Catching Up With: The USA Fiction Challenge

Back in 2014, I signed up for the USA Fiction Challenge, and set out to read at least one book set in each of the fifty states (plus Washington DC). Hosted by Kerrie of Mysteries in Paradise, it was intended to be an ongoing challenge with no official ending date. That was perfect for me, of course, since I'm one of the world's slowest readers. But after the first year or so I stopped keeping track of my progress on the challenge, and it mostly slipped my mind.

Until this month, that is. A few days ago, I did a little checking and found out that the challenge still seems to be active! (Thank you so much, Kerrie!) So I'm making it one of my priorities this year -- maybe not completing the challenge (I'm nowhere near the finish line), but at least making a bit of progress.

So....

Here's my list of states and books I've read, with links to any reviews I've done. As you can see, I still have a long way to go. But it's a fun challenge and it's introduced me to quite a few new authors.

1. ALABAMA 
2. ALASKA 
3. ARIZONA: Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn #2). Becky Masterman (read in 2015)
4. ARKANSAS 
5. CALIFORNIA: The Lady in the Lake. Raymond Chandler (read in 2014) / The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1), Erle Stanley Gardner (read in 2015)
6. COLORADO
7. CONNECTICUT
8. DISTRICT of COLUMBIA 
9. DELAWARE 
10. FLORIDA 
11. GEORGIA 
12. HAWAII 
13. IDAHO: Pines (Wayward Pines Series #1). Blake Crouch (read in 2015)
14. ILLINOIS: Anything Is Possible. Elizabeth Strout (read in 2017)
15. INDIANA 
16. IOWA 
17. KANSAS: The Roanoke Girls. Amy Engel (read in 2017)
18. KENTUCKY 
19. LOUISIANA 
20. MAINE
21. MARYLAND: Vinegar Girl. Anne Tyler (set in Baltimore; read in 2016)
22. MASSACHUSETTS: Island Girls. Nancy Thayer (read in 2014) / The Last September, Nina de Gramont (read in 2016)
23. MICHIGAN 
24. MINNESOTA
25. MISSISSIPPI 
26. MISSOURI: The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh (read in 2014) 
27. MONTANA: As Good As Gone. Larry Watson (read in 2017)
28. NEBRASKA
29. NEVADA: The Days of Anna Madrigal (Tales of the City #9). Armistead Maupin (read in 2014)
30. NEW HAMPSHIRE 
31. NEW JERSEY: Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates (read in 2015)
32. NEW MEXICO 
33. NEW YORK: The Transcriptionist. Amy Rowland (read in 2014) / Peter Pan Must Die. John Verdon (read in 2014) / I Am No One. Patrick Flanery (read in 2016)
34. NORTH CAROLINA: Lovely In Her Bones. Sharyn McCrumb (read in 2016)
35. NORTH DAKOTA
36. OHIO 
37. OKLAHOMA 
38. OREGON: Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary (read in 2015)
39. PENNSYLVANIA: The Quilter's Apprentice. Jennifer Chiaverini (read in 2014)
40. RHODE ISLAND: The Forgotten Room. Lincoln Child (read in 2015) / Newport, Jill Morrow (read in 2015)
41. SOUTH CAROLINA
42. SOUTH DAKOTA 
43. TENNESSEE: Devil Sent the Rain (Detective Billy Able #3). Lisa Turner (read in 2017)
44. TEXAS
45. UTAH 
46. VERMONT: The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon (read in 2015)
47. VIRGINIA: The Litter of the Law (A Mrs. Murphy Mystery). Rita Mae Brown (read in 2014)
48. WASHINGTON
49. WEST VIRGINIA: Missing May. Cynthia Rylant (read in 2014) 
50. WISCONSIN: What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg (read in 2015)
51. WYOMING

I have a list of possible books from each state, over on my challenge blog (see it HERE), but I'm always looking for new suggestions if anyone has any ideas.

I've read at least one book for each of the red states (21 of 51).

USA Fiction Challenge: State By State in 2014

Hosted by: Kerrie of Mysteries in Paradise
Dates: Throughout 2014 (or longer)

See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement/sign-up page):
"Read just one novel from each state - you choose whether the link is the setting or the author. You choose whether you confine yourself to a particular genre or not."

I'm signing up for this one knowing, going in, that I'll never finish it in one year.  So I'm going to consider it an ongoing challenge and just see how far I get.  Should be interesting.

Kerrie says it's OK to start reading for the challenge now, so I can get going. Here's my list of states, with a few possible titles (all from my TBR list).  During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and listing the books I've actually read, over on my challenge blog.

1. ALABAMA 
2. ALASKA 
3. ARIZONA 
4. ARKANSAS 
5. CALIFORNIA
   Tales of the City. Armistead Maupin
6. COLORADO 
7. CONNECTICUT 
8. DISTRICT of COLUMBIA 
9. DELAWARE 
10. FLORIDA 
11. GEORGIA 
12. HAWAII 
13. IDAHO 
14. ILLINOIS 
15. INDIANA 
16. IOWA 
17. KANSAS
    In Cold Blood. Truman Capote
18. KENTUCKY 
19. LOUISIANA 
20. MAINE
    The Burgess Boys. Elizabeth Strout
21. MARYLAND 
22. MASSACHUSETTS
    The Cranefly Orchid Murders. Cynthia Riggs
    Night Passage (Jesse Stone #1). Robert B. Parker
23. MICHIGAN 
24. MINNESOTA 
25. MISSISSIPPI 
26. MISSOURI 
27. MONTANA
    The Whistling Season. Ivan Doig
28. NEBRASKA
    My Antonia. Willa Cather
29. NEVADA 
30. NEW HAMPSHIRE 
31. NEW JERSEY 
32. NEW MEXICO 
33. NEW YORK
    The League of Frightened Men. Rex Stout
34. NORTH CAROLINA
    Guests on Earth. Lee Smith
35. NORTH DAKOTA
    Ancient Shores. Jack McDevitt
    The Beet Queen. Louise Erdrich
    Born Brothers. Larry Woiwode
36. OHIO 
37. OKLAHOMA 
38. OREGON
    The Quick and the Thread (Embroidery Mystery #1). Amanda Lee
39. PENNSYLVANIA
    Mickelsson's Ghosts. John Gardner
40. RHODE ISLAND
    The Ivory Tower. Henry James
    Theophilus North. Thornton Wilder
    The Witches of Eastwick. John Updike
    The Widows of Eastwick. John Updike
41. SOUTH CAROLINA
    The House on Tradd Street. Karen White
42. SOUTH DAKOTA 
43. TENNESSEE 
44. TEXAS
    Texas. James Michener
45. UTAH 
46. VERMONT
    The Secret History. Donna Tartt
47. VIRGINIA 
48. WASHINGTON
49. WEST VIRGINIA 
50. WISCONSIN 
51. WYOMING