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

[Jonathan]

I'm from Queens, NY, so I used The Interestings as my book.

[Lynda]

@ Teresa, Bonnie, and Julia: Thanks for your help. And Plains is definitely in the range for me. I also may read something about Andersonville where Union POWs were held during the Civil War. I have some options now and don't feel so daunted by this particular challenge anymore. Again, I appreciate your help.

[Erica]

Bonnie wrote: "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 excellen..."

Thanks!

[Jennifer]

Stina wrote: "I live halfway between Cheyenne and Denver, so this is likely to be another easy category for me. But if anybody has specific recommendations, I'd love to hear them."

I live in Denver, and I just finished the thriller Blood on the Tracks. The main character is a Denver railroad police special agent. She and her K9 partner are tasked to solve a brutal murder. There were a few scenes that were too graphic for me, but I enjoyed the story and will read her second in the series when it is published. This is also Barbara Nickless's debut novel.

[Jessica]

This one is so hard for me. I live in western South Carolina very near the Georgia border. Big cities like Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston are 150-250 miles away still. Any ideas?

[Bonnie G.]

Jessica wrote: "This one is so hard for me. I live in western South Carolina very near the Georgia border. Big cities like Atlanta, Savannah, and Charleston are 150-250 miles away still. Any ideas?"

Is Greenville within 100 miles? Bastard Out of Carolina or Brown Girl Dreaming are both superb.

[Susan]

SibylM wrote: "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 b..."

Try Factory Man by Beth Macy. It's about the efforts of furniture factory owner John Bassett III to save his factory and fight the Chinese takeover of the Virginia furniture industry. His factory is located in Galax, VA, 97 miles from Roanoke. Roanoke is only 45 miles from Bassett, VA, the original home of the Bassett family. It is a terrific book

[Chickadee]

This is a technicalities question. I found a book that would cover BOTH Sports and A book set within 100 miles. The book is probably 120 - 125 miles from my home...does that still fall under the "within 100 miles" category? At what point does a distance fall out of the "within 100 miles" category?

[Elyse]

I'm going with The Fifth Petal as I just read The Lace Reader in December and Salem, MA is 73 miles from home. :)

[Bonnie G.]

Chickadee wrote: "This is a technicalities question. I found a book that would cover BOTH Sports and A book set within 100 miles. The book is probably 120 - 125 miles from my home...does that still fall under the "w..."

I guess you define it for yourself. For me 101 miles is too far.

[Elizabeth]

I read Early London 1826 - 1914: A Photographic History From The Orr Collection, which is a local history book. Set in my current city of London, ON, it fits the challenge perfectly. I loved it.

[Georgiana]

https://g.co/kgs/UcDvHx

For whoever was asking about books set near Toronto, The Prison Book Club takes place partly in the Beaver Creek institution, up towards cottage country, although it's more focused on Collins Bay in Kingston. I'm also counting it as a book about books.

[Jennifer]

A book I've had on my TBR pile for over 8 years fulfilled this task!

Fire in Beulah tells the stories of two women: one black, one white. One an oil wildcatter's wife, one her maid. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the early 1920s, the story of the two women's intertwining lives climaxes on the day in 1921 when Tulsa exploded after a black man was accused of attacking a white woman in a downtown elevator. White vigilantes took to the streets and destroyed the Greenwood neighborhood, a part of Tulsa known all over the country as "Black Wall Street".

I highly recommend this book for this challenge if you live in Oklahoma, and in general, as it exposes a long hidden part of Oklahoma---and American---history.

[Vani]

I live in Johor, Malaysia and it's a little tough to find books within 100 miles of my location if I'm only considering books from Malaysia. However, Singapore is just across the causeway (14.5 miles) and there are plenty of books based in SG to choose from! Right at the top of my head is Salina by A. Samad Said.

Despite being a classic in the Malay language, I can't seem to find any English synopsis for the novel. So here's a rough translation of the plot given in Malay on Goodreads:

Salina tells the tale of people living in Goat Village, Singapore after the second World War. It depicts poverty, moral degradation and the struggle for survival following the fallout caused by the war.

Any other suggestions on books that would be suitable for this task?

[Kate]

Vani wrote: "I live in Johor, Malaysia and it's a little tough to find books within 100 miles of my location if I'm only considering books from Malaysia. However, Singapore is just across the causeway (14.5 mil..."

Here's a list of books set in Singapore: https://www.goodreads.com/places/111-...

Sadly, I don't have any particular recommendations.

[Teresa]

Vani, your book doesn't need to be set in your country, just set within a hundred mile radius from your home. :-)

[Courtney]

I can't believe it, but I found a book that's set *IN* my tiny town of 2,000 people in rural western Oregon! Thanks Scandal...at the Willamina Quilt Show! How silly.

[Jamie]

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

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line is set in Neptune, a fictional town in Southern California that lies just north of San Diego.
If you're into YA, Rats Saw God is a non-Veronica Mars based book by Rob Thomas set in San Diego.

[Susan]

The Gangster We Are All Looking For by Le Thi Diem Thuy. The author grew up in Linda Vista after fleeing Vietnam in a fishing boat. It was the 2011 One Book/One San Diego book. The Pumphouse Gang by Tom Wolfe about surfers and others in the '60s in La Jolla. Joseph Wambaugh Lines and Shadows- about a Border Task Force unit of the SDPD in the 1970s. Love and War in California by Oakley Hall (have not read the last one).

[Vani]

Kate wrote: "Vani wrote: "I live in Johor, Malaysia and it's a little tough to find books within 100 miles of my location if I'm only considering books from Malaysia. However, Singapore is just across the cause..."

Thank you for the list!

[Laura]

I live in Bristol, England - would Treasure Island fit? I've never read it before but its coming up as the top book set in my location on goodreads!

[Bonnie G.]

I just started LaRose for this challenge. I moved to Fargo ND a few months ago and was not hopeful I would find much. The book is not super specific about location, but it appears set where Erdrich lives and that is about 80 miles away.

[Jen]

I read Storm Born by Richelle Mead for this task. When not in Otherworld (fairy land), apart from a few pages in Las Cruces in the beginning, the story was set in Tucson, where I live. :-)

[Jack]

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

I live in the San Diego area too! I haven't read for this one yet, but i have a couple books on my list:

The Gangster We Are All Looking For (this one is also a debut novel AND a book with a central immigration narrative)

Into the Beautiful North this one's set south of the border, I think, also with an immigration narrative. It seems like it's a pretty light-hearted read.

If you want to go the sci-fi route, Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge is set in San Diego in the future

[Jack]

Chickadee wrote: "This is a technicalities question. I found a book that would cover BOTH Sports and A book set within 100 miles. The book is probably 120 - 125 miles from my home...does that still fall under the "w..."

i guess it depends on if you define 'your location' as 'the particular spot you are sitting at the moment' or 'my town' or 'the general geographical area'

i think the spirit of this particular challenge is to read about something that may be familiar to you, or to learn new things about the place where you live. If the book works for either of those i'd say go for it, even if it's technically a little too far away

[Mary]

Bonnie wrote: "I just started LaRose for this challenge. I moved to Fargo ND a few months ago and was not hopeful I would find much. The book is not super specific about location, but it appears s..."

I loved LaRose! She reads the audio book and she is a fantastic reader, one of my 5 * reads from last year.

[Bonnie G.]

Mary wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "I just started LaRose for this challenge. I moved to Fargo ND a few months ago and was not hopeful I would find much. The book is not super specific about location, b..."

I am reading the hardcover. Now I want to get the audio!

[Hélène]

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

I haven't read anything by Galsan Tschinag yet, but he seems to be a very interesting author. Though now living in Ulan Bator, he studied in Germany and still writes mainly in German, so you may have to read him in translation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galsan_...

[Nadine in California]

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

How about ? If you're following the Tournament of Books, it's going to be part of that too.

[Teresa]

Im slogging through Elizabeth Smart's My Story. It's boringly repetitive.
Update : I finished it. It is the most shallow, in denial, privileged, prudish, brain washed, so called memoir I've had the displeasure of reading. Her co-writer and editor need to be fired.

[Renee]

I'm in the Houston area and read Erik Larson's Isaac's Storm about the Galveston Hurricane. I also used it for my book on technology, the weather bureau was in its infancy. It's an excellent read,

[Leslie]

Great choice! I'm in Houston also and am in the middle of Black Water Rising, by Attica Locke (to bre used in this category). She lives in LA now (and is a writer o Empire) but grew up in Houston. She does a great job with the Houston references and I can picture the setting so clearly. It's also her debut novel, so I will likely use it in that category as well.

[Nina]

For this one I read Cruel Beautiful World. It is set mostly in Waltham Massachusetts and surrounding areas. It was excellent!

[Ptaylor]

This one was hard, but I read In the Heat of the Night by John Ball. It's set in the fictional town of Wells, SC which lies in the Smokies. That's close enough for me.

[Emma]

Hi guys- I'm from Glasgow Scotland and struggling with this one. Had anyone from Scotland had any luck?

[Kirsten]

What about the books of Ian Rankin?

[Bonnie G.]

Emma wrote: "Hi guys- I'm from Glasgow Scotland and struggling with this one. Had anyone from Scotland had any luck?"

If you like crime books The Twilight Time was pretty good.

[Julia]

Are Edinburgh and Glasgow within 100 miles of each other? If yes, Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh.

[Emma]

Thanks!

[Kate]

Emma wrote: "Hi guys- I'm from Glasgow Scotland and struggling with this one. Had anyone from Scotland had any luck?"

Try this list: https://www.goodreads.com/places/2617...

[Jan]

Leanne wrote: "Hey Phoenix, Arizona friends! If you haven't read it already, check out The Glass Castle.

Unfortunately, I have already read this, so now I am on the hunt for a new Phoenix book :)"

Ann Hood is a Rhode Island author. I love everything she has written, most taking place in RI.

[Rebecca]

I struggled with this one for awhile, but if anyone in Toledo or Cleveland needs a recommendation, I'm picking The Bluest Eye. It's set in Lorain, which is less than 100 miles from either city, plus it would work for a few other categories as well!

[Kim]

Blind Rage: A True Story of Sin, Sex, and Murder in a Small Arkansas Town
If within 100 miles of Ft Smith, AR. Also debut novels.
Fort Whiskey

[Simant]

Going with Midnight's Children as it is set in Mumbai, which is within 100 Miles of my location

[Nikki]

Anyone within 100 miles of Cincinnati (and fans of Jane Austen) might be interested in Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice. I'm nearly halfway through now and it's interesting to see how the author has adapted the characters and story elements to fit modern times. However, it's been especially interesting to read along as the characters visit familiar areas and namedrop local landmarks and restaurants.

[Teresa]

Nikki, I really enjoyed Eligible. It was a fun read.

[Marie]

I'm reading Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. It's set in Ohio (Columbus and Portsmouth) as well as Kentucky, New Mexico, Mexico, and California. It covers the recent upsurge in heroin overdoses (overdoses have now overtaken car accidents as the most common form of accidental death in the U.S.), and the factors that have led to that.

[Mark]

Also Glasgow; I'm going with This Is Memorial Device which I don't know much about but saw it in local Waterstones and just went for it.

Set in Airdrie - all of what? 12 miles or so from Glasgow.

[Jess (oracle_of_madness)]

Greenville, sc anyone?

[Bonnie G.]

Jesseruth wrote: "Greenville, sc anyone?"

I love Greenville! Such a lovely downtown. T think Bastard Out of Carolina is set super nearby.