From werewolves in Kensington to tombstones in Laurel Hill,\u00a0Philadelphia-area authors have tackled a range of subjects in their latest books.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the history buffs, Philly author\u00a0Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz revisited the\u00a0Christiana Riot, the famous uprising in Lancaster County, and Penn Press released a look back at the buildings and grounds of the University of Pennsylvania. But readers who prefer to escape reality can pick up “The Obsessed,” from\u00a0Temple University professor Lizzie Buehler, or Jennifer Herrera’s “Siren Says” about a family of witches.\u00a0And\u00a0Rachel Pastan, author of “In the Field,” returns with a novel that gives new meaning to small-town theater.\u00a0<\/p>\n
MORE:\u00a0This former ‘Late Show’ producer from Philly has penned her first mystery novel<\/a><\/p>\n Here are eight books by Philadelphia-area authors that either have been recently published or are due out by mid-October.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘The Obsessed’<\/a><\/p>\n By Lizzie Buehler Buehler’s debut novel explores the world of Ivy League doctorate degrees and other graduate studies through the lens of\u00a0Astrid, a student who struggles with obsession. In her journey through academia, Astrid becomes fixated on her boyfriend’s ex, a woman named Sofiya, and a local author of the same name. She has to come to terms with the not-so-healthy ways in which she idolizes both women.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘Siren Says’<\/a><\/p>\n By Jennifer Herrera After her mother’s death, Raven Wynn spends much of her life running away from magic. But as an adult, she\u00a0suddenly learns that she has more power than she ever thought.\u00a0When her estranged aunt comes back into her life and promises a way to get rid of her magic, Raven returns to the small Pennsylvania town to learn about her family history\u00a0\u2014 and help Delilah with a quest involving the spirit world.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘The Refuge’<\/a><\/p>\n By Carly Hillman In her first foray into fiction, Hillman \u2014 a former producer on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” \u2014 tells the story of three generations of women and their relationship to a wildlife preserve in Montana known as the\u00a0Amarant. Shortly after her 18th birthday, Ava, who’s lived on the grounds her whole life, starts digging in to her mother’s past and finds a decades-old mystery about her family.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘The Ballad of the Fugitive William Parker’<\/a><\/p>\n By Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz On Sep. 11, 1851, a group of free Black residents and escaped slaves held an armed uprising and successfully resisted an attempt to return four formerly enslaved people to their Maryland owner. The event took place at the home of William Parker, an escaped slave, in Christiana, Pennsylvania, and resulted in 27 men being placed on trial for treason for obstructing the Fugitive Slave Act.\u00a0Aptowicz’s\u00a0book tells the true story of Parker, the court case and the work of abolitionists to end slavery in the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘The Crimson Traveler’<\/a><\/p>\n By Matt Strollo Strollo, a former “American Ninja Warrior” coach\u00a0who teaches English as a Second Language in the School District of Philadelphia, tells a tale of werewolves set against the backdrop of organized crime and addiction. The novel follows an ex-marine, Liz Campbell, and a suburban mechanic, Macy Burkhardt, as they attempt to find a cure for the werewolves and cross paths with a wolf king from England.\u00a0<\/p>\n ‘Penn’s Sylvania’<\/a><\/p>\n Edited by Frederick Steiner and\u00a0Ignacio Bunster-Ossa Environmentalists, designers, architects and historians offer their thoughts on the University of Pennsylvania campus and its famous buildings. The text includes information from experts Witold Rybczynski, Catherine Seavitt, Susan Weiler, Laurie Olin,\u00a0Lara Roman, Theodore Eisenman, Robert Lundgren and Chloe Cerwinka, with photos by Bunster-Ossa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Penguin Random House, 304 pages. Published July 28.<\/p>\n
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 368 pages. Published Aug. 18.<\/p>\n
Crooked Lane Books, 304 pages. Available Sept. 8<\/p>\n
Simon & Schuster, 448 pages. Available Sept. 8<\/p>\n
Left Field Publishing; 336 pages. Available Oct. 6.<\/p>\n
University of Pennsylvania Press; 224 pages. Published Sept. 1.<\/p>\n