Books for 50+ States and Beyond!

More than 100 books to explore every state in the country (and more!)

View this email online June 4th, 2022 by Miranda Mazariegos We asked state poets laureate, librarians, and bookstore owners to recommend books they love about their states — and D.C. and Puerto Rico.  Jeannie Phan for NPR Often when we travel to new places, we look for books about the areas we’ll be exploring. Whether via travel books, poetry, or fiction, reading about new places can help us understand them in all of their complexities. As summer kicks off and many start traveling, we asked experts in every state – and also D.C. and Puerto Rico – to tell us the books they think best represent where they live. From research anthologies, to poetry collections and novels, their suggestions can help us explore and understand pretty much every corner of this country. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Jeannie Phan for NPR Discover the religious and cultural nuance of New Mexico, the wilderness of Alaska, and the tribal history of Massachusetts. Explore Route 66 without leaving your home through the river towns along the Mississippi River, the racial politics of eastern Texas, the pioneering characters who contributed to the building of Oklahoma. Travel to Puerto Rico to learn about its history, ancestors, and traditions. And visit Tennessee through the perspectives of Appalachian women. The writers and librarians we polled offered their top picks. But they may not be yours! What book do you think sheds the most light on your state? Let us know and we’ll share some of your selections!  Mariner Books This week NPR books also commemorated Memorial Day on our books Podcast Book of the Day by revisiting an interview from 2014 in which author Molly Guptill Manning talked about the small, pocket-sized books that publishers created for soldiers to read while serving in WWII. Also, Terry Gross spoke to David Sedaris about his new memoir Happy Go Lucky and the combative relationship he had with his with his dad. Listen to the interview here. Our reviewer Heller McAlpin also offered her thoughts on Sedaris’ book. And if you want to delve into some other arts and culture news, here are a few of our best stories from this week :  Pop Culture Happy Hour celebrated graduation season with this special episode, where they explored how commencement is depicted in popular culture – from TV series, to high school songs and movies.  Rina Torchinsky covered the weird attack against the Mona Lisa in France’s Louvre Museum.  To close Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, reporter Emma Bowman wrote about how Asian business founders are reclaiming the narrative as beauty trends try to pull them away from their cultures.   Whether you’re physically traveling soon or just staying home and exploring the world through books, we hope you have a lovely summer. Stay hydrated!  -- Miranda Mazariegos, NPR Fellow Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WBEZ (edit station). What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: books@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Music, Pop Culture, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Books emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy