LibraryLover23 Travels Around The Country

Alabama--To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Alaska--Winterdance: The Fine Madness Of Running The Iditarod by Gary Paulsen
Arizona--Son Of A Gun: A Memoir by Justin St. Germain
Arkansas
California--The Long Valley by John Steinbeck
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District Of Columbia--The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Florida--The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Georgia--Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil by John Berendt
Hawaii--Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
Idaho
Illinois--The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
Indiana--The Supremes At Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
Iowa--Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana--Five Days At Memorial: Life And Death In A Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
Maine--Needful Things by Stephen King
Maryland--The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
Massachusetts--Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Michigan--Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Minnesota--Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Mississippi--The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Missouri--A Bad Day For Pretty by Sophie Littlefield
Montana--Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
Nebraska--My Antonia by Willa Cather
Nevada
New Hampshire--A Separate Peace by John Knowles
New Jersey--Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
New Mexico--Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
New York--A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
North Carolina--At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon
North Dakota--The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
Ohio--The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words Or Less by Terry Ryan
Oklahoma--The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story Of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
Oregon--Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Pennsylvania--Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota--The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Tennessee--Christy by Catherine Marshall
Texas
Utah
Vermont—The City Baker’s Guide To Country Living by Louise Miller
Virginia--Nine Lives To Die by Rita Mae Brown
Washington--The Last Town On Earth by Thomas Mullen
West Virginia
Wisconsin--Winter Prey by John Sandford
Wyoming--Letters Of A Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart

This sounds like a fun challenge and I love that it's open-ended. I'm going to start with any books I've read this year and any I read from here on out, fiction or non-fiction. I'm also going to only list books where the location is a big part of the book, not just mentioned but actually explored.

Two of the books I've read so far this year have a lot of atmosphere and description of their locales.

1. The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
Set in Florida, this is about the Baxter family, a year in their life. Hunting, cooking, planting, trips to the neighboring towns, all come into play and are described in detail. And I was rather surprised to find out that bears live in Florida...

2. The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
This is non-fiction, about a blizzard in 1888 that swept the prairie states, caught many unaware, killed hundreds of people and countless livestock. It's called the children's blizzard because a lot of children were killed when they tried to make it home from school during the storm. Again, lots of descriptions of prairie life, lives of the immigrants, and of the storm itself.

Also, this one can work for multiple states--I'm putting it in for Nebraska now but it could also work for the Dakotas or Minnesota. I reserve the right to change it later if necessary!

I loved The Yearling as a child, but I never had the slightest idea that it took place in Florida! I guess my child's brain set it near where I lived at the time, or some fictional version of Alberta.

Enjoyed your review of The Yearling, LibraryLover. Confession-I've never read it! But it was my children's favorite movie for years.

>4 RidgewayGirl: I can understand that, it's always easy to adjust what you're reading to fit your point of view. But yeah, they even mention some Florida cities and things like finding crocodiles in swamps...very Florida-ish!

>5 countrylife: Thanks countrylife! I'd be curious to see how the movie compares to the book. Maybe I'll look into that sometime.

3. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
This is YA historical fiction about a yellow fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia, which was then capital of the United States. Very interesting read about life in the city at that time, including a lot of historical references, such as George Washington having to flee the city to avoid the fever.

4. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Excellent story of three women in 1960's era Mississippi who decide to stand up to the racial injustice of their town by writing an anonymous tell-all memoir, about what the black maids deal with while working for their white employers.

5. The Long Valley by John Steinbeck
Short stories that take place in or around the Salinas Valley in California. Steinbeck is a master at capturing a time and place. To me at least!

6. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
I thought this would make a good choice for Michigan, since much of the story takes place in Detroit. The car factories are covered, as well as the race riots of 1967, and the overall Midwestern sensibilities of the main characters.

7. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich
Any of the books in the Stephanie Plum series would be good choices for Jersey I think. Stephanie is a bounty hunter who lives in Trenton--her parents live in the Chambersburg neighborhood, or "the Burg" as it's affectionately known. Stephanie describes the Burg as the place where "houses are small, yards are narrow, cars are large, and windows are clean."

8. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Using this for South Dakota--lengthy descriptions of endless blizzards that affected Laura and her family on the prairie. One of the Little House books.

9. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith
This one works great for New York (obviously) partly because the main character, Francie, shows her world of Brooklyn so completely and fondly that even if you've never been there, after reading this you'll feel like you have.

I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it. I agree - it did feel like I was there while I read it.

>14 cbl_tn: Wasn't it great? And the ending, I loved the ending. There's a good reason it's considered a classic!

10. Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
Vowell uses her trademark snarky brand of humor to examine Hawaii's history. It starts by exploring the first missionaries to Hawaii, and ends with the eventual annexation and overthrow of Queen Liliuokalani, largely due to America wanting to establish a naval presence in the Pacific. There's a list of suggested reading in the back of the book--I think the queen's memoir would be particularly fascinating reading to supplement this book's info.

11. Needful Things by Stephen King
I know Castle Rock is fictional but I had to use a Stephen King book for Maine, because if anyone knows the ins and outs of small-town Maine life (and writes about it prolifically) it's Stephen King.

12. My Antonia by Willa Cather
I'm cheating a bit and switching The Children's Blizzard to North Dakota because I think this one works so well for Nebraska. It describes life on the prairie for Jim, his family and his best friend, Antonia, with lots of descriptions of both farm and town life in the early 20th century.

13. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
This one was actually a bit of a disappointing read but it describes the buildings, architecture and some of the history of DC in detail, so I thought it would fill that category nicely.

14. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A quintessential Alabama novel, about a precocious young girl growing up in a small town in the 1930's.

I listened to this one on audiobook, read by Sissy Spacek, which I highly recommend, as her soothing, Southern-accented voice really made the story come alive.

15. The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic, And Madness At The Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
Thought this would be a good choice for Illinois as it's all about the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and that fair's far-reaching influence.

16. Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil by John Berendt
Narrative nonfiction about a murder trial that took place in Savannah, Georgia in the 1980's. The author brought an outsider's perspective (and a Yankee one at that!) to life in Savannah, and his descriptions of both the place, and especially the eccentric residents, were fascinating to read.

17. A Bad Day For Pretty by Sophie Littlefield
I think mysteries are a good way to get to know a place, fiction-wise. This is the second book in a series that takes place in Prosper, MO, and features Stella Hardesty, a fifty-something sewing shop owner who goes after abusive husbands in her spare time. Although the setting is fictional, I think it gives a good idea of life in rural Missouri.

18. At Home In Mitford by Jan Karon
I read this one ages ago (actually, it was a reread) but I just forgot to mention it here--Mitford is loosely based on a real town called Blowing Rock, and the small town life and its many colorful residents (including the heart and soul of the series, Father Tim) make this a good choice for North Carolina.

19. Winterdance: The Fine Madness Of Running The Iditarod by Gary Paulsen
Very funny look at the famous Alaskan dog-sled race, but a poignant, heart-pounding adventure story as well. Paulsen does a great job of bringing the experience of traveling in Alaska to life, in vivid, eye-opening detail.

20. The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words Or Less by Terry Ryan
Non-fiction about the author's Ohio upbringing and how her mother single-handedly kept the family afloat by winning contests and jingles. A good portrait of small-town life in the 50's and 60's.

21. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
After her father dies, Davey moves with her mother and brother to live with her aunt and uncle in Los Alamos, New Mexico where she uses nature and her friendship with a local boy to try to come to terms with her grief.

22. Mystic River by Dennis Lehane
Lehane is from Boston so I think his tale about three boys (one of whom was abducted when they were kids) and their uneasy relationship as adults gives a realistic portrayal of life in Massachusetts.

23. The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
Although Tyler's books are always about characterization more than place, I thought this one did a good job of showing life in Baltimore when one couple moves out of the city and into the suburbs. A great read, just like Tyler's others.

24. The Last Town On Earth by Thomas Mullen
This is historical fiction about the great influenza of 1918 and its effect on a fictional town in Washington state that tries to quarantine itself. Although I wasn't overly impressed with it, I thought it gave a good look at life in a logging camp in the Pacific Northwest during the turn of the century.

25. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
Any book with the state's name in the title is usually a good bet, and this one's no exception. It's about a young boy's coming of age after he learns a devastating family secret, along with lots of descriptions of life in small-town Montana.

26. Son Of A Gun: A Memoir by Justin St. Germain
St. Germain's memoir of his mother's murder takes place in Tombstone, Arizona, a city with a Wild West culture which is described in vivid detail. He also touches on the famous gunfight at the O.K. Corral, which is a Tombstone landmark. This was a great, compelling read.

27. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story Of Those Who Survived The Great American Dust Bowl by Timothy Egan
Egan looks closely at how one of the worst disasters in American history affected the Great Plains. He spends a lot of time looking at the people and landscape in places like "no man's land" in Oklahoma.

28. Winter Prey by John Sandford
Although the Lucas Davenport series primarily takes place in Minnesota, in this entry to the series, Lucas travels to Wisconsin during the deep freeze of winter to help the local police solve a crime. The characters, the small town sensibilities, and particularly the weather, all play a big part in the story.

29. The Supremes At Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
Funny and heartfelt tale of three friends from young adulthood through to old age. It did a nice job of showing life in small-town Indiana, including race relations in the sixties.

I've said before that mysteries are always a great way to get to know a place and these two are no exception.

30. Nine Lives To Die by Rita Mae Brown
This one takes place in Virginia, with two cats and a dog helping to solve a mystery with their owner, Harry. Harry and her husband Fair live on a farm in Virginia, and the locale and local politics are discussed at length.

31. Sugar Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
Taking place in Minnesota during the deep-freeze of winter, the main character, Hannah, has to solve a mystery while snowbound with a group of townspeople during a blizzard. The descriptions of the weather went a long way toward evoking the sense of Minnesota as a place.

32. Wild: From Lost To Found On The Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
After her mother died and her marriage ended, Cheryl worked through her grief by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada. Although multiple states are covered in detail in this non-fiction book, I'm using it for Oregon. Cheryl's descriptions of the landscapes, wildlife and people she encountered are all vividly described, but her awe of the deep blue waters of Crater Lake stand out to me in particular.

>34 LibraryLover23: I enjoy reading Fluke's mysteries when I need something light. I remember that one as being enjoyable. I must have read it before I started tracking reads on LibraryThing though. It doesn't show up in my catalog. I guess I'll add it.

>36 thornton37814: I agree, it was light and enjoyable. That was the first of hers I've read—I'd be willing to check out others in that series sometime as I always enjoy a good cozy!

33. Letters Of A Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Stewart
Actual collection of letters that Elinore wrote to a friend after she moved to Wyoming in the early 1900's. Her descriptions of the natural world around her were awe-inspiring.

34. Five Days At Memorial: Life And Death In A Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
In-depth coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its effect on a flood-damaged hospital. It brought to life the event and its devastating impact on New Orleans and its citizens.

35. Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World by Vicki Myron with Bret Witter
Wonderful depiction of small-town Iowa life and the library cat who inspired the town. A good read for book- and cat-lovers alike.

36. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Two boys coming of age at a New Hampshire boarding school during the height of World War II find their friendship tested after a fateful accident. The atmosphere of a stuffy New England school is explored in detail, although the boys take every opportunity to break the rules, whether that means skipping class to go to the beach in summer, or stealing away for a snowball fight in the winter.

Good to see somebody else doing this challenge - I've not updated mine for a while, but will do so pronto. Am a little bit behind you too. We don't have a lot of books in common, but I have recently read,and really enjoyed, My Antonia for Nebraska too (I've also read and equally enjoyed Mockingbird and Winterdance, but I've excluded books I've already read, and am only allowing fiction too).

>42 Willoyd: I'm slowly plugging along, and glad that the challenge is open-ended! I've loved every Willa Cather book I've read so far, she writes so beautifully I think.

>43 LibraryLover23:
Do agree - I've since read O Pioneers, and, if anything, it's even better. Am definitely planning to explore Willa Cather's books a lot more.

37. Christy by Catherine Marshall
A fictionalized take on the author's mother's life. As an idealistic young woman in Tennessee in 1912, Christy feels a calling to teach at a remote Appalachian village school where she gets a bit more than she bargained for. Reading this, you can tell the story was meticulously researched, with strong characterization and surprisingly gritty and realistic storylines.

I just joined this challenge and am excited to see another new post.

>46 ritacate: Hi there! I pop in and out every so often, I'm making the challenge open-ended so sometimes it's ages in between posts. I hope you enjoy the challenge!

38. The City Baker’s Guide To Country Living by Louise Miller
When a big-city baker moves to a small town in Vermont, she’s surprised by how quickly it feels like home. This was set in a fictional town in Vermont, but it had New England hallmarks like apple orchards, maple syrup making, and a country fair. A cute read.

Some great books here, and I added two to my own challenge that I had read but forgotten to add: Christy and Five Days at Memorial.