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Jacob Shamsian,Melia Russell,Melissa Wiley,Priyanka RajputSep 11, 2024, 01:04 IST
We identified the most famous book set in every state.Natalia Bostan/Shutterstock
Business Insider identified the most famous book set in every state through surveys and research.
The list features various genres, from historical fiction and thrillers to romance novels.
One of the best ways to learn more about a place and its people is by traveling there — but when you can't do that, books are your next best bet.
To borrow from Dr Seuss' "I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!": "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."
In the US, where each state has a storied past and varied cultures and traditions, there's so much to explore. If you're curious about life in Louisiana or itching to experience the many neighborhoods in New York City — or just love reading about new places — one way to travel across the country without going through the trouble of rental cars or airports is by picking a book in the comfort of your home.
To ensure you have the most wholesome literary tour around the country, Business Insider scoured published listings and surveyed our reporters for their best picks, rounding up the most famous book set in every state — and, as a bonus — Washington DC, too.
Here are the most famous books set in every state.
Melissa Stanger contributed reporting on a previous version of this post.
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ALABAMA: "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.Amazon
ALASKA: "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.Amazon
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ARIZONA: "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver
"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver.Amazon
ARKANSAS: "A Painted House" by John Grisham
"A Painted House" by John Grisham.Amazon
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CALIFORNIA: "Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion
"Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion.Amazon
COLORADO: "The Shining" by Stephen King
"The Shining" by Stephen King.Amazon
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CONNECTICUT: "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates.Amazon
DELAWARE: "The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani
"The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani.Hachette Group
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FLORIDA: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.Amazon
GEORGIA: "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
"Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.Amazon
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HAWAII: "Hawaii" by James Michener
"Hawaii" by James Michener.Amazon
IDAHO: "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson
"Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson.Amazon
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ILLINOIS: "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.Amazon
INDIANA: "The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington
"The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.Amazon
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IOWA: "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley
"A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley.Amazon
KANSAS: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.Amazon
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KENTUCKY: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.Amazon
LOUISIANA: "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole.Amazon
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MAINE: "Carrie" by Stephen King
"Carrie" by Stephen King.Amazon
MARYLAND: "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler
"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler.Amazon
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MASSACHUSETTS: "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau
"Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.Amazon
MICHIGAN: "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.Amazon
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MINNESOTA: "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis
"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis.Amazon
MISSISSIPPI: "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner.Amazon
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MISSOURI: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain.Amazon
MONTANA: "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean
"A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean.Amazon
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NEBRASKA: "My Ántonia" by Willa Cather
"My Ántonia" by Willa Cather.Amazon
NEVADA: "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson.Amazon
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NEW HAMPSHIRE: "The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving
"The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving.Amazon
NEW JERSEY: "Drown" by Junot Díaz
"Drown" by Junot Díaz.Amazon
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NEW MEXICO: "Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy
"Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy.Amazon
NEW YORK: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.Amazon
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NORTH CAROLINA: "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks
"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks.Nicholas Sparks Website
NORTH DAKOTA: "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich
"The Round House" by Louise Erdrich.Amazon
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OHIO: "The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace
"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace.Amazon
OKLAHOMA: "Paradise" by Toni Morrison
"Paradise" by Toni Morrison.Amazon
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OREGON: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey.Amazon
PENNSYLVANIA: "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.Amazon
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RHODE ISLAND: "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.Simon & Schuster
SOUTH CAROLINA: "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd.Amazon
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SOUTH DAKOTA: "A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw
"A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw.Amazon
TENNESSEE: "A Death in the Family" by James Agee
"A Death in the Family" by James Agee.Amazon
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TEXAS: "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy
"No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.Amazon
UTAH: "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff
"The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff.Amazon
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VERMONT: "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.Amazon
VIRGINIA: "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson
"Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson.Amazon
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WASHINGTON: "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.Amazon
WASHINGTON, DC: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown
"The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.Amazon
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WEST VIRGINIA: "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
"Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.Amazon
WISCONSIN: "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.Amazon