From a disappearing Brooklyn neighborhood to little-known Catskills peaks and dog-friendly trails across upstate New York, these new and notable books invite readers to explore the places, people and experiences that have shaped the region. Together, they offer a look at New York through family history, cultural change and outdoor adventure—whether readers are revisiting the past, discovering a forgotten corner of the Catskills or hitting the trails with a four-legged companion.
‘The Last of the Ellis Island Jews’ Revisits a Lost Brooklyn
Joel Dinerstein’s The Last of the Ellis Island Jews offers a funny, poignant and sometimes painful look at a working-class Jewish family and the Brooklyn neighborhood that shaped it.
Published in August 2026 by SUNY Press, the 272-page memoir follows four generations of Dinerstein’s family, beginning with grandparents who fled Russian pogroms and continuing through his parents, siblings and his own coming-of-age in Brooklyn.
Dinerstein, a professor of English and Judaic Studies at Tulane University, explores family dysfunction alongside the larger social changes transforming New York. His father’s anger and gambling problems, his parents’ troubled marriage and his siblings’ early independence form part of a family story that challenges traditional narratives of Jewish-American success.
The memoir also captures a changing Brooklyn. As a white teenager attending majority-Black public schools, Dinerstein developed an early understanding of race, culture and music that later influenced his academic career.
Through stories involving Seders, Bar Mitzvahs, a bris and even an allergy attack at Dachau, Dinerstein chronicles the rituals, contradictions and humor of Jewish family life.
At its heart, the book is a portrait of a disappearing Brooklyn—and an exploration of immigration, identity, race, family and the lost worlds that shaped generations of New Yorkers.
The Lostkills Takes Hikers Beyond the Catskills’ Best-Known Trails
For hikers looking to venture beyond the Catskills’ best-known trails, Alan Via’s The Lostkills: Bushwhacking and Hiking the Lesser-Known Catskill Peaks offers a guide to some of the region’s more obscure summits. The book explores off-the-beaten-path hikes and bushwhacks on public land, many of which remain largely unexplored by the hiking community. Via provides practical information on map and compass use, electronic navigation, off-trail safety and equipment. Each hike includes ratings for difficulty, bushwhack conditions, navigation, views and points of interest, along with custom topographic maps, suggested routes, alternatives and seasonal recommendations. It’s a resource for adventurous hikers seeking a different Catskills experience.
Doghiker Offers 77 Upstate New York Adventures for Hikers and Their Dogs
Dog owners looking to hit the trails with their four-legged companions can find plenty of inspiration in Alan Via’s Doghiker: Great Hikes with Dogs from the Adirondacks through the Catskills. The guide features 77 hikes throughout upstate New York, giving readers practical tools for planning safe and enjoyable adventures with their dogs.
More than a traditional hiking guide, Doghiker covers responsible dog ownership, choosing a hiking companion, training, safety, gear, canine first aid, and keeping dogs fit. Each hike includes a custom topographic map highlighting parking areas, trails, viewpoints, water sources and other points of interest.
Via also provides information on mileage, elevation gain, difficulty, views, dog safety and hazards, trail conditions, hiker traffic and whether leashes are suggested or required. Detailed driving directions and GPS coordinates for trailheads and key intersections make planning each outing easier.
Drawing on more than 40 years of leading hikes, Via gives dog owners the information they need to choose trails that match their experience, their dogs’ abilities and the conditions. For anyone who believes the best hiking partner has four paws, Doghiker offers a roadmap to exploring the Adirondacks, Catskills and surrounding regions together.