can take you to the edge and back.

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Read-Alikes


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Graphic Novels


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Nonfiction

  • Animal Magic
    Animals impact our lives in incredible and amazing ways. These titles celebrate the friendship, depth, and variety that living among animals brings to humans.
  • Believe It: Books on Faith
    Interested in how different people express religious beliefs, or the lack thereof? The books on this list can get you started.
  • Batter Up! Ten Books About Baseball
    Now that spring has returned, the boys of summer aren't far behind. Read up on the history, present and future of our national pastime while you wait for the season to start.

  • Blogs to Books
    You loved them on the internet, now love them on the printed page! Plus never-before-seen hilarity!
  • Books for Bibliophiles
    Fiction and non-fiction about books and reading.
  • The Feminine Mystic: Books About Feminine Spirituality
    Explore these memoirs and nonfiction selections from writers who define the divine with a feminine pronoun.
  • Funny People With Great Attitude
    Wisdom and wit combine to produce thought-provoking laughter.
  • Get Creative at the Library!
    The library has great books and DVDs to help you get creative!
  • Get Dirty Between the Covers
    What's more satisfying — eating fresh food, saving dough or being outdoors in the summertime? Luckily you don't have to choose. Enjoy all three when you start your own garden.
  • Go Green With a Kitchen Garden
    Plan and plant a kitchen garden for the most local, freshest food possible.
  • Holiday Celebrations: Cooking & Decorating
    A variety of books to help you celebrate the season.
  • Holiday Miscellany
    Historical holidays, humor and a graphic novel: at least one of these will get you in the mood for the holidays!
  • Islamic Art
    Explore our rich collection of books and films on Islamic art. This list was created to enhance the library's Muslim Journeys programming throughout 2013, sponsored through a grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  • Investigate the Code
    Captivated by The Da Vinci Code? Now do the research!
  • Japan: People and Culture
    An introduction to Japanese and Japanese American culture.
  • Large Print Luminaries: A Sample Booklist
    Did you know that many of your favorite titles and authors, both fiction and non-fiction, are available in large print versions?
  • The Latest in Home Repair
    Whether you want tips, techniques and instructions, or a readable history of the underlying areas of a home, you'll find the latest New and Featured titles in home repair and decoration.
  • The Lighter Side of Real Life
    These accessible nonfiction reads will make you think, laugh, and otherwise appreciate the delightfully quirky world around you.
  • A Little Crafty, a Little Crazy
    Crafting for grownups.
  • Midwives
    Fiction and non-fiction featuring baby catchers.
  • Miserable Childhoods
    These authors vie for most compelling miserable memoir.
  • Muslim Women's Experiences
    Though their religion is the same, their experiences are varied. From Cairo to California, from Iran to Afghanistan, these women make physical and spiritual journeys for the sake of their faith and for the sake of survival. This list was created to enhance the library's Muslim Journeys programming throughout 2013, sponsored through a grant from the American Library Association and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
  • The Mystery of Nancy Drew
    Fiction and non-fiction about that famous girl detective!
  • Nautical Nonfiction
    Pirates, ghosts, crab fishing, exploration, survival, all happening on the open seas.
  • On Pins and Needles: Books About Acupuncture
    Curious about acupuncture? These books can give you a good overview or offer specific suggestions for using acupuncture to deal with various health concerns.
  • Pittsburgh Baseball and Hockey
    Tales of Pittsburgh baseball and hockey legends, from past and present.
  • Pittsburgh Sports - Yinz Love the Stillers
    Long live the Black and Gold!
  • The Pleasure of Poetry
    Selected volumes designed to captivate your soul and senses.
  • Poetry on Poverty
    Poets render the hardships and beauty of poor and working class life into a variety of powerful styles.
  • Poets Write Personal Prose
    Reflections on parents, pacifism, gardening, and more.
  • Redd-up Reads
    Ten Books to Help You Get and Stay Organized.
  • Small Boxes Containing Smaller Text
    Scissors and highlighters in hand, these fiction and non-fiction titles hone in on the peculiarities and hilarity of classified ads.
  • Therapeutic Massage: There's So Much to Learn!
    Learn how to massage. Learn about using massage to address specific health concerns. Learn about various types of massage therapies. And more!
  • True Life Women
    Everyone has a story; some are just stranger than others.
  • Two Wheels, Not Four!
    Fiction and non-fiction titles all about bicycling!
  • Unforgettable Memoirs
    Lose yourself in some of this year’s most compelling non-fiction.
  • Ukraine
    You won't find direct flights from the Steel City to Eastern Europe, but you can surround yourself with Ukrainian novels and films right here at your library.
  • Wish You Were Here: Travel Memoirs
    See the world through another's eyes.
  • Words, Words, Words
    National Poetry Month only happens in April, but dedicated poets work all year long. This list collects highly recommended guides to writing poetry.
  • Writer's Guide to Writing
    If you're hard at work on your literary masterpiece, these titles will inspire your pen to glide and your keyboard to clack.
  • Yoga Books: To Your Health!
    Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a large and interesting collection of books on yoga. Check them out!
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Food and Cooking

  • All About Beer
    If you like drinking beer and thinking beer, then these books are for you.
  • Baking Bread
    A selection of cookbooks dedicated to that most basic and yet most gratifying food, bread.
  • Better Living Through Baking
    Cakes, cookies, bread, mmm...
  • Cooking by Hand
    Take it slow. Wander through a farmer's market, knead a batch of bread, mince fresh garlic, brine pickles, plant herbs. Explore cooking from scratch and its satisfying rewards.
  • Family Meals
    Enjoying a home-cooked meal is a great way for a family to spend time together. Find ideas in these cookbooks from our extensive collection.
  • Fight for Your Right to Imbibe!
    To commemorate the spirit of the Whiskey Rebellion, why not mix up a few stiff drinks?
  • Food Consciousness
    Books about how and why we eat the way we do.
  • Food for the Spirit
    Recipes, essays and memoirs that remind us of the inextricable connection between food, spirit and health.
  • Food Through the Ages
    Read about the origins and history of all of your culinary favorites.
  • Food Writing
    Like to read? Love to eat? Try a book about food.
  • French Culinary Classics
    French cuisine is among the most delightful to eat, but some of the most diffuclt to reproduce. This list will introduce you to some of the classic guides in this area.
  • From the Ocean
    Not an ocean in sight, but fear not, wonderful sea inspired meals can be prepared at any skill or sea level.
  • Get Cooking Between the Covers
    Spice up your kitchen with these selections from the extensive cookbook collection on the First Floor.
  • Go Veggie, Go Vegan
    Learn all about vegetarian cooking.
  • Healthy Cooking, Healthy Eating
    Books to help you eat well.
  • Holiday Celebrations: Cooking & Decorating
    A variety of books to help you celebrate the season.
  • Holiday Helpers
    Food to help you celebrate.
  • Mangia! Italian Cooking
    Take a look at these cookbooks for help in creating authentic Italian cuisine.
  • Our Most Rustic Cooking Method — Open Fire
    Fire up your grill, kettle, or pit, and prepare to savor smoky home cooked flavor.
  • Picnicking for Everyone!
    Eat al fresco with tips and recipes from one of these books.
  • Pies
    Judging by the volume of cookbooks on the subject, the food trend of the year may be pies!
  • Pizza! Pizza!
    Learn to make this Italian-American favorite.
  • Oh So Good Meals!
    Check out these cookbooks to find new meal ideas for a great breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
  • Putting Up
    A sampling of new and classic books on canning, preserving, and pickling techniques—just in time for the fall and winter months.
  • Quick and Easy Cooking
    Good food... in a hurry.
  • Raw Foods
    Incorporating more unprocessed and uncooked plant food into your diet can be the first step to living the raw foods way.
  • Savory Pastries & Sweet Desserts
    You can make wonderful pastries, cakes, cookies, and other special treats at home with the help of these cookbooks.
  • Soups and Stews
    Borrow one of these cookbooks and create a pot of steaming soup to warm up those chilly nights.
  • Sweet Treats
    Check out these delicious reads to warm your heart and soul this Valentine's Day.
  • A Taste of India
    Indian food is notorious for its bountiful flavors. However, reproducing those flavors can be difficult for the home chef. These cookbooks will provide you with a guide.
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Travel

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Zines

  • Biking Zines
    A sampling from the Bikes category of the adult zine collection. They touch on bike repair, bike trips, BMX bike culture, and women and cycling. Enjoy!
  • Consent Zines
    After the incident in Steubenville, Ohio, people have been doing a lot of thinking and talking about sexual assault and consent issues. Find these zines and more in the zine collection on the First Floor, New and Featured, Main Library.
  • Health Zines
    Zines are a great source of information about health issues. There are also a number of zines that feature compelling stories of people's personal experiences with illness. These are just a few health zines in the zine collection at CLP.
  • Leave the World a Better Place
    These zines deal with social change and are located in the Zine Collection on the First Floor of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main.
  • Travel Zines
    These zines contain stories about various kinds of traveling. Find them in the Zine Collection on the First Floor of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main.
  • Zines
    A zine is a self-published, noncommercial publication about anything by anyone. Consult these feisty, fun guides, anthologies, and zine-made-books for information and inspiration.
  • Zines about Education
    These zines address issues of education, teaching, and schools, and are located in the Zine Collection on the First Floor of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main.
  • Zines at Work
    Find these zines about various occupations in the Zine Collection on the First Floor of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main.
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Libros en Español

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This page was updated on: 6/1/2011