The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – November 2022: Virginia

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The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – November 2022: Virginia

1bhabeck
Oct 31, 2022, 7:23 pm

Each month, we will visit a different state in the United States of America for the Monthly Reading Challenge in the Mystery & Suspense Extra! Group. This month, we head a little bit south to– Virginia.

The Americana Series Monthly Challenge – November 2022: Virginia


History
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most-populous city, and Fairfax County is the most-populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's population in 2020 was over 8.65 million, with 36% of them living in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area.

The area's history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607, the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Virginia's state nickname, the Old Dominion, is a reference to this status. Slave labor and land acquired from displaced native tribes fueled the growing plantation economy, but also fueled conflicts both inside and outside the colony. Virginia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies in the American Revolution, and battles in Virginia secured the independence of the United States. During the American Civil War, Virginia was split when the state government in Richmond joined the Confederacy, but many of the state's northwestern counties wanted to remain with the Union, helping form the state of West Virginia in 1863. Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following the Reconstruction era, both major political parties are competitive in modern Virginia.

Virginia's state legislature is the Virginia General Assembly, which was established in July 1619, making it the oldest current law-making body in North America. It is made up of a 40-member Senate and a 100-member House of Delegates. The state government is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia's economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; high tech and federal agencies, including the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency, in Northern Virginia; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region's main seaport.

Geography


Virginia is located in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States. Virginia has a total area of 42,774.2 square miles (110,784.7 km2), including 3,180.13 square miles (8,236.5 km2) of water, making it the 35th-largest state by area. The Commonwealth is bordered by Maryland and Washington, D.C. to the north and east; by the Atlantic Ocean to the east; by North Carolina to the south; by Tennessee to the southwest; by Kentucky to the west; and by West Virginia to the north and west. Virginia's boundary with Maryland and Washington, D.C. extends to the low-water mark of the south shore of the Potomac River.

The Commonwealth's southern border is defined as 36°30' north latitude, though surveyor error in the 1700s led to deviations of as much as three arcminutes as the North Carolina border moved west. Surveyors appointed by Virginia and Tennessee worked in 1802 and 1803 to reset the border as a line from the summit of White Top Mountain to the top of Tri-State Peak in the Cumberland Mountains. However, errors in this line were discovered in 1856, and the Virginia General Assembly proposed a new surveying commission in 1871. Tennessee's representatives preferred to keep the 1803 line, and in 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in their favor in the case Virginia v. Tennessee. One result of this is the division of the city of Bristol

The Chesapeake Bay separates the contiguous portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula of Virginia's Eastern Shore. The bay was formed from the drowned river valley of the ancient Susquehanna River. Many of Virginia's rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, which create three peninsulas in the bay, traditionally referred to as "necks" named Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and the Virginia Peninsula from north to south. Sea level rise has eroded the land on Virginia's islands, which include Tangier Island in the bay and Chincoteague, one of 23 barrier islands on the Atlantic coast.

Fun Facts
Naval Station Norfolk, in Norfolk Virginia, is the world’s largest naval base. Naval Station Norfolk is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about 4 miles (6.4 km) of waterfront space and 11 miles (18 km) of pier and wharf space of the Hampton Roads peninsula known as Sewell's Point. It is the world's largest naval station, with the largest concentration of U.S. Navy forces through 75 ships alongside 14 piers and with 134 aircraft and 11 aircraft hangars at the adjacently operated Chambers Field.


In some terms, Virginia can also be given the title of the “Home of the Internet” or "Silicon Valley of the East." Loudoun County hosts data centers that are responsible to cater to almost 3 quarters of the world's internet traffic. The County has more than 10 million square feet of building space and more than 100 massive data centers. And there is no sign of this growth abating.


Virginia is home to the largest office building in the world – the Pentagon. The Pentagon, with 5,100,000 square feet, serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense including all three military services—Army, Navy, and Air Force. The Pentagon, however, has a Washington, D.C. mailing address. The building was designed by American architect George Bergstrom and built by contractor John McShain.


Virginia was the site of more Civil War battles than any other state, with more than 120 major battles being fought here. That's an average of one major battle every 12 days throughout the war. Not counting skirmishes or other military engagements, Virginia saw 123 major battles during the war, including the first major engagement at Bull Run and the last battle at Appomattox Courthouse. The war lasted from April 12, 1861 until April 9, 1865, making for 1,457 long days in between.


Construction on the Pentagon began on September 11, 1941, exactly 60 years to the day before American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Nearly 200 people died during the attack, although fortunately, recent renovations had included reinforced concrete and blast-proof windows, certainly sparing hundreds of additional lives that day.


The first quarter horse, one of the most popular horses in America, was bred in Virginia. Quarter horses, one of the most popular American breeds, got their start in Virginia. These horses, named for their speed on quarter-mile flat tracks, trace their roots to cross-breeding of Spanish horses used by colonists and English thoroughbreds. Janus, an English thoroughbred imported to Virginia in 1756, is considered one of the most important sires for the breed as we know it today.


The East Coast is heavily populated and Virginia is at the heart of it all. More than half of all US residents live within 500 miles of Virginia. Most people in the country can get to Virginia within a day's drive and more than 60% live within a day's drive of Richmond, Virginia's capital.

Virginia Beach has the longest stretch of pleasure beach in the world. With 35 miles of coastline, VB has the Guinness World Record to prove it.


Colonial Williamsburg is the world's largest living history museum. The Louvre in Paris, the world's largest museum, could fit in Colonial Williamsburg 20 times over…with room to spare. Covering 301 acres, the historic area of Williamsburg includes hundreds of restored, replicated and rebuilt structures, including homes, businesses and political buildings. Staff members from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation work as guides and costumed interpreters to bring us the tales of colonial men and women, including black, white, Native American, slave, indentured, and free, in both historical and modern day contexts.


Notable Residents

Eight United States Presidents were born in Virginia: George Washington (1st), Thomas Jefferson (3rd), James Madison (4th), James Monroe (5th), William Harrison (9th), John Tyler (10th), Zachary Taylor (12th), and Woodrow Wilson (28th).
Six Presidents’ wives were born in Virginia: Martha Washington, Martha Jefferson, Rachel Jackson, Letitia Tyler, Ellen Arthur, Edith Wilson. Seven Presidents are buried in Virginia: Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Tyler, Taft and Kennedy

Tennis Legend Arthur Ashe was born in Richmond, Virginia. He was the first black man to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon tennis championships. He is also the first African-American man to be ranked as the No. 1 tennis player in the world.

The state has given us a number of mystery authors such as David Baldacci, Rita Mae Brown, John Gilstrap, Bradley Harper and Donna Andrews in addition to writers of other genres such as Edgar Allen Poe, Jan Karon, Sharyn McCrumb and Adriana Trigiani.

In honor of VIRGINIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Beach," "War," "Horse," or "Ship" in the title OR has Someone Smoking, a Horse, a Military Person or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Virginia OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a US President or other world leader as a character OR has a terrorist attack; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in VIRGINIA.


Happy Reading ❤

2bhabeck
Oct 31, 2022, 7:25 pm

Brenda's Americana Challenge - November 2022: Virginia
0 of 3 Complete


In honor of VIRGINIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Beach," "War," "Horse," or "Ship" in the title OR has Someone Smoking, a Horse, a Military Person or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Virginia OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a US President or other world leader as a character OR has a terrorist attack; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in VIRGINIA.

3Carol420
Edited: Nov 24, 2022, 3:41 pm

Americana Challenge - November 2022: Virginia


Carol Makes A Beautiful New Friend in Virginia
🦃 - ★
3/3
🦃1. A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Beach," "War," "Horse," or "Ship" in the title OR has Someone Smoking, a Horse, a Military Person or a River on the cover;
Haunted River - J.T. Bishop - 5★

🦃 2 .A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Virginia OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a US President or other world leader as a character OR has a terrorist attack.
Chrysalis - Lincoln Child- 5★

🦃 3. A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in VIRGINIA.
Set in Darkness - Ian Rankin - 4.5★ (I & R)

4Andrew-theQM
Edited: Nov 27, 2022, 6:00 pm

Virginia Here I Come :

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Beach," "War," "Horse," or "Ship" in the title OR has Someone Smoking, a Horse, a Military Person or a River on the cover;

✔️Soldier of Fortune by Edward Marston ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Virginia OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a US President or other world leader as a character OR has a terrorist attack; and

✔️Bloodline by James Rollins ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in VIRGINIA.

✔️Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

5gaylebutz
Nov 2, 2022, 9:25 pm

I’m going to read The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby. It’s set in Virginia.

6Sergeirocks
Edited: Nov 15, 2022, 7:35 pm

The River House Mystery - Gerald Verner 4★s (‘River’ in the title)
Terror Tower - Gerald Verner 4.5★s (Author’s initials in VIRGINIA)
Bloodline - James Rollins 4.5★s (Features the POTUS)

7Olivermagnus
Edited: Nov 16, 2022, 8:38 pm

Lynda's Virginia Challenge

In honor of VIRGINIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Beach," "War," "Horse," or "Ship" in the title OR has Someone Smoking, a Horse, a Military Person or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that takes place in Virginia OR includes a character who serves on a US naval ship OR has a US President or other world leader as a character OR has a terrorist attack; and

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in VIRGINIA.
One September Morning - Rosalind Noonan - 3 Stars - RN

8bhabeck
Nov 17, 2022, 11:03 pm

>6 Sergeirocks: Well done!

9Sergeirocks
Nov 19, 2022, 11:18 am

>8 bhabeck: Thank you, 🙂.

10Carol420
Nov 19, 2022, 1:16 pm

11Sergeirocks
Nov 21, 2022, 6:19 pm

12gaylebutz
Nov 25, 2022, 5:19 pm

Done - The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby - 3.5 *
Set in Virginia.

I particularly enjoyed the setting because I live in Virginia. I was familiar with a number of the places that were mentioned. I actually met this author some years ago at an author talk but hadn't gotten around to reading one of her books so I'm glad I did this time.

13bhabeck
Nov 27, 2022, 3:39 pm

>12 gaylebutz: Well Done!

Hope I did your state justice in writing up the challenge!

14Andrew-theQM
Nov 27, 2022, 6:01 pm

Yay, finished with three days to go. 🎉🎉🎉

15Carol420
Nov 28, 2022, 6:56 am

>13 bhabeck:


Good Job, Gayle!!!

16Carol420
Edited: Nov 28, 2022, 6:58 am

>14 Andrew-theQM:


Good Work, Andrew!!!

17bhabeck
Nov 28, 2022, 12:04 pm

>14 Andrew-theQM: Whoohoo! Good Job!

18gaylebutz
Nov 28, 2022, 8:25 pm

>13 bhabeck: Brenda, your write up on Virginia was great!

19Olivermagnus
Nov 28, 2022, 10:38 pm

Americana Series - Virginia

2
of 3 Complete

In honor of VIRGINIA, read a Mystery/Suspense book (any sub-genre will do!) that satisfies one or more of the following:

• A Mystery/Suspense book with "River," "Beach," "War," "Horse," or "Ship" in the title OR has Someone Smoking, a Horse, a Military Person or a River on the cover;

• A Mystery/Suspense book that has a terrorist attack.
Peril at the Exposition - Nev March - 4 Stars - 11/25/22

• A Mystery/Suspense book where the author's FIRST and LAST initial (no middle initials or names) can be found in VIRGINIA.
One September Morning - Rosalind Noonan - 4 Stars - 11/15/22 - RN

20Carol420
Edited: Nov 29, 2022, 12:11 pm

>19 Olivermagnus:


Good job, Lynda & Stanley!!!

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