Challenge: 50 Books discussion

I would like to read a book by an author from each state. I thought it might be a fun challenge and of course, help me meet the 50 book challenge for next year!!! Any suggestions of authors and their books?

I'd have to think about it, but I think this is a great idea for a challenge! Kind of ties in with the 50 books a year challenge.

Wow..interesting game plan. I sense a lot of touring Wikipedia in your future. I look forward to seeing a list!

For Alaska...to get you going.

http://www.asdk12.org/depts/Library_R...

And I was going to say...for Alaska, you could read 'Going Rogue'...LOL

As for the rest...hmm, let me think...I'll have to get back to you on that, Sharyn.

Neat idea! I'm inspired to adapt the same concept for my country, Canada. Although there wouldn't be as many, 10 provinces. 3 territories.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, who was born in Arizona, but as moved all over (as you'd read about it) and now resides in NYC.

I see that Twilight is on your to-read list, Mimi. Stephanie Meyer is from Connecticut.

I really want to read Paper Towns as I hear it's really good. And the author, John Green, is originally from Indiana (now lives in NYC).

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I just read this and loved it! Especially from the middle to end. She's originally from Massachusetts but moved to the UK. The novel is set in NYC and just outside of Boston. It's a work of fiction but based on the events of Plath's own life.

The thing with people and a lot of these authors is that they don't stay in one place for too long, or its inevitable that they'll move. Like Augusten Burroughs, who wrote Running with Scissors A Memoir, was born in Pennsylvania, but moved to Massachusetts where he grew up and where the memoir is based, and now currently resides in Manhattan.

Ishmael An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn is an interesting and intriguing read! The author is originally from Nebraska but traveled all the way to Austria for his university degree.

Those are just a few suggestions.

Good luck! :)

Mimi wrote: "I would like to read a book by an author from each state. I thought it might be a fun challenge and of course, help me meet the 50 book challenge for next year!!! Any suggestions of authors and the..."

Mimi wrote: "I would like to read a book by an author from each state. I thought it might be a fun challenge and of course, help me meet the 50 book challenge for next year!!! Any suggestions of authors and the..."

This sounds like a project I'd love to sink my teeth into. What kind of books interest you most? Straight fiction, mysteries, nonfiction, etc. Let me know and I'll try to come up with some suggestions.

Monica wrote: "Neat idea! I'm inspired to adapt the same concept for my country, Canada. Although there wouldn't be as many, 10 provinces. 3 territories.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, who was..."

Monica wrote: "Neat idea! I'm inspired to adapt the same concept for my country, Canada. Although there wouldn't be as many, 10 provinces. 3 territories."

I was thinking that as well! Except I would have to read The Stone Angel again for Manitoba and that would be cruel.

I found this list of authors at this site.
http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/50-s...

Sharyn wrote: "I found this list of authors at this site.
http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/50-s..."

That's a perfect list for her I think! Nice searching.

Thanks y'all so much for all the suggestions and help!!! In response to Peg, my book reading interests are varied. I like most everything with the exception of books with excessive cursing, excessive sex or rape of children. I find it difficult to choose one book as my favorite or one genre as my favorite because I love so many!! Thanks again all! I will keep you posted and will post my list when I have it compiled :)

Sharyn wrote: "I found this list of authors at this site.
http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/50-s..."

Thanks!!! What a great help!

This is an AMAZING idea!

For Washington, I was going to suggest something by Sherman Alexie (he was the first one that popped into my head), but I see that he was also the selection on the 50 States/50 Books link. So I guess I second that suggestion! :)

I second Dennis Lehane for Massachusetts and suggest Kathryn Stockett for Louisiana. More later....

I love this thread! I'm going to make it my 50 books challenge for next year. Currently I'm making a table/chart with all kinds of suggestions based on the list I posted above, along with everyone's suggestions.

Peg wrote: "I second Dennis Lehane for Massachusetts and suggest Kathryn Stockett for Louisiana. More later...."

Actually, Kathryn Stockett who wrote The Help was born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi but currently resides in Atlanta :)

Mimi wrote: "Peg wrote: "I second Dennis Lehane for Massachusetts and suggest Kathryn Stockett for Louisiana. More later...."

Actually, Kathryn Stockett who wrote The Help was born and raised in Jackson, Mi..."
Thanks for the second on Dennis Lehane. I haven't read him... I'll give him a try!

Sharyn wrote: "I love this thread! I'm going to make it my 50 books challenge for next year. Currently I'm making a table/chart with all kinds of suggestions based on the list I posted above, along with everyone..."

I'm glad you're going to join me!! We can compare notes!!

I appreciate everybody's input!!! :) This is great! I thought I'd weigh in with additional Mississippi writers you might not have thought of :)
1. Margaret Walker Alexander (her adult life was spent in MS ) Her book---Jubilee
2. Nevada Barr (she lived in my hometown for awhile-- saw her around town -- it was cool!) I particularly like her first Anna Pigeon mystery, The Track of the Cat.
3. Terri Blackstock also from my town. She is known particularly in the romance and Christian markets. Breaker's Reef is one to try.
4. John Grisham -- lived in MS most of his life---
5. William Faulkner
6. Eudora Welty -- I used to see her on campus downtown. Very cool! I would recommend One Writer's Beginnings, Losing Battles and her Pulitzer, The Optimist's Daughter.
7. Shelby Foote--- if you like Civil War history
8. Willie Morris ---My Dog Skip, My Cat Spit McGee
9. Beth Henley -- Pulitzer for drama, Crimes of the Heart
10. Tennessee Williams was born and raised in MS. 2 Pulitzers for A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
11. Greg Iles
12. Jimmy Buffett grew up and went to college here
13. Robert Dalby -- I'm going to read a book by him I heard about called Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly.
14. Kathryn Stockett--- The Help

I'm in agreement with Monica. Authors move around and its hard to determine at times the state to claim. For a Mississippian if you were born and raised here, you're ours :) I hope y'all like some of the above suggestions!!!

Tiffany wrote: "This is an AMAZING idea!

For Washington, I was going to suggest something by Sherman Alexie (he was the first one that popped into my head), but I see that he was also the selection on the 50 Sta..."

Any particular title by him or any will do? Thanks for the suggestion :)

Mimi wrote: "Peg wrote: "I second Dennis Lehane for Massachusetts and suggest Kathryn Stockett for Louisiana. More later...."

Actually, Kathryn Stockett who wrote The Help was born and raised in Jackson, Mi..."

Oops! Sorry, I knew I should have double-checked... How about Stephen King for Maine - I know that's right.

I've always wanted to give him a try! Great suggestion!! Any titles you would suggest?

That depends on whether or not you're into horror. I'm not, but my daughter is an avid fan. The closest I got was Misery, but one of my favorite books of all time and not even close to horror is a little novel of his called The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon. I've also enjoyed a number of his short stories.

Sharyn wrote: "I found this list of authors at this site.
http://bookclubclassics.com/Blog/50-s..."

They have Annie Proulx for both Connecticutt & Wyoming. (although in CT they list her as E. Annie Proulx). I would find a different author for CT. Not sure who though.

Mimi wrote: "I'm in agreement with Monica. Authors move around and its hard to determine at times the state to claim. For a Mississippian if you were born and raised here, you're ours :) I hope y'all like some of the above suggestions!!! "

That was one of the issues when I thought of doing this for Canada. You end up with authors like Michael Ondaatje who was born in Sri Lanka, moved to England, and then moved to Canada later. Where do we place him? Do we have to look at where he was living during the creation of a particular work? How many angels can dance on the head of a pin? ;)

Connie wrote: "I would find a different author for CT. Not sure who though..."

You could use Mark Twain. When he lived in Hartford, CT (where his unique home there is now a museum) he wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Prince and the Pauper, Life on the Mississippi, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

One of his neighbors there was Harriet Beecher Stowe who was born and raised in CT - although she lived in Maine when she wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin.

Molly wrote: "Connie wrote: "I would find a different author for CT. Not sure who though..."

You could use Mark Twain. When he lived in Hartford, CT (where his unique home there is now a museum) he wrote The..."

Thanks for the suggestions!!

Stephen King from Maine?

Kate wrote: "Stephen King from Maine?"

Born, raised, educated, married - I sometimes get the feeling that the only time he leaves the state of Maine is to come to Boston for Red Sox games - he's a season ticket holder. Check out the biography on his web site at http://www.stephenking.com/the_author...

Mimi wrote: "Tiffany wrote: For Washington, I was going to suggest something by Sherman Alexie..."

Any particular title by him or any will do? Thanks for the suggestion :)

You know, professional critics and amateur critics mostly seem to like/love everything he writes, so I don't think you can go wrong. I think The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is probably the most talked about now, and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven is also pretty well-respected.

Tiffany wrote: "Mimi wrote: "Tiffany wrote: For Washington, I was going to suggest something by Sherman Alexie..."

Any particular title by him or any will do? Thanks for the suggestion :)

You know, professional ..."

Thanks for the suggestion! I checked him out and looked at The Absolutely True diary of a Part-Time Indian. The other one sounds really interesting as well.!

I think this is a great idea! I'm going to make it my "50 in 2010" challenge too. I'm not sure how to handle authors who could claim to be from more than one state; maybe I'll just try to avoid those ambiguous ones. Otherwise, I guess I'll just try to stick to whatever state seemed to be more formative or influential to them.

In Florida there is an author (who I happen to know personally) that writes the Treasure Coast Mysteries and one other book called Spirit Chaser. His name is Paul McElroy. I havn't read the TCM's yet but I read Spirit Chaser and it was pretty good.

Sherri wrote: "In Florida there is an author (who I happen to know personally) that writes the Treasure Coast Mysteries and one other book called Spirit Chaser. His name is Paul McElroy. I havn't read the TCM's y..."
Thanks for the suggestion!! I'll check him out :)

Warning** I apologize ahead of time. This message is long but a promise is a promise. Here is my list in statehood order. Authors were born there, lived most of their life there or were identified to the place in some way. I gave myself a couple of choices in case availability at the library was limited. I also chose books based on what I had at home and what I had not read. I also included extra authors in case others were joining me in this challenge and my choices were not to their liking. Thanks for your help !! Have Fun!!!
50 Authors / 50 States Book Challenge 2010
1. Delaware:
Marisa De Los Santos: Love Walked In
Maribeth Fisher: The Language of Goodbye
2. Pennsylvania
Zane Grey: Riders of the Purple Sage
James Michener: Tales of the South Pacific
Alice Sebold
3. New Jersey
Janet Evanovich: One for the Money
Peter Benchley: Jaws
Walt Whitman
4. Georgia
Joshilyn Jackson: Between, Georgia
Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind
Ravi Zacharias, Flannery O’Connor, Olive Ann Burns
5. Connecticut
Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Thornton Wilder: Our Town
6. Massachusetts
Sarah Smith: Chasing Shakespeares
Nathaniel Hawthorne: The House of the Seven Gables
Anita Shreve: Sea Glass
John Updike, Dennis Lehane, Louisa May Alcott
7. Maryland
Keith Donohue: The Stolen Child
Anne Tyler: Breathing Lessons
8. South Carolina
Pat Conroy: Beach Music
Sue Monk Kidd: Where the Heart Waits
James Dickey
9. New Hampshire
Jodi Picoult: My Sister’s Keeper
John Irving: A Prayer for Owen Meaney
Dan Brown, Robert Frost
10. Virginia
Lauren Winner: girl meets God
Ian Caldwell: The Rule of Four
William Styron, Tom Wolfe, Edgar Allan Poe
11. New York
Betty Smith: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Frank McCourt: Angela’s Ashes
Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner: The Faith Club
J.D. Salinger, James Fenimore Cooper, Michael Chabon, Lorrie Moore
12. North Carolina
Lee Smith: On Agate Hill
Charles Frazier: Cold Mountain
Clyde Edgerton: The Bible Salesman
Jan Karon, Orson Scott Card, Kaye Gibbons
13. Rhode Island
Jhumpa Lahiri: The Namesake
Chris Van Allsburg: Jumanji
HP Lovecraft, David Lafleche
14. Vermont
Chris Bohjalian: The Double Bind
Donna Tartt: The Secret History
15. Kentucky
Robert Penn Warren: All the King’s Men
Sue Grafton: A is for Alibi
16. Tennessee
Robert Hicks: A Separate Country
Ann Patchett: Bel Canto
Tony Earley
17. Ohio
Mary Doria Russell: The Sparrow
Christopher Moore: Practical Demonkeeping
Toni Morrison
18. Louisiana
John Kennedy Toole: A Confederacy of Dunces
Rebecca Wells: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder
Kate Chopin, James Lee Burke, Walker Percy
19. Indiana
Meg Cabot: Size 12 is Not Fat
Booth Tarkington: The Magnificent Ambersons
James Whitcomb Riley
20. Mississippi
Robert Dalby: Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly
William Faulkner: As I Lay Dying
Eudora Welty
21. Illinois
Eileen Favorite: The Heroines
Saul Bellow: Humboldt’s Gift
Elizabeth Berg, Scott Turow, Ernest Hemingway
22. Alabama
Gin Phillips and Fannie Flagg: The Well and the Mine
Rick Bragg: Ava’s Man
Harper Lee
23. Maine
Stephen King: The Stand
Richard Russo: Empire Falls
Barry B. Longyear
24. Missouri
Robert Heinlein: Job: A Comedy of Justice
Mark Twain: A Tramp Abroad
Laurell K. Hamilton
25. Arkansas
Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee: Character Makes a Difference
26. Michigan
Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex
Elmore Leonard: LaBrava
Mitch Albom, Warren Wiersbe
27. Florida
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: The Yearling
Carl Hiassen: Hoot
Tom Corcoran, Paul McElroy, Zora Neale Hurston
28. Texas
Larry McMurtry: Lonesome Dove
Rick Riordan: The Lightning Thief
Sandra Cisneros: The House on Mango Street
Tim O’Brien, Becky Freeman, Beth Moore
29. Iowa
Bill Bryson: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Wallace Stegner: Angle of Repose
30. Wisconsin
Jane Hamilton: The Book of Ruth
Craig Thompson: Blankets
Stephen Ambrose, Danielle Trussoni
31. California
Anne Lamott: Traveling Mercies
Ray Bradbury: Dandelion Wine
32. Minnesota
Robert Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Louise Erdrich: The Plague of Doves
Tim O’Brien, Garrison Keillor, Lois Bujold, Sinclair Lewis
33. Oregon
Ken Kesey: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ursula LeGuin: The Telling
Jean Auel: Shelters of Stone
34. Kansas
William Inge: Picnic
Laura Moriarty: The Center of Everything
35. West Virginia
Pearl S. Buck: The Good Earth
Ann Pancake: Strange as this Weather has Been
Davis Grubb
36. Nevada
David Eddings: Pawn of Prophecy
Charles Bock: Beautiful Children
37. Nebraska
Willa Cather: My Antonia
Nicholas Sparks: The Wedding
Ron Hansen: Atticus
38. Colorado
Kent Haruf: Eventide
Connie Willis: Doomsday Book
Donita K. Paul, Richard J. Foster
39. North Dakota
Louis L’Amour: Under the Sweetwater Rim
Carla Kelly: One Good Turn
40. South Dakota
Laura Ingalls Wilder: The First Four Years
Paul Goble: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Black Elk
41. Montana
A.B. Guthrie: The Way West
Christopher Paolini: Eragon
Joanna Weaver: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
42. Washington
Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part time Indian
Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver
Frank Herbert, Janette Rallison, Kirby Larson
43. Idaho
Marilynne Robinson: Gilead
Frank Peretti: House
44. Wyoming
Annie Proulx: The Shipping News
Patricia MacLachlan: Sarah, Plain and Tall
George Clayton Johnson, CJ Box
45. Utah
James Dashner: The Maze Runner
Richard Paul Evans: The Looking Glass
Edward Abbey
46. Oklahoma
Billie Letts: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon
Ralph Ellison: The Invisible Man
William Bernhardt, Carolyn Hart
47. New Mexico
Cormac McCarthy: The Road
Tony Hillerman: Dance Hall of the Dead
48. Arizona
Stephanie Meyer: Twilight
Barbara Kingsolver: Pigs in Heaven
Barbara Park, Jennifer Ward
49. Alaska
Sarah Palin: Going Rogue
Sue Henry: Degrees of Separation
50. Hawaii
Kate Elliot: Kings Dragon
Lois Ann Yamanaka: Blu’s Hanging
Kirby Wright: Punahou Blues
Bonus:
Washington D.C.
Martha Grimes: The Lamorna Wink
George Pelecanos: The Night Gardener
Andrew Sean Greer: The Confessions of Max Tivoli

Here's my list merged with Mimi's list.

Gin Phillips and Fannie Flagg: The Well and the Mine
Rick Bragg: Ava’s Man

2. Alaska Sarah Palin: Going Rogue
Nancy Lord : The Man Who Swam With Beavers
Sue Henry: Degrees of Separation

3. Arizona Barbara Kingsolver: The Lacuna
Diana Gabaldon
Stephanie Meyer: Twilight
Barbara Kingsolver: Pigs in Heaven
Barbara Park, Jennifer Ward

4. Arkansas Bill Clinton: My Life
Maya Angelou: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Mike Huckabee: Character Makes a Difference

5. California John Steinbeck
Maxine Hong Kingston
Anne Lamott: Traveling Mercies
Ray Bradbury: Dandelion Wine

6. Colorado Kent Haruf: Plainsong
Kent Haruf: Eventide
Connie Willis: Doomsday Book
Donita K. Paul
Richard J. Foster

7. Connecticut Stephanie Meyers-Twilight
Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games
Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Thornton Wilder: Our Town

8. Delaware Marisa De Los Santos: Love Walked In
Maribeth Fisher: The Language of Goodbye

9. Florida Nora Zeale Hurston :Their Eyes Were Watching God
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: The Yearling
Carl Hiassen: Hoot
Tom Corcoran
Paul McElroy

10. Georgia Tayari Jones: Leaving Atlanta
Joshilyn Jackson: Between, Georgia
Margaret Mitchell: Gone With the Wind
Ravi Zacharias
Flannery O’Connor
Olive Ann Burns

11. Hawaii Lois-ann Yamanaka : Heads by Harry
Kate Elliot: Kings Dragon
Lois Ann Yamanaka: Blu’s Hanging
Kirby Wright: Punahou Blues

12. Idaho Marilynne Robinson: Housekeeping
Marilynne Robinson: Gilead
Frank Peretti: House

13. Illinois Eileen Favorite: The Heroines
Saul Bellow: Humboldt’s Gift
Elizabeth Berg
Scott Turow
Ernest Hemingway

14. Indiana Haven Kimmel: A Girl Called Zipppy
Meg Cabot: Size 12 is Not Fat
Booth Tarkington: The Magnificent Ambersons
James Whitcomb Riley

15. Iowa Bill Bryson: The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Wallace Stegner: Angle of Repose

16. Kansas William Inge: Picnic
Laura Moriarty: The Center of Everything

17. Kentucky Wendell Berry: Jayber Crow
Robert Penn Warren: All the King’s Men
Sue Grafton: A is for Alibi

18. Louisiana Kathryn Stockett: The Help
John Kennedy Toole: A Confederacy of Dunces
Rebecca Wells: The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder
Rebecca Wells: Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood
Kate Chopin: The Awakening
James Lee Burke
Walker Percy

19. Maine Stephen King: The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon
Stephen King: The Stand
Richard Russo: Empire Falls
Barry B. Longyear

20. Maryland Keith Donohue: The Stolen Child
Anne Tyler: Breathing Lessons

21. Massachusetts Edward Kennedy; True Compass
Sarah Smith: Chasing Shakespeares
Nathaniel Hawthorne: The House of the Seven Gables
Anita Shreve: Sea Glass
John Updike
Dennis Lehane: Mystic River
Louisa May Alcott

22. Michigan Jeffery Eugenides: The Virgin Suicides
Jeffery Eugenides: Middlesex
Elmore Leonard: LaBrava
Mitch Albom
Warren Wiersbe

23. Minnesota Tim O’Brien: In the Lake of the Woods
Robert Pirsig: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Louise Erdrich: The Plague of Doves
Garrison Keillor
Lois Bujold
Sinclair Lewis

24. Mississippi Eudora Welty: Writer's Beginnings, Losing Battles and her Pulitzer, The Optimist's Daughter.
Nevada Barr
Robert Dalby: Waltzing at the Piggly Wiggly
William Faulkner: As I Lay Dying

25. Missouri Robert Heinlein: Job: A Comedy of Justice
Mark Twain: A Tramp Abroad
Laurell K. Hamilton

26. Montana A.B. Guthrie: The Big Sky
A.B. Guthrie: The Way West
Christopher Paolini: Eragon
Joanna Weaver: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World

27. Nebraska Willa Cather: My Antonia
Nicholas Sparks: The Wedding
Ron Hansen: Atticus

28. Nevada Sally Denton
David Eddings: Pawn of Prophecy
Charles Bock: Beautiful Children

29. New Hampshire Robert Frost
Jodi Picoult: My Sister’s Keeper
John Irving: A Prayer for Owen Meaney
Dan Brown,

30. New Jersey Janet Evanovich: One for the Money
Peter Benchley: Jaws
Walt Whitman

31. New Mexico Cormac McCarthy: The Road
Tony Hillerman: Dance Hall of the Dead

32. New York Ralph Ellison: Invisible Man
Jack Finney: Time and Again
Caleb Car:The Alienist
Claire Messud: The Emperor’s Children
Mark Helprin: Winter’s Tale
Betty Smith: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Frank McCourt: Angela’s Ashes
Ranya Idliby
Suzanne Oliver and Priscilla Warner: The Faith Club
J.D. Salinger
James Fenimore Cooper
Michael Chabon
Lorrie Moore

33. North Carolina Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons;
Jan Karon
Jill McCorkle
Sharyn McCrumb
Anne Tyler
O. Henry aka William Sydney Porter
Lee Smith: On Agate Hill
Charles Frazier: Cold Mountain
Clyde Edgerton: The Bible Salesman,
Orson Scott Card,

34. North Dakota Leif Enger: Peace Like a River
Louis L’Amour: Under the Sweetwater Rim
Carla Kelly: One Good Turn

35. Ohio Toni Morrison: The Bluest Eye
Mary Doria Russell: The Sparrow
Christopher Moore: Practical Demonkeeping

36. Oklahoma Billie Letts: The Honk and Holler Opening Soon
Ralph Ellison: The Invisible Man
William Bernhardt, Carolyn Hart

37. Oregon Ken Kesey: Sometimes a Great Notion
Ken Kesey: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ursula LeGuin: The Telling
Jean Auel: Shelters of Stone

38. Pennsylvania John Updike
James Michener
Bebe Moore Campbell
Poul Anderson
Lisa Scottoline
Zane Grey: Riders of the Purple Sage
James Michener: Tales of the South Pacific
Alice Sebold

39. Rhode Island Roger Williams: A Key into the Language of America
Charlotte Perkins Gilman:The Yellow Wall-Paper
Chris Van Allsburg: Jumanji
HP Lovecraft
David Lafleche

40. South Carolina Pat Conroy: Beach Music
Sue Monk Kidd: Where the Heart Waits; Mermaid’s Chair; Secret Life Bees
James Dickey

41. South Dakota Laura Ingalls Wilder: The First Four
Years
Paul Goble: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
Black Elk

42. Tennessee Run by Ann Patchett
Robert Hicks: A Separate Country
Ann Patchett: Bel Canto
Tony Earley

43. Texas Elmer Kelton
Larry McMurtry: Lonesome Dove
Rick Riordan: The Lightning Thief
Sandra Cisneros: The House on Mango Street
Tim O’Brien
Becky Freeman
Beth Moore

44. Utah James Dashner: The Maze Runner
Richard Paul Evans: The Looking Glass
Edward Abbey

45. Vermont Donna Tartt: The Secret History
Chris Bohjalian: The Double Bind

46. Virginia John Grisham
Lauren Winner: Girl meets God
Ian Caldwell: The Rule of Four
William Styron
Tom Wolfe
Edgar Allan Poe

47. Washington Sherman Alexie: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Sherman Alexie: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
Neal Stephenson: Quicksilver
Frank Herbert
Janette Rallison
Kirby Larson

48. West Virginia John O’Brien: At Home in the Heart of Appalachia
Denise Giardina: Storming Heaven
Pearl S. Buck: The Good Earth
Ann Pancake: Strange as this Weather has Been
Davis Grubb

49. Wisconsin Jane Hamilton: When Madeline Was Young
Jane Hamilton: The Book of Ruth
Craig Thompson: Blankets
Stephen Ambrose
Danielle Trussoni

50. Wyoming Annie Proulx: The Shipping News
Patricia MacLachlan: Sarah, Plain and Tall
George Clayton Johnson, CJ Box

51. Washington DC Martha Grimes: The Lamorna Wink
George Pelecanos: The Night Gardener
Andrew Sean Greer: The Confessions of Max Tivoli

I just found this really cool website that has children's books based on a similar thread. It could be a fun way to have your kids join you in your reading challenge- but on their level!

http://www.mrsmcgowan.com/projects/fl...

For Colorado:
I would like to suggest James A. Michener who wrote Centennialabout our state. He attended the Colorado State Teacher's College in Greeley (now University of Northern Colorado) where he earned his Master's degree and taught there for several years. The library at the University is named for him as is a park in Greeley. He was born in Pennsylvania and died in Texas.

A totally local writer is Sandra Dallas. She has written 7 novels including The Persian Pickle Club and Buster Midnight's Cafe which I have read and loved. She attended the University of Denver and was a writer for the Rocky Mountain News.

Diane Mott Davidson moved to Colorado as an adult. Her Culinary Mysteries series featuring Goldy Bear take place in Aspen Meadows which is very like Evergreen, CO where she lives. The first one, Catering to Nobody, was published in 1990 and the latest Fatally Flaky was released this year.

One of the first authors who was based in Colorado for a time was Isabella Bird, an Englishwoman, who wroteA Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains in 1879.

Great suggestions! I'll add them to my list. I actually purchased the Isabella Bird book about 2 weeks ago at a local thrift shop. I haven't started it yet, but it may very well be my Colorado read. Thanks!

Thanks Arlene! I was hoping to find some local authors and you provided!!! I'll have to add them to my list :)

I thought I'd give an update here of how my reading is coming along :) So far I have read:
Love Walked In by Marissa de los Santos (Delaware)--- I loved this one :)

Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey (Pennsylvania)-- I liked this one more than I thought that I would :) It also was my first to read on my brand new Kindle!!

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich (New Jersey) I liked this one and will probably pick up another.

Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (Georgia)I liked this one as well. The more I've thought about it the more symbolism I've discovered in the story.

Happy Reading!!

I've actually spent a lot of time researching these authors, as the more i look the more i find that it's actually hard to find authors born in raised in some states. and then it seems like 80% of all writers are from NY, MA, and NJ. ;)

i've finished six states so far:
NJ: Philip Roth, American Pastoral
NY: Richard Price, Clockers
MS: Eudora Welty, The Optimist's Daughter
MO: Kate Chopin, The Awakening
WV: Jayne Ann Phillips, Lark and Termite
FL: Carl Hiassen, Nature Girl

These are the authors/books i plan to read. i still have some states to figure out.

AL: Joshilyn Jackson, Between, Georgia
AZ: Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses
CA: John Steinbeck
CO: Ken Kesey, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
CT: Christopher Buckley
GA: Flannery O'Connor
DC: Ann Beattie or Jonathan Safran Foer
DE: Marisa de los Santos, Love Walked In
ID: Marilynne Robinson, Gilead
IL: Ernest Hemingway
IN: Kurt Vonnegut
IA: Bill Bryson
KS: Scott Phillips, The Ice Harvest
KY: Robert Penn Warren, All the King's Men
LA: Lillian Hellman (might break rule and do a bio of her)
ME: Stephen King, Under the Dome
MD: John Barth
MA: Elinor Lipman, The Family Man
MT: Maile Meloy, A Family Daughter
MN: F. Scott Fitzgerald or Louise Erdich
ND: Chuck Klosterman, Fargo Rock City (cheating: he was born in MN, raised in ND)
NE: Willa Cather, O Pioneers (cheating: she's from VA)
NV: Charles Bock, Beautiful Children
NH: Joyce Maynard
NM: Tony Hillerman
NC: Kaye Gibbons, Ellen Foster
OH: Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio
OR: Raymond Carver
PA: John Updike or James Michener or Anne Dillard
TN: Amy Greene, Bloodroot
TX: Larry McMurtry or Patricia Highsmith
VA: William Styron or Tom Wolfe
WA: Mary McCarthy, The Group

I honestly can't comment on any of these (I don't think I've read any of them...), but if anyone is still looking for Wisconsin authors, my local library has a list of them here. Their definition of Wisconsin authors is authors born, raised, or who lived a significant portion of their lives in the state. (The list is part of local library system's online catalog, so the links in it lead to books in that system.)

Anna wrote: "I've actually spent a lot of time researching these authors, as the more i look the more i find that it's actually hard to find authors born in raised in some states. and then it seems like 80% of ..."

From Michigan there are Jim Harrison, Steve Hamilton (although he now resides in Virginia), Elmore Leonard, Jeffrey Eugenides or William Coughlin, that I know of.

That is a really interesting idea, but since many of my favorite authors are English I don't think I could stick with it.

Firstly, I like to thank you for completely losing the last two days of my life. Interesting idea. I am writing from a vineyard in the hills just out of Adelaide in Australia. So I am under somewhat of disadvantage in attempting your challenge. Finding the time to do 50 is going to stretch my limits as it is.

But what interested me most is whether I have read books by writers from the 50 states. I miss by seven. Four of which I have books on my bookshelf that I can read as part of my 50 challenge but three states that are going to be a little more difficult. Namely, Delaware, South Dakota and Nevada. I don't know any of those suggested. I will research more before making my selections. The state lists on wikipedia are very incomplete.

I have read Nevada Blue by John Tilsley but was disappointed to find out that he is in fact English.

A couple of suggestions on a couple of the difficult states. For Hawaii, try Susanna Moore, In the Cut, which was made into a film by my fellow Kiwi, Jane Champion. For Alaska, try John Straley who has written three delightful books that i have read; The curious eat themselves, The woman who married a bear, and The angels will not care.

My catch ups are WI either Mary La Chappelle or Larry Watson. UT either Rick Bass or Wallace Stegner, although I have read Brady Udall who could be from there, does anyone know? SC, either James Dickey or John Dunning. GA, either Dickey again or Flannery O'Connor. I have been meaning to read O'Connor for years.

Another problem for me is that I have Annie Proulx for both my VT & WY lists as sole writer. I could fix that by reading someone I have struggling to find here and that being CJ Box. The omnipotent bookshop in the sky might get an order.

Thanks for the idea. Rock.

I'm not making much progress on my 50 States challenge. I won "Root and Branch" as firstreads from this site. It is compelling, fascinating reading about Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston and the civil rights struggle. It is so "meaty" I can only read about 5 pages before I need to put it down. But I'm going to intersperse that reading with Sharyn McCrumb's The Songcatcher, which a friend just lent to me. I'd love to hear how others are doing on their states challenge.

Slowly, slowly I'm making progress on 50 States. I still have other books I'm reading.

1.The Help: Kathryn Stockett: Mississippi
2. Alexander’s Bridge: Cather: Nebraska
3. The Songcatcher: Sharyn McCrumb: Virginia
4. The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins: Conn.
5. Riders of the Purple Sage: Zane Gray: Penn.

Leighann wrote: "I honestly can't comment on any of these (I don't think I've read any of them...), but if anyone is still looking for Wisconsin authors, my local library has a list of them here. Their definition o..."

Thanks for the help!!!! I'll check it out :)

Connie wrote: "Anna wrote: "I've actually spent a lot of time researching these authors, as the more i look the more i find that it's actually hard to find authors born in raised in some states. and then it seems..."

Thanks for the suggestions!! I had marked Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides to read. :) My husband read it recently and loved it!

Rock wrote: "Firstly, I like to thank you for completely losing the last two days of my life. Interesting idea. I am writing from a vineyard in the hills just out of Adelaide in Australia. So I am under somewha..."

Thanks so much for the suggestions! Some states were difficult :) I'll look into these!