Of Gardens
by Paula Deitz
384pp—University of Pennsylvania Press
Good for fans of: nature, travel writing and landscape design
Why: Writer and cultural critic Paula Deitz has delighted gardening and design aficionados for more than 30 years with her vivid descriptions of famous and hidden landscapes. In these newly collected essays, she shares the stories of her extensive travels, from the waterways of Britain’s Castle Howard to the Japanese gardens of Kyoto, and home again to New York’s Central Park.
If you like it: You’ll also enjoy gardening writer Adrian Higgins’ “Chanticleer: A Pleasure Garden,” with exceptional photographs by Rob Cardillo.
Historic Architecture of Pennsylvania
by Scott D. Butcher
180pp—Schiffer Publishing
Good for fans of: local history, photography and the built environment
Why: York photographer Scott Butcher surveys the architectural history of south-central Pennsylvania. Beginning with early-18th century buildings, almost every style of American architecture is featured in the region’s mid-sized cities, charming towns and quaint villages. He devotes special sections to local farmers’ markets and train stations.
If you like it: You’ll also enjoy Virginia Savage McAlester’s “Field Guide to American Houses,” a fully expanded and updated edition of the 1984 classic, the best all-around descriptive handbook of architectural styles.
Design after Decline: How America Rebuilds Shrinking Urban Cities
by Brent D. Ryan
280pp—University of Pennsylvania Press
Good for fans of: Philly, city design and civic life
Why: Almost 50 years ago, America’s industrial cities like Detroit, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Baltimore began shedding people and jobs. Today, they are littered with tens of thousands of abandoned houses, shuttered factories and vacant lots. With ongoing population and housing losses, the future of their neighborhoods is precarious. In this award-winning book, an MIT professor of Urban Design and Public Policy explores how Philly and Detroit are faring.
If you like it: You’ll also enjoy “Buck,” a raw, lyrical memoir by the award-winning filmmaker and hip-hop artist M.K. Asante. “Buck” is his powerful, personal account of growing up in the urban jungle of Philadelphia.
Aftertaste: A Novel in Five Courses
by Meredith Mileti
384pp—Kensington
Good for fans of: Pittsburgh, food and women’s fiction
Why: Battling to save her restaurant, New York trattoria-owner Mira Rinaldi falls back on family and friends in Pittsburgh as she struggles to find a recipe for happiness. For Mira, cooking isn’t just about delicious flavors and textures, but about the pleasure found in filling others’ needs. And the time has come to decide where her own fulfillment lies—even if the answers are unexpected. Aftertaste is a novel about rebuilding and rediscovery, about food passionately prepared and unapologetically savored, and about the singular contentment that comes with living and loving, with gusto.
If you like it: You’ll also enjoy Bucks County writer and dance critic Kathryn Craft’s “The Art of Falling,” a moving novel about a dancer who must find a way to overcome a tragic fall.
All these books can be found at Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. www.midtownscholar.com.
