In Patrick Shields’s debut autobiographical novel, ‘Pinball,’ set in the early 1990s, we follow a senior at a North Philadelphia boarding academy as he reckons with his past, present, and future two weeks before graduation. Kirsten Bowen reviews.

Since the pandemic has left us longing for live music, Nancy Barile’s new punk-scene memoir, ‘I’m Not Holding Your Coat,’ is an especially welcome window on a bygone musical era. Chelsea Spear reviews.

Te-Ping Chen’s debut story collection, ‘Land of Big Numbers,’ casts a wide net to explore contemporary China and its diaspora. Kirsten Bowen reviews.

Journalist Abraham Riesman has authored a definitive biography of the famed Marvel creator Stan Lee, uncovering truths that may make Lee's fans uncomfortable. Stephen Silver reviews.

In Adam Bender’s near-future political satire, a crisis communications manager troubleshoots disasters for a callow reality-television star turned president while trying to maintain a semblance of work/life balance. Kirsten Bowen reviews.

A new poetry collection from Hayden Saunier weaves Pennsylvania’s natural world with its mini-marts and hotels, exploring possibility, loss, compound perspectives, and calls to customer service. Anndee Hochman reviews.

‘The Defender: The Battle to Protect the Rights of the Accused in Philadelphia’ traces the history of Philly’s famous public defender office, and the challenges it still faces. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Two local educators use their friendship and their expertise to explore the sensitive topic of transracial adoption in ‘Do Right By Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Spaces.’ Pamela Forsythe reviews.

‘Temporary’ is the tale of a temporary worker trying to find permanence, a quest that will resonate with American workers, especially in the pandemic. Elisa Shoenberger reviews.

‘The Health of the Commonwealth’ recounts 250 years of medical practice in Pennsylvania—a particularly relevant slice of history in the age of Covid-19. Pamela J. Forsythe reviews.