A Reading Roadtrip Across the U.S.A. > Likes and Comments
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Alison wrote: "Elin Hilderbrand is such a cop out for Massachusetts"
True!
**** I accidentally reported this instead of commenting! Very sorry!
I suggest you check out the on-line book clubs called the Book Girls at bookgirlsguide.com. They have many options and one is called reading around America - very similar to this, but with multiple selections for each state. They also have one around the world.
A couple of "very DC" books: The List by Karin Tanabe and Bookishly Ever After by Mia Page
Your Oklahoma choice is good but you also missed an opportunity to list some great ones:
Poet Warrior - memoir of Joy Harjo
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
Who else went to look for the New York book and then was disappointed because it was in NYC?
(don't take me seriously I'm just kidding cuz I live in ny and it's a running joke that nothing in the state exists outside of NYC)
What a fun list!
I live in Wisconsin and my favorite with a Wisconsin location is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. The House on the Rock is a real place (that I live not far from and have visited many, many times) and is as whimsical and eccentric as Gaiman and his writing. He uses the location in the most perfect way in this book.
I'd also highly recommend the graphic novel version - the first being American Gods, Vol. 1: Shadows - the illustrations really help frame what the characters are seeing (it is truly a wonderfully bizarre place).
I actually won a copy of Take My Hand. What a rich, complex story. It was based on true events. Must read.
for West Virginia: Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb; Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina; anything written by Julia Keller (A Killing in the Hills); Jayne Ann Phillips' Quiet Dell and Night Watch; Honeysuckle Holiday or Marble Town by Kathleen M. Jacobs (young adult; coming of age stories); Rocket Boys and October Sky by Homer Hickam; Don't Tell Them You're Colb by Kathleen Manley;
OMG I love this post! thank you for the inspiration!
Mar wrote: "Now make a world tour and put a few books from every continent 🙏✨"
Yess that would be amazing! Or like an Europe tour as well. That would be nice. There are enough books about different countries written in English.
If someone of us makes a reading list of like all European countries... would you post it like this?
New Mexico - Rudolfo Anaya & Tony Hillerman. They didn't just write about New Mexico, they lived there.
reen wrote: "Could y’all please recommend non struggle black stories for the south like alabama and mississippi? Like the other states"
Great idea!!
It's funny, I play a word game that has a monthly puzzle based around cities of the world, and I've been doing a similar thing, reading a book from "the city of the month", and now this arrives.
Alison wrote: "Elin Hilderbrand is such a cop out for Massachusetts"
You could always go with Joyce Carol Oates and Black Water for Massachusetts.
just added a bunch of these to my want to read, very excited! i think Yerba Buena was the most perfect California book i’ve ever read!
Stephanie wrote: "I wish there was a printable check list of all of the books"
I agree, but also wish there was more than one book option listed for each state. Such a fun idea though!
I’d love to see books for the U.S. territories included in this list!
Widows by Jess Montgomery, is a great historical fiction set in the early 1900's in Ohio. It shows the grit and strength of women in difficult situations.
Fun idea, but I wish these were non-fiction pieces of work that discussed changing points in each states history or figures from those places rather than fiction books.
I like how the Nebraska book doesn't really take place in Nebraska, they just happen to drive through it... Way to fight the stereotype of us being a flyover state, Goodreads!
Mar wrote: "Now make a world tour and put a few books from every continent 🙏✨"
that would be so cool!
😼jiriguru wrote: "Love the initiative but I’m more on the non-fiction side. Anything for us the non-fiction lovers? History, social science, politics, biography, memoir… 🥹"
Great idea!
Stuart wrote: "Amanda wrote: "So many social justice themes present in a majority of these recommendations"
Should rename this site "wokereads" and be done with it."
Agreed. It's tiresome, and it's making goodreads less and less useful as a tool for finding books if you don't want to spend your time wallowing in those thin, brackish waters.
As an alternative for Oregon (especially if you're looking for something that takes place outside of Portland), I highly recommend Mink River by Brian Doyle. It's gorgeously written and immerses you in the beauty of Oregon's wilderness.
If you like urban fantasy, I recommend Harmony Black as a Michigan book and a gateway into the Craig Schaefer universe.
Amy wrote: "Lonesome Dove for Texas, but maybe everyone has already read it?"
I have read it and absolutely agree, good enough to re-read. Characters are portrayed with such authenticity. Also No Country for old men. The characters speak like people I Have know. Very authentic.
Always wanted to do a road trip across the US. This seems like a fun one!
My other suggestion for Indiana is "But They Can't Beat Us: Oscar Robertson and the Cripus Attucks Tigers" by Randy Roberts.
Missouri- read Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, has a contemporary urban setting of St. Louis
Vermont- The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian (also contemporary, but not a thriller like GR recommended)
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett is 10x more representative of NH than Jodi Picoult 🙄
I recommend A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams to represent Rhode Island. This was the book that made me a reader of the many books written by Beatriz Williams!
Aubrey wrote: "What book best represents my state? Hmm… I’d probably have to say Welcome to Wonderland by Chris Grabenstein."
Avery wrote: "Idk I’m from Michigan so probably anything with a summer beach house 🤷♀️"
I suggest The Women of Copper Country for Michigan
Stephanie wrote: "I wish there was a printable check list of all of the books"
I think this is easily doable using any free text editing program you have around, if you do. If not, why not make a custom one on a piece of cardboard or in a diary? I think it would look lovely!
Would love a childrens book version.
Mar wrote: "Now make a world tour and put a few books from every continent 🙏✨" Or every country!
Would love you to do one around Great Britain
"Why are the territories not included? >:("
Because it's a summer ROADTRIP list. Most Americans taking a road trip across the States are not going to drive through the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean just so Puerto Rico and Guam can be included.
South Dakota-The Children's Blizzard: A Novel: Benjamin, Melanie
Y'all did some of these states dirty! My poor native Arkansas, included :(
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Alison wrote: "Elin Hilderbrand is such a cop out for Massachusetts"True!
**** I accidentally reported this instead of commenting! Very sorry!
I suggest you check out the on-line book clubs called the Book Girls at bookgirlsguide.com. They have many options and one is called reading around America - very similar to this, but with multiple selections for each state. They also have one around the world.
A couple of "very DC" books: The List by Karin Tanabe and Bookishly Ever After by Mia Page
Very happy to see a Navajo author represented in the New Mexico category. Read her book this year and enjoyed it. Another book that represents NM well is "Bless Me Ultima".
Your Oklahoma choice is good but you also missed an opportunity to list some great ones:Poet Warrior - memoir of Joy Harjo
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
Who else went to look for the New York book and then was disappointed because it was in NYC?(don't take me seriously I'm just kidding cuz I live in ny and it's a running joke that nothing in the state exists outside of NYC)
What a fun list! I live in Wisconsin and my favorite with a Wisconsin location is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. The House on the Rock is a real place (that I live not far from and have visited many, many times) and is as whimsical and eccentric as Gaiman and his writing. He uses the location in the most perfect way in this book.
I'd also highly recommend the graphic novel version - the first being American Gods, Vol. 1: Shadows - the illustrations really help frame what the characters are seeing (it is truly a wonderfully bizarre place).
I actually won a copy of Take My Hand. What a rich, complex story. It was based on true events. Must read.
for West Virginia: Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb; Storming Heaven by Denise Giardina; anything written by Julia Keller (A Killing in the Hills); Jayne Ann Phillips' Quiet Dell and Night Watch; Honeysuckle Holiday or Marble Town by Kathleen M. Jacobs (young adult; coming of age stories); Rocket Boys and October Sky by Homer Hickam; Don't Tell Them You're Colb by Kathleen Manley;
OMG I love this post! thank you for the inspiration!
Mar wrote: "Now make a world tour and put a few books from every continent 🙏✨"Yess that would be amazing! Or like an Europe tour as well. That would be nice. There are enough books about different countries written in English.
If someone of us makes a reading list of like all European countries... would you post it like this?
New Mexico - Rudolfo Anaya & Tony Hillerman. They didn't just write about New Mexico, they lived there.
reen wrote: "Could y’all please recommend non struggle black stories for the south like alabama and mississippi? Like the other states"Great idea!!
It's funny, I play a word game that has a monthly puzzle based around cities of the world, and I've been doing a similar thing, reading a book from "the city of the month", and now this arrives.
Alison wrote: "Elin Hilderbrand is such a cop out for Massachusetts"You could always go with Joyce Carol Oates and Black Water for Massachusetts.
just added a bunch of these to my want to read, very excited! i think Yerba Buena was the most perfect California book i’ve ever read!
Stephanie wrote: "I wish there was a printable check list of all of the books"I agree, but also wish there was more than one book option listed for each state. Such a fun idea though!
I’d love to see books for the U.S. territories included in this list!
Widows by Jess Montgomery, is a great historical fiction set in the early 1900's in Ohio. It shows the grit and strength of women in difficult situations.
Fun idea, but I wish these were non-fiction pieces of work that discussed changing points in each states history or figures from those places rather than fiction books.
I like how the Nebraska book doesn't really take place in Nebraska, they just happen to drive through it... Way to fight the stereotype of us being a flyover state, Goodreads!
Mar wrote: "Now make a world tour and put a few books from every continent 🙏✨"that would be so cool!
😼jiriguru wrote: "Love the initiative but I’m more on the non-fiction side. Anything for us the non-fiction lovers? History, social science, politics, biography, memoir… 🥹"Great idea!
Stuart wrote: "Amanda wrote: "So many social justice themes present in a majority of these recommendations"Should rename this site "wokereads" and be done with it."
Agreed. It's tiresome, and it's making goodreads less and less useful as a tool for finding books if you don't want to spend your time wallowing in those thin, brackish waters.
As an alternative for Oregon (especially if you're looking for something that takes place outside of Portland), I highly recommend Mink River by Brian Doyle. It's gorgeously written and immerses you in the beauty of Oregon's wilderness.
If you like urban fantasy, I recommend Harmony Black as a Michigan book and a gateway into the Craig Schaefer universe.
Amy wrote: "Lonesome Dove for Texas, but maybe everyone has already read it?"I have read it and absolutely agree, good enough to re-read. Characters are portrayed with such authenticity. Also No Country for old men. The characters speak like people I Have know. Very authentic.
Always wanted to do a road trip across the US. This seems like a fun one!
My other suggestion for Indiana is "But They Can't Beat Us: Oscar Robertson and the Cripus Attucks Tigers" by Randy Roberts.
Missouri- read Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld, has a contemporary urban setting of St. LouisVermont- The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian (also contemporary, but not a thriller like GR recommended)
Unlikely Animals by Annie Hartnett is 10x more representative of NH than Jodi Picoult 🙄
I recommend A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams to represent Rhode Island. This was the book that made me a reader of the many books written by Beatriz Williams!
Aubrey wrote: "What book best represents my state? Hmm… I’d probably have to say Welcome to Wonderland by Chris Grabenstein."
Avery wrote: "Idk I’m from Michigan so probably anything with a summer beach house 🤷♀️"I suggest The Women of Copper Country for Michigan
Stephanie wrote: "I wish there was a printable check list of all of the books"I think this is easily doable using any free text editing program you have around, if you do. If not, why not make a custom one on a piece of cardboard or in a diary? I think it would look lovely!
Would love a childrens book version.
Mar wrote: "Now make a world tour and put a few books from every continent 🙏✨" Or every country!
Would love you to do one around Great Britain
"Why are the territories not included? >:(" Because it's a summer ROADTRIP list. Most Americans taking a road trip across the States are not going to drive through the Gulf of Mexico or the Pacific Ocean just so Puerto Rico and Guam can be included.
South Dakota-The Children's Blizzard: A Novel: Benjamin, Melanie
Y'all did some of these states dirty! My poor native Arkansas, included :(
Or
Ladder of Years, Anne Tyler