Task #10: Read a book that takes place in a rural setting

[Linda]

I'm going to try Sweetland by Michael Crummey.

[Edna]

Milena wrote: "I am reading Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead now and it seems to fit."

This sounds great!! I'm going to read this too, thanks for the suggestion.

[Angela]

I really enjoy Attica Locke's Highway 59 series which takes place in rural Texas. Bluebird, Bluebird is the first in the series, and it is wonderful (and is one of the Book Riot recommendations). Has anyone read The Cutting Season ? It takes place in "a sprawling antebellum plantation." I imagine this would meet this challenge, right?

[Emerging]

Elizabeth A.G. wrote: "Katie, I'm just starting Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. How did you like it?"
I'm not Katie, but I adored Housekeeping, for what it's worth! :)

[Emerging]

Hmm... I am undecided, but am thinking perhaps The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey.

[Tammy]

I’m feeling particularly drawn to this task, so will probably read several that fit. Blacklands, by Belinda Bauer is one I read so far that is dark but very good. It takes places near and in the moors of England.

Currently I am reading The Unraveling of Mercy Louis, by Keijja Parssinen (SE Texas / Gulf Coast), and recommend that as well. Connections have been drawn between this modern day tale and the Salem Witch Trials.

[〰️Beth〰️]

I read Night Theater by Vikram Paralkar. It is about a surgeon in a small village medical clinic in India. It really is a philosophical look at death and dying.

[Stephanie]

I just finished The Twisted Ones. It's a fun read if you like a bit of humor with your horror (which I definitely do!)

[Emerging]

I'm curious if anyone knows whether Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout would be a fit for this one. I'm not sure how rural or not the setting is.

[Katie]

Emerging wrote: "Elizabeth A.G. wrote: "Katie, I'm just starting Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. How did you like it?"
I'm not Katie, but I adored Housekeeping, for what it's worth! :)"

I'm Katie,
And I did like it. Wasn't my favorite Marilyn Robinson, but it was still good!

[Sherri]

I just finished Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy & will use it for this prompt.

[Milena]

Angela wrote: "I really enjoy Attica Locke's Highway 59 series which takes place in rural Texas. Bluebird, Bluebird is the first in the series, and it is wonderful (and is one of ..."

Yes, The Cutting Season works for this.

[Judith]

Eliza wrote: "I'm going with A Mercy - it's been sitting on my shelf for years and I am always here for some Toni!"

Oh, I just read this for a different challenge I'm doing! I can use this if I don't find something else - don't know why I didn't think of it as I was reading, really....

Presumably pretty much anything by Laura Ingalls Wilder would fit this task!

[Ilana]

I just read The Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss. It’s creepy but a very good, fast read that works for this prompt

[Jason]

I just finished Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, and my heart is still in recovery.

[Erin]

Anyone looking for a graphic novel for this challenge, I highly recommend Essex County!

[Teresa]

I read Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women. It contains mini biographies of 12 pioneer women. They all traveled, many discarded traditional female roles and were also activists.

[Brooke]

Natalie wrote: "The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah"

I read this one as well. It was my first read by her and I loved it. Hoping to get into another one of her books soon.

[L Y N N]

Brooke wrote: "Natalie wrote: "The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah"

I read this one as well. It was my first read by her and I loved it. Hoping to get into another one of her books soon."

I can very very highly recommend The Nightingale! One of my favorite reads ever!

[Michelle (RavenLily)]

Emerging wrote: "Hmm... I am undecided, but am thinking perhaps The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey."

The Snow Child would also count for the prompt of a book by or about a journalist. The author used to be a reporter.

[Bonnie G.]

Michelle (RavenLily) wrote: "Emerging wrote: "Hmm... I am undecided, but am thinking perhaps The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey."

The Snow Child would also count for the prompt of a book by or about..."

That was last year

[Anamika]

So, I'm going to read this in Latin (ugh, nerd) but if anyone wants to try out some classical poetry for this one, The Eclogues and The Georgics by Virgil are a beautiful series of rural/pastoral poetry. Not too long (there are only 10 eclogues, and they're short!), and something a little different.

[Michelle (RavenLily)]

Bonnie G. wrote: "Michelle (RavenLily) wrote: "Emerging wrote: "Hmm... I am undecided, but am thinking perhaps The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey."

The Snow Child would also count for the..."

Sorry. I was thinking of this years Popsugar Challenge.

[Shar]

The Giver Of Stars by JoJo Moyes

[Laura]

I read Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke for this task. Challenging read, but very good.

[Andy]

just finished The Vine That Ate The South by J.D. Wilkes that could also be a double dipper for Task 22.
Adventure quest set in the backwoods of Kentucky, filled with lots of southern folklore.
Dont know if I would recommend it unless you like to read books that send you on bizarre trips and you dont know where you are when you come of it. Its a pretty messy read, but creative storytelling.

[Wellington]

I have read Eruption by Steve Olson for this prompt. Some of the discussion about the logging business was a little long, but overall it was very interesting and I liked it. This also fits the natural disaster prompt too.

[Natalie Piccotti]

I’m reading Inland and I think it fits for this challenge!

[Marie]

City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong or any of the books in that series would count. They live in an off-the-grid secret town for people who have the money and the need to get away from legal concerns. Its a good series.

[Deb]

Emerging wrote: "I'm curious if anyone knows whether Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout would be a fit for this one. I'm not sure how rural or not the setting is."

I was also wondering if Strout's novels count as rural (definitely small towns). I read Amy and Isabelle, which was excellent. I can highly recommend Ghost Wall and Flowers of the Killer Moon.

[Bonnie G.]

Deb wrote: "Emerging wrote: "I'm curious if anyone knows whether Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout would be a fit for this one. I'm not sure how rural or not the setting is."

..."

This sent me to the dictionary for an official definition of "rural." Nothing about agriculture, and synonyms like "countryside" and "pastoral." Given that, I would say Olive Kitteridge and Olive Again absolutely work. Both are favorite books of mine.

[Christine]

I'll be honest with you. I read a lot of Christian Fiction and with these books there is a lot of Amish books. I live right in the middle of Amish country in Ohio. I don't read books about Amish because I live it. I'm sure their good but I want to get out of my comfort zone.

[Elizabeth]

I just finished reading Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin (translated from Spanish to English by Megan McDowell), which is set in rural Argentina. It was so ominous and disturbing and I loved it. Definitely glad this task helped push me to read it sooner.

[Gayaprashad]

I read book called 'Angry river' by Ruskin Bond. The book follows the story of a girl called sita who lives in a village located in rural india. It tackles many things such as humanity in everyone, how to handle adversity . In short it is one of the best short stories that i have read.

[Octavia]

I read A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold. It was lovely.

[Judith]

Just read Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. I found Home really tedious, but I absolutely loved this and read it more or less in one sitting

[Jacob]

For this challenge, I read a classic in Jean Toomer's Cane, which I enjoyed. It can be a hard read, especially if you're unfamiliar with modernist works, but it's a very beautiful and interesting look at a time in black America between Reconstruction and the beginning of the modern Civil Rights movement, as well as a memerizing blend of poetry, prose, and drama in a fashion that still feels contemporary.

[Dorothy]

Amy wrote: "I am currently reading The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, it would be perfect for this prompt."

Agree. My book club recently read this - takes place in depression-era KY. Lots of great discussion about the times and characters in this book.

[Tammy]

142 Ostriches is a debut novel by April Davila that takes place in the Mojave Desert in California. I really enjoyed the story of the family and ostrich ranch. A member of my book club had suggested we pick a book listed in the newsletter of one of our local book stores to help support them, which I thought was a cool idea!

[James]

Red Sorghum by Mo Yan. I liked it, but it was very violent, and disturbing in parts.

[Harper]

I read The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb. I also read Jojo Moyes's The Giver of Stars but might want to count that for the historical fiction challenge.

[Sandy]

I haven't done this challenge yet but I've thought of some options. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater set on a little fictional island either off the coast of Ireland or Scotland The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong set in a little community somewhere in the wilds of Canada (think the population was less than 1000) The Split by Sharon Bolton set on an island off the coast of Antarctica

[Westiegirl]

I read The Lost Man and Disappearing Earth both of which take place in a rural setting. However, I am going to count The Lost Man for a different prompt even though it works for this one as well. I would recommend both for this prompt.

[Olivia]

Does anyone know if any of these are in a rural setting? I'm going through books I have been given, but haven't read.

Like Water for Chocolate
Ironweed
The Pillars of the Earth
The Shack

[Tammy]

Olivia wrote: "Does anyone know if any of these are in a rural setting? I'm going through books I have been given, but haven't read.

Like Water for Chocolate
Ironweed
[book:The Pillars..."

I only know Like Water for Chocolate, and from my memory it should count! It's an historical story that takes place mostly on a ranch in the countryside.

[Carolina]

I just finished The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. It is set in rural Kentucky. I enjoyed it!

[Sheri]

Would Dumplin' count? It's set in a small town in Texas.

[SueAnn]

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

[Shelley]

I read Captain Corelli's Mandolin about the Italian occupation of Greece during WWII. It takes place in a village on a small island. Not the most rural setting, but it was a beautiful book.

[Jennifer]

I read Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey, set in a logging town in Oregon. Phenomenal book.