Southern fiction provides readers with a literary escape to the lush green hills of the Appalachians, a glimpse of the Civil War through the eyes of a beloved character, or a tour of small-town America through the streets of dusty coal towns. Let’s explore our first section of southern fiction (deeper south comes next!) by reading our way through West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina. West Virginia Snakehunter by Chunk Kinder: This coming-of-age story explores the life of Speer Whitfield, who reflects on his upbringing in 1940s Appalachia with his large and peculiar family. At turns funny…
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Reading Road Trip: Mid-Atlantic Region
The Mid-Atlantic region of the United States bursts with culture and history, allowing visitors to enjoy the hustle and bustle of big-city fun (New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia) or gorgeous rural landscapes throughout the lush Appalachians. With the region’s defined seasons and slow change between them, your travel experience varies just as much. You can enjoy Christmas in New York City or a summer vacation in Montauk. You can enjoy a spring park day picnicking and admiring Niagara Falls, or book an autumn weekend in the Poconos to gaze upon the foliage. If spending a lazy, hazy summer day at…
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Fiction of New England
The New England states represent the origins of American history set against the changing beauty of the four seasons and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Let’s begin our cross-country reading road trip with our first destination and explore the fiction of New England. Maine the novels of Stephen King: King, a Bangor native, sets many of his novels in two fictional Maine towns: Derry and Castle Rock. Foggy mornings, tree-lined roads through dense forests, and small towns with big secrets illuminate the creepy atmosphere of his stories. With almost 100 books to choose from, readers can experience King’s…
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