I love to read and have more books in the rig is advisable based on weight. The problem is that local independent bookstores are my happy place and I want to support them. It just means I need to read faster. I also use several apps and bookish treats that I mentioned in this article for when I do restrict myself from getting another physical book.
Note: The images and titles are linked to Amazon with our affiliate codes so that TVC will get a small commission at no cost to you. Of course, I also recommend you shop at independent bookstores, but sometimes the Big A is just easier.
Check back often as I fill in the list.
Arizona
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
I almost didn’t read this book as I had tried to read her best-selling Poisonwood Bible and it wasn’t for me. But this book is what started my desire to read a book for each state visited. It is a wonderful story of a young woman who is trying to escape her Kentucky roots and avoid pregnancy, but discovers on a trip from Oklahoma to Arizona that perhaps unexpected friendships and mothering a child might just be her salvation.
These is my Words by Nancy E. Turner
Inspired by her family diaries and set when Arizona was still a wild open space, this is a very moving and exciting story of young Sarah as she sets out with her family to settle in the territory that becomes Arizona and all the trials they face as she grows up to become a young woman and mother herself. With rich detail of the landscapes and dangers of the frontier, this reminded me a bit of Lonesome Dove but from a girl’s point of view. This is one of my top 20 books of all time!
Arkansas
True Grit by Charles Portis
Did you know that this starts in Arkansas? I didn’t. You have seen the movie, now read the book. An American classic, it starts off in Arkansas as Mattie sets out to avenge her father with the irascible Rooster Cogburn.
The Vapors: A Southern Family, the New York Mob, and the Rise and Fall of Hot Springs, America’s Forgotten Capital of Vice by David Hill
If you want to get even more specific, this is a book set in Hot Springs, AR. Long before Las Vegas was a neon sign in the sand, Hot Springs was the hot bed of gambling, vice and health treatments. David Hill, a Hot Springs native, brings the history to life through the eyes of three main protagonists including his grandmother. It is a fascinating look at this time in Arkansas history that reads like fiction.
California
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
Another book where there is now a movie, but honestly the book is so much better! I was really hesitant to read this one. I mean, a book about a long hike with her by herself? But this is so much more and so beautifully written. The key thing thought for this list is the detail given for the PCT, Pacific Crest Trail. She starts in the Mojave desert then does the entire hike through California, Oregon and Washington. Having camped near the PCT several times, it really brought the trail to life for me with its danger and gorgeous vistas. People who do these long hikes are a different breed than me, but to be admired.
Florida
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
I admit that I had never read this classic until my son picked it for our family book club. I was so moved by Janie’s story and the descriptions of her life and times. Truly a work of American literature, it is a must read if you haven’t already and perhaps even a re-read if you have. The universality of the story is moving and the writing is incredible. This novel made me do a deep dive on the author who had an incredible life despite her harsh upbringing in Florida but died penniless and obscure. Thanks to author Alice Walker and others, we have rediscovered this great American author.
Minnesota
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
While I read this in Wisconsin, it is really set in Minnesota though I think it could be either state. The main setting is the Lakeside Supper Club which is a culture unique to these two states. It has a multi-generation story so it does jump back and forth in timelines, but it is clear to understand. It highlighted that sometimes we are born into a destiny and sometimes we have to choose. And if you like this book, I also recommend Stradal’s other books set in Minnesota – The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Midwest.
Oklahoma
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
I will be honest. I didn’t love the writing. You can tell Grann is a journalist, but he does a powerful job of weaving together this story of corruption, murder and the founding of the FBI. The story is very compelling, and tragic. Being from Texas, it was fascinating to learn of the Texas Rangers involvement. If you have seen the movie, you missed out on a lot of the story so read the book to get the full picture.
Rhode Island
The Wedding People by Alison Espach
I tried to read this when we were in Rhode Island, but it was so popular that my hold at the library took a while. I ended up doing this one on audio and loved it. It does start slow and opens with the topic of suicide, but give it time and you will fall in love with the characters who are all flawed, but so very human. The setting is Newport and the gorgeous mansions play a part so it was easy to return to Rhode Island in my mind as I read it. This is a book that honestly could be set almost anywhere, but definitely one of my top reads of the year!
