May 05, 2026

New Books You Want to Add to Your TBR

by Arcaida Publishing

If you love uncovering the stories behind the places you know, today is a great day to be a local history reader. We are proud to announce new local history books publishing today, adding to a growing library of titles dedicated to preserving the people, places, and events that shaped our communities. Whether you are a lifelong history enthusiast, a genealogy researcher, or simply curious about the world right outside your door, these new releases offer something worth exploring.

What makes today's new titles especially compelling is the depth of perspective behind them. Several of the authors contributing to this round of new releases sat down to share personal insights into their research journeys, revealing how they uncovered forgotten records, connected with descendants, and pieced together narratives that might otherwise have been lost to time. Their stories behind the stories add a layer of meaning that goes well beyond the page.

Local history books are more than keepsakes. They are carefully researched, community-driven resources that document regional heritage, spotlight underrepresented voices, and keep collective memory alive for future generations. As interest in local and regional history continues to grow, publications like these serve as essential additions to home libraries, public collections, schools, and historical societies.

Read on to discover what is new today and find your next great read.

New Books to Add to Your TBR

Cincinnati Before Stonewall

"Despite its reputation for conservatism, Cincinnati has long been shaped by a visible and resilient LGBTQ+ presence—one that stretches back far further than most people imagine. Queer people were not on the margins of the city’s history; they helped build it. Before the Civil War, drag performers were already taking the stage. In the decades that followed, gender-nonconforming and transgender individuals made headlines, their lives both sensationalized and scrutinized in equal measure. Beneath the surface of everyday life, a nascent queer subculture took root—fragile, often hidden, but undeniably present. It was a world that existed in tension, where visibility carried risk—and yet, despite everything, it endured. This book takes you into the battlefields of the Civil War, into concert halls and theaters, into boxing rings and smoke-filled, mob-run bars. It moves through the quiet spaces of everyday life and into the unexpected—churches, where, perhaps surprisingly, some of the earliest forms of queer activism began to take hold." - Jacob Hogue

From queer soldiers in 1862 to drag kings and queens who lit up saloons and concert halls, Cincinnati’s early LGBTQ+ history reaches into the forgotten corners of the city's past, introducing unlikely and extraordinary figures. Like Mary Ann Jefferson, a Black transgender woman who, in the late nineteenth century, became a fixture in the criminal underworld of Rat Row, Cincinnati’s most dangerous neighborhood. Or Julius "Junkie" Fleischmann, a gay man who, even as the U.S. government launched a purge of homosexuals from its ranks, secretly served as a covert operative for the CIA at the end of World War II.

Lake Michigan Gales & Tales

"While the Edmund Fitzgerald storm is famously known for sinking that ship and taking 29 lives on Lake Superior, one storm in 1880 on Lake Michigan wrecked or sunk over one hundred and took close to one hundred lives. One ship, the Paddle-wheeler Alpena lost the majority of those lives." - Michael Passwater

Lake Mishigami, as the Ojibwe referred to the big waters of Lake Michigan, has a violent side, especially when the winds roar, creating waves that are freshwater giants. These waves have mercilessly taken many ships—along with their crews and passengers—to the bottom. Many have paid a dear price for mistakenly thinking this massive lake is nothing but an oversized pond. A single monstrous storm in November 1880 sank or damaged north of one hundred ships and claimed nearly one hundred lives. But tragedy on the lake is so often met with heroism by those who brave carnage to save their fellow man. Lake Michigan can go from serene to devilish in less than an hour. Author Michael Passwater delves into these transformations and their aftermaths.

Cold War California

The focal point of western defense against Soviet aggression during the Cold War, California proved instrumental in preventing a Third World War during the twentieth century. The state’s major military presence on land, air, and sea diverged with a peaceful counterpart that created the United Nations in San Francisco in 1946.

Muroc Field, the future Edward Air Force Base, was the site of Chuck Yeager’s feat breaking the sound barrier in 1947, and Lockheed Skunkworks produced the top-secret high-tech U2 Dragon Lady and SR-71 in Southern California. Cold War presidents, stalwarts Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, both hailed from the Golden State. Billionaire Howard Hughes, who made his mark in aviation and the movies, provided cover for the Glomar Explorer mission to recover a sunken Soviet submarine in the Pacific.

Ohio Eccentrics

Ohio has produced more than its share of eccentric men and women, whose peculiar ideas, bizarre behaviors, and outlandish antics have served to make the world more interesting. Among them are a Native who accurately predicted a solar eclipse in 1806, a failed merchant who convinced many people that the Earth was hollow in 1818, sisters who fell out of favor with the women’s rights movement in the nineteenth century because they were too scandalous—or perhaps too progressive—and a minister who became convinced, in 1908, that the Garden of Eden was in southern Ohio. From John Chapman and Annie Oakley to Rahsaan Roland Kirk, authors David Meyers and Elise Meyers Walker illuminate Ohioans who took the road less traveled and, sometimes one that wasn’t even there.

Mapping Georgetown

From its humble beginnings as a port town along the Potomac, the neighborhood has evolved into a place known for its historic architecture and beautiful gardens. It has also been the home of more than one famous name, including President Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Graham Bell, Jack and Jackie Kennedy, and Madeleine Albright. Today’s residents have their own memories of childhood adventures in Rose Park, quirky house history discoveries, and chance encounters at the legendary Martin’s Tavern. Locals from all walks of life share their stories of the people and places that have left their mark, from accidental parking sticker acquisitions to fondly remembered friends.

Along the Rancocas Creek

“One of the most interesting things I learned as I was working on my book was that the Von Trapp family, from The Sound of Music, vacationed on the Rancocas Creek after they fled Austria and were living in Merion, Pennsylvania.” - Stephanie Marks Sawyer

Initially a source of transportation for trade routes and nourishment for the Lenni Lenape Indians, various industries developed adjacent to the creek after the European settlers arrived. There were ironworks, mills, and phosphorus production. Steamships took patrons from Philadelphia up the Rancocas so they could enjoy the amusement parks, hotels, and respite. Others enjoyed paddling a canoe, and some swam in the flowing cedar water. As the area became more residential in the 20th century, the runoff from the development caused the Rancocas to fill in with dirt, sand, and debris. While many of the homes are still there, the industries have relocated or closed down, and most of the creek has reverted back to a simple waterway with a wide variety of birds, wildlife, and vegetation along its banks.

St. Cloud

Almost all images used in the book are from Stearns History Museum's own archival collections.

Workers established St. Cloud’s reputation for high-quality goods and strong infrastructure. These industries also influenced local neighborhoods, as many laborers settled near their work and formed tight-knit communities where traditions, languages, and cultural practices were preserved and expanded upon. Individuals like Jane Grey Swisshelm, A.G. Whitney, and Samuel Pandolfo also helped shape the distinctive history of St. Cloud. The seat of Stearns County, a center of industry, and a haven for immigrants and refugees, St. Cloud has played a pivotal role in the history of central Minnesota since its founding.

The Ghostly Tales of Denver International Airport

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that Blucifer, Denver International Airport's famously haunted horse sculpture, might be possessed by a demon? Or that the secret tunnels below the concourse are supposedly crawling with lizard people? Can you believe the gargoyles guarding the baggage claim will tell you a joke . . . if you're brave enough to ask?

The Ghostly Tales of Southwest Montana

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that restless spirits roam the halls of the Old Montana Prison in Deer Lodge? Or that at Gunslinger Gulch, Montana's most haunted ranch, a grumpy ghost loves to give visitors a fright? Can you believe the lights flickering in the night sky above the Anaconda Smelter Stack might just be . . . an alien spaceship?

The Ghostly Tales of Haunted Coastal Virginia

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted across Hampton Roads.

Did you know that a phantom pirate prowls the woods at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach? Or that a cast of Caspers sometimes steals the show at the Wells Theatre in Norfolk? Can you believe that every July—above the Lynnhaven River's blue crabs and oysters—a ghostly light glimmers at the site of the Witch Duck?

The Ghostly Tales of Texas's Haunted Route 66

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know the Amarillo Natatorium is home to phantom musicians, spectral dancers, and a mysterious woman in white? Or that the abandoned motor motel in McLean may be the perfect "rest" stop for spirits traveling historic Route 66? Can you believe that in Old Tascosa, ghostly gamblers, gunslingers, and cowboys are still living it up from beyond the grave?

The Ghostly Tales of Bar Harbor

Stay alert! Ghosts lurk around every corner. Even the most unexpected places might be haunted by wandering phantoms.

Did you know that the shipwrecked souls of the missing Mary Jane have stuck around Mount Desert Island for centuries? Or that a terrifying "Shadow Man" haunts the Village Burying Ground? Can you believe Bar Harbor is home to ghostly animals who've never quite departed—including cats, horses, and even a phantom cow?

The Little Campers and the Big Moon

"We have been working on this idea of The Little Campers for over a decade!" - David O'Neill

Join the Little Campers as they hike into their favorite park, set up their campsite, and spend a night under the stars. "They’d made sure to arrive in the late afternoon, just in time for the night and the rise of the moon!” The campers marvel at the moon’s glow and all that it does: move tides, light the way, inspire imagination, and more.

A celebration of our natural world and the majestic nighttime sky, Little Campers and the Big Moon will delight and inspire readers to get outside and appreciate the beauty and wonder that’s all around us.

Dinos Down South ABC

In Dinos Down South ABC, twenty-six dinosaurs rhyme their way through the letters of the alphabet and the landmarks of the South. Join the Ankylosaurus on a jaunt to the Atchafalaya Basin or watch the Zuniceratops hang with some zebras at the Audubon Zoo and discover why dinosaurs make the best local tour guides!

Grab these books and more

Today's new local history book releases represent a continued commitment to telling the stories that matter most at the community level. From the personal insights shared by our authors to the meticulous research woven through every chapter, each new title is a testament to the richness of local and regional history waiting to be discovered.

Whether you are adding to your personal collection, searching for a meaningful gift for the history lover in your life, or sourcing material for research or educational use, these new releases are ready for you. Local history books make thoughtful, lasting gifts and valuable reference materials for readers of all ages and backgrounds.

Do not miss out on the latest additions to our catalog. Browse all of today's new local history book releases on our website, sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know about upcoming titles. Your next favorite book about the history of your community is waiting.