Around the USA in 52 Books discussion

Library of Congress's "Books That Shaped America"
Books Set In.com

Jeff O'Neal over on BookRiot came up with a list of the 100 Greatest American Novels 1891-1991 (follow that link to see his criteria; he compiled several lists).

I have grouped the appropriate books by setting, in case that could give some people ideas of acclaimed fiction.

Those are some solid choices, Jen. Sounds like hard work on your part to find the settings.

There are two authors, with series, whose books really reflect the area. One is Carolyn Haines and the other is Susan Wittig Albert.

Susan Wittig Albert writes the China Bayles books set is Central Texas and centered around herbs and such. Carolyn Haines writes the Sarah Booth Delaney books. The first several are set in Mississippi. Sarah Booth cohabitates with the ghost of her grandmothers nanny ... and started up a detective agency by kidnapping her best friends dog.

Books about New Jersey.

Here http://50books50states50weeks.blogspo...
and maybe this http://www.themodernnovel.com/lists/t...

Louise, those are tremendously helpful. I was searching for a very appealing Michigan novel!

I'm so glad AsmahH :-)

I'm having huge problems finding something for Delaware... any thoughts?

You're right--Delaware is challenge. I searched your set-in lists, World Cat and Jenny's "Books Set In". Nicholas Sparks's Dear John, Anne McCaffrey's The Year of the Lucy, and Catherine Bourne's Falcon's Lady were tempting even though Bourne's is a romance novel.
http://www.bookssetin.com/BookSearch.... (Delaware page)

Louise wrote: "I'm so glad AsmahH :-)

I'm having huge problems finding something for Delaware... any thoughts?"

I found this webpage that had a few more entries.

They are all possibilities. The idea of a long-ago published novel is truly a return to the historical past. Some are certainly still in print.

Ha! I'm using Harnett T. Kane's New Orleans Woman - sounds interesting. Thanks Jenny :-)

I am struggling between great works of literature (that I haven't already read) vs genre fiction that really describes a setting well vs nonfiction that I would really enjoy learning more about....

Is New Orleans Woman a biography?

The reality of nonfiction can sometimes be satisfying.

Susan wrote: "I am struggling between great works of literature (that I haven't already read) vs genre fiction that really describes a setting well vs nonfiction that I would really enjoy learning more about...."
Why not give yourself a variety? I have the same struggle. California in particular is going to be tough, so is New York, so I"ll probably just binge read those states.

That is probably what I will do. There are several authors with series that I read regularly ... John Sandford for Minnesota, Carolyn Haines for Missisppi, Susan Albert Wittig for Texas Hill Country, Laura Childs for North Carolina and Louisiana, and so forth. They usually source great non fiction books for their areas ... well except for Sandford he just gives beautiful descriptions of all the areas that have killings ...

AsmahH wrote: "Is New Orleans Woman a biography?

The reality of nonfiction can sometimes be satisfying."

It's a somewhat fictionalized biography; "In 1947, Harnett T. Kane, a Louisiana author and expert, wrote a somewhat fictionalized biography of Myra Clark Gaines called New Orleans Woman. Surprisingly, it has many Delaware connections."

I just ordered it used for 7 dollars on Amazon :-)

Why will New York be tough Jenny? How about a Paul Auster book? Like The Brooklyn Follies :-)

I was amazed, when I went to a Booktopia (book meeting with a bunch of lovely people) in Mississippi, that almost none of them had read any Paul Auster books, as he is probably among the top 10 famous, now-living American authors here in Denmark.

I've just been mulling over why I keep finding books for California and New York, but have huge difficulties with other states (so I've allowed myself to combine 2 states for 1 book where it's relevant :-)

New York is tough because I have too many books to choose from.

I want to read ALL the books.

Ahh :-) :-)

What does binge read mean?

Looked at the Myra Clark Gaines biography. She was a nineteenth-century celebrity because of her four Supreme Court cases.

I was attracted to Auster from my first reading.

A little sunshine with breakfast--these books tagged 'Delaware Fiction' in the library's catalog:

Notes from the Shore (Lewes, Delaware)

And Never Let Her Go: Thomas Capano: The Deadly Seducer (Wilmington, Delaware)

The Saint of Lost Things

Blood Relations: The Rise & Fall Of The Du Ponts Of Delaware

In the 7/9/12 issue of Publishers Weekly, Nancy Pearl recommends the following books for Montana.

Fiction:
One Sweet Quarrel by Deirdre McNamer
The Girls from the Five Great Valleys by Elizabeth Savage
The Corner of Rife and Pacific by Thomas Savage
Perma Red by Debra Magpie Earling
The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
The Edge Of The Crazies by Jamie Harrison

Nonfiction:
Bad Land: An American Romance by Jonathan Raban
Homestead by Annick Smith

Two collections:
Writing Montana
The Last Best Place: A Montana Anthology

There are some good choices!

Any ideas on Pennsylvania? I am having a difficult time!

Thanks

Pennsylvania

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/...
[Pennsylvania through and through]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category...
[I checked out three of them for setting, and the Pennsylvania aspect seemed dubious/doubtful/suspect.]

Jenny, thanks for providing us with the link to Books Set In. It's been wonderful for finding books for this group and for my other groups.

Melissa wrote: "Jenny, thanks for providing us with the link to Books Set In. It's been wonderful for finding books for this group and for my other groups."
Sure! I made a list of states I don't have any ideas for yet, and need to spend some time with it myself!

Small Demons is growing into a useful resource for location. This Washington DC list is one example.

There is a state by state list for YA books over on Epic Reads blog. They have a Delaware!

(Their Delaware is The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls; I also just found another YA Delaware-set book about immigrant life - The Saint of Lost Things).

Stop You're Killing Me

This site has a great search for mystery series by character home base!.

Asma wrote: "Pennsylvania

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/...
[Pennsylvania through and through]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category......"

If you go to www.gutenberg.org and just write the state name in the search field, lots of titles pop up :-)

I saw this today on facebook and it was pretty interesting. This is the link to the best books set in each state (according to business insider). Happy to say I've read several :)

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-f...

Jayme, one doesn't expect to see good book info in Business Insider. At first I thought t mint be spam. It is an interesting list--although certainly the most famous books not necessarily the best.

If someone is looking for a book in a particular state, then you might try here: This Map Shows The Most Famous Book Set In Every State