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!

• Fiction Bestsellers
• New Fiction
• Nonfiction Bestsellers
• New Nonfiction

Our Newest Booklists

• 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.
• 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.
• Knockout Fiction
  Enjoy a variety of novels, short stories, and poems about the lives of boxers.
• 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.
• It's Summer Somewhere
  Keep a summer state of mind all year long with these titles!
• Travel - the Unique, Unexpected, and Unforgettable
  For adventures and experiences beyond the ordinary, try these travel books!
• Weighty Tomes That While Away the Hours
  Choose a great big book that lasts awhile.

General Fiction

• Amish Romances
  This genre - sometimes called "bonnet romances" - is gaining in popularity. If you enjoy stories about faith, family and love told in a slow-paced style, you may like some of these titles.
• Art Fiction
  Fiction inspired by famous artists or their paintings.

• Best Books Read in 2007: Our Choices Old & New
  Including both fiction and nonfiction, these books rank as some of our absolute favorite reads of the last year.
• Bodies! Where Would We Be Without Them?
  A bounty of fiction featuring the human body both inside and out, as vehicle, curse or blessing.
• Books for Bibliophiles
  Fiction and non-fiction about books and reading.
• Books in Which Joseph Stalin Plays a Starring Role
  Explore fiction involving one of history's most infamous figures.
• Books that Blew Your Mind
  A list of books that move you.
• Bumps in the Night
  October is the month of the year when we celebrate the mysterious, the unexplained, and the eerie, hackle raising potential of things that go bump in the night.
• Challenging Reads (In More Ways Than One)
  Not all books are received with open arms. The following selections have been challenged by courts, parents, publishers, and more for their controversial nature.
• Chick Lit That Bites
  Vamp it up with these paranormal romances!
• Chick Lit That Inspires
  Light inspirational fiction for women.
• Chick Lit That Rocks!
  Books about strong women who overcome difficulties and learn something about life, love and themselves in the process.
• Chinese American Fiction
  Past and present, youth and old age mix in these novels by Chinese Americans.
• Classic Romances to Love Again
  These classic romances get better with every read!
• Classic Tearjerkers
  If you need a good cry, re-reading these classic tearjerkers should do the job.
• Classic Whodunnits
  Even if you already know the ending, these classic whodunnits are worth another read.
• A Concert of Fiction
  Whether it's popular or classical, historic fiction or chick lit, one of these titles should catch your ear!
• Don't Bug Me - Books by Many-Legged Narrators
  Humans-turned-insects, insects-turned-humans, the chronicles of an insect uprising and an insect's survival on Noah's Ark - these are stories to inspire the bug in you!
• Don’t Bug Me – I’m Already Bugged!
  Germaphobe or Germaphile? You might decide to switch teams after you read a few of these fiction and non-fiction selections about the smallest troublemakers in the world.
• Don't Bug Me - I'm Reading Peoples' Diaries
  Get a sense of other peoples’ lives and experiences by reading these graphic novels and non-fiction diaries.
• Don't Bug Me - I'm Reading Short Stories
  Think of them as mini novels, perfect for short trips and the pauses that happen naturally in life.
• The Dripping Faucet of Our Doom
  Books with unusual titles.

• Everything Old is New Again
  Classic tales get a 21st-century makeover. Try the homage, or cozy up with the originals!
• Experience Vietnam
  Stories, memoirs and poetry by and about the Vietnamese people.
• Fiction and Cookery
  Cookery fiction is all the rage these days. Check out these titles that include cookery chick lit, romance, and mystery (some even come with recipes).
• Fiction With Science (That Isn't Science Fiction)
  Want to read fiction about science that isn’t considered “science fiction?” Try these titles!
• Fixer-upper Fiction
  From mysteries to romances, houses play a part in these titles.
• Football in Fiction
  With novels that include mysteries and romance, everyone can get into the spirit of the season... football season, that is!
• Girl Power! Historical Fiction about Strong Women
  Be inspired by these historical stories featuring strong female protagonists.
• God, Goddess and Godless
  Books about religion or the lack thereof.
• Going Places: Travel Fiction
  It's not where you're going, but how you get there in these novels.
• 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.
• If You Liked Twilight...
  Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series has become a cultural phenomenon, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg for modern stories about vampires. If you're finished with Twilight but (un)dying for more, you might want to check out some of these books.
• Illicit Fiction
  Transgressive fiction beyond Palahniuk, Burroughs and Bukowski.
• Immigrant Nation
  Classic and contemporary fiction about the immigrant experience in the United States.
• It Might Be, It Could Be, IT IS...
  ...a booklist of fiction with baseball themes.
• It's All Good!
  A New and Featured Africana book list.
• Jazz!
  Mysteries, historical novels, stories of love and comedy--check out these jazz-centric titles!
• King Arthur
  Experience the never-ending and immortal tales of King Arthur, his beautiful Queen Guinevere, and the many knights of the Round Table.
• Knockout Fiction
  Enjoy a variety of novels, short stories, and poems about the lives of boxers.
• 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?
• Laugh it Off
  The Booklist with a Sense of Humor.
• 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.
• Literature's Greatest Hits
  Ten classics.
• Love Your Librarian?
  Take home one of these titles which feature superhero, romancing, futuristic, time-traveling, spell-casting librarians!
• The Nearly Departed
  

  We've seen dearly departed narrators in film or on television. (Remember Sunset Boulevard and Ghost and Six Feet Under?) Enjoy these novels that come to us with a disembodied point of view.

• Novel Appraisals: Fiction about Antiques and Collectibles
  Check out this limited edition series of rare and unusual books about the urge to buy, sell, collect, and evaluate objects.
• Oh That's Gross!
  Fiction to make your skin crawl and stomach turn . . .
• Pas de Six
  Experience the passion and beauty of dance through these six works of dance fiction.
• Presidential Fiction
  Tired of all the fiction coming out of Washington, D.C.? How about some "real fiction" based on the lives of some of our presidents and their families?
• Prose by Pros
  Something marvelous happens when the poetically talented apply their skills to prose. The following collections of short stories written by poets are fine examples of this phenomena.
• Pulp Fiction to Enjoy Again
  Revisit some of the most famous hardboiled novels of the pulp genre.
• Re-explore Your Favorite Fantasies
  Re-explore worlds of magic and mystery in these classic fantasy novels.
• Repeat Performances
  A list of books we love to read again and again.
• Revisit Other Worlds With Classic Science Fiction
  These classic science fiction stories can redeliver you to otherworldly places.
• Scare Yourself Silly...Again!
  Scare yourself over and over again with these classic horror stories.
• Share the History - Stories Set in Pittsburgh's Past
  From the 18th through the 20th century, these novels focus on Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania's human history.
• 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.
• Stage and Screen
  Fictional tales of actors and actresses.
• Stonewall Award Selections
  Explore nominees and winners of the American Library Association's Stonewall Award for excellence in gay and lesbian fiction.
• Stories of Venice
  Experience the magical city of Venice.
• Teen Fiction
  Engaging titles for teens of all ages!
• Two Wheels, Not Four!
  Fiction and non-fiction titles all about bicycling!
• Upper Crust New York Fiction
  The setting: New York City. The characters: Wealthy elite. The plots: Decadently amusing.
• Walks to Remember
  Maybe you should think twice about hiking after all...
• Washington D.C. Behind the Scenes
  Novels that transport you inside the nation's political machine.
• Weighty Tomes That While Away the Hours
  Choose a great big book that lasts awhile.
• When You Call Me That, Smile!
  Relive the wild, wild West by re-reading these classic Westerns.
• You Could Start a Book Club!
  Seven titles all about books and book clubbers.

African & African American Fiction

• African American Inspirational Fiction
  A selection of novels in which faith plays a role.
• African American Mysteries
  Want to learn more about African American mysteries? From bomb-defusing journalists to investigators descended from Voodoo Queens, these books have it all!
• Fiction by African Writers
  A selection of titles by authors from all over Africa.
• Fiction by African American Writers
  Classic and contemporary titles.
• New and Featured African American Fiction
  A selection of recent titles that represent the variety of contemporary African American experience.

GLBT

• Dashing Detectives
  Accusation and crime make these fascinating and suspenseful reads. Look for them in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection.
• Fabulous Fiction
  Discover new fiction found in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection.
• 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
  From heartfelt to hilarious, a list of GLBT essays and memoirs.
• Restless Romantic
  New romances from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection.
• Rousing Romances
  Love stories for the hopeless romantic and the hesitant heartbroken. Find these and more in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's GLBT collection.

Historical Fiction

• Blast from the Past
  An assortment of outstanding historical fiction.
• Civil War Fiction
  Looking for something a bit less popular than The Killer Angels or Gone with the Wind? Check out these titles…
• Fit for a Queen: Fiction Inspired by the Victorian Era
  These titles will steep you in the lore and romance of Queen Victoria's reign (1837-1901).
• History Mysteries: 20th Century
  Get your U.S. History mysteriously.
• Holiday Miscellany
  Historical holidays, humor and a graphic novel: at least one of these will get you in the mood for the holidays!

Horror

• Books That Make You Go "Eeew!"
  The grossest, creepiest books we can think of.
• Horror Beyond the Classics
  Less well known, but equally scary.
• Oh, the Horror!
  Books to make your skin crawl.
• Walks to Remember
  Maybe you should thinking twice about hiking after all.
• Zombie-licious
  Welcome to the world of the undead.
  

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.
• Captivated by the Da Vinci Code?
  A few more titles you might enjoy!
• A Dash of Suspense: Ten 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.
• Even More Da Vinci Code Readalikes
  In case you just can't get enough!
• History Mysteries: 20th Century
  Get your U.S. History mysteriously.
• Holidays, Interrupted
  It's a not-so-merry Christmas in these mysteries and thrillers.
• 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!
• 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.

Romance

• Chick Lit That Bites
  Vamp it up with these paranormal romances!
• Holiday Romance
  Fall in love with the holidays.

• Hot, Historical Romances
  You may be able to predict the endings, but in these novels, it's the sensual way they get there that counts.
• Paperback Romance Roundup
  Ten more chances to fall in love with a love story.
• Romance Is In the Air
  A random collection of romances ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to box-of-Kleenex sad.

Science Fiction & Fantasy

• Award Winning Science Fiction Visions of the Future
  See into the future with these Hugo and/or Nebula Award winning science fiction classics.
• Fairy Tales for Adults
  These fantasy picks use familiar childhood themes and characters to explore the complexities of adult life.
• Fantasy Fiction
  Must-reads from magical realms.
• Fantasy Stories to Read To Your Kids
  (That you'll enjoy too!)
  
• First Books in High Fantasy Sagas
  High fantasy sagas generally take place in fantastical worlds filled with swords and sorcery and epic struggles. They also usually span thousands of pages across numerous books. Here are the first books in some of the better known high fantasy sagas.
• Get Lost in Cyberspace!
  A cyberpunk booklist.
• Same as It Never Was: Historical Fantasy
  Fantasy fiction in a variety of historical settings.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Classics
  Venerable Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy for Beginners
  A short introduction to the world of Sci-Fi and Fantasy
  
• Unusual Sci-Fi and Fantasy Titles
  Ten books that nobody else will tell you to read.
• Zombies of the 21st Century
  Finished all the standard zombie novels? Give one of these a try!

World Fiction

• Around the World in 35 Books
  Your passport to a world of great fiction.
• Fiction by African Writers
  A selection of titles by authors from all over Africa.
• Fiction by Dutch Writers
  A selection of titles by Dutch authors.
• Fiction and More by Japanese Writers
  A selection of titles by Japanese authors.
• World Fiction
  Great books in translation.

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.
• Read-Alikes: Tom Clancy
  If you like political intrigue and/or the adventures of Jack Ryan, you might enjoy these titles in a similar vein.
• Read-alikes: Sue Monk Kidd
  If you enjoyed the diversity and magic of The Secret Life of Bees, try one of these titles on for size.
• Read-Alikes: Stephanie Meyer
  Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series has become a cultural phenomenon, but it's really just the tip of the iceberg for modern stories about vampires. If you're finished with Twilight but (un)dying for more, you might want to check out some of these books.

Graphic Novels

• Best Graphic Novels by Famous Prose Authors
  Prose-to-graphic-novel adaptations are the new hot trend in publishing. Find out why-with graphic novels by fiction writers you already love.
• Don't Bug Me - I'm Reading People's Diaries
  Get a sense of other people's lives and experiences by reading these graphic novels and non-fiction diaries.
• From Aardvarks to Bunnies and Back
  An essential list of independent graphic novels.
• Get Real: Graphic Novel Memoirs
  Starring real people or their fictional graphic alter-egos, these graphic memoirs come with a healthy dose of real life.
• Holiday Miscellany
  Historical holidays, humor and a graphic novel: at least one of these will get you in the mood for the holidays!
• Love, Heartbreak, and Tights
  This list contains a random selection of graphic novels where romance plays a part.
• No Superheroes!
  Graphic novels for adults and young adults.
• Surreal Graphic Novels
  These graphic novels blend reality, hallucination and visual delirium to create captivating, disorienting tales.
• Watching the Detectives
  Graphic Novels about mystery and crime.

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.
• Armchair Travels: India
  Explore and discover India with these books.
• Armchair Travels: Pakistan
  Explore and discover Pakistan with these books.
• 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.

• Books for Bibliophiles
  Fiction and non-fiction about books and reading.
• Don’t Bug Me – I’m Already Bugged!
  Germaphobe or Germaphile? You might decide to switch teams after you read a few of these fiction and non-fiction selections about the smallest troublemakers in the world.
• Don't Bug Me - I'm Reading Memorable Memoirs of Miserable Childhoods
  These authors vie for most compelling miserable memoir.
• 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!
• Go Green With a Kitchen Garden
  Plan and plant a kitchen garden for the most local, freshest food possible.
• Great Memoirs of 2008
  Fantastic, inspiring, amazing or mundane, try out a new memoir and see how other people live.
• 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!
• In the Zine Zone
  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.
• 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.
• The Mystery of Nancy Drew
  Fiction and non-fiction about that famous girl detective!
• 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 Sports Books
  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.
• Yoga Books: To Your Health!
  Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has a large and interesting collection of books on yoga. Check them out!
• Wish You Were Here: Travel Memoirs
  See the world through another's eyes.

Food and Cooking

• All About Beer
  If you like drinking beer and thinking beer, then these books are for you.
• Armchair Travels: India
  Explore and discover India with these books.
• Armchair Travels: Pakistan
  Explore and discover Pakistan with these books.
• 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.
• Don't Bug Me - I'm Making Dinner
  An herbivore cookbook list.
• 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.
• 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.
• Picnicking for Everyone!
  Eat al fresco with tips and recipes from one of these books.
• Pizza! Pizza!
  Learn to make this Italian-American favorite.
• Quick and Easy Cooking
  Good food... in a hurry.
• A Taste of India
  Love Indian Food? Learn how to create it at home with these cookbooks
• 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.
• Food Writing
  Like to read? Love to eat? Try a book about food.
• Food Through the Ages
  Read about the origins and history of all of your culinary favorites.

Travel

• Armchair Travels: India
  Explore and discover India with these books.
• Armchair Travels: Pakistan
  Explore and discover Pakistan with these books.
• Going Places: Travel Fiction
  It's not where you're going, but how you get there in these novels.
• In Your Own Backyard: Travel in and Around Pennsylvania
  Can't get away this summer? Explore Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia & Ohio.
• It's Summer Somewhere
  Keep a summer state of mind all year long with these titles!
• Stories of Venice
  Experience the magical city of Venice.
• Travel - the Unique, Unexpected, and Unforgettable
  For adventures and experiences beyond the ordinary, try these travel books!
• Traveling in Ireland
  Learn about the sights, hotels, and restaurants of Ireland.
• Wish You Were Here: Travel Memoirs
  See the world through another's eyes.

Libros en Español

• Novelas de escritoras mexicanas contemporáneas
  No pierdas la oportunidad de leer las obras contemporáneas, de 4 escritoras Mexicanas.
• Novelas de la escritora, Isabel Allende
  Disfruta la lectura de 9 obras literarias de la famosa escritora, Isabel Allende.

This page was updated on: May 20, 2009