Novels Set in Western PA

February 16, 2023Richelle

Pittsburgh Novels interactive map example

Example of the interactive map feature

We are excited to announce that the Penn State University Libraries’ Open Publishing program has launched “The Pittsburgh Novel: Western Pennsylvania in Fiction and Drama, 1792–2022.” This online annotated bibliography compiled by Peter Oresick and Jake Oresick includes all known fiction with a significant geographical setting in any of Pennsylvania’s 26 westernmost counties published between 1792 and 2022 – more than 1,500 works.

The searchable bibliography organizes content using keywords, genres and place settings and includes abstracts and notes for each entry. Places are nested in each entry by county, municipality, neighborhood, sub-neighborhood and landmark. A unique feature of the bibliography is the interactive map. Clicking on a region in the map provides a list of titles associated with that region or zone with links to that title in the bibliography.

The bibliography includes national bestsellers, award-winning films and screenplays of popular motion pictures, children’s and young adult works, scripts of plays and television series, and obscure and self-published titles.

Read more about this project here: Penn State University Libraries launches online bibliography of western Pa. fiction (PSU News – January 31, 2023)

Search the database here.

New Documentary DVDS

February 8, 2023Cheryl

Consider adding a documentary to your DVD viewing queue; here are some of the recent additions to our nonfiction DVD collection.

Honk. The power of love shines in this heartwarming tale of friendship and inspiration between an unlikely duo. Cheryl inadvertently befriends a mourning goose, Honk, while recycling in the local park. As the budding friendship blossoms and Cheryl seeks Honk a new home, he becomes a viral sensation capturing the hearts and minds of millions.

So Late So Soon. Half a century into their marriage, Chicago artists Jackie and Don Seiden approach the fragility of their elderly lives in their own distinct ways. Jackie, notorious for her unbounded energy, is constantly on the move, inspired to create works of art while also maintaining the couple’s multistory, brightly-painted Victorian house. Don steadily sketches in his notebook while facing alarming interruptions to his health. Director Daniel Hymanson filmed the Seidens, on-and-off for five years, capturing the hardships of aging as well as a view into enduring companionship, in this charming character study.

Behind the Stage Door. Explores the life and work of Pittsburgh concert promoter Rich Engler, one of the top concert promoters in the United States.

Exposing Muybridge. Examines the life and work of groundbreaking 19th century photographer Eadweard Muybridge, best known for his studies of humans and animal locomotion.

From Where They Stood. At Auschwitz and a few other Nazi death camps, a small number of prisoners managed to take photographs of life inside. Using the surviving photographs as evidence, director Christophe Cognet pieces together the stories of the brave men and women who took them.

Making Black America Through the Grapevine. The four-part series hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people beyond the reach of the “White gaze.” The series recounts the establishment of the Prince Hall Masons in 1775 through the formation of all-Black towns and business districts, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, destinations for leisure, and the social media phenomenon of Black Twitter. Professor Gates sits with noted scholars, politicians, cultural leaders, and old friends to discuss this world behind the color line and what it looks like today. It takes viewers into an extraordinary world that showcased Black people’s ability to collectively prosper, defy white supremacy and define Blackness in ways that transformed America itself.

Museum Town. Tells the story of a unique museum, the small town it calls home, and the great risk, hope, and power of art to transform a desolate post-industrial city. MASS MoCA is the largest museum for contemporary art in the world, but just three decades before, its vast brick buildings were the abandoned relics of a massive shuttered factory. Threaded with interviews of a diverse cast, a tattooed curator, a fabricator, former factory worker, and shopkeepers, the film also looks at the artistic process itself, tracking the work and ideas of celebrated artist Nick Cave as he creates his groundbreaking installation at MASS MoCA, UNTIL. With appearances by artists ranging from James Turrell to David Byrne, narration by Meryl Streep, and a soundtrack from John Stirratt of Wilco, the film captures the meeting of small-town USA and the global art world as it tells a tale that is, like any great artwork, soulful, thought-provoking and unforgettable.

Harriet Tubman Visions of Freedom. Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom is a rich and nuanced portrait of the woman known as a conductor of the Underground Railroad, who repeatedly risked her life and freedom to liberate others from slavery.

Hiding in Plain Sight Youth Mental Illness. A two-part, four-hour documentary that explores America’s youth mental health crisis through the eyes of more than twenty young people, who speak about their lived experience with mental health challenges, from depression to addiction to suicide ideation. Includes Spanish SDH subtitles.

New Holiday DVDS

December 16, 2022Cheryl

Whether it’s a holiday classic or one of these new titles, you are sure to find something festive to enjoy this holiday season.

A Mrs. Miracle Christmas. When a family faces loneliness and loss of faith, Mrs. Miracle swoops in to renew their Christmas Spirit, and they experience a holiday of heavenly proportions. Based on the book “A Mrs. Miracle Christmas” by author Debbie Macomber.

Dear Santa. As thousands of letters to Santa Claus flood post offices during the holiday season, it’s up to the US Postal Service’s 107-year-old Operation Santa to deliver them to Kris Kringle himself.

Christmas in Harmony. Harmony is tricked into auditioning for the Holiday Chorus – directed by an ex-boyfriend. By Christmas Eve, they could be harmonizing in the key of love. Starring Ashleigh Murray, Luke James, Basil Wallace, Michelle Williams, and Loretta Devine.

A Dickens of a Holiday. Boyfriends of Christmas Past. A Hallmark 2-movie collection. A Dickens of a Holiday!: To make the 100th anniversary of her hometown’s Victorian festival a success, Cassie invites action movie star and former high school classmate Jake to play Scrooge in ‘A Christmas Carol.’Boyfriends of Christmas Past: Leading up to Christmas, marketing executive, Lauren, is visited by the ghosts of four ex-boyfriends. She must learn to open her heart or risk losing her best friend, Nate.

The Mistletoe Promise. A chance meeting between two strangers who share a disdain for Christmas results in The Mistletoe Promise, a pact to help them navigate their holiday complications together. But as they spend more time with each other and experience the magic of Christmas the phony couple discovers there may be more to their contract than business.

Christmas on the Square. An embittered scrooge of a woman plans to sell her small town, regardless of the consequences to the people who live there. However, a kindhearted angel arrives and shows her what would happen before she mends her ways and redeems herself. Starring Dolly Parton, Jenifer Lewis, Josh Segarra, Jeanine Mason, Mary Lane Haskell, Treat Williams, Christine Baranski.

Eight Gifts of Hanukkah. An anonymous suitor sends optometrist Sara a gift for each night of Hanukkah. On her journey to find her secret admirer, she learns her one true love might be someone she never expected. Starring Inbar Lavi, Jake Epstein, Sheila Tyson, Barry Levy, David Kaye, Natalie Malaika, Doron Bell.

Christmas in Paradise. Joanna’s holiday is shattered when her sisters tell her that their dad has been dumped by his fiancée, he isn’t responding to any calls and disappeared to a Caribbean island. The sisters decide to go to save their father and bring him home for Christmas. Starring Kelsey Grammer, Elizabeth Hurley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Nathalie Cox, Naomi Frederick, Ray Fearon, Victoria Ekanoye.

The Christmas Promise ; Christmas for Keeps. In “The Christmas Promise,” a woman learns to deal with grief with the help of her grandfather and a carpenter named Joe, who she hires to renovate the home she was to share with her fiancé. And in “Christmas for Keeps,” close-knit childhood friends return home for Christmas after 10 years to take part in a celebration of life for their beloved high school teacher.

Library Lovers Book Picks

November 9, 2022November 29, 2022Dustin

What do Sewickley Public Library users love to read? During Love Your Library month we asked you, and received about 100 responses on our display. Here is a highlight of some of the responses, maybe you can find something new that would spark your interest!

Where’d You Go Bernadette / Maria Semple

When her notorious, hilarious, volatile, talented, troubled and agoraphobic mother goes missing, teenage Bee begins a trip that takes her to the ends of the earth to find her.

Where the Crawdads Sing / Delia Owens

Viewed with suspicion in the aftermath of a tragedy, a beautiful hermit who has survived for years in a marsh becomes targeted by unthinkable forces.

The Handmaid’s Tale / Margaret Atwood

Offred, a Handmaid, describes life in what was once the United States, now the Republic of Gilead, a shockingly repressive and intolerant monotheocracy, in a satirical tour de force set in the near future.

100 Years of Solitude / Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The evolution and eventual decadence of a small South American town is mirrored in the family history of the Buendias.

The Godfather / Mario Puzo

The Godfather is an extraordinary novel which has become a modern day classic. Puzo pulls us inside the violent society of the Mafia and its gang wars. The leader, Vito Corleone, is the Godfather. He is a benevolent despot who stops at nothing to gain and hold power. His command post is a fortress on Long Island from which he presides over a vast underground empire that includes the rackets, gambling, bookmaking, and unions. His influence runs through all levels of American society, from the cop on the beat to the nation’s mighty.

Ten Thousand Doors of January / Alix Harrow

A woman navigating the out-of-place artifacts in her caretaker’s sprawling early 20th-century mansion discovers a mysterious book that reveals impossible truths about the world and her own past.

And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie

Ten houseguests, trapped on an isolated island, are the prey of a diabolical killer. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion: Ten little Indian boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine–When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale?

The Thursday Murder Club / Richard Osman

Meeting weekly in their retirement village’s Jigsaw Room to exchange theories about unsolved crimes, four savvy septuagenarians propose a daring but unorthodox plan to help a woman rookie cop solve her first big murder case.

7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle / Stuart Turton

Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden Bishop must solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle in order to escape the curse in a world filled with enemies where nothing and no one are quite what they seem

Cloud Cuckoo Land / Anthony Doerr

Follows four young dreamers and outcasts through time and space, from 1453 Constantinople to the future, as they discover resourcefulness and hope amidst peril in the new novel by the Pulitzer Prize–winning author All the Light We Cannot See.

Running with Scissors / Augusten Burroughs

The author describes his bizarre coming-of-age years after his adoption by his mother’s psychiatrist, during which he witnessed such misadventures as a fake suicide attempt and front-lawn family/patient sleepovers.

President’s Club / Nancy Gibbs

Traces the history of the presidential fraternity conceived by Harry Truman and Herbert Hoover during Eisenhower’s inauguration, exploring the ways in which the nation’s presidents depended on, sabotaged, and formed alliances that had world-changing impacts.

Glorious Cookbooks!

November 7, 2022November 29, 2022Lynne

Cookbook publishers are outdoing themselves lately! Here’s some beautiful new titles to peruse and discover exciting new recipes.

New Television Series

October 26, 2022November 29, 2022Cheryl

Looking for a new television series to start? Find these new titles in SPL’s DVD collection.

Hotel Portofino. Season One

Follows a British family who open a hotel for upper class travelers on the magical Italian Riviera during the Roaring ’20s.

Starring Natascha McElhone, Lucy Akhurst, Louisa Binder, Elizabeth Carling, Oliver Dench, Pasquale Esposito, Rocco Fasano, Lily Frazer, Adam James, Anna Chancellor.

The Chelsea Detective. Series 1

Max Arnold is a detective whose lifestyle on a battered houseboat in Chelsea’s Cheyne Walk contrasts sharply with the affluent elite whose crimes he helps solve alongside his partner Priya Shamsie.

Starring Adrian Scarborough, Sonita Henry, Peter Bankolé, Lucy Phelps, Sophie Stone, Frances Barber, Davood Ghadami, Anamaria Marinca.

Hidden Assets. Series 1

Follows Detective Emer Berry of the Criminal Assets Bureau in Ireland and Chief Inspector Christian de Jong of the anti-terrorism squad in Belgium as they team up to investigate an international conspiracy after diamonds are found during a drug raid that are linked to a series of bombings.

Starring Angeline Ball, Wouter Hendrickx, Simone Kirby, Michael Ironside.

61st Street. Season 1

61st Street follows Moses Johnson, a promising Black high school athlete who is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system, and Franklin Roberts, the public defender who takes up his case. While Roberts has promised his wife he’ll retire, he takes on this case because he recognizes its potential to upend the entire Chicago judicial system, challenging the institutional racism and endemic corruption at its heart.

Starring Courtney B. Vance, Aunjanue Ellis.

Mayor of Kingstown. Season one

From Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Yellowstone, and Hugh Dillon, it follows the McLusky family – power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.

Starring Jeremy Renner, Dianne Wiest, Hugh Dillon, Tobi Bamtefa, Taylor Handley, Emma Laird, Derek Webster, Hamish Allan-Headley, Pha’rez Lass, Aidan Gillen, Kyle Chandler.

White Lotus. The Complete First Season

As the newest set of high class vacationers check into the exclusive White Lotus resort in Hawaii, manager Armand finds himself facing more than the usual excessive demands of one-percenters. He takes on momma’s boys and workaholics with a professional facade, his coping mechanisms become as extreme as the pressure he’s under, while the guests themselves unravel inside their toxic dynamics until the situations collide with incredible consequences.

Starring s Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Fred Hechinger, Jake Lacy, Brittany O’Grady, Natasha Rothwell, Sydney Sweeney, Steve Zahn.

Close to Me

The story of a Danish translator who loses a year of her memory following a fall. As she tries to piece her memories back together, she realizes that her life wasn’t as perfect as she was led to believe.

Starring Connie Nielsen, Christopher Eccleston, Rosy McEwen, Tom Taylor, Leanne Best, Nick Blood, Oliver Gatz, Ellie Haddington, Susan Lynch, Jamie Flatters.

The Split. Season One

The Split examines the fast paced circuit of high-powered female divorce lawyers in London through the lens of three sisters, Hannah, Nina and the youngest, Rose. Exposing the complex realities of high end divorce and broken marriage through female divorce lawyers and sisters embattled and bound by their own troubled past.

Starring Nicola Walker, Stephen Mangan, Annabel Scholey, Fiona Button, Barry Atsma, Stephen Tompkinson, Meera Syal, Anthony Head, Deborah Findlay.

Signora Volpe. Series 1

Top British spy Sylvia Fox is in Italy for her niece’s wedding when the groom goes missing, leaving a dead body behind him. Sylvia solves the mystery and falls in love with Italy, and with a crumbling old house on a hillside. Disillusioned with her job and longing to reconnect with her family, Sylvia decides to stay on and start a new life in the little town of Panicale. But trouble has a habit of seeking Sylvia out and she finds herself tackling a fresh mystery every week and in the process, becoming increasingly close to handsome local cop Giovanni Riva.

Starring Emilia Fox, Tara Fitzgerald, Giovanni Cirfiera, Jamie Bamber, Matteo Carlomagno, Issy Knopfler, Imma Piro.

La Brea. Season One

An epic adventure begins when a massive sinkhole opens in the middle of Los Angeles, pulling hundreds of people and buildings into its depths. Those who fell in find themselves in a mysterious and dangerous primeval land, where they have no choice but to band together to survive. Meanwhile, the rest of the world desperately seeks to understand what happened. In the search for answers, one family torn apart by this disaster will have to unlock the secrets of this inexplicable event to find a way back to each other.

Starring Natalie Zea, Eoin Macken, Chiké Okonkwo, Karina Logue, Zyra Gorecki, Jack Martin, Veronica St. Clair, Rohan Mirchandaney, Lily Santiago, Chloe De Los Santos, Josh McKenzie, Nicholas Gonzalez, Jon Seda.

New Books for October

October 7, 2022November 29, 2022Stephanie

The Shadow Murders by Jussi Adler-Olsen

On her sixtieth birthday, a woman takes her own life. When the case lands on Detective Carl Mørck’s desk, he can’t imagine what this has to do with Department Q, Copenhagen’s cold cases division since the cause of death seems apparent. However, his superior, Marcus Jacobsen, is convinced that this is related to an unsolved case that has been plaguing him since 1988.

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

The #1 bestselling, award-winning author of Life after Life transports us to a restless London in the wake of the Great War–a city fizzing with money, glamour, and corruption–in this spellbinding tale of seduction and betrayal.

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

A breathtaking new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anxious People and A Man Called Ove , The Winners returns to the close-knit, resilient community of Beartown for a story about first loves, second chances, and last goodbyes.

The Old Place by Bobby Finger

A few months into her retirement Mary Alice Roth does not know how to fill her days. At least there’s Ellie, who stops by each morning for coffee and whose re-emergence in Mary Alice’s life is the one thing soothing the sting of retirement. But when Mary Alice’s sister arrives on her doorstep with a staggering piece of news, it jeopardizes the careful shell she’s built around her life.

Fairy Tale by Stephen King

Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher–for that world or ours.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

A mother and daughter find the courage to go undercover after stumbling upon a Nazi cell in Los Angeles during the early days of World War II–a tantalizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope series.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

In a society consumed by fear, 12-year-old Bird Gardner, after receiving a mysterious letter, sets out on a quest to find his mother, a Chinese-American poet who left when he was 9 years old, leading him to NYC where a new act of defiance may be the beginning of much-needed change.

Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult

Her life upended when her husband revealed a darker side, Olivia MacAfee and her teenage son Asher move back to her New Hampshire hometown for a new beginning, until Asher is implicated in the death of his girlfriend and she realizes he’s hidden more than he’s shared with her.

Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and on-again, off-again friend, William. For the next several months, it’s just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea.

Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

The younger sister of Victor Frankenstein embarks on her own project, resurrecting an intended beau who is more intent on uncovering his forgotten identity than in romance in the new novel from the best-selling author of The Hating Game.

Haunting Tales: Selections for Your Halloween Reading

October 1, 2022November 29, 2022Richelle

From mysteries to supernatural stories, folklore to the macabre – we’ve got titles old & new to spark your spooky-bone this Halloween season!

Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie

Legendary sleuth Jane Marple returns to solve twelve baffling cases in this brand-new collection, penned by a host of acclaimed authors skilled in the fine art of mystery and murder.

Devil House by John Darnielle

True crime writer Gague Chandler, the protagonist of Darnielle’s Devil House, jumps at the opportunity to live at the “Devil House” a building where two gruesome, possibly satanic murders took place in 1986. At once a magnetic thriller and an intriguing look at the true crime genre, Darnielle’s novel is filled with rich themes, including the slippery nature of crime reporting and the demands of the artistic process.

Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott

This tale explores Slavic folklore and magical realism through the lives of estranged siblings Bellatine and Isaac Yaga who couldn’t be more different in their personalities and their mysterious abilities. When they reunite to collect a family inheritance, it’s to discover their great-great-grandmother, Baba Yaga, has left them Thistlefoot, a sentient cottage with chicken legs. This story explores the folktales surround Baba Yaga – a magical crone, hidden deep in the forests of Eastern Europe, who -depending on her mood – can be friend or foe.

Jackal by Erin A. Adams

A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she’s not the first-and she may not be the last. . . Adams transcends the typical hometown mystery with an effective blend of social and supernatural terrors. The author skillfully presents changing theories about the possible humans involved as characters struggle with who to trust and navigate dreamscapes that seem increasingly real. The first-person narration draws readers in as they sympathize with the character’s plight.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782 , deep in Oxford’s Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar’s depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in the All Souls Series.

Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Nettle & Bone is the kind of book that immediately feels like an old friend. Fairytale mythic resonance meets homey pragmatism in this utterly delightful story. It’s creepy, funny, heartfelt, and full of fantastic characters.

All the Living and the Dead: from Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life’s Work by Haley Campbell

A deeply compelling exploration of the death industry and the people–morticians, detectives, crime scene cleaners, embalmers, executioners–who work in it and what led them there. A dazzling work of cultural criticism, All the Living and the Dead weaves together reportage with memoir, history, and philosophy, to offer readers a fascinating look into the psychology of Western death.

Over My Dead Body : Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville

Melville’s Over My Dead Body is a lively (pun intended) and wide-ranging history of cemeteries, places that have mirrored the passing eras in history but have also shaped it. Cemeteries have given birth to landscape architecture and famous parks, as well as influenced architectural styles. They’ve inspired and motivated some of our greatest poets and authors–Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson. They’ve been used as political tools to shift the country’s discourse and as important symbols of the United States’ ambition and reach. Over My Dead Body explores everything–history, sustainability, land use, and more–and what it really means to memorialize.

Local Hiking

September 19, 2022November 29, 2022Cheryl

Fall weather is upon us and it’s a great time to take a hike on one of the many trails within a few hours of Sewickley. Take a look at these titles to help you plan a fun day out on a trail.

Best Hikes Near Pittsburgh by Bob Frye

From a hike through Pymatuning State Park to see its famous spillway, to an old Indian path called the Warrior Trail, this book describes the best hikes in and around Pittsburgh, many of them never previously covered elsewhere.

50 Hikes in Western Pennsylvania : Walks and Day Hikes from the Laurel Highlands to Lake Erie by Tom Thwaites

The hiking trails of western Pennsylvania offer both novice and experienced hikers a tempting variety of natural terrain and human history. This third edition includes hikes for all tastes and abilities: introductory walks of 1-5 miles; intermediate day hikes of 5-10 miles; and “bootbusters” of 10 miles or more, some suitable for backpacking. Thirty-one hikes are based in the Laurel Highlands and Allegheny National Forest, with the remainder grouped around Pittsburgh and Lake Erie.

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles. Including Allegheny and Surrounding Counties Pittsburgh: by Donna L. Ruff

Donna L. Ruff’s 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Pittsburgh has something for explorers of every ability and interest Diverse hikes include Frick Park, which can be combined with a visit to the Frick Art and Historical Center (free); Ohiopyle State Park, with views of the beautiful Youghiogheny River and Cucumber Falls; Beechwood Farms, where kids and adults can opt to participate in nature programs and walks; and Mt. Davis Natural Area, where hikers can stand on the highest point in Pennsylvania. History buffs will love Bushy Run and its museum and other historical site/hike combinations. Those seeking solitude will relish time spent walking in lovely Todd Sanctuary or one of the scenic and tranquil destinations of Forbes State Forest.

Best Hikes Pittsburgh : the Greatest Views, Wildlife, and Forest Strolls by Bob Frye

Concise descriptions and detailed maps for more than 35 easy-to-follow trails in Pittsburgh that allow hikers of all levels to enjoy beautiful views, get fit in the outdoors, and learn about the region’s history. Best Hikes Pittsburgh gives you the Information you need to plan your customized trip: Common and lesser-known hikes, Full-color photos, maps, detailed trail descriptions, and trailhead GPS, Insightful hike overviews, details on distance, difficulty, canine compatibility, and more. Soul-restoring adventure comes in all varieties when it comes to trails.

50 Hikes in Pennsylvania by Matthew Cathcart

In this all-new first edition, hiking expert Matthew Cathcart (coauthor of 50 Hikes in the Catskills) delivers 50 hikes, walks, and day trips all throughout Pennsylvania. The hiking trails of Pennsylvania offer both novice and experienced hikers a tempting variety of natural terrain and human history. Sites featured in this comprehensive guide to the state’s offerings include the Whiskey Springs Rock Mazes, McConnells Mill State Park, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, and the Lehigh Gap Appalachian Trail Loop.

Hiking Waterfalls in Pennsylvania : a Guide to the State’s Best Waterfall Hikes by Johnny Molloy

Hiking Waterfalls in Pennsylvania includes detailed hike descriptions, maps, and color photos for some of the state’s most scenic waterfall hikes. Hike descriptions include history, local trivia, and GPS coordinates. Hiking Waterfalls in Pennsylvania will take you through state and national parks, forests, monuments and wilderness areas, and from popular city parks to the most remote and secluded corners of the area to view the most spectacular waterfalls.

Forest Walking : Discovering the Trees and Woodlands of North America by Peter Wohlleben

Awaken your senses and make the most out of your next walk in the woods–with Peter Wohlleben, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees. When you walk in the woods, do you use all five senses to explore your surroundings? For most of us, the answer is no–but when we do, a walk in the woods can go from pleasant to immersive and restorative. Forest Walking teaches you how to engage with the forest by decoding nature’s signs and awakening to the ancient past and thrilling present of the ecosystem around you. With Forest Walking, German forester Peter Wohlleben teams up with his longtime editor, Jane Billinghurst, as the two write their first book together, and the result is nothing short of spectacular. Together, they will teach you how to listen to what the forest is saying, no matter where you live or which trees you plan to visit next.

How to Suffer Outside : a Beginner’s Guide to Hiking and Backpacking by Diana Helmuth

Refreshingly approachable guide for aspiring backpackers and casual hikers of all stripes Colorful and humorous illustrations throughout Relatable, rising female voice in outdoor literature Part critique of modern hiking culture and part how-to guide, How to Suffer Outside is for anyone who wants to hit the trail without breaking the bank. Diana Helmuth offers real advice, opinionated but accessible and based on in-the-field experiences.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Backpacking and Hiking by Jason Stevenson

Backpacking remains one of the most popular, and inexpensive, outdoor activities in America. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Backpacking and Hiking helps anyone prepare and plan for a rewarding adventure.

Remembering Her Majesty The Queen

September 9, 2022November 29, 2022Richelle

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (April 21, 1926 – September 8, 2022) was the longest-reigning Monarch in British history. Discover more about her life, family, and impact on the world with these titles.