(Photos courtesy Vintage, St. Martin's Paperbacks, Hachette Book Group)
FICTION
Alchemy of a Blackbird by Claire McMillan
The twists and turns of this true story make up the backbone of Claire McMillan’s new historical fiction novel. A painter and a poet flee Nazis through a string of safe houses, discovering a new side of surrealism through tarot. clairemcmillan.com
Beauty Beheld by Zariah L. Banks
This emotional intimacy novelist shares an emotionally explosive love story in Beauty Beheld, following a voice actress going through a breakup and later finding a perfect match. zariahlbanks.com
Broad Street Tully by David J. Higgs
Inspired by some of what he saw as a blackjack dealer and casino manager, writer David J. Higgs wrote a novel that centers around gambling problems and alcohol addiction, and that takes place in Lorain, Ohio. Amazon link
Cleveland Noir by various authors
What do you get when you put some of the most well-known authors in Northeast Ohio — a list that includes Dana McSwain, Paula McLain, Michael Ruhlman and Thrity Umrigar — together for a spooky story collection? Cleveland Noir, a series of short fictional works all tied to the city. akashicbooks.com
The Last Catastrophe by Allegra Hyde
"Cli-fi" author Allegra Hyde digs into the many facets of climate change in her new short story collection, which details stories around artificial intelligence, RV life, outer space relationships and more. allegrahyde.com
Leaving Cleveland by Steve Begleiter
In this “fictional memoir,” author Steve Begleiter imagines a story around a man named Sam Cohen who leaves Cleveland for New York City for a whirlwind career in photography, inspired by Begleiter’s own experiences as a photographer. begleiter.com
Michikusa House by Emily Grandy
After befriending an aspiring chef during a stay at a place called Michikusa House in rural Japan, a woman recovering from an eating disorder discovers a love of gardening and seasonal delicacies. The book, which won a Landmark Prize for fiction, was written by Cleveland native Emily Grandy, features settings in Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood. emilygrandy.com
Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
The ninth book of this author’s “Noodle Shop Mystery” cozy series features protagonist Lana Lee on the case of another mysterious murder — this time, while attending a restaurant convention in California. vivienchien.com
The Museum of Failures by Thrity Umrigar
Bestselling author Thrity Umrigar released her 10th novel this year. The Museum of Failures follows an Indian family with one major secret that changes everything about a son’s relationship with his mother. umrigar.com
Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings
Longtime mystery writer Connie Laux uses her Anastasia Hastings pen name for a brand-new series, “A Dear Miss Hermione” mystery. The story follows a woman who, in 1885, embarks on a role as an “agony aunt,” an stumbles into a murderous situation. us.macmillan.com/author/anastasiahastings
When Love Wins by Nicole D. Miller
This “urban Christian fiction” story follows two young cousins in the depths of grief and loss, and celebrates the sisterhood that gets them through. ndmillerpublishing.com
Where Are Your People From? by James B. De Monte
Told through a series of stories, this novel spans a multigenerational tale of an Italian-American immigrant family’s life in the United States. Amazon link
(Photos courtesy Henry Holt and Co., Act 3 LLC, Shanti Arts)
NONFICTION
A Grandmother's ABC Book by Kathy Ewing
During the pandemic, Kathy Ewing was excited to learn she’d be a new grandparent of twins — and to stay busy, she started sewing a cloth ABC book as a future gift for them. While making that book for the new additions to the family, Ewing also wrote a book of stories and essays for adults, as a companion. kathyewing.com
The Beginning Was the End: Devo in Ohio by David Giffels and Jade Dellinger
This year, famed Akron new-wave band Devo turned 50 years old. To mark the occasion, Akron’s David Giffels teamed up with Florida author Jade Dellinger to document five decades’ worth of band stories, plus showcase dozens of band photos. davidgiffels.com
Conversations with Adele by Adele Malley
The former CEO of Malley’s Chocolate shares her keys to success in this business-focused story of bringing the local confectionary shop to giant status in Northeast Ohio. malleys.com
Dream Town by Laura Meckler
After writing an in-depth piece for The Washington Post, reporter Laura Meckler decided to dig even deeper into her hometown’s roots, exploring the racial divisions and history that continue to affect Shaker Heights’ culture to this day. Within her deep-dive, she examines the challenging history of integration in the Cleveland suburb. laurameckler.com
How to Protect Bookstores and Why by Danny Caine
Along with a new poetry collection, Danny Caine stayed plenty busy writing this year and released a new appreciation of the indie bookstore — one which also signified the importance of bookstores for local literary communities. dannycaine.com
Invisible Soul by Carlo Wolff and James O’Hare
Cleveland’s soul history is unearthed in this book which offers analysis and appreciation of the underground scene, one which Wolff had appreciated for decades. The book also features illustrations by Ron Hill. invisiblesoul.act3creative.com
Joe Thomas: Not Your Average Joe: The Authorized Biography by Marc Bona and Dan Murphy
The authorized biography of Joe Thomas arrived at an opportune time, just as the famed Cleveland football player was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. grayco.com
Pink: Raise your Glass and This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits by Annie Zaleski
Cleveland music writer Annie Zaleski released not just one book about music this year, but two: a celebration of pop artist Pink, and an exploration of the most iconic holiday songs. anniez.com
Rain Dodging: A Scholar’s Romp through Britain in Search of a Stuart Queen by Susan Godwin
A scholarly look at 17th-century Italian princess Mary of Modena’s life meets author Susan Godwin’s own experiences researching in this creative bit of parallel storytelling and research. susanjgodwin.com
Ukraine Is Not Dead Yet by Megan Buskey
Cleveland native Megan Buskey retraced her family’s Ukrainian lineage in her debut book, released in February. Ukraine is Not Dead Yet arrived about one year after Russia invaded Ukraine, escalating the Russo-Ukrainian war that started in 2014. meganbuskey.com
(Photos courtesy Triumph Books, Joshua Womack, Sourcebooks)
ESSAYS AND TRUE STORIES
The Awesome Game by Dave Hill
Comedian and musician Dave Hill goes back to his Cleveland roots playing hockey for St. Ignatius and other teams, and explores his love of the sport in this collection of essays that spans the globe. Amazon link
The Guy with the Sign by Terry Pluto
Longtime The Plain Dealer “Faith & You” columns are compiled in Terry Pluto’s latest book release, centered on stories and moments of everyday faith. grayco.com
The Jolliest Bunch by Danny Pellegrino
Everything Iconic podcast host Danny Pellegrino shares holiday stories from his Solon upbringing in his latest book, The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories. instagram.com/dannypellegrino
Kneading Journalism by Tony Ganzer
A collection of “essays on breaking bread and breaking down the news” brings this Cleveland journalist’s news background into focus, while also looking at various news events involving bread and baking. anthonyganzer.com
Lost Lake Erie by Jennifer Boresz-Engelking
Whether looking at the stories of shipwrecks, summer excursions, or even the daunting travels across the frozen version of Lake Erie, this collection of true, researched stories showcases the many sides of Cleveland’s Great Lake. jenniferboresz.com
You Are Not That Funny: Stories from Cleveland Stand-Up by Joshua Womack
During his short run of stand-up performances, Joshua Womack collected plenty of stories from a variety of venues — some of which aren’t around anymore. Those make up the author’s second book, which also incorporates commentary from prominent comics Bill Squire and Mike Polk Jr. Amazon link
Zoo World by Mary Quade
The environment around us comes into focus in Mary Quade’s latest collection of creative essays, which digs into topics like animals, war, climate change and more — ultimately crafting a creative statement on the importance of the world’s preservation. maryquade.com
MEMOIR
A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir and Manifesto on Reimagining by Rachel Cargle
Now an established social justice speaker, Akron’s Rachel Cargle digs into her small-town Christian background in her new self-help memoir. The author, who runs Elizabeth’s Bookshop & Writing Centre, offers tools that helped her establish her identity, while also sharing her own story, in her book. rachelcargle.com
Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the Odds by Rich Paul
The Cleveland native sports agent shares the story of his challenging childhood in Glenville, his family life and his fateful introduction to LeBron James in this inspiring memoir. penguinrandomhouse.com
Underwater Daughter by Tuni Deignan
Imaginary worlds were a refuge for author Tuni Deignan, in the face of traumas. She writes about her coping journey and her road to recovery ultimately arriving through a bike accident at 55 years old. antoniadeignan.com
ART
Ain’t It Fun: Peter Laughner & Proto-Punk in the Secret City by Aaron Lange
Local comix creator Aaron Lange documents Pere Ubu and Rocket From The Tombs star Peter Laughner in this gritty graphic novel. stonechurchpress.com
Cookie Ghosts by Angela Oster
Illustrator and artist Angela Oster plans to soon release her new book of sweet and home-baked characters. instagram.com/osterjoy
Gotcha Day by Greg Murray
The cuteness of adopted animals’ photos and the stories of how they joined their new families make up this Cleveland pet photographer’s latest publication. gmurrayphoto.com
(Photos courtesy Passengers Press, Grieveland, Black Lawrence Press, Raven Rae)
POETRY AND CREATIVE WRITING
Any Closer to Home by Katie Daley
This local instructor and poet’s latest masterful collection looks at her surrounding world and its events, even tackling the police killing of Tamir Rice in one piece. finishinglinepress.com
Butterfly Language by Raven Rae
Local singer Raven Rae expanded her creative work to poetry, releasing her debut collection of encouraging poetry and creative writing this year. The project connects to themes in former music releases like her 2020 album Metamorphosis. instagram.com/ravenraeofficial
Cleveland Review of Books, Vol. 00 and Vol. 01
The first two print issues arrived from Cleveland Review of Books, a local creative writing and literary criticism publication that got its start online. Both feature reviews, essays and interviews on all things literature. clereviewofbooks.com
The Details Will Be Gone Soon by Jeremy Jusek
Parma’s poet laureate details what it was like to lose his grandmother to Alzheimer’s disease in his new batch of poems. jeremyjusek.com
Excisions by Hilary Plum
Author and Cleveland State University professor Hilary Plum released her latest project Excisions, a collection of poems that aim to explore moments and pieces of life lost — “when something is excised from you, though it was you, you are what remains,” Plum writes about the collection. hilaryplum.com
Gordon Square Review: Issue 12
The Gordon Square Review, a publication of Literary Cleveland, once again celebrated new poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction in its latest issue, released in July. gordonsquarereview.org
Keys & Locks Anthology by Lake Erie Ink contributors
Northeast Ohio teens came together to produce the latest Lake Erie Ink anthology of poetry, writing and art, this time with the theme of “keys and locks.” lakeerieink.org
Once: A Golden Shovel Collection by Cathy Barber
In her latest release, this Cleveland Heights poet experimented with the “golden shovel” form of poetry, in which poets take lines of an existing poem they admire and utilize them in a specific order in a newly constructed poem. cathybarber.com
Personal Problem by Brendan Joyce
The co-founder of local publisher Grieveland digs into a critique and exploration of capitalism in all its flavors in his third collection of poetry. grieveland.com
Picture Window by Danny Caine
Reflections on fatherhood, the coronavirus pandemic, long-distance living and other crises make up Cleveland native Danny Caine’s latest collection of poetry. dannycaine.com
Price of a Small Hot Fire by E.F. Schraeder
A Cleveland author and poet digs into their own past traumas and nightmares in their latest collection, which looks to past horror writing experiences. rawdogscreaming.com
Warda by Nardine Taleb
Translating to “Rose” in Arabic, poet and Gordon Square Review prose editor Nardine Taleb released her debut poetry chapbook via Passengers Press this September. instagram.com/wardachapbook
(Photos courtesy Joy Revolution, Bunker Press Books, Balzer + Bray)
KIDS
Beulah Has a Hunch, illustrated by Katie Mazeika
Famed inventor Beulah Louise Henry, also known as “Lady Edison,” is the focus of this storybook illustrated by Northeast Ohio’s Katie Mazeika. Henry’s unique way of seeing the world — experiencing both hyperphantasia and synesthesia — helped her make inventive advancements in typewriters, sewing machines, toy dolls and more. katiemazeika.com
Dinosaur Puzzle Book, illustrated by Mike DeSantis
Who needs Where’s Waldo? Objects are hidden in plain sight in this inventive puzzle book, featuring adventurous dinosaurs. bunkerpressbooks.com
The Great Vandal Scandal, illustrated by Dave Motram
This adventurous middle-grade novel follows the stories of an apartment building’s assortment of pets and their ambitions, featuring spunky drawings by Stow, Ohio’s Dave Motram. davemottram.com
House Party, edited by Justin A. Reynolds
The same Cleveland-based author behind several Marvel Miles Morales graphic novels edited together a collaborative young adult book House Party, featuring contributions from a handful of fellow young adult authors. justinareynolds.com
I Am A Homeschooler, written by Allison Ryver
This picture book looks at the many forms education can take, and what homeschooling can look like for some students. allisonryver.com
Surprisingly Sarah, written and illustrated by Terri Libenson
The seventh book in Terri Libenson’s acclaimed graphic novel series arrived in May. Surprisingly Sarah follows Sarah’s nerve-wracking crush and all sorts of antics in the group of kid friends whom readers have known and loved since Invisible Emmie, the first in the series, published in 2017. terrilibenson.com
Noni & the God Tree: A Shattered Truth by Breshea Anglen
The second Noni & the God Tree novel arrived this year from local author Breshea Anglen, following a young warrior Aisha, who must defend her realm from evil forces. bresheaanglen.com
The Note Who Faced the Music, written by Lindsay Bonilla
North Canton’s Lindsay Bonilla penned a heartwarming story about a half-note who feels out of place in a composer’s piece of sheet music — but eventually learns how every note is important in a song. lindsaybonilla.com
The Swing on the Silver Star in the Royal Purple Sky, written by Laura Elizabeth Gray
A little girl goes on a fantastical adventure shaped by her imagination in this colorful debut children’s book by Laura Elizabeth Gray. Amazon page
FOOD
Midwest Pie, edited by Meredith Pangrace
From stained recipe cards to a full cookbook, Belt Publishing released a locally informed collection of pie recipes this year. Sample butterscotch and “Speedy Custard Pie” varieties, along with Ohio buckeye, all-American apple and chokecherry pie. beltpublishing.com
Simply Symon Suppers by Michael Symon and Douglas Trattner
Celebrity chef (and Cleveland native) Michael Symon teamed up with Cleveland Scene food writer Douglas Trattner for his latest cookbook, which features a variety of recipes for straightforward dinners. michaelsymon.com
Endangered Eating by Sarah Lohman
Hinckley native Sarah Lohman looks at the changing landscape for agriculture and ecosystems that affect our food industry. Along with research and interviews with culinary professionals, Lohman also provides recipes throughout the book. sarahlohman.com
MORE READING
Looking to do more reading beyond Cleveland's literary scene? Local publisher Free Period Press put together handy checklists for romance novels, children's board books, cozy reads and more.
Find more year-end stories: 2023 CLE Wrapped, Cleveland's Year in Review
For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.