Sign in with Facebook
Armchair Traveling: Books Set in Every U.S. State
The United States of America is an awfully big place. Sensibly, we chopped it into states a long time ago. This simplifies things—taxes, mapmaking, sports team allegiances—and it makes for an interesting way to divvy up the million-and-one stories that constitute American literature.
This time around, we’ve added another little twist. The 50 books below (51, actually, have all been published within the last ten years. While many states have older books that are more readily identified with them individually, this list represents a kind of 21st-century survey of American reading.
This collection represents popular contemporary books set in each state, from Alabama to Wyoming. Our carefully curated list also covers a wide range of genres: contemporary “serious� literature, but also outstanding thrillers, comic novels, young adult, science fiction, mystery, historical fiction, and even a splash of nonfiction and biography, auto- and otherwise.
Scroll over the covers below to learn more about each book, and be sure to add those that pique your interest to your Want to Read shelf! Happy reading, America!
Alabama
A critical and commercial smash in 2020, author ’s deeply moving novel profiles a family of Ghanaian immigrants in Alabama. Young medical student Gifty, motivated by her family’s problems with depression and addiction, turns to science to try to solve the eternal mysteries of faith, suffering, and love. Bonus trivia: Gyasi is also the author of the celebrated 2016 novel Homecoming.
Alaska
From the author of The Nightingale, ’s The Great Alone peers deeply into the wild and enduring appeal of Alaska, America’s last real frontier. When Vietnam veteran Ernt Allbright moves his family to a remote corner of the state, they find themselves in a land of transcendent beauty, enduring communities, and persistent danger.
Arizona
A piercing and personal account of life in the borderlands, ’s acclaimed 2018 book combines elements of autobiography, memoir, history, and investigative reporting. As a Border Patrol agent in the scrublands of southern Arizona, Cantú has experienced firsthand the corrosive nature of failed public policy and the violence that seems to be tragically endemic to borderland areas throughout history.
Arkansas
Born and raised in small-town Arkansas, was deeply and enthusiastically involved in church life. But when he came out as gay, this son of a Baptist pastor had to make a choice: agree to a church-supported “conversion therapy� program, or risk losing his connections to friends, family, and the God of his understanding. Conley’s memoir is a complex meditation on faith, family, and forgiveness.
California
Author ’s ambitious 2018 novel follows 12 characters from Native communities who travel to the Big Oakland Powwow in the San Francisco Bay Area—all of whom are connected in ways they have yet to discover. Orange’s poignant stories represent a kind of cultural cross-stitching, a gradually unfurling tapestry depicting the experience of urban Native Americans in contemporary America.
Colorado
Set in the fictional town of Crystal, Colorado, explores the conflicts that emerge when a very exclusive school for exceptional children opens in the community. The novel tracks four families as competition and the pursuit of academic prestige rattle marriages, careers, sibling relationships, and family dynamics. Being the smart kid in class brings its own set of problems.
Connecticut
Veteran storyteller centers her insightful 2016 novel on a hospital in Connecticut where labor and delivery nurse Ruth Jefferson finds herself in a situation so twisty and tragic that it eventually puts her square in the middle of the national media spotlight. Picoult’s smart and empathic story tackles thorny issues of race, privilege, and justice in modern America.
Delaware
Initially published in 2014, ’s heartrending novel stakes out new territory in the proud tradition of American immigrant stories. In a cinder-block complex off a highway in Delaware, the Rivera family is desperately hoping for a new future in the United States. Teenage daughter Maribel is recovering from a near-fatal accident, but the help she needs is blocked by language and cultural barriers.
Florida
As dedicated readers know, is constitutionally incapable of writing anything but great books. Winner of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, is based on the real story of a reform school in Florida that operated for more than 100 years and left behind a grim legacy of corruption and abuse. Whitehead’s classic book ensures that this history shall not be forgotten.
Georgia
Set in Georgia and the dubiously progressive environs of the “New South,� � hit novel tells the tale of newlyweds Celestial and Roy, whose relationship is shattered when Roy is convicted of a crime he didn’t commit. has been widely heralded as a masterpiece of storytelling and a kind of sustained gaze into the past, present, and future of the country.
Hawaii
In 1995, off the coast of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, a strange miracle occurs. Seven-year-old Nainoa Flores is saved from a watery death by—of all things—a school of sharks. ’s story moves to the strange rhythms of magical realism as the Flores family experiences further encounters with the numinous. Maybe those old Hawaiian gods are still around, after all.
Idaho
’s startling 2018 memoir begins in the wild and remote mountains of Idaho, where she was raised in a community of radical survivalists. Westover never saw a school classroom—or a doctor, for that matter—until she was 17 years old. Her determination to engage with the real world eventually takes her to Brigham Young University, then Harvard and Cambridge, England. is a coming-of-age story unlike any other.
Illinois
Set in the art scene of Chicago during the 1980s, documents the personal and societal ravages of the AIDS epidemic at a time when much of the country was deliberately looking away. Later contemporary passages in Paris put the era into unique historical perspective through two intertwining story lines.
Indiana
Returning home to the ravaged and despairing Indiana factory town where she was raised, African American engineer Ruth Tuttle finds that her Ivy League education cannot save her from the shadows of her past. When she befriends Midnight, a young white boy in trouble, the two discover that rural Indiana is just another microcosm for the nation’s abiding trauma.
Iowa
Pulitzer Prize winner returns to the town of Gilead in this heralded 2014 novel set in the heartland of Iowa. After spending her childhood on the run, a young woman named Lila takes shelter in a small-town church. Lila’s life takes a series of hard turns as she tries to reconcile her new situation with her desperate past.
Kansas
Author ’s 2019 novel, shortlisted for several major awards, chronicles the fate of the Gordon family in Topeka, Kansas. Married couple Jane and Jonathan work at the Foundation, a famous psychiatric clinic that attracts patients and caregivers from around the world. When their son Adam befriends the loner Darren Eberheart, becomes an insightful investigation of family, identity, and toxic masculinity.
Kentucky
In Depression-era rural Kentucky, five courageous women sign on for an ambitious project: taking books and literacy to nooks and crannies of America. Based on actual events, British author � novel brings an outsider’s perspective to American historical fiction with the amazing story of the Packhouse Librarians of Kentucky.
Louisiana
Raised in a small Louisiana Black community, the Vignes twins ran away at age(s) 16 to chase their dreams. One sister ultimately elects to stay in the South and now lives with her daughter. The other sister goes north and, passing for white, discovers an entirely different experience of America. ’s deeply thoughtful story examines themes of race and history, memory and dreams.
Maine
This 2020 ŷ Choice nominee for Debut Novel tells the story of Maine teenager Vanessa Wye, who falls into a relationship with her 40-year-old English teacher. Seventeen years later, Vanessa is persuaded to revisit her adolescence and make a difficult decision. explores complex issues of consent, complicity, and victimhood.
Maryland
In a delightfully original mystery that might be termed "Maryland noir," veteran scribe takes readers back in time to Baltimore in the 1960s with a story that combines elements of psychological suspense, historical fiction, and crime story. Recovering housewife Maddie Schwartz has forged a new life as an investigative journalist, and she’s determined to solve the city’s latest murder case.
Massachusetts
It’s 1997 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Casey Peabody is in crisis. Running away from mounting debt, a recent breakup, and her mother’s death, Casey is making one last stand in an effort to finish her novel and live a life less ordinary. Massachusetts native (Euphoria) has won a loyal readership due to her stubborn insistence on writing books with insight, humor, and heart.
Michigan
After a 20-plus-year career as a journalist, author made her fiction debut in 2019 with this portrait of an American family in trouble. Sisters Viola and Lillian return to the Michigan house of their childhood to help eldest sister Althea as she awaits trial for a crime no one seems to quite understand. Caring for Althea’s teenage daughters, the sisters rediscover that abiding truism: Blood is thicker than anything.
Minnesota
Funny and moving, this playful family saga from author (Kitchens of the Great Midwest) has its priorities in order. It’s about family, mostly. But it’s also about beer, and it’s hard to argue with that. Two sisters raised on a Minnesota farm go in different directions in life, until they don’t. Their reconciliation may determine the fate of the most successful light brewery in the country.
Mississippi
Author is the only woman—and the only African American—to win the National Book Award for fiction twice. One of those prestigious awards went to Sing, Unburied, Sing, her engaging and resonant 2017 novel about the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the plight of 21st-century rural families, and the still-unfolding saga of America herself. Ward’s writing has been compared with Toni Morrison’s and William Faulkner’s, and that’s pretty good company.
Missouri
In the event you’ve been in a coma and/or recently returned from space, is a true blockbuster of a novel, one of the most successful books of the decade. ’s 2012 thriller is set in the town of North Carthage, Missouri, and you’re better off going into this one with no other advance details. Flynn puts plot twists on her plot twists, so avoid spoilers at all costs.
Montana
Social worker Pete Snow is in deep. After helping a nearly feral 11-year-old boy living in the Montana wilderness, Pete confronts the boy’s father, a disturbed survivalist with visions of Armageddon. ’s debut is squarely in the tradition of Big American Novels, with its weighty themes addressing the fundamental character of the nation.
Nebraska
The often strange and always intense world of pop culture fandom provides the backdrop for this acclaimed 2013 YA novel, which tracks two Nebraska sisters and their enduring love of the fictional Simon Snow. Author delivers a new kind of coming-of-age story for the fast-moving, multimedia, increasingly weird 21st century.
Nevada
If you’ve ever longed for a page-turning story about handsome Nevada ranch hands, wealthy heiresses, amateur aviatrixes, and divorce laws in 1930s Reno—well, we have surprisingly good news. (Be Frank with Me) delivers a genre-busting novel about money, friendship, love, class, and the improvised families we make in life.
New Hampshire
is a marquee name in contemporary horror fiction and, thanks to recent events, may be his single most terrifying premise. A bizarre plague is causing victims to spontaneously combust, resulting in violence, panic, and rather effective contemporary allegory. But a mysterious stranger, patrolling the ruins of New Hampshire, may have some answers.
New Jersey
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen is New Jersey’s biggest celebrity booster and surely its most favorite son. His long-awaited and critically acclaimed 2016 memoir chronicles his unparalleled career in the music business, and also offers a unique perspective on the culture and history of New Jersey itself. Springsteen’s emotional eloquence translates just fine to prose, it turns out, and this book is a must-read for any serious fan.
New Mexico
In the small town of Las Penas, New Mexico, unemployed 33-year-old Amadeo Padilla has been issued the part of Jesus in the annual Good Friday procession. But when his 15-year-old daughter shows up on his doorstep, everything changes. Author ’s debut novel details one unforgettable year among five generations of a singular New Mexico family.
New York
’s celebrated novel—a Booker Prize nominee and a National Book Award finalist—follows four friends as they make their way in the urban wilds of 21st-century New York City. An actor, a painter, an architect, and a lawyer walk wide-eyed into the city that never sleeps, and things get dark in a hurry. is a notoriously heavy read but an ultimately rewarding experience.
North Carolina
This remarkable 2018 historical mystery novel proved to be that rarest of literary phenomena: the book that comes almost literally out of nowhere to win over millions of readers worldwide. � tale of the “Marsh Girl� brings readers into the swamps and estuaries of coastal Carolina for a historical murder mystery with deep ecological themes. Every good thing you’ve heard about this book is true; go ahead and believe the hype.
North Dakota
A member of the Anishinaabe Nation, author has been called one of the most significant writers in the literary movement known as the Native American Renaissance. Her acclaimed 2020 novel, , weaves together multiple story lines concerning family, public policy, and Native American dispossession in 1950s rural North Dakota. Bonus trivia: The story is based in part on the life of Erdrich’s grandfather.
Ohio
Named Book of the Year by a dozen major media outlets, is set in the staid and ordered Cleveland suburbs of Shaker Heights. When Mia Warren and her teenage daughter Pearl rent a house with the Richardson family, issues emerge that upset the slow flow of the status quo. ’s insanely popular book explores themes of art, identity, and the cancerous nature of old secrets.
Oklahoma
The scope of ’s riveting true-crime epic is suggested in the subtitle: . The book digs deeply into a sickening chapter of American history, wherein dozens—and maybe hundreds—of Indigenous people were murdered in pursuit of oil profits. The book is also a fascinating depiction of the quasi-frontier territories of Osage County, Oklahoma, in the 1920s. Bonus trivia: A film adaptation by Martin Scorsese is in the works.
Oregon
Squarely in the tradition of incisive, forward-facing speculative fiction, � imagines an America in which abortion is illegal, in vitro fertilization is banned, and every embryo has the rights of full personhood. The book tracks the stories of five women in Oregon, each providing a different perspective on the issues at hand. Set about five minutes into the future, potentially, is state-of-the-art social science fiction.
Pennsylvania
In the upper-class environs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a Black babysitter is wrongly accused of kidnapping while babysitting for a white family. Things go downhill from there. Author ’s insightful 2019 novel was longlisted for the Booker Prize and has been heralded for spotlighting the everyday racial biases that plague so many. Bonus trivia: Reid’s book was inspired by her own adventures in babysitting.
Rhode Island
Born in London, raised in Rhode Island, and known for her stories of the Indian immigrant experience, is truly an international storyteller. Her 2013 novel, , follows its characters around the world but is largely set in Rhode Island, where Calcutta-born Subhash Mitra pursues a scientific career. Bonus trivia: Lahiri won a Pulitzer Prize for her debut short story collection, Interpreter of Maladies.
South Carolina
Set in 19th-century Charleston, South Carolina, ’s revered historical novel follows the fate of two resourceful women: Sarah Grimke, the headstrong daughter of a wealthy Southern family, and the enslaved Hetty “Handful� Grimke, Sarah’s childhood handmaiden. Kidd’s unflinching narrative follows the two women’s amazing journey over four decades in pursuit of abolition and women’s rights.
South Dakota
A unique kind of crime thriller with about a dozen clever twists, introduces the character of Virgil Wounded Horse, freelance enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When bad guys slip through the cracks of the legal system, whether federal or tribal, Virgil is the last line of defense and/or retribution. Author ’s debut novel offers a new spin on the old mystery thriller.
Tennessee
From the author of First Comes Love and Something Borrowed comes a dramatic story of scandal among the privileged and not-so-privileged in Nashville, Tennessee. ’s novel was a ŷ Choice nominee for fiction in 2018 and continues to earn praise for its treatment of class resentments, family dynamics, and the dangers of drinking and clicking.
Texas
Recently back in circulation due to the excellent with Tom Hanks, Paulette Jiles� is a thrilling update to the classic western genre. In the aftermath of the Civil War, retired officer Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd makes his living wandering between deep Texas towns, reading the latest newspapers to desperate, often illiterate pioneer communities. Then a ten-year-old orphan girl changes everything.
Utah
A unique memoir from conservationist and activist , finds the author reflecting on her childhood among a large Mormon clan in northern Utah. By way of a curious detail concerning her mother’s own journals, Williams� autobiography explores themes of feminism, environmentalism, and the concept of absence—in art, in life, and in Utah.
Vermont
Deep in the woods of Vermont, restoration expert Maggie Holt is moving to a ramshackle Victorian estate named, rather excellently, Baneberry Hall. Twenty-five years earlier, Maggie’s parents fled the same house in the dead of night, driven out by a spectral malevolence. And it just gets creepier from there. Author (Final Girls) has earned a devoted following with his high-octane thrillers. Close those closet doors before you start reading.
Virginia
Author and journalist (Between the World and Me) makes his novel-length fiction debut with , an ambitious blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and thrilling escape story. Set in the dark days leading up to the Civil War, Coates� book details an underground war between slavers and enslaved—and confirms the abiding power of love. Click here for a Q&A with the author.
Washington
After years of living a life in Seattle that she never really wanted, Bernadette Fox has vanished. For her daughter Bee, there’s no other option: She must solve the mystery herself. By wading through an ocean of email, invoices, and other clues, Bee discovers that Mom has been hiding a secret past. Bonus trivia: Author is a former staff writer for TV’s immortal Arrested Development.
Washington, D.C.
Generally acknowledged as one of the true genius writers of his generation, author made a giant splash with his 2017 debut novel. Set in Washington, D.C., on the eve of the Civil War, this phantasmagoric epic features Abraham Lincoln, Tibetan mysticism, and characters both historical and invented. It also breaks just about every rule on how novels are supposed to behave. Highly recommended.
West Virginia
Set in the misty mountain hollers of West Virginia, � lyrical Appalachian novel takes place in the appropriately named town of Trap, where 15-year-old Wren Bird and her mother are forced to live in seclusion by preacher patriarch Briar Bird. Wren’s quest for escape drives a powerful novel about family, hope, faith, snake handlers, moonshiners, and heartbreak.
Wisconsin
In the small Wisconsin town of Little Wing, childhood friends Hank, Leland, Kip, and Ronny have returned to their roots in an effort to find their futures. So what do a farmer, a commodities trader, a rodeo stud, and a rock star have in common? The past, that’s what. ’s heartfelt novel explores the age-old question of whether you can everreally come home again.
Wyoming
Author has won a devoted following with his , which chronicles the adventures of a Wyoming game warder named, not coincidentally, Joe Pickett. finds Pickett squaring off against a wily assassin in the treacherous wilderness of Wyoming’s farthest reaches. Box provides readers with another great story that straddles the divide between crime fiction and classic western.
Now it's your turn! Which books do you think best represent your state? Tell us in the comments below!
Comments Showing 1-50 of 197 (197 new)
message 1:
by
Evelin
(new)
May 17, 2021 02:34AM
That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)
reply
|
flag
I like challenging myself to read one book of each continent every year...
This is fun! We have a big road trip planned this summer, and I’m going to try to read the book from each state we’re visiting.
Thanks for including Washington DC!! Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala is another fantastic book set in the 51st state :)
Would love to see a selection for Puerto Rico!
I have read a lot of these and have several others marked TBR. However, the list started me thinking once again about the cover of A Little Life (read). I seriously HATE that cover. I know, no particular relevance here so take it for what it's worth... and yes, I know that it's a famous photograph. I don't care how famous it is. He looks like a giant squinty eyed baby and it has zero relationship to the book. Had the book not gotten so much press, I would have passed it by because of the cover alone. OK, rant over... carry on.
Any fictional murders, based on real ones? Any fictional crimes, based on real ones? Any fictional misconceptions, based on real misconceptions? Any books in which someone gets lost, and eventually finds the way home? That's what kind of books, I want to read.
I like this idea for a list. Wish it had more westerns haha!News of the World was great, really enjoyed reading it!
This would make for a fun reading challenge. I'd also want to add books from Puerto Rico, Guam, US Virgin Islands, and American Samoa, because, why not?
Evelin wrote: "That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)"Great idea!!
I love this post. I have read a lot of books in this list and I agree with all of them.Of course I was super happy to see 'A Little Life' by Hanya Yanagihara for the State of New York.
Wonderful list!
Loved this list!I think the most Indiana book I’ve ever read is All the Bright Places. It takes place in my town (fictionally renamed) but almost all of the places are real and recognizable.
Evelin wrote: "That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)"Agree
Fun list! I loved Small Great Things and there are so many books on my TBR list that are on this list.
Evelin wrote: "That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)"YES!
A sudden light by Garth Stein! Loooved this PNW book.
Evelin wrote: "That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)"Agreed!
As an American expat living in Wales, I am so looking forward to readying MANY of these books, if for no other reason but to have the American accents whirling around in my head! Having already read a few of these I am delighted to see the diversity shown. Gotta go, books await!
Evelin wrote: "That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)"Oh yeah!
Washington D. C. is not a state (maybe should be pointed out in the relevant headline, for accuracy?).
Linda wrote: "I have read a lot of these and have several others marked TBR. However, the list started me thinking once again about the cover of A Little Life (read). I seriously HATE that cover. I know, no part..."I must agree with you Linda. I loved the book but was turned off by the cover. Luckily I was reading the Kindle version so didn't have to look at the cover every time I picked it up.
For Oregon I would suggest Mink River by Brian Doyle. Set in a rural coastal Oregon fictional small town, a beautifully written story about people and the place they live, with loggers, fishermen, strong women, and rain.
Fun list! Great idea about suggested reading in all 50(51) states!
Nice idea. You should do Europe next, although it might be difficult to find specific countries. Maybe historical fiction
I'm very intrigued by the Nevada and Wisconsin entries. Was also delighted by how state-diverse my reading has been!
Another for North Carolina is A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME, by Wiley Cash. Issues of control, religion, and family told through the story of two brothers, the older one taking care of his differently abled younger brother in the face of prejudice and a fundamentalist preacher determined to “cure� him.
Many literature junkies love talking about Willa Cather when they think of Nebraska books/authors, but for me and maybe it’s where I live, but Bess Streeter Aldrich is a bigger deal. Besides the fact that I personally prefer her books to Cather. My favorites are Rim of the Prairie and White Bird Flying the sequel to the famous Lantern in Her Hand. Aldrich has a bust in the capital building, her hometown of Elmwood has her house as a museum, and I live on the Bess Streeter Aldrich memorial highway. Another famous NE female author out of stater’s haven’t heard of his Mari Sandoz. She wrote novel like non-fiction about the history of the state much on the Plains Native Americans. More modern Nebraska author I enjoy is Ted Kooser who was Poet Laureate of the U.S. His poems on the people and environment of the state are just beautiful. For books just set in Nebraska at least partly is Peg Kerhert’s The Runaway Twin, it has that element of risk and mystery I like. The only book by Rainbow Rowell I’ve tried to read is Pumpkinheads, because I know she is from Omaha and wanted to see how close it was to the famous Omaha Pumpkin Patch Vala’s. Otherwise romance isn’t really my thing. So there you are, a crash course in Nebraska Literature.
The Rim of the Prairie
My Ántonia
The Beaver Men: Spearheads of Empire
Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps
Runaway Twin
Pumpkinheads
For Arizona, although I don't really like the title, These Is My Words by Nancy Turner is a great read!
I am a Jersey girl and I love Springsteen. However, most of these books are fiction and I don't think Springsteen's book "fits". A better choice, in my opinion, would have been Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver.
I love this idea!!!! I’ve read several of these, so that gives me a jump start. I may make this part of my Summer 2021 reading list and weave in and out of it. Thanks so much for this list. A bunch of Good Reads on it for sure.
Colorado- Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas, Most of her books are about Colorado and she is a wonderful writer.
How about Revolutionary Road by Yates for Connecticut?
How about Deacon King Kong by James McBride for New York my favourite 2020 read) plus 4321 by Paul Auster for New Jersey along with Barbara Kingsolvers Unsheltered.
Michelle wrote: "Evelin wrote: "That's fun, next one should be for Europe :)"YES!"
Great idea
Denise wrote: "I am a Jersey girl and I love Springsteen. However, most of these books are fiction and I don't think Springsteen's book "fits". A better choice, in my opinion, would have been Unsheltered by Barba..."Yes I agree
Denise wrote: "I am a Jersey girl and I love Springsteen. However, most of these books are fiction and I don't think Springsteen's book "fits". A better choice, in my opinion, would have been Unsheltered by Barba..."Thanks for this suggestion. I read mostly fiction so Born to Run would not be high on my TBR list. I have read Unsheltered.
Love this list and the idea,
Another good book for Florida is "A Land Remembered" by Patrick D. Smith
ooh, this is such a fun idea! i hope you do more lists like this in the future. like south American countries, or Asia countries or Europe or African countries. even better if it's translated fiction, like by ook who are actually from those places and not just set there, you know. that would be so interesting!
I look forward to reading those! Kathleen Kent wrote two set in Dallas, Texas. The Dime and The Burn. Very good Texas female detective books!
For Minnesota, one of many I would suggest is Virgil Wander.
A good one for Michigan is Middlesex by Jeffery Euginedes
Rebecca Carroll’s memoir, Surviving the White Gaze is an excellent exploration of race as experienced by a transracial adoptee and set largely here in lily-white New Hampshire, where she was born & grew up.
Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys is an excellent choice for Florida--I also think it's one of his best. I would also recommend Melissa Daniel's Stiltsville and Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God.
Ordinary Grace is a much better choice for Minnesota, and an unforgettable read.
