Reading Across America

[Dark Muse]

I came across this idea elsewhere and it looked like fun so I thought I would give it a try.

The idea is simple. Read a book for each of the 50 states (each book read should be set predominately in one of the states)

I am not counting books I have already read, but only books of which I read from this point forward and I plan to make my trip a meandering one with no set time limits for completion.

Here is a my perspective reading list:

Books I Already Own

Alaska- Heartbroke Bay
California - East of Eden
Connecticut - Revolutionary Road
Florida - Duma Key
Georgia - The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
Illinois - The Outsider
Louisiana - Jitterbug Perfume or The Moviegoer
Maryland - A Mercy
Maine - The Dark Half
Massachusetts - Herzog
Michigan - Song of Solomon
Minnesota - Main Street
Missouri - Pudd'nhead Wilson
Nevada - The Ox Bow Incident
New Hampshire - A Widow For One Year
New York - The Godfather
North Dakota - Arrowsmith
Ohio - Wench
Oregon - One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Pennsylvania - The Killer Angels
Rhode Island - The Witches of Eastwick
Tennessee - Child of God
Texas - All The Pretty Horses
Washington - Snow Falling on Cedars
Montanna - Red Harvest

Books I do not have at present but am interested in reading:

Colorado - Eventide
Indiana - A Girl of the Limberlost
Nebraska - My Antonia or O Pioneers
Utah - The Monkey Wrench Gang
New Mexico - The Plumed Serpent
North Carolina - Look Homeward Angel
Iowa: A Thousand Acres

[Ser Nevarc]

Good luck! I hope it gives you a new insight into the US

[Dark Muse]

Thank you! I look forward to it.

[Buh4Bee]

Wow! I think that this is a great idea. I am not sure if I could do every book, but I would read some on the list. I want to read Witches of East Wick. I think I'll add that to my list next. I am STILL reading The Idiot. I'll see how that goes and maybe come back for another on the list. I'll let you know as I go.

[Dark Muse]

Good luck with The Idiot, I enjoyed that one, but then I like just about everything by Dostoyevsky. It was a fun process just looking up each of the states and reading the lists of what books are associated with which states and trying to figure out what to read. Of course some of the states I still have no clue on but I will figure that out when I get there.

I am currently making my way through East of Eden, not sure yet when I will get to the others.

[Scheherazade]

Connecticut - Revolutionary Road
Massachusetts - Herzog
North Dakota - Arrowsmith
Pennsylvania - The Killer Angels
Washington - Snow Falling on Cedars

I would like to read these as well. If you let me know, I might join you... Actually, I think we will read the last one as our Christmas Reading in the Book Club...

[Dark Muse]

I would like to read these as well. If you let me know, I might join you... Actually, I think we will read the last one as our Christmas Reading in the Book Club...

That would be fun, when I am getting to read them I will be sure to let you know.

[PeterL]

I would suggest Red Harvest for Montana.
Something by Tony Hillerman for Arizona; you can also use him for Utah and New Mexico, but do read about the incompetents of the Monkey Wrench Gang.

You should read something by Kenneth Roberts for Maine. And Massachusetts is better served by Robert B. Parker, especially the Spenser series. The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations deserves a reading of a collection of H. P. Lovecraft's writings. New Hampshire deserves eithe [i]Lolita]/i] of Peyton Place.

[Dark Muse]

I would suggest Red Harvest for Montana.
Something by Tony Hillerman. You can also use him for Utah and New Mexico, but do read about the incompetents of the Monkey Wrench Gang.

You should read something by Kenneth Roberts for Maine. And Massachusetts is better served by Robert B. Parker, especially the Spenser series. The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations deserves a reading of a collection of H. P. Lovecraft's writings. New Hampshire deserves eithe [i]Lolita]/i] of Peyton Place.

I actually own Red Harvest, but could not find anything online to identify where it may have been set in, so I will add it to my list now.

Lolita I have already read some time back.

I do believe I have a collection by Lovecraft that I have not read already so I will keep that in mind and look into your other suggestions.

[PeterL]

I actually own Red Harvest, but could not find anything online to identify where it may have been set in, so I will add it to my list now.

Lolita I have already read some time back.

I do believe I have a collection by Lovecraft that I have not read already so I will keep that in mind and look into your other suggestions.

Red Harvest is based on events that took place in Butte, Montana. Hammett wasinvolved as an agent of the Pinkerton Agency. I wonder how much is a recounting of actual events. I tried calculating how many people were killed in the novel, but I lost count.

Some of Lovecraft's stories are set in Massachusetts, and some are in Rhode Island, but most were firmly in his imagination.

[aaron stark]

Perhaps you could read Kerouac's On The Road and thus doing several states at a time? Talk about beating the system

[Dark Muse]

Perhaps you could read Kerouac's On The Road and thus doing several states at a time? Talk about beating the system

I actually read that one already, and I like the extra challenge to myself of reading one book per state.

[The Comedian]

Do you have one for Wyoming?

If not, consider The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich and Close Range by Annie Proulx.

[Dark Muse]

Do you have one for Wyoming?

If not, consider The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich and Close Range by Annie Proulx.

No I did not have any idea for that one yet, so I will look those up.

[kev67]

Do you have a fixed time range for your journey? If you don't, it's not really comparing like with like. Are you doing the non-mainland states, Hawaii and Alaska? I think it's a good idea for a reading project. I would say, look first at the states which are hardest to find stories set in, then see if there any stories with a twenty-thirty year time span of each other. When you get to the most populous states, you will have plenty to choose from. You won't read the pick of American literature, but you will read an interesting section of literature.