sjmccreary's patriotic parade

I've been wanting to do a challenge like this for years!

I'm not going to worry about going back and picking out books I've already read, so I'll just start from today. I'll count books that are set in the state, but will only count them if the setting has some importance to the story. I'm going to start with fiction, but may decide to add non-fiction later. Or maybe not. Thanks for the "no time deadline" rule - those are the only deadlines I usually meet.

I don't normally keep a message devoted to tracking, but 50 is a lot to remember, so I'm just going to use this list to keep track of which places I've been to.

Alabama - Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman, 7/10/09, msg #10
Alaska - Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand, 2/23/10, msg #32
Arizona - Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls 8/19/11
Arkansas
California - U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton, 1/5/10, msg #29
Colorado - Fifty Grand by Adrian McKinty, 1/28/10, msg #31
Connecticut - Something Missing by Matthew Dicks, 9/14/10, msg #47
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho - Blue Heaven by CJ Box 10/21/09 (msg #14)
Illinois - So Big by Edna Ferber 10/24/09 (msg #19)
Indiana
Iowa - Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas 7/13/10, msg #43
Kansas - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn 7/7/09 (msg #6)
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine - Playing God by Kate Flora 2/25/11 (msg #51)
Maryland
Massachusetts - Family Vault by Charlotte McLeod 8/8/09 (msg #12)
Michigan - Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan 7/30/10 (msg #46)
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri - The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell 12/28/09 (msg #28)
Montana - Bad Land by Jonathan Raban 4/1/10 (msg #33)
Nebraska - My Antonia by Willa Cather 10/31/10 (msg #50)
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York - In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming, 1/19/10, msg #30
North Carolina - Jim the Boy by Tony Earley, 11/15/10, msg #49
North Dakota
Ohio - Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson, 7/3/10, msg #42
Oklahoma
Oregon - Heartsick by Chelsea Cain, 5/25/10, msg #37
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island - Survivor's Club by Lisa Gardner 8/4/09 (msg #11)
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont - Go With Me by Castle Freeman 8/25/09 (msg #13)
Virginia - The Known World by Edward P Jones 12/12/09 (msg #27)
Washington
West Virginia - 1632 by Eric Flint 3/13/11
Wisconsin - A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick 11/4/09 (msg #25)
Wyoming

I think flexibility is important. I'm too old to be taking quizzes and sticking to strict rules. I think I'm also going to do it starting today as well.

For me, at least, I want to do the states that are most important to me--Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Missouri--first. After that, who knows?

I guess I did come across as pretty wishy-washy, didn't I? :-) "Flexibility" was a very nice way to say that. Also glad to hear about the "no quizzes" thing!

I plan to approach this like the Dewey challenge. I'll just keep reading as always, and see what states pop up. Kansas and Missouri will be easy for me. After that - who knows?

No, I think "wishy-washy" is me having a Rue Morgue Press category in 999 x 2, then changing it to 50 states, then changing it back to Rue Morgue and now, once and for all, changing it back to 50 states. Final answer!!

I'm not usually like that...

I am, however, really getting into the spirit of this, really trying to think of books where setting really matters.

I just finished my first book!

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Kansas.

This is the story of Libby Day, who was only 7 years old when her mother and sisters were murdered in their home. She survived by escaping out a bedroom window, and her 15-year old brother was convicted of the crime. Twenty-five years later, Libby is finally able to examine the events of that night and question her long-held beliefs about the crime - including her conviction that her brother was the killer. I gave the book 4 stars.

The present-day Libby lives in Kansas City, MO, and much of her activity takes place there. But the story of the crime is told in flash-backs to the 24 hours leading up to the attacks which took place on the family's farm in northern Kansas. The book includes quite a lot of descriptions of the landscape surrounding the farm and its community, plus mentions of several other cities and towns and characterizations of them, which I'd say are mostly accurate. Flynn grew up in Kansas City and travelled in Kansas with her family as a girl.

One down, 49 to go.

Great news, Sandy!! I may pencil this one in for Kansas, too.

Hmm, I am now thinking about The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas for my Kansas book. It's set in depression-era, rural Kansas.

Sandy - is this a fictionalized account, or a memoir?

#7 Linda, I remember reading Persian Pickle Club years ago and liking it - that would be an excellent Kansas book.

#8 This is a novel, although I guess the way I wrote my comments that wasn't made very clear. Sorry about that. It is pure fiction - not based on any real incident.

One detail in the story that I thought was sort of funny (in a weird way, not a ha ha way) was that, during the years that Libby was shuffled from one relative to another, she lived for a while in Holcomb, KS. Holcomb was the real-life location of the Clutter family murders described in In Cold Blood. No mention of that in this book, though.

Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman. Alabama

A wonderful novel based on the Scottsboro trial. In 1931, nine black men were falsely accused of raping 2 white women on a freight train. They were convicted and sentenced to death, even though one of the women recanted her story. The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court. Most of the book takes place in Alabama in the 1930's. I recommend it and gave it 4 stars.

The Survivors Club by Lisa Gardner. Rhode Island

I hesitated quite a while before finally deciding to list this book here. This is a thriller about 3 women who survive being attacked by a serial rapist. The suspect is killed on the day his trial is to begin and that night another woman is raped and murdered with evidence at the scene pointing to the dead man. The story could have taken place anywhere, but it was definitely set in Providence, RI. The author did some homework about law enforcement in RI and several scenes in the book take place in specific locations in the state. So, even though the location wasn't important to the story, it was definitely mentioned and described in the book. I'm going to list it for now, until I run across a better Rhode Island book.

The Family Vault by Charlotte McLeod. Massachusetts

This is the story of a young women who is a member of a large and old Beacon Hill (Boston) family. Life and locations on "the Hill" are described, as well as the family's country home on the coast (although I don't remember the name of the location). The fact that the family is old Boston society is central to the story. This was a very enjoyable cozy mystery - I gave it 3-1/2 stars.

Go With Me by Castle Freeman. Vermont

A little book about Lillian and her two "new friends", Lester - a tough old logger - and Nate "the Great" - a big dumb kid, as they search the woods and hills - old logging sites, bars and brothels - in SW Vermont looking for Blackway, the bully who has been stalking her. I gave the book 3 stars.

Wow, it's been quite a while since I've read anything here!

Blue Heaven by C J Box. Idaho

The events in a small North Idaho town over the course of a single weekend when 2 young children think they see 4 men shooting a 5th man. When they are seen by the shooters, they run off into the wilderness and hide, prompting a massive hunt for them in the area, led by some of the many retired LAPD officers living in the area (which gives the book its name). Recommended (except for the end). 4 stars.

>14 sjmccreary: This is on my short list for my Idaho selection, so I'm glad to know what you thought of it. Now I'm curious about the ending!

#15 I really enjoyed the book, despite the ending. Some of the reviewers seemed to like the ending, so I'll be curious to see what you think of it.

I've looked at C.J. Box books before and have some wishlisted. I may have to move one up on the list for either the Idaho or Wyoming selection after reading your favorable review.

#17 This was my first book by Box, and I really liked it. He has a series that is set in Wyoming (his home state?) but this one was a stand-alone. I think I'm going to give the series a try.

So Big by Edna Ferber. Illinois

This one takes place in and around Chicago in the 1890's and early 1900's. What was described as a Dutch farming community south of the city is now, as near as I can determine, the Chicago community known as South Holland. Evidently, Halsted Road, the rutted and muddy cart path that led into the city, is also still in existence. The truck farmers took their vegetable carts to the Haymarket square on Des Plaines street, and there is a scene where Selina, the main character, wanders down Prairie street, from 16th to about 25th Streets. She was selling her vegetables door-to-door in the wealthy neighborhood where large stone houses were home to "Chicago's rich that had made their riches in pork and wheat and dry goods". Not being familiar with the city, I looked on Google map and discovered that, sadly, if there ever was such a neighborhood there, it is long gone now. A great book.

#18 - I've read a few of the C.J. Box series set in Wyoming (featuring Joe Pickett, a Game Warden, and his family). I enjoy them quite bit - you really do get a strong sense of place, and they are good mysteries, too.

>19 sjmccreary: I have this book in an Edna Ferber omnibus that used to belong to my grandmother. I kept it because it contains Show Boat, which was adapted into one of my favorite movies. Looks like I need to make time to read So Big. It sounds like a wonderful book!

How did I get this old without having read an Edna Ferber? Loved your review of So Big, so its now on my wishlist.

Cool! It's a hot review now!

#21, 22 I'd never heard of Edna Ferber before, and wish I could remember how she came to my attention now - someone on LT, no doubt. I'll be sure to notice her if I see another of her books, though.

#23 :-)

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Wisconsin

While I wasn't crazy about the book (entirely too tragic for my tastes - but most reviews were positive, so don't take my word for it), it IS set primarily in northern Wisconsin. This is the story about a middle-aged widower, very wealthy and employer of almost everyone in town, who advertises for "a reliable wife" and selects for his bride a plain woman from Chicago, 20 years his junior. The entire story occurs in the winter of 1907-08. A very cold, dark, lonely place. Brr. I'll bet it's lovely in the summertime.

Excellent review!

The Known World by Edward P Jones. Virginia

This book is about a free black man who owned his own slaves. I thought it sounded intriguing, but this Pulitzer Prize winner was more about the writing than the story. The writing was excellent, but the book was one that I'd forget to pick back up whenever I put it down - the story just didn't hold my interest. However, there was much tramping around the county in southern Virginia, going to visit neighbors and tracking down runaway slaves. Very interesting descriptions of slave quarters and the interrelationships that develop there.

The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell. Missouri

This tells the story of Shuggie Atkins, a 13-year old boy living in the Missouri Ozarks. To put it mildly, his is a disfunctional family. Red, his father, has him break into the homes of terminally ill people to steal their pain killers for him. His mother, Glenda, teaches him to smoke and teases him with her sexuality.

Woodrell is an exceptional writer. I've previously read his Winter's Bone, set in the same region and touching on some of the same issues, and it was equally well-written. His subjects and characters are distasteful. But in Winter's Bone, there existed some hope - in this book there was none. Too much bleakness to go with the disturbing topics overwhelm the excellent writing. I didn't care for this particular book, but will definitely read more by this author. 2-1/2 stars.

This book didn't have quite the sense of place that Winter's Bone had, but Woodrell lives in the same area both these books are set in and everything that is here is spot-on.

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton. California

The 21st installment in the long running series about PI Kinsey Milhone from Santa Teresa, California. (A barely disgused Santa Barabara.) Although earlier books have had Kinsey travelling all over the state, and even to other states occasionally, she stays close to home in this one. This series includes lots of great descriptions of the weather, the countryside, the fog coming in off the water, the wild fires and mud slides in the hills, the flowers and trees, the beaches, all the things a local would notice about their home. I've only travelled to California once as a teenager, but these books make me feel like I know just what to expect if I ever go back. Grafton does an equally good job describing daily life in the 1980's, when these stories take place. I like the mysteries, too. Overall, a great series.

In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming. New York

This is the first book in a series about Clare Ferguson, a retired Army helicopter pilot turned Episcopal priest, and Russ VanAlstyne, also retired Army and now the local chief of police. The books are set in Miller's Kill, New York - a fictional town in upstate New York, near Albany. The descriptions of the Adirondack region, its mountains and farms and harsh winter weather, are wonderful.

I've read the whole series, but sometimes will do a re-read, like now! Each installment features a different social problem, eagerly embraced by Rev. Clare, who just wants to help everyone. In this book, a baby is left on the steps of the church and is discovered by Clare, who manages to insert herself in the police investigations of the identity of the baby's parents and the subsequent murder of a college girl believed to be the baby's mother. Another great series.

Fifty Grand by Adrian McKinty. Colorado

Detective Mercado of Havana, Cuba, decides to travel secretly to Colorado to investigate the death of her father, a well-known defector to the US more than a dozen years earlier, in a ritzy mountain town. I have a lot of relatives in the Denver area and have travelled to Colorado regularly for most of my life. I was curious how well it would be portrayed. Even though McKinty is originally from Northern Ireland, he lived in Colorado for several years and got it exactly right. His fictional town of Fairview seems to be around Dillon, for those who are familiar with the area. The terrain, the trees, the scents, the weather are all just as I remember them.

A good, but not great, mystery. Mercado poses as an illegal Mexican immigrant, since her father was living under a Mexican passport. An interesting look at the lives of immigrants, and the corruption that allows illegal immigration to flourish. Lots of strong language, and a couple of scenes of very graphic violence, but overall I liked it. 3-1/2 stars.

Sixteen in Nome by Max Brand. Alaska

Set in the gold rush period of Alaska at the turn of the 20th century, the book follows a small group - man, woman and boy - as they race across the territory from Nome to the Yukon gold fields on dog sleds. Descriptions of the weather, the landscape, and the animals (including the sled dogs) were wonderful. This book, first published in 1930, is a traditional western adventure. I liked it and gave it 3-1/2 stars.

Bad Land by Jonathan Raban. Montana

I had originally planned to limit this challenge to fiction only, but I'm making an exception in this case. This book's main "character" is Montana. It is the nonfiction account of the settlement and development of the eastern part of the state in the 20th century, beginning with the homesteaders in the 1910's. Thousands of people flocked to the area, lured by the promised of free land from the government and the assurances of the railroad and other developers that dry-land farming would be profitable there. "Dry" is the key word, as it turns out that this region simply does not receive enough rain most years to be able to successfully farm on the small (1/2 section = 320 acres) parcels of land that were being offered. The story continues with one after another of the homesteaders giving up the dream and moving into town and back to their previous vocations (although not back to their previous homes) or pursuing other dreams even farther west. The author, himself an immigrant from England and an outsider to rural eastern Montana, identified several early homestead families and followed their fortunes throughout the generations up to the mid-1990's when the book was written, talking about what they were looking for when they came to Montana, and what they found after they arrived. Recommended.

This one got on my wishlist back when RidgewayGirl reviewed it in December. And every time I read about another review, it inches higher on my 'gotta get that one' list. Really sounds good.

I got it from RidgewayGirl, too. She reads a lot of great books, doesn't she?

It's only fair, given what you have all done to my TBR pile (now mountain).

She could have started up a branch library (or a spectacular house fire) with the number of books she had piled around the place.

Kate Atkinson

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain. Oregon

Another one of my favored serial killer thrillers, this one set firmly in Portland, Oregon. The story involves a police detective who has been out on medical leave for a couple of years after spending his entire career working on a single serial killer task force. Those crimes were solved only after he was kidnapped, tortured, killed and then resucitated by the killer who called 911 for an medivac unit to take him to a trauma center. The task force is being reconvened and he is coming back to active duty to lead it, despite his lingering physical and emotional problems. For fans of serial killer stories, like me, this one has 2 sickos that must be dealt with, since much of the first killer's case is told in flashbacks.

That Chelsea Cain series is a fun ride. One does need a high tolerance for things like jellied eyeballs, however.

The eyeballs must show up in a later installment - I don't remember them. There were plenty of other squirm-inducing descriptions to fill this book, though. Looking forward to the next one.

I think I will have to pass on those. It sounds too gruesome for my taste.

Yeah, definitely not for everyone.

Refuge on Crescent Hill by Melanie Dobson. Ohio

The story of a woman who inherits the family home - a 19th century mansion that was a station on the underground railroad. Not recommended, I'm afraid. And Ohio didn't play much of a role, either, but I'm counting it for now until I find a better one.

Alice's Tulips by Sandra Dallas. Iowa

A young wife whose husband has joined the union army is living with her mother-in-law on the family farm during the civil war. Told solely through letters written to her sister. Good descriptions of life on the home front, but I didn't like the main character, Alice.

Hi Sandy, it looks like you just can't get rid of me! I joined this challenge today and am looking forward to reading my way through the states. I see lots of familiar names here so I am sure I will get lots of good recommendations for my trip.

Judy! Glad to see you here! Looking forward to being taunted with 50 more great books! Good luck with your challenge.

Bad Things Happen by Harry Dolan. Michigan

This was the audio book we listened to on our Michigan vacation, chosen specifically for its setting. A man with a mysterious past anonamously submits a short story to a literary magazine in Ann Arbor. When he re-submits it, twice, with revisions and happens to bump into the publisher working late in the office, he is offered a job as an editor. Evidently, his revisions were better than the story. After being hired, things begin to happen. People are killed. Bodies are buried. Friends' wives are slept with. Break-ins happen. Secrets are revealed. And his past begins to catch up with him.

Lots of twists and turns. We had fun in the car speculating on who did what and why. We were mostly wrong, however. In the end, I thought it was just so-so. The problem, I think, was that the author failed to make me care about any of these characters. I wasn't even totally sure who I was rooting for.

Something Missing by Matthew Dicks. Connecticut

Martin, a career burglar - that is, he makes a career out of robbing the same houses over and over - finds himself in a bind when he begins to think of himself as a sort of guardian angel for his "clients". A fun book set firmly in Hartford, Connecticut.

Hi Sandy!

Sounds fun. Having lived and worked in Hartford I think I'll give this one a shot. Definitely different. :)

Jim the Boy by Tony Earley. North Carolina

Very nice story about a year in the life of a 10-year old boy in 1934. Recommended.

My Antonia by Willa Cather. Nebraska

Classic story about immigrant farmers in western Nebraska at the end of the 19th century. Highly recommended.

Playing God by Kate Flora. Maine

A prominent Portland oncologist is found murdered in his car and police have trouble determining which of the many suspects killed him. Pretty good.