Task #10: Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location

[Traci]

Colleen wrote: "Gary wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Looking for suggestions in Toronto, Canada or as far as Detroit,Michigan. I'm kinda smack-dab in the middle"

Robertson Davies would seem to be a natural for this. Also,..."

Have you considered books by Louise Penny? She writes about the Quebec/Montreal area of Canada.

[Patty]

Leslie wrote: "I'm in Sacramento, California. It would be easy enough to find something set in San Francisco, which is within the radius, but I'd rather find something in Sacramento. I've already read the big one..."

I really enjoyed the Kat Colorado series

[Kate]

Allie wrote: "This one is the one I think will be the biggest challenge for me. I'm in SW Virginia (Blacksburg/Roanoke area) and looking for suggestions! Most of the ones I'm seeing right off the bat are set in ..."

If you like poetry, I'd recommend something by Charles Wright or John Casteen.

[Kate]

Allie wrote: "This one is the one I think will be the biggest challenge for me. I'm in SW Virginia (Blacksburg/Roanoke area) and looking for suggestions! Most of the ones I'm seeing right off the bat are set in ..."

Flowers in the Attic is set in the Charlottesville area, too, like much of Wright and Casteen's work. This one's hard because I find that a lot of the big writers who set their work in the region set it in fictional towns, so there's no real way to know if it's within 100 miles.

[Kate]

Melissa W wrote: "Anything for Vancouver, BC? Would Do Not Say We Have Nothing qualify? Or do I have to find something else? Seattle also qualifies for me (I am 99 miles north of Seattle)"

Possibly A Tale for the Time Being?

[Kate]

Chessa wrote: "Ugh, living in Helena, MT and don't love westerns. If anyone has suggestions I'm all ears!

So far I've got Work Song and Buster Midnight's Cafe noted, but I'm not jum..."

A River Runs Through It and Other Stories is not a Western and is one of my all-time favorites. It would fit.

[Kate]

Caitlyn wrote: "I love reading local books, so I've already burned through a lot of the popular options for Seattle, but I'm going to take this opportunity to finally get around to Sherman Alexie, wh..."

For Alexie, it's hard to go wrong, but my favorite is probably The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven.

[Dominique]

I was stuck on this one (mostly due to stubbornness on my part) until I realized I live just within 100 miles of the Topaz Concentration Camp. I've found a few books that would fit but I would still love some suggestions. I'm open to fiction and nonfiction.

[Henriette]

I'm in Denmark. This is a small country. 100 miles is enough to reach a lot of the country!
I'll be going with a novel that will be published in August. A friend of mine, writer Louise Juhl Dalsgaard is writing a semi-biographic novel on living with an eating disorder. It is set in Aalborg which is 141 km about 87.6 miles from where I live.
It is perfect!

[Rebecca]

Anyone have suggestions for Philadelphia? I'm thinking I should be able to cover the challenge for reading a book where the main characters are people of color as well with this one. I'm also trying to avoid the obvious "Philadelphia" by Christopher Davis just because I already saw the movie.

[SibylM]

Becky wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for Philadelphia? I'm thinking I should be able to cover the challenge for reading a book where the main characters are people of color as well with this one. I'm also tryin..."
Loving Day by Mat Johnson is set in Philadelphia and it is by and about people of color. However, I can't remember if there are multiple POV's and if so whether they are all people of color.

[Rebecca]

SibylM wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for Philadelphia? I'm thinking I should be able to cover the challenge for reading a book where the main characters are people of color as well with this one. ..."

Great - thanks for the suggestion, I'll look into that one!

[Malvina]

Nicole wrote: "Looking for suggestions in Toronto, Canada or as far as Detroit,Michigan. I'm kinda smack-dab in the middle"

A few of Margaret Atwood's books take place in Toronto so you have some options there (Blind's Assassin partially takes place in Toronto, Cat's Cradle, Robber's Bride and maybe a few others)

Fifteen Dogs takes place in the High Park neighbourhood of Toronto. It won a few awards when it came out so it should be a good one.

Here's a goodreads list for books that take place at least partially in Toronto:
https://www.goodreads.com/places/6756...

[Traci]

Kate wrote: "Melissa W wrote: "Anything for Vancouver, BC? Would Do Not Say We Have Nothing qualify? Or do I have to find something else? Seattle also qualifies for me (I am 99 miles north of Se..."

How about: Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage by Molly Wizenburg.

[Liz]

the Big Stone Gap series is set in SW VA

[Ashley]

Becky wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for Philadelphia? I'm thinking I should be able to cover the challenge for reading a book where the main characters are people of color as well with this one. I'm also tryin..."

A few suggestions: The Lovely Bones is set in Philly, and the writer Lisa Scottoline bases many of her novels in Philadelphia as well. Hope these help!

[Rebecca]

Ashley wrote: "Becky wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for Philadelphia? I'm thinking I should be able to cover the challenge for reading a book where the main characters are people of color as well with this one. ..."

Oh, thanks! I'll check those. And in case anyone else is looking, I just found this list on Goodreads of philly books: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

[Shelldon (Aspiring Ninja)]

This is probably going to be the hardest task for me to complete.
I'm in Ireland so there are plenty of options. But usually I can't stand anything that's set locally. It's just one of my pet peeves, sets my skin crawling!

Most of the books I've read based here are quite dark and heartbreaking. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for a lighter option?

Otherwise I think I might end up re-reading an Artemis Fowl book for this task, which could check off two tasks with one book!

[Teresa]

Becky, I really enjoyed Fever 1793.

[Teresa]

Shelldon, have you tried a Google search for light fiction set in Ireland? I totally understand your aversion to the dark sad stories prevalent there.

[Jen]

Shelldon (Aspiring Ninja) wrote: "This is probably going to be the hardest task for me to complete.
I'm in Ireland so there are plenty of options. But usually I can't stand anything that's set locally. It's just one of my pet peev..."

Nora Roberts has written at least three books with Ireland as at least a partial setting. (She writes romantic suspense.) Do you ever read (and enjoy) paranormal romance? Her Circle Trilogy has the set-in-Ireland books I'm thinking of in it. And at least one of them was, I think, set completely in Ireland.

[Casseroll]

Teresa wrote: "Shelldon, have you tried a Google search for light fiction set in Ireland? I totally understand your aversion to the dark sad stories prevalent there."

Nora Roberts's Circle Trilogy is paranormal so there are some dark elements and it was pretty sickening what the queen vampire does to a toddler. I wouldn't recommend that one. That series put me off Nora Roberts.

I found some items that might point you in the right direction:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles...

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/boo...

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/b/books...

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8...

[Brandyn]

Shelldon (Aspiring Ninja) wrote: "This is probably going to be the hardest task for me to complete.
I'm in Ireland so there are plenty of options. But usually I can't stand anything that's set locally. It's just one of my pet peev..."

I read Casting Off for a bookclub several years ago. I don't remember much except it's in Ireland (possibly a fictional town?) and I think it's fairly light.

[Chrissy]

For Ireland, I love Maeve Binchy, and lots of her books are set in Ireland.

[Caryn]

Becky wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for Philadelphia? I'm thinking I should be able to cover the challenge for reading a book where the main characters are people of color as well with this one. I'm also tryin..."

Try Diane McKinney-Whetstone's novels. You will not be sorry.

[Katherine]

I live in Spokane, WA and Jess Walters' Beautiful Ruins partially takes place in Sandpoint, ID..less than 100 miles from here

[Maya]

I live in Seattle, been meaning to read Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Where'd You Go, Bernadette that are set around here - may read both for this task!

[Bonnie G.]

The Lovely Bones is by Alice Sebold.

[Diana]

I feel like I lucked out on this prompt. I live in Lawrence, Kansas, so I'm going to read The Good Lord Bird by James McBride. It's historical fiction about Bleeding Kansas and the Abolition movement and was high on my list anyway.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[Julia]

I have read already Half the Way Home: A Memoir of Father and Son by Adam Hochschild, which mostly takes place in New York's Adirondacks at a Great Camp. It's non-fiction. I've been meaning to read Legs or any of the books of William Kennedy or, or maybe and Everybody's Fool or one of the other books of Richard Russo. I've read and loved The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff, but of the author's other books I've read, only that one is set in Cooperstown, as far as I know. I could read Drums Along the Mohawk, or The Last of the Mohicans, or The Deerslayer, even Summer by Edith Wharton may do.

I live in rural Upstate New York, 40 miles from Albany & 40 miles from Cooperstown.

[Antediluvianbychoice]

I live in The Dallas/FW metroplex, but have read several books set in the area. I found a Newbery honor book I think I can potentially use with students called The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. We'll see how the "preview" goes once I track it down. If not, time to find some Kinky Freedman. Austin's not THAT far away.

[Jen]

Casseroll wrote: "Nora Roberts's Circle Trilogy is paranormal so there are some dark elements and it was pretty sickening what the queen vampire does to a toddler. I wouldn't recommend that one. That series put me off Nora Roberts...."

I'm sorry to hear that. I wasn't bothered by the scenes involving the toddler for a few reasons. One perhaps being that I'm not the mother of any human kids (I have a puppy-son and toddler nieces). Another is that these are fiction stories, and the "queen vampire" was the "bad guy," defeated in a great battle in the third and final book.

I find it a huge shame that this one character and her actions turned you off of the writing of Nora Roberts. After all, Nora has written over 200 books, and she's still an active writer. I have not loved all of her books (Angels Fall comes to mind as one I did not like), but I still recognize that even the ones I did not like were well written works of fiction.

So I stand by my recommendation of the Circle Trilogy.

[Cliff]

Anybody have any suggestions for something in the Houston/Katy TX area?

[Kirsten]

From the Houston Press:

http://www.houstonpress.com/arts/rest...

[Tytti]

Xelly wrote: "Any suggestions for Mongolia, I live in Ulaanbaatar?"

Compartment No. 6 ends there, and I believe the author has visited the country herself because she made that same journey as the protagonist.

This is an easy one for me. Before I moved (inside the town) last year, I lived right at the centre of what was the place for the biggest battle in the Nordic countries before that (the biggest ever was fought in 1944). I might pick "The Driver of the Cold" which is about a man taken to clear the streets and take the dead to be buried. Though there are 2-3 big towns also within that radius, let's see what I will read first.

[Jenny]

The Last Disco in Ulanbatur....can'r remember who the author is...interesting read tho..

[Amanda]

Hey -- does it count if more than half the book is set within 100 miles of you, but part is set farther away?

[Jen]

Amanda wrote: "Hey -- does it count if more than half the book is set within 100 miles of you, but part is set farther away?"

I would think yes. But really, I think it's up to you. If you want to count it, count it! :-)

[JeNee]

This is the hardest. Nothing is ever set within 100 miles of my hometown. Nothing except local history books, anyway. TKAM falls just outside the range at 130 miles. Northwest Florida is a savage and desolate place.

[Kate]

JeNee wrote: "This is the hardest. Nothing is ever set within 100 miles of my hometown. Nothing except local history books, anyway. TKAM falls just outside the range at 130 miles. Northwest Florida is a savage a..."

Is Swamplandia! too far? I know FL's huge ...

[Maya]

JeNee wrote: "This is the hardest. Nothing is ever set within 100 miles of my hometown. Nothing except local history books, anyway. TKAM falls just outside the range at 130 miles. Northwest Florida is a savage a..."

If you're a fan of Dave Barry, I found Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland pretty amusing - even though I haven't ever been to Florida - he travels around the state a bit and may be near you

[Lynda]

I'm in Southwest Georgia (US). I am struggling with this one. Most books have fictional settings or are in Atlanta or Savannah. If someone can help, I'd appreciate it.

[Teresa]

Lynda, I came up with Swamp Water, after doing a search for novels set in Albany, Bainbridge, Thomasville, and one other (I can't remember, it's on Wikipedia). Good luck.

[Bonnie G.]

Lydia, maybe The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. The town is never names, but its widely agreed that it is Columbus, where McCullers is from.

[Lynda]

I'm not finding Swamp Water other than a movie.

[Lynda]

Wait. I found it. It's set too far. Thanks anyway.

[Marcella]

I read by Blake Crouch. He previously wrote Wayward Pines. It's a scifi story set in and around Chicago. Solid book, a quick read. I have a few quibbles with the author's knowledge of Chicago geography (he lives in Colorado), but on the whole, a good exploration of the path not taken concept.

[Erica]

Anyone have some good suggestions for some San Diego area reads?

[Bonnie G.]

Erica wrote: "Anyone have some good suggestions for some San Diego area reads?"

Yes! Almost all Don Winslow is set there and it is all fantastic, witty noir. The Cartel is excellent, but so are all the others.

[Julia]

Lynda,

Is Plains, GA within 100 miles? I read Jimmy Carter's An Hour Before Daylight: Memories Of A Rural Boyhood and enjoyed it a lot. My mother was from southern Georgia. On the other hand, I hated the novel The Hornet's Nest a lot. His strengths aren't as a novelist, in my opinion. You may like Christmas in Plains: Memories or Living Faith by him.