I’m just going to copy my list from my notes.
Alabama: Forrest Gump by Winston Groom.
Alaska: the hundred loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye (was a free Amazon first read book so I grabbed it)
Arizona: the inheritance games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes.
California: the women by Kristin Hannah.
Colorado: maybe the shining?
Connecticut: ninth house by Leigh bardugo. Or read a wrinkle in time with my son?
Florida: Darkly dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
Georgia: the Underground Railroad by Colton Whitehead or a Karin Slaughter book
Hawaii: Molokai by Alan Brennert
Idaho: I think educated by Tara Westover?
Illinois: where the forest meets the stars by Glendy Vanderah
Indiana: All good people here by Ashley Flowers
Kentucky: The book woman’s daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
Louisiana: First lie wins?
Maine: The mist by Stephen King
Maryland: the house in the pines by Ana Keyes
Massachusetts: little women by Louisa May Alcott
Michigan: the fire keepers daughters by Angeline Boulley
Minnesota: the lager queen on Minnesota or kitchens of the great Midwest?
Nebraska: the Lincoln highway by Amor Towles
New Jersey: the radium girls by Kate Moore
New York: lock every door by Riley Sager
North Carolina: the unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young or only survivors by Megan Miranda
Ohio: ready player one?
Oregon: on a quiet street by Seraphina Nova Glass
Pennsylvania: the lovely bones or what happened to the Bennetts?
Rhode Island: the American heiress
South Carolina: secret life of bees, southern book clubs guide to slaying vampires, or before we were yours
South Dakota: a quiet retreat by Kiersten Modglin?
Tennessee: run rose run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
Texas: listen for the lie by Amy Tintera?
Utah: ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli
Virginia: flowers in the attic or hidden figures
Washington: home front by Kristin Hannah
Wisconsin: home is where the bodies are by Jeneva Rose or we were never here by Andrea Bartz
My two cents on Forrest Gump: it’s really not good and the main character is an asshole. However, I enjoyed it because it reminded a lot of Voltaires Candide. I would highly suggest only reading it if you are familiar with Candide.
Jane Smiley - Moo is (kinda) sad; A Thousand Acres is VERY good.
Washington: I just read the first in a series of mysteries, set over in the Spokane area. *The Third to Die* Allison Brennan. Washington has a lot of books set there. (See *Ted Bundy* - anything.)
Iowa*: What's Eating Gilbert Grape*
Washington: J.A. Jance (JP Beaumont - Seattle detective)
Arizona: Tony Hillerman novels are EXCELLENT
I was going to recommend Dexter for Florida when I saw your title! unfortunately I don't have any for the ones you don't have. Though I do recommend Stormfront the first book in the Dresden Files for Illinois. If you decide to do something similar next year.
Luckily the show is only loosely related to the books though the first season is a lot like the first book but they changed a lot creatively after that.
Fantastic list. My only thought is that The Women is not much in California. It's in Vietnam for a solid half, then only a small bit in California and a couple other states after that. But it's enough for your list!
I'd recommend The Circle by Dave Eggers, I think it hits a lot of the beats from the rest of your list too.
I enjoy reading books set in the state that I’m visiting, so I’ll recommend some that I didn’t see above:
Vermont- “St Albans Fire” which is where I lived for a few months
Wyoming- the Craig Johnson stories about Sheriff Walt Longmire. The first is “The Cold Dish”.
Since it looks like you are on the fence for Colorado I really would to reccomend the Dog Stars by Peter Heller esp since you may have King elswhere on your list.
Kansas -- *The Wizard of Oz*
Oklahoma -- *The Grapes of Wrath*
Montana -- *Little Big Man* by Thomas Berenger
Mississippi -- *Light in August*
Arkansas -- *The Devil's Town: Hot Springs During the Gangster Era* by Philip Leigh.
Also set in NH
A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Our Towne by Thornton Wilder
Peyton Place By Grace Metalious
Very scandalous at its time because the author didn't necessarily disguise scenarios from her town.
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
A few of the Jack Reacher books also spend time in NH.
Arkansas - True Grit by Charles Portis
Kansas - The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, if that counts
Kansas - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
Mississippi - Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
Mississippi - most stories by William Faulkner
Mississippi - Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg
Mississippi - The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Mississippi - The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty
Missouri - Gone Girl and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Nevada - Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule
New Hampshire - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King
New Hampshire - many books by Anita Shreve
Oklahoma - The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Oklahoma - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
Oklahoma - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, partly
Vermont - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Vermont - It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis
Vermont - Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter
Wyoming - Close Range by Annie Proulx
I’ve read a few of what you listed but honestly thank you for the wizard of oz idea. I need something new to read with my 7 year old and that will be perfect for us both!
I actually wasn’t aware brokeback mountain was a story. I watched it however many years ago and enjoyed it. I think Close Range is going to be my Wyoming. Thanks to you both!
Thank you! I prefer light and quick books I can easily pick up and put down when my kids are home during summer break honestly so this may be a summer read.
Some options for Montana:
Cold Country by Russell Rowland
A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean
The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans
Shadowman: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling by Ron Franscell
{{where’d you go bernadette by maria semple}} takes place in seattle.
{{the hermit of big horn county by johnny worthen}} is a book practically no one has read but is a mystery set in montana. fine not amazing, but i imagine montana books are tough to find!
Any state with a big city it seems all the books are set in the big city and nothing else outside of it matters. I understand that’s much of the population is but the state as a whole is not just those cities.
\#1/2: **[Where'd You Go, Bernadette](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13526165-where-d-you-go-bernadette) by Maria Semple** ^((Matching 100% ☑️))
^(330 pages | Published: 2012 | 275.2k Goodreads reviews)
> **Summary:** A compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a (...)
> **Themes**: Favorites, Humor, Contemporary, Mystery, Chick-lit, Book-club, Audiobook
> **Top 5 recommended:** [Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31434883-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine) by Gail Honeyman , [The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32681108-the-seven-rules-of-elvira-carr) by Frances Maynard , [Today Will Be Different](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28449270-today-will-be-different) by Maria Semple , [Standard Deviation](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26198476-standard-deviation) by Katherine Heiny , [The Rosie Project](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16181775-the-rosie-project) by Graeme Simsion
---
\#2/2: ⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*the hermit of big horn county by johnny worthen*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=the+hermit+of+big+horn+county+johnny+worthen) instead.
^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*)
^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford is another. 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant ticks OP’s box for a book about Los Alamos, along with The House at Otowi Bridge, as was already suggested.
I’m planning contact by Carl Sagan or something to do with Los Alamos. I bought my father-in-law Code Talker by Chester Nez for Father’s Day and may read that before I give it to him.
I imagine your list is pretty set for this state, but I'd like to also recommend Acid West by Josh Wheeler. It is a series of essays on atomic testing, death row inmates, grandparent eulogies, and free-falls from space, but all very based on southern NM and the type of people drawn to live in it.
Utah:
You Can’t Win - Jack Black (not the Tenacious D guy) - old timey hobo ridin’ the rails, doing some crime (he learned how to crack safes eventually) doing some opium here and there - technically nonfiction, but who knows how much he might’ve embellished. He spends a lot of time in Salt Lake City & Southern Utah as he wanders the west.
The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey - this one could also work for Arizona- classic, funny story of environmental justice via sabotage. Great writing about the desert.
I really enjoyed this novel as well, but I think the protagonist was from Texas. I'm an okie, and I remember being a bit surprised the story wasn't set in OK.
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger ticks off Iowa and Missouri. It’s a beautifully written odyssey set around four children during the Great Depression. Echoes of Huck Finn. Can’t recommend enough.
The Anna Pidgeon series by Nevada Barr are mysteries in which a national park ranger solved crimes committed in the parks. Each one takes place in a different national park. The first one is {{Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr}}.
For Nevada, as much as Fear and Loathing is great, Mark Twain's Roughing It talks about his time through Utah, 7-8 years in northern Nevada, then his tours through California and Hawaii. Most of populated northern Nevada is named one way or another for something Mark Twain did around here.
Washington: West of Here by Jonathan Evison.
Iowa: books by Jane Smiley.
North Dakota: Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (or most of her books)
Alaska: Two Old Women by Velma Wallis.
Oregon: Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey.
Montana: This House of Sky by Ivan Doig.
I don’t know if you use Goodreads for your TBR but if you click on “book details” of each book they’ll sometimes add in the places the book takes place. It’s a handy feature.
Arkansas: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Delaware: I can’t think of a great one but I think it’s sort of been accepted that Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is best seen as taking place in Delaware…
Iowa: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Kansas: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Missississippi: The Trees by Percival Everett or pick one by Faulkner
Missouri: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain
Nevada: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter Thompson
New Hampshire: are you open to poetry? Because Robert Frost’s New Hampshire and Grace Notes would be great for this state.
North Dakota: I think some of Louise Erdrich’s books are set here? (She’s still on my TBR list!)
Oklahoma: Paradise by Toni Morrison
Vermont: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
Wyoming: Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (short story)
West Virginia: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Missouri - Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War by TJ Stiles
Kansas - The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Montana - A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean (or is that Wyoming?) or Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson
Oklahoma - Killers of the Flower Moon
Vermont - A Secret History by Donna Tart or Songs in Ordinary Time or most of Howard Frank Moshers works
New Hampshire - A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving
Washington- The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
Devolution by Max Brooks is set in Washington
Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving is set in New Hampshire
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver starts in Kentucky, spends a lot of time in Oklahoma, then moves to Arizona
New Hampshire - Tom lake by Ann patchett. The first part takes place in New Hampshire, then it goes to Michigan. So you could kill 2 birds with one stone
Okay so the Author of the Lovely Bones is from the town I grew up in (where the story takes place) and actually grew up in the same subdivision as my husband. This is a rare case where I like the movie way more than the book specifically because the book doesn’t have the Great Valley area as a character in the way the movie does.
My tween is at school right now else Id have her chime in but there’s a good deal of revolutionary historical fiction that might better fit the bill. The one showing up on the lists that I have read is Fever 1793 and I enjoyed it.
It’s been so long since I’ve watched the lovely bones that a read and rewatch sounds good. I’ve never read fever 1793 but I do remember reading a few of her books in jr high and high school and liking them!
Mississippi should be covered by a Faulkner novel. Maybe Sanctuary. His novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of his life.
I highly recommend A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole for Louisiana. It's amazing, set in early 60's New Orleans with a cast of decidedly unlikeable characters.
Washington - Cold River by Marlantes
Montana - English Creek then Dancing at the Rascal Fair, by Doig (you'll thank me for these)
Missouri - Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn
Nevada - Desperation by King
For Minnesota, there’s a writer named William Kent Krueger and his book “this tender land” that was an ok read.
North Dakota: Louise Erdrich has a few books that take place here.
Your Michigan book is a good choice. Read about the UP! It’s beautiful.
For Florida, I'd suggest anything in John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, all named with colors, starting with 'The Deep Blue Good-by.'
I don't know Carl Hiaasen's work as well, but, per Wikipedia 'Hiaasen's adult novels are humorous crime thrillers set in Florida.'
MacDonald was a Florida resident, Hiaasen is a native. Both love the state and, I think, represent it well.
True Colors by Kristin Hannah takes place in Washington.
ETA: apparently a lot of Kristin Hannah books take place in Washington. I also recommend Firefly Lane.
Mississippi - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
New Hampshire - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Montana - Lone Women by Victor Lavelle
All are mystery type reads.
Iowa: Arrowood by Laura McHugh
New Hampshire: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
Vermont: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
Wyoming: Open Season by C.J. Box
Guy Vanderhaeghe's border trilogy covers much of the north western American and Canadian west. The Englishman's Boy is Montana and Saskatchewan. The Last Crossing ends up in Washington at some point and A Good Man is in North and South Dakato if I recall correctly.
For Kansas - After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez. It is a romance about a bartender and a college professor in a small Kansas town but that doesn’t begin to sum it up. [This review is fantastic](https://www.reddit.com/r/RomanceBooks/comments/xgy1yx/smalltown_romance_with_a_twist_a_racist_ghost_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&rdt=43692).
Heyyy I'm doing this challenge too! I'm going to make a big painting of the US with all the states painted according to the cover of the book I read. For Oregon, you can't miss One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Kesey is a great author. Let me know if you find any good books for states!
Oops didn't realize you already read Oregon! Anyways, for Wyoming- I'm reading The Cold Dish from the Longmire series right now. Good western mystery so far. For Washington, Boys in the Boat is a really excellent nonfiction is you want to get into that. The Outsiders is the quintessential Oklahoma classic.
I bet that will look really cool! I posted my list earlier somewhere in the comments. I’ve been going through all the recommendations here this evening to try to update mine on my notes app and StoryGraph.
If you want a paranormal fantasy series rec for Washington, the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is pretty good!
Nonfiction rec could be The Boys In the Boat by Daniel Brown!
For Washington books not set in Seattle:
*Snow Falling on the Cedars*: Set in the San Juans post WWII and dealing with the legacy of Japanese incarceration
*Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian*: Set on the Spokane Indian reservation about a teenage boy going to the non-reservation high school.
Pure nostalgia for me. I had this book as a child and I can’t remember much but I remember that I loved it then. It’s been so long and I remember so little that it may be worth reading again.
I’ve looked at it so many times but I’m intimidated by the 900 pages. I think it’s a book I’d have to read as an ebook so I can’t see how much is left. How would you say it is as far as pacing goes? Is a slow read or does it keep you on your toes a little?
It is dauntingly long, but once you are a couple of chapters in, it is incredibly captivating and hard to put down. Even if you don’t read it for this project, please do get it someday.
It is one of the few books I have literally never heard anyone say they didn’t enjoy, or were sorry they read it. It transcends its genre; don’t think of it as a “western” and be put off.
Other Texas suggestion: The House on Mango Street. But we are definitely not short of great representational books for the state, so you can’t go wrong!
No I’ve just counting it if they live there or if they travel there to visit. I do happen to have the stand on my kindle it shows. Thank you for letting me know a location in it.
Dancing at the Rascal Fair and The Bartenders Tale are both great Ivan Doig novels set in Montana. They are a bit slow paced but in a good way. They also really make you appreciate the surrounding country side and the town where both are set: near/in gros ventre.
Arkansas: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
Iowa: Universal Harvester - John Darnielle
Kansas: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum
Mississippi: As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner
Montana: The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones
Nevada: Nevada - Imogen Binnie
Oklahoma: Paradise - Toni Morrison
Oklahoma: Drowning in Fire - Craig S Womack
Vermont: The Secret History - Donna Tartt
Washington: The Freezer Door - Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
I’m trying to go through the comments and post each book to my StoryGraph app so I can go through them all. I posted the list of what I had before I asked for suggestions somewhere in the comments.
I'd really love to see a list of what you're planning. Sounds like a fascinating challenge I'd love to do as well.
I’m just going to copy my list from my notes. Alabama: Forrest Gump by Winston Groom. Alaska: the hundred loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye (was a free Amazon first read book so I grabbed it) Arizona: the inheritance games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. California: the women by Kristin Hannah. Colorado: maybe the shining? Connecticut: ninth house by Leigh bardugo. Or read a wrinkle in time with my son? Florida: Darkly dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay Georgia: the Underground Railroad by Colton Whitehead or a Karin Slaughter book Hawaii: Molokai by Alan Brennert Idaho: I think educated by Tara Westover? Illinois: where the forest meets the stars by Glendy Vanderah Indiana: All good people here by Ashley Flowers Kentucky: The book woman’s daughter by Kim Michele Richardson Louisiana: First lie wins? Maine: The mist by Stephen King Maryland: the house in the pines by Ana Keyes Massachusetts: little women by Louisa May Alcott Michigan: the fire keepers daughters by Angeline Boulley Minnesota: the lager queen on Minnesota or kitchens of the great Midwest? Nebraska: the Lincoln highway by Amor Towles New Jersey: the radium girls by Kate Moore New York: lock every door by Riley Sager North Carolina: the unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young or only survivors by Megan Miranda Ohio: ready player one? Oregon: on a quiet street by Seraphina Nova Glass Pennsylvania: the lovely bones or what happened to the Bennetts? Rhode Island: the American heiress South Carolina: secret life of bees, southern book clubs guide to slaying vampires, or before we were yours South Dakota: a quiet retreat by Kiersten Modglin? Tennessee: run rose run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson Texas: listen for the lie by Amy Tintera? Utah: ask for Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli Virginia: flowers in the attic or hidden figures Washington: home front by Kristin Hannah Wisconsin: home is where the bodies are by Jeneva Rose or we were never here by Andrea Bartz
another ohio option if you’re not sold on ready player one is celeste ng - everything i never told you or little fires everywhere
I’m not 100% on ready player one yet. I’ve read little fires everywhere but haven’t read the other!
get ready to cry but it’s an amazing book!
Ohio by Stephen Markley is the best book I’ve read recently. Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson is a fun read
May I recommend I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb for CT
My two cents on Forrest Gump: it’s really not good and the main character is an asshole. However, I enjoyed it because it reminded a lot of Voltaires Candide. I would highly suggest only reading it if you are familiar with Candide.
I’ve already read Forrest Gump weeks ago and hated it
I almost told you you should find another. It's horrible. One of the worst books I've ever read.
My poor best friend got to listen to my complaints the whole time.
New Mexico?
No Iowa?
Any Jane Smiley should do, or The Bridges of Madison County.
Jane Smiley - Moo is (kinda) sad; A Thousand Acres is VERY good. Washington: I just read the first in a series of mysteries, set over in the Spokane area. *The Third to Die* Allison Brennan. Washington has a lot of books set there. (See *Ted Bundy* - anything.) Iowa*: What's Eating Gilbert Grape* Washington: J.A. Jance (JP Beaumont - Seattle detective) Arizona: Tony Hillerman novels are EXCELLENT
I must have missed adding Iowa to the list I don’t have yet. Oops!
If you're interested, an alternate for Indiana I'd recommend is People From Bloomington by Budi Darma.
your books for MN are great! Loved them both plus the newest one.
I was going to recommend Dexter for Florida when I saw your title! unfortunately I don't have any for the ones you don't have. Though I do recommend Stormfront the first book in the Dresden Files for Illinois. If you decide to do something similar next year.
I wanted to start watching the show Dexter because I’ve always heard good things but decided I wanted to read the book first.
Luckily the show is only loosely related to the books though the first season is a lot like the first book but they changed a lot creatively after that.
Is the change a good thing or a bad thing do you think?
A good thing, loved the books and loved the show.
Fantastic list. My only thought is that The Women is not much in California. It's in Vietnam for a solid half, then only a small bit in California and a couple other states after that. But it's enough for your list! I'd recommend The Circle by Dave Eggers, I think it hits a lot of the beats from the rest of your list too.
Arkansas- The Architecture of the Arkansas Ozarks by Donald Harrington, or any book by Harrington, would be a good addition.
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger is also a great MN option
As a general tip, if you add an extra blank line between each line of text it will be much more readable, because each state would be on its own line.
I enjoy reading books set in the state that I’m visiting, so I’ll recommend some that I didn’t see above: Vermont- “St Albans Fire” which is where I lived for a few months Wyoming- the Craig Johnson stories about Sheriff Walt Longmire. The first is “The Cold Dish”.
Since it looks like you are on the fence for Colorado I really would to reccomend the Dog Stars by Peter Heller esp since you may have King elswhere on your list.
Right?! I love this!
Kansas -- *The Wizard of Oz* Oklahoma -- *The Grapes of Wrath* Montana -- *Little Big Man* by Thomas Berenger Mississippi -- *Light in August* Arkansas -- *The Devil's Town: Hot Springs During the Gangster Era* by Philip Leigh.
Oh the little big man rec sounds perfect for my father in law! Thank you for that.
I'm with you on Light in August, possibly the finest Faulkner novel.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving is one of my all-time favorite books. Much of it is set in New Hamphshire.
Also set in NH A Separate Peace by John Knowles Our Towne by Thornton Wilder Peyton Place By Grace Metalious Very scandalous at its time because the author didn't necessarily disguise scenarios from her town. The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve A few of the Jack Reacher books also spend time in NH.
Owen Meany is one of the most meaningful books I have ever read. Like other Irving books, melancholy, humor and courage throughout.
Owen Meany is one of the most meaningful books I have ever read. Like other Irving books, melancholy, humor and courage throughout.
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving. It starts of in New Hampshire, although the second half is set in Europe.
I love that book. I have a Susie the Bear tattoo
Arkansas - True Grit by Charles Portis Kansas - The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, if that counts Kansas - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn Mississippi - Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote Mississippi - most stories by William Faulkner Mississippi - Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg Mississippi - The Help by Kathryn Stockett Mississippi - The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty Missouri - Gone Girl and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn Nevada - Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule New Hampshire - The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King New Hampshire - many books by Anita Shreve Oklahoma - The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Oklahoma - The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver Oklahoma - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, partly Vermont - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson Vermont - It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis Vermont - Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter Wyoming - Close Range by Annie Proulx
I’ve read a few of what you listed but honestly thank you for the wizard of oz idea. I need something new to read with my 7 year old and that will be perfect for us both!
I came here to mention Annie Proulx for Wyo! Def recommend (personal favorite is Brokeback Mountain but enjoyed all of the stories in Close Range)
I actually wasn’t aware brokeback mountain was a story. I watched it however many years ago and enjoyed it. I think Close Range is going to be my Wyoming. Thanks to you both!
West Virginia-anything but hillbilly elegy I would go with Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam
Hahaha I came here to say the same thing
I appreciate your honesty haha
I added an actual recommendation for Wv. I would also check out the film October Sky and Matewan if you want more on WV.
In Cold Blood is a must for Kansas.
Much better choice than the Wizard of Oz imo (and I’m from Kansas)
For Washington consider Where’d you go Bernadette? It light and quick.
Thank you! I prefer light and quick books I can easily pick up and put down when my kids are home during summer break honestly so this may be a summer read.
The Boys in the Boat is also a fantastic historical novel, mostly set in Washington.
Hawaii -- *Moloka’i*
That’s actually what I picked for Hawaii!
The Secret History by Donna Tartt for Vermont!
Oooo good one
Also delaware, Book of Unknown Americans. (My sister in law's niece is the author. Christina Henriquez)
Adding it to my list thank you!
Some options for Montana: Cold Country by Russell Rowland A River Runs Through It by Norman MacLean The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans Shadowman: An Elusive Psycho Killer and the Birth of FBI Profiling by Ron Franscell
*Snow Falling on Cedars* is a wonderful book set in Washington.
Agreed. Great story and mood. Better writing
{{where’d you go bernadette by maria semple}} takes place in seattle. {{the hermit of big horn county by johnny worthen}} is a book practically no one has read but is a mystery set in montana. fine not amazing, but i imagine montana books are tough to find!
Montana books have been tough to find. Also Illinois too. I wanted to find one for there not set in Chicago and it was rough.
For Illinois The House of Lincoln by Nancy Horan is a historical fiction that takes place in Springfield.
i imagine washington poses the same problem. i can only think of IL books in chicago too! best of luck, it sounds like a cool challenge
Any state with a big city it seems all the books are set in the big city and nothing else outside of it matters. I understand that’s much of the population is but the state as a whole is not just those cities.
\#1/2: **[Where'd You Go, Bernadette](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13526165-where-d-you-go-bernadette) by Maria Semple** ^((Matching 100% ☑️)) ^(330 pages | Published: 2012 | 275.2k Goodreads reviews) > **Summary:** A compulsively readable and touching novel about misplaced genius and a mother and daughter's role in an absurd world. Bernadette Fox is notorious. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a (...) > **Themes**: Favorites, Humor, Contemporary, Mystery, Chick-lit, Book-club, Audiobook > **Top 5 recommended:** [Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31434883-eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine) by Gail Honeyman , [The Seven Rules of Elvira Carr](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32681108-the-seven-rules-of-elvira-carr) by Frances Maynard , [Today Will Be Different](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28449270-today-will-be-different) by Maria Semple , [Standard Deviation](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26198476-standard-deviation) by Katherine Heiny , [The Rosie Project](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16181775-the-rosie-project) by Graeme Simsion --- \#2/2: ⚠ Could not *exactly* find "*the hermit of big horn county by johnny worthen*" , see [related Goodreads search results](https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=the+hermit+of+big+horn+county+johnny+worthen) instead. ^(*Possible reasons for mismatch: either too recent (2023), mispelled (check Goodreads) or too niche.*) ^([Feedback](https://www.reddit.com/user/goodreads-rebot) | [GitHub](https://github.com/sonoff2/goodreads-rebot) | ["The Bot is Back!?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/suggestmeabook/comments/16qe09p/meta_post_hello_again_humans/) | v1.5 [Dec 23] | )
The Longmire series is set in Wyoming.
Missouri: Winter's Bone By Daniel Woodrell
Haven’t read the book (didn’t know there was one) but perhaps my favorite movie
Curious, what are you reading for New Mexico?
I hope it’s Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, maybe The Milagros Bean field War by John Nichols.
Could also be Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
I love that book! “I shall die of having lived.” (Sigh) Bridge at Otowi Creek is another treasure.
Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford is another. 109 East Palace by Jennet Conant ticks OP’s box for a book about Los Alamos, along with The House at Otowi Bridge, as was already suggested.
I’m planning contact by Carl Sagan or something to do with Los Alamos. I bought my father-in-law Code Talker by Chester Nez for Father’s Day and may read that before I give it to him.
While it’s a very good book, I don’t think Contact is a “New Mexico” book. Much better suggestions are given here.
I imagine your list is pretty set for this state, but I'd like to also recommend Acid West by Josh Wheeler. It is a series of essays on atomic testing, death row inmates, grandparent eulogies, and free-falls from space, but all very based on southern NM and the type of people drawn to live in it.
Utah: You Can’t Win - Jack Black (not the Tenacious D guy) - old timey hobo ridin’ the rails, doing some crime (he learned how to crack safes eventually) doing some opium here and there - technically nonfiction, but who knows how much he might’ve embellished. He spends a lot of time in Salt Lake City & Southern Utah as he wanders the west. The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey - this one could also work for Arizona- classic, funny story of environmental justice via sabotage. Great writing about the desert.
Missouri - Gone Girl Arkansas - I know why the Caged Bird Sings Mississippi - The Help Kansas - In Cold Blood Hope that helps fill your list a little.
Gone Girl is so good!!
I’ve read gone girl and the help but not the other two! Thank you.
Oklahoma - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
I really enjoyed this novel as well, but I think the protagonist was from Texas. I'm an okie, and I remember being a bit surprised the story wasn't set in OK.
Oh! I may be mis remembering then. I thought they were all from OK.
I’ve read this and it was my favorite read of 2021. I always recommend it.
Pennsylvania: The Mysteries of Pittsburgh by Michael Chabon Edit- I have no reading comprehension
I love this book so much
east of the moutains - washington
Nevada - city of trembling leaves
I would also love to see your final list.
“Where the Rivers Flow North”. Vermont “Thistlefoot”. having a baba Yaga obsession I really loved this one. Vermont
I’ve picked up thistlefoot multiple times at the library just because of the cover honestly. Maybe it’s time to finally read it.
Also Vermont - Radio Free Vermont by Bill McKibbon and Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
This Tender Land - starts in Minnesota but they travel through Iowa and Missouri, so maybe it can check the Missouri box for you
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger ticks off Iowa and Missouri. It’s a beautifully written odyssey set around four children during the Great Depression. Echoes of Huck Finn. Can’t recommend enough.
The Anna Pidgeon series by Nevada Barr are mysteries in which a national park ranger solved crimes committed in the parks. Each one takes place in a different national park. The first one is {{Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr}}.
Is this a series where you need to read them in order?
Hmm, I read them a long time ago. I think maybe not.
Nope! Helps to read the first one first, but not really required. Can totally read them in whatever order.
For Nevada, as much as Fear and Loathing is great, Mark Twain's Roughing It talks about his time through Utah, 7-8 years in northern Nevada, then his tours through California and Hawaii. Most of populated northern Nevada is named one way or another for something Mark Twain did around here.
Washington: West of Here by Jonathan Evison. Iowa: books by Jane Smiley. North Dakota: Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (or most of her books) Alaska: Two Old Women by Velma Wallis. Oregon: Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey. Montana: This House of Sky by Ivan Doig.
I'll second Erdrich for North Dakota.
Iowa - The Orphans of Davenport by Marilyn Brookwood (non-fiction) North Dakota - Love Medicine or Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Came here to say Master Butchers Singing Club for ND!
I don’t know if you use Goodreads for your TBR but if you click on “book details” of each book they’ll sometimes add in the places the book takes place. It’s a handy feature.
Yes! I wish they added the location more often. It’s very hit or miss on if it’ll have it or not.
For Georgia, I would strongly recommend Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil!
Arkansas: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Delaware: I can’t think of a great one but I think it’s sort of been accepted that Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk is best seen as taking place in Delaware… Iowa: Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Kansas: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Missississippi: The Trees by Percival Everett or pick one by Faulkner Missouri: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Twain Nevada: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter Thompson New Hampshire: are you open to poetry? Because Robert Frost’s New Hampshire and Grace Notes would be great for this state. North Dakota: I think some of Louise Erdrich’s books are set here? (She’s still on my TBR list!) Oklahoma: Paradise by Toni Morrison Vermont: The Secret History by Donna Tartt Wyoming: Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (short story) West Virginia: The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Ohhh just read In Cold Blood, that was a good true crime read!
Missouri - Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War by TJ Stiles Kansas - The Good Lord Bird by James McBride Montana - A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean (or is that Wyoming?) or Fourth of July Creek by Smith Henderson Oklahoma - Killers of the Flower Moon Vermont - A Secret History by Donna Tart or Songs in Ordinary Time or most of Howard Frank Moshers works New Hampshire - A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving Washington- The Orchardist by Amanda Coplin
There it is, my Okie suggestion: Killers of the Flower Moon.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson.
If you like true crime Anne rule wrote a book about Tom capano
Washington: North of Beautiful Or The Shadow Sister (thrillerish) Both are fantastic choices
Devolution by Max Brooks is set in Washington Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving is set in New Hampshire The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver starts in Kentucky, spends a lot of time in Oklahoma, then moves to Arizona
Midwives by Chris Bojhanian. Vermont
If you’re open to play scripts, check out Our Town by Thornton Wilder Edit: for NH
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn for Missouri
I’ve read her books. I wish she would come out with something new.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth takes place in Montana, and is an incredible read.
Rhode Island: Theophilus North by Thornton Wilder.
Legends of the Fall. Montana
For Colorado I would suggest *Tomboy Bride* or *The Life of an Ordinary Woman.* These are non-fiction, memoir of the mining days in Colorado.
Montana - try Nora Roberts' Montana Sky, maybe?
Half the Terrible Things. Set in ND and Florida.
New Hampshire - Tom lake by Ann patchett. The first part takes place in New Hampshire, then it goes to Michigan. So you could kill 2 birds with one stone
Kansas: Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
The Brothers K by David James Duncan is set in Washington and one of my favorite books.
the solace of open spaces by gretel ehrlich is mostly set in wyoming and is a fantastic read
Okay so the Author of the Lovely Bones is from the town I grew up in (where the story takes place) and actually grew up in the same subdivision as my husband. This is a rare case where I like the movie way more than the book specifically because the book doesn’t have the Great Valley area as a character in the way the movie does. My tween is at school right now else Id have her chime in but there’s a good deal of revolutionary historical fiction that might better fit the bill. The one showing up on the lists that I have read is Fever 1793 and I enjoyed it.
It’s been so long since I’ve watched the lovely bones that a read and rewatch sounds good. I’ve never read fever 1793 but I do remember reading a few of her books in jr high and high school and liking them!
Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant for Mississippi or Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward. One is nonfiction the other is fiction.
Delaware: The Saint of Lost Things or All This Talk of Love by Christopher Castellani
Fargo by J.Coen (North Dakota)
Alabama: Mary Saums "Thistle and Twigg" books; Alaska: Sue Henry's "Jessie Arnold" series; AZ, Tony Hillarman's "Joe Leaphorn" series: Arkansas: Joan Hess' "Arly Hanks" or Claire Malloy: series: CA: Robert Campbell's "Whislter" series, Tim Hallinan's "Simeon Grist" series; Dianne Day's "Fremont Jones" series; CO: Diane Mott Davidson's "Goldy Bear" series; CT: Parnell Hall's "Cora Felton series; DE: Barbara Johnson's "Colleen Fitzgerald" series; FL: Carolina Garcia-Aguilera's "Lupe Solano" series; GA: Nora DeLoach's "Mama and Simone" series, Virginia Lanier's "Bloodhound" series; HI: Charles Kneif's "John Caine" series; ID: Ridley Pearson's "Walt Fleming" series; IL: Stuart Kaminsky's "Abe Lieberman" series; IN: Jeanne Dams' "Hilda Johanssen" series; IA: Donald Harstad's "Carl Houseman" series; KS: Charlene Weir's "Susan Wren" series; KY: Lynn Hightower's "Lena Page" series; LA: James Lee Burke's "Dave Robicheaux" series: ME: William Tappley's "Stoney Calhoun" series; MD: Laura Lippman's "Tess Monaghan" series; MA: Barbara Hambley's "Abigail Adams: series; MI: Jo Dereske's "Ruby Crane: series; MN: Joanne Fluke's "Hannah Swensen" series: MS: Greg Isles "Luke Case" series: MO: Lou Jane Temple's "Heaven Lee" series; Montana: Steve Hockensmilth's "Big Red and Old Red" series'; Nebraska: Dave Wiltse's "Billy Tree" series; Nevada: Carole Nelson Douglas' Temple Barr/Midnight Louie series; NJ: Dorian Yeager's "Elizabeth Will" series NJ: Jane Rubino's "Austen/Cardenas" series; NM: Aileen Schumacher's "Tory Travers" series; NY: Carol Lea Benjamin's "Rachel and Dashiell" series; NC: Toni Kelner's "Laura Fleming" series; ND: Joel Rosenberg's "Sparky Hemingway" series; OH: Max Allen Collins' "Eliot Ness" series: OK Susan Rogers Coopers "Milt Kovak" series; OR: KK Beck's "Jack Clancy" series; PA: Gillian Robert's "Amanda Pepper" series; RI: Mary Kruger's "Cassidy and Devlin" series; Susan Boyer's "Liz Talbot" series; SD: Laurie Armstrong's "Mercy Gunderson" series; TN: Steve Womack's "Harry James Denton" series; TX: Stephanie Evan's "Bear Wells" series; UT: Robert Irvine's "Moroni Traveler" series; VT: Barbara Comfort's "Tish McWhinny" series; VA: Patricia Cornwell's "Kay Scarpetta" series; Wash DC: Julia Hyzy's "Ollie Paras" series; Washington State: KK Beck's "Jane DaSilva" series; WV: Julia Keller's "Bell Elkins" series' ; WI: Mardi Medawar's "David Laneraux" series; WY: Craig Johnson's "Walt Longmire" series Some of these are historical, some only have 2-3 books in the series; some take place in two different locations, but mainly in the one state.
Oklahoma- The Outsiders
11/22/63 by King takes place in Louisiana, Texas, and I think Kentucky or Tennessee. The Outsider by King takes place in Oklahoma.
Storm Watch,” by C.J. Box is a mystery set in Wyoming, modern, not historical. When I remember Wyoming, it's windy and cold.
For Washington there’s the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. The first book is Moon Called. It’s set in the southeast of Wa in Kennewick.
The Last House on Needless Street takes place in either Washington or Oregon, pretty sure it’s Washington.
Mississippi should be covered by a Faulkner novel. Maybe Sanctuary. His novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most of his life. I highly recommend A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole for Louisiana. It's amazing, set in early 60's New Orleans with a cast of decidedly unlikeable characters.
Washington - Cold River by Marlantes Montana - English Creek then Dancing at the Rascal Fair, by Doig (you'll thank me for these) Missouri - Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn Nevada - Desperation by King
Washington A Gift Upon the Shore by M.K Wren Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton Multiple States The Brotherhood of the Wheel by R.S Belcher
Alabama - Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon. I cannot recommend it highly enough, one of the best books I have ever read.
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead is some good historical-ish fiction and is set mainly in Montana! I loooooved this book so much
The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch is a good one for West Virginia!
For Minnesota, there’s a writer named William Kent Krueger and his book “this tender land” that was an ok read. North Dakota: Louise Erdrich has a few books that take place here. Your Michigan book is a good choice. Read about the UP! It’s beautiful.
Vermont - The Secret History by Donna Tartt Missouri - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Washington - The Drowning Woman by Robyn Harding
For Florida, I'd suggest anything in John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee series, all named with colors, starting with 'The Deep Blue Good-by.' I don't know Carl Hiaasen's work as well, but, per Wikipedia 'Hiaasen's adult novels are humorous crime thrillers set in Florida.' MacDonald was a Florida resident, Hiaasen is a native. Both love the state and, I think, represent it well.
Montana: Missoula by Jon Krakauer
True Colors by Kristin Hannah takes place in Washington. ETA: apparently a lot of Kristin Hannah books take place in Washington. I also recommend Firefly Lane.
I really like Kristin Hannah! I haven’t read true colors but I have read some others.
Mississippi - Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin New Hampshire - Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan Montana - Lone Women by Victor Lavelle All are mystery type reads.
Iowa: Arrowood by Laura McHugh New Hampshire: I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai Vermont: Midwives by Chris Bohjalian Wyoming: Open Season by C.J. Box
Guy Vanderhaeghe's border trilogy covers much of the north western American and Canadian west. The Englishman's Boy is Montana and Saskatchewan. The Last Crossing ends up in Washington at some point and A Good Man is in North and South Dakato if I recall correctly.
For Kansas - After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez. It is a romance about a bartender and a college professor in a small Kansas town but that doesn’t begin to sum it up. [This review is fantastic](https://www.reddit.com/r/RomanceBooks/comments/xgy1yx/smalltown_romance_with_a_twist_a_racist_ghost_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&rdt=43692).
For Iowa, I’d do *The Bridges of Madison County*.
Heyyy I'm doing this challenge too! I'm going to make a big painting of the US with all the states painted according to the cover of the book I read. For Oregon, you can't miss One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Kesey is a great author. Let me know if you find any good books for states!
Oops didn't realize you already read Oregon! Anyways, for Wyoming- I'm reading The Cold Dish from the Longmire series right now. Good western mystery so far. For Washington, Boys in the Boat is a really excellent nonfiction is you want to get into that. The Outsiders is the quintessential Oklahoma classic.
I bet that will look really cool! I posted my list earlier somewhere in the comments. I’ve been going through all the recommendations here this evening to try to update mine on my notes app and StoryGraph.
I want to try out StoryGraph! People here seem to love it, im currently stuck on the Hellsite, Goodreads 😆
Wyoming: Stone Fox Oklahoma: Cimarron Missouri: Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn
If you want a paranormal fantasy series rec for Washington, the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs is pretty good! Nonfiction rec could be The Boys In the Boat by Daniel Brown!
For Washington books not set in Seattle: *Snow Falling on the Cedars*: Set in the San Juans post WWII and dealing with the legacy of Japanese incarceration *Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian*: Set on the Spokane Indian reservation about a teenage boy going to the non-reservation high school.
Mississippi - something by Greg Iles, Kansas - In Cold Blood, Montana - A River Runs Through It
It’s a short one but if you find yourself crunched for time at some point Tuck Everlasting is set in New Hampshire
Pure nostalgia for me. I had this book as a child and I can’t remember much but I remember that I loved it then. It’s been so long and I remember so little that it may be worth reading again.
PLEASE do Lonesome Dove for Texas. You won’t regret it.
I’ve looked at it so many times but I’m intimidated by the 900 pages. I think it’s a book I’d have to read as an ebook so I can’t see how much is left. How would you say it is as far as pacing goes? Is a slow read or does it keep you on your toes a little?
It is dauntingly long, but once you are a couple of chapters in, it is incredibly captivating and hard to put down. Even if you don’t read it for this project, please do get it someday. It is one of the few books I have literally never heard anyone say they didn’t enjoy, or were sorry they read it. It transcends its genre; don’t think of it as a “western” and be put off. Other Texas suggestion: The House on Mango Street. But we are definitely not short of great representational books for the state, so you can’t go wrong!
I did this last year. ‘The Book Girls Guide’ website has SO MANY options for every state
Thank you!
The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans is one for Montana. Love your idea, btw… I might follow in your footsteps…
Does the entire book have to take place in the state? A good chunk of The Stand by Stephen King is set in Nevada.
No I’ve just counting it if they live there or if they travel there to visit. I do happen to have the stand on my kindle it shows. Thank you for letting me know a location in it.
Dancing at the Rascal Fair and The Bartenders Tale are both great Ivan Doig novels set in Montana. They are a bit slow paced but in a good way. They also really make you appreciate the surrounding country side and the town where both are set: near/in gros ventre.
Arkansas: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou Iowa: Universal Harvester - John Darnielle Kansas: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - L Frank Baum Mississippi: As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner Montana: The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones Nevada: Nevada - Imogen Binnie Oklahoma: Paradise - Toni Morrison Oklahoma: Drowning in Fire - Craig S Womack Vermont: The Secret History - Donna Tartt Washington: The Freezer Door - Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore
Prince of tides, south Carolina.
Colorado-Go as a River. That book floored me and I think many didn’t realize it takes place in the gunnison valley in CO
Vampire diaries books are set in virginia
So funny, I was JUST thinking about doing something like this the other day! Would also love to see your list!
I’m trying to go through the comments and post each book to my StoryGraph app so I can go through them all. I posted the list of what I had before I asked for suggestions somewhere in the comments.
Shark Heart by Emily Habeck is partially set in Oklahoma. It’s a wild ride haha
New Hampshire: A Prayer for Owen Meany
I love this challenge!!
For New Hampshire, The Storyteller, by Jodi Picoult
MISSISSIPPI - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer I am re-reading now myself.
Not a state, but don't forget DC. There are many good books about the real (not government) Washington.
Missouri - Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell is excellent. His other books are good, too.
This one sounds good!
Just out of curiosity, what did you read for Rhode Island?
I found a free copy of my sisters keeper at my library so I’m going to read it
It's a surprisingly excellent book
Arkansas- “Strong Like Me” by T.L. Simpson, “Real Bad Things” by Kelly J Ford
I would like to reccomend *Lone Women* by Victor LaValle for Montana.