I recently started the 50 States Reading Challenge. I’m going to read books that take place in each of the 50 states of America! Suggest me your favorite book (any genre) and tell me which state it takes place in! (The town can be fictional!) TIA!
by NoPersonality7502
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Where the Crawdads Sing for North Carolina.
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah for Alaska.
White Oleander (California)
Little Fires Everywhere (Ohio)
The Peach Keeper (North Carolina)
Lonesome Dove for Texas
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green for Indiana
Celia Garth by Gwen Bristow (South Carolina)
The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell (Michigan)
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger (Minnesota)
Wild by Cheryl Strayed (Oregon/Washington)
Jodi Picoult’s “Second Glance” for Vermont
Educated for Idaho
Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas for Nevada or Motel Life if you’re going for a northern Nevada flair
Fried Green Tomatoes, 1987 *novel* by American author Fannie Flagg. Set in Alabama
The Green Mile, by Stephen King, predominantly takes place at the **Cold Mountain Penitentiary during the Great Depression** (specifically, 1932). The prison is located in Louisiana, not far from Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Just about anything by John Sandford for Minnesota.
Gone Girl, Missouri
Moloka’i or Honolulu by Alan Brennert
Both historical fiction.
ETA: For Hawaii
East of Eden for California
The Scent of Rain and Lightening for Kansas
A River Runs Through It -Montana
A Confederacy of Dunces -Louisiana
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas -Nevada
Wonder Boys -Pennsylvania
Ask The Dust -California
The Cider House Rules -Maine
Infinite Jest -Massachusetts
Breakfast of Champions -Indiana
Desert Solitaire -Utah
Historical California: *Grapea of Wrath* or *East of Eden* by Steinbeck
Modern California: *Malibu Rising* by Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Wisconsin: *Shotgun Lovesongs* by Nickolas Butler
For Maryland, anything by Anne Tyler.
– It – Maine
– A Certain Hunger (psychological horror) **OR** The Golem and the Jinni (literary fantasy) – NY (Certain Hunger is also partly set in Italy)
– Remarkably Bright Creatures – Washington
– My Antonia – Nebraska
– Cannery Row – California
– A Prayer for Owen Meany – New Hampshire
– Winter’s Bone – Missouri
– The Queen’s Gambit – Kentucky
Demon Copperhead for Virginia
For Massachusetts:
Welcome To The Monkey House, short stories by Kurt Vonnegut
We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
All Souls and Easter Rising by Michael Patrick MacDonald
Or just skip all that and go for Lovecraft!
By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder, for South Dakota
Louisiana gotta be A Confederacy of Dunces
The Perks of Being a Wallflower for Pennsylvania
The Office of Historical Corrections for DC
Iowa is tough! Part of The Nix is in Iowa (GREAT book) orrr
you could also go classic with Shoeless Joe or What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver for Virginia
Boys in the Boat – Washington
The Boys in the Boat and Snow Falling on Cedars for Washington.
Dispatches From Pluto for Mississippi.
Native Son or the Time Traveler’s wife for Illinois. Depends if you’re more of a classics or romance reader
Laura Lippman for Baltimore, MD
Dies the Fire, by Stirling or half of Louis L’Amour for Oregon
Running With the Demon, by Brooks for Washington
7th Sigma, by Gould is somewhere in the Southwest
Monster Hunter International, by Corriea for Louisiana
Storm Front, by Butcher for Illinois
Spell for Chameleon, by Anthony for “Florida” – Man from Mundania goes to real Florida for a bit.
Tony Hillerman for New Mexico
The Shining by Stephen King for Colorado.