BOOKS and STATES Challenge
arm-chair road tripping
through United States of America
via books and film
Setting up a grand challenge for myself as I have been wanting to read my way through parts of the country that are unknown to me. I picked mostly current books rather than classics. Slim pickings in some states. But maybe more newbies will be released in the Fall/Winter.
Below is the tentative list.
TRAVEL - USA (road trip)
America for Beginners by Leah Franqui
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
The Hunger by Alma Katsu
I Might Regret by Abbi Jacobson
The Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang
small town: If You Lived Here You'd Be Home by Now by Christopher Ingraham
ALABAMA
AL: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
AL: Treeborne by Caleb Johnson
film: Sweet Home Alabama
ALASKA
AK: The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah
AK: The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
AK: To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey
film: The Great Alone
ARIZONA
AZ: Inland by Téa Obreht
AZ: The Perfect Fraud by Ellen LaCorte
film: Sedona
ARKANSAS
AR: Dear Wife by Kimberly Belle
AR: Twenty-eight and A Half Wishes by Denise Grover Swank
film: West of Memphis
CALIFORNIA
CA: Choices by Magda Grant
CA: Family Trust by Kathy Wang
CA: The Caregiver by Samuel Park
CA: The Plus One by Sarah Archer
CA: Happiness by Heather Harpham (reese)
film: The Women in the Sand
CA-la: Still Lives by Maria Hummel (reese)
CA-la: The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson
CA-la: The Library Book by Susan Orlean (reese)
CA-la: The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory (reese)
film: City of Gold
CA-sd: The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash (john hughes/comic con)
CA-sf: Frog Music by Emma Donoghue
COLORADO
CO: The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger
film: Dynasty -tv
CONNECTICUT
CT: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
CT: The Female Persuasion Meg Wolitzer
CT: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
CT: When Life Gives You Lululemons by Lauren Weisberger
film: The Swimmer
DELAWARE
DE: The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez
film: Fight Club
FLORIDA
FL: Made For Love by Alissa Nutting
FL: Mostly Dead Things by Kristen N. Arnett
FL: My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing
FL: Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
FL: Snow Falling by Jane Gloriana Villanueva
FL: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
film: The Last Resort
GEORGIA
GA: Dark Town by Thomas Mullen
film: Atlanta -tv
HAWAII
HI: The Burning Island by Hester Young
HI: The Aloha Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini
HI: House of Thieves by Kaui Hart Hemmings
film: Princess Kaʻiulani
IDAHO
ID: Educated by Tara Westover
film: Wayward Pines -tv
ILLINOIS
IL: Seeking Mansfield by Kate Watson
IL, Chicago: The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison M. Dickson
film: The Homestretch
INDIANA
IN: The Starlite Drive-in by Marjorie Reynolds
film: The Magnificent Ambersons
film: Stranger Things 2 -tv
IOWA
IA: Real Life by Brandon Taylor
film: What's Eating Gilbert Grape
KANSAS
KS: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
KS: To the Stars Through Difficulties by Romalyn Tilghman
film: Mysterious Skin
KENTUCKY
KY: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
KY: My Father, the Pornographer by Chris Offutt
KY: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
film: Boy Meets Girl
film: Justified -tv
LOUISIANA
LA: The Agony House by Cherie Priest
LA: This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston
film: Easy Rider
MAINE
ME: Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
ME: Paradox Bound by Peter Clines
ME: The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda (
review)
film: It part2 (
review)
MARYLAND
MD: Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman
MD: Murder at the Mansion by Sheila Connolly
MD: Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li
MD: Well Met by Jen DeLuca -rom
film: Diner
MASSACHUSETTS
MA: Chances Are by Richard Russo
MA: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
MA: The Summer Demands by Deborah Shapiro
MA: Things You Save in A Fire by Katherine Center
MA: Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams
film: Little Women
MICHIGAN
MI: Abbott by Saladin Ahmed
film: White Boy Rick
MINNESOTA
MN: Say Say Say by Lila Savage
MN: The Lager Queen of Minnesota by Ryan J. Stradal
MN: The Big Crunch by Pete Hautman
MN: This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
film: A Simple Plan
MISSISSIPPI
MS: The Gone Dead by Chanelle Benz
MS: Desperation Road by Michael F. Smith
film: Free State of Jones
MISSOURI
MO: Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles
MO: Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
film: Rich Hill
MONTANA
MT: Fall Back Down When I Die by Joe Wilkins
film: Sweetgrass
NEBRASKA
NE: The Bones of Paradise by Jonis Agee
film: Election
NEVADA
NV: A Prayer for Travelers by Ruchika Tomar
NV: Don't Skip Out On Me by Willy Vlautin
NV: On Swift Horses by Shannon Pufahl
NV: The Motel Life by Willy Vlautin
film: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
NEW HAMPSHIRE
NH: The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
NH: Fake Plastic Love by Kimberley Tait
film: Lolita
NEW JERSEY
NJ: Guestbook: Ghost Stories by Leanne Shapton
NJ: The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
film: Patti Cake$
NEW MEXICO
NM: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
NM: The Infinite Pieces of Us by Rebekah Crane
film: 50 to 1
film: The Kid
NEW YORK
NY: A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams
NY: Among the Ten Thousand Things by Julie Pierpont
NY: Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
NY: City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
NY: Dakota Winters by Tom Barbash
NY: Feast Your Eyes by Myla Goldberg
NY: Mrs by Caitlin Macy
NY: My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams
NY: Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen
NY: Roomies by Christina Lauren
NY: Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton
NY: Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen
NY: Suicide Club by Rachel Heng
NY: The Address by Fiona Davis
NY: The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis
NY: The Dollhouse by Fiona Davis
NY: The Editor by Steven Rowley
NY: The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash
NY: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
NY: The High Season by Judy Blundell
NY: The Light We Lost by Jill Sontopolo (reese)
NY: The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis
NY: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman (reese)
NY: The Song of the Orphans by Daniel Price
NY: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
NY: Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash -rom
film: Isn't It Romantic
NORTH CAROLINA
NC: The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin
NC: The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani
NC: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
film: American Horror Story s.6 -tv
NORTH DAKOTA
ND: The Good Ones by Jenn McKinlay
ND: Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
film: Woman Walk Ahead
OHIO
OH: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
OH: The Ghosts of Eden Park by Karen Abbott
OH: Ohio by Stephenby Markley
film: How To Dance in Ohio
OKLAHOMA
OK: The Art of Crash Landing by Melissa DeCarlo
OK: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
film: Saving Grace -tv
OREGON
OR: Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
OR: The Clincher by Lisa Preston
OR: Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford (seattle/worlds fair)
film: Portlandia -tv
PENNSYLVANIA
PA: Marilou Is Everywhere by Sarah Elaine Smith
PA: The Readymade Thief by Augustus Rose
PA: What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons
At the Drive-In
film: Happy Valley
RHODE ISLAND
RI: The Islanders by Meg Mitchell Moore
RI: My Mrs. Brown by William D. Norwich
film: High Society
SOUTH CAROLINA
SC: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
SC: The New and Improved Romie Futch by Julia Elliott
film: The Great Santini
SOUTH DAKOTA
SD: Hour Glass by Michelle Rene
film: Deadwood -tv
TENNESSEE
TN: Little Sister Death by William Gay
film: Undefeated
TEXAS
TX: An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
TX: Exile by Lisa M. Bradley
TX: Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
TX: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
TX: Love Me Back by Merritt Tierce
TX: Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman
film: Sweethearts of the Gridiron
film: Friday Night Lights -tv
UTAH
UT: The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
film: Jeremiah Johnson
VERMONT
VT: The Ghost Clause by Howard A. Norman
VT: Life Among The Savages by Shirley Jackson
film: Hope Springs
VIRGINIA
VA: The Lacemaker by Laura Frantz
film: White Right
WASHINGTON
WA: Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao
WA: The Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
WA: Serious Moonlight by Jenn Bennett
WA: Twin Peaks: the Final Dossier by Mark Frost
film: Paper Tigers
WEST VIRGINIA
WV: The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
WV: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
West Virginia
film: We Are Marshall
WISCONSIN
WI: Leviathan by Paul Auster
WI: Revival by Tim Seeley
film: Caddie Woodlawn
WYOMING
WY: The Western Star by Craig Johnson
film: Longmire -tv
WASHINGTON DC
DC: Summerlings by Lisa Howorth
DC: The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close
film: Legally Blonde 2