2021 For the Love of Reading: Prompts 1 and 2

Jan 6

Photo Courtesy of Kira auf der Heide, Unsplash

The first two prompts to the 2021 For the Love of Reading Challenge are similar enough that they get to share a blog post because it’s worth clarifying the difference between them. It’s literally as simple as that the state where you currently live could be different from where you’re from.

1. A book set in the state/province where you currently live. This one is pretty straight forward and doesn’t need much of an explanation. But, if you still have questions, put them in the comments below!

2. A book set in the state/province where you're originally from. This could mean either where you were born or where you grew up. Moved around a lot? Pick your favorite state. Haven’t moved away? Moved back? That’s okay! That means you get to read TWO books set in the same place. If you decide to pick a book from a different state for some variety, that’s your choice, but the point is to focus on learning a little more about the area(s) where you’re from.

I’m coming from the perspective of living in one state, growing up in another state, and having been born in yet another sate. Personally, I interpret “where you’re from” as where I grew up, but I know others interpret it as where you were born which is why I thought this one needed clarification.

This challenge is flexible and belongs to you as the reader so you can use it to fit your reading desires for the year. I’m not checking your homework.

Also, in theory, some readers could feasibly pick a book set in a neighboring state. For example, I live in Vermont but live so close to the New York State border that I’d count it. This may be particularly helpful for those who live in areas like PA, NY, and NJ and commute to one of the other states regularly.

These prompts were inspired by some prompts I’ve seen with other challenges that were phrased as “a book set in the state where you’re from.” I often wondered what the designer of the challenge meant by the phrase. Did it mean the state where I was born, where I grew up, or where I currently live? They are all different and I didn’t want to be choosing. Yes, in a way, it creates more options, but I have a hard enough time choosing a book that I decided to separate the two for this challenge.

Now, here’s the fun part. The list below shows some suggested books for each of the 50 states (and Washington D.C.) in the U.S.A. I know my prompts also say provinces, but let’s just be honest here. I don’t have the time to cultivate a list for every province, or state, in the world. If you don’t see a book that you think should be on the list, please let us know in the comments!

Note: I have not read all of these books. Many of them were suggested to me by fellow readers via Facebook groups and Instagram polls.

Alabama

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Almost Sisters by Joshilyn Jackson

Alaska

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer

Arizona

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell

The Baleful Owl by Virgil Alexander

Arkansas