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Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian shares the top 3 must-read books from his 2024 reading list

Alexis Ohanian
The books on this list have helped Alexis Ohanian build brands, negotiate, and innovate.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Random House; Harper Business; Optimism Press; Rebecca Zisser/BI

  • Alexis Ohanian shared three books that shaped his career in 2024.
  • Ohanian cofounded Reddit with Steve Huffman and currently serves as founder of 776 VC firm.
  • He said "Unreasonable Hospitality" is a must-read for anyone trying to build a brand.

Alexis Ohanian has been recognized as an innovator since cofounding Reddit in 2005 and selling it a year later to Condé Nast. That sale was reportedly between $10 to $20 million.

In the 20 years since then, Ohanian has vastly multiplied his wealth and business portfolio with investments in tech, sports, and other innovative ideas.

The tech founder and investor, who launched his venture firm Seven Seven Six in 2020 after officially leaving Reddit's leadership team, shared with Business Insider the top three books that shaped his career in 2024.

Ohanian said these are his must-reads for various reasons. His quotes have been edited for clarity.

"Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration" by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Creativity Inc. book cover (expanded edition)

Penguin Random House

My founding partner at 776, Katelin Holloway, helped produce "Creativity Inc." based on her time at Pixar. This book informed a lot of how we turned around Reddit and how I'm building 776.

"Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It" by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz

"Never Split the Difference" book cover.

HarperCollins Publisher

Zachariah Reitano, the founder/CEO of Ro — one of my 776 investments — recommended the book "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on it." It's a must-read for anyone, not just CEOs and founders. I re-read it every year to refresh my memory.

"Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect" by Will Guidara

Unreasonable hospitality book cover

Penguin Random House

Maggi from the 776 team recommended "Unreasonable Hospitality," written by Will Guidara who achieved fame as former coowner and leader of Eleven Madison Park. EMP is one of my favorite restaurants. The methods and mindset here are imperative for anyone trying to build an exceptional brand, even outside of food and hospitality.

Read the original article on Business Insider

5 pant trends that are in for 2025 and 4 that are out, according to stylists

composite image of someobe wearing wide-leg pinstripe pants and someone wearing skinny jeans
Wide-leg is in, and skinny cuts are out.

Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images; Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

  • Business Insider asked stylists about the pant trends that will be in and out for the coming year.
  • Cuffed jeans and wide-leg trousers are set to be popular in the New Year.
  • The fashion experts said to ditch skinny jeans and corduroy pants in 2025.

Pants themselves may never go out of style, but that doesn't mean every pant trend can stand the test of time.

To avoid any fashion mishaps in the New Year, Business Insider spoke with stylists to find out what pant trends they think will be in and out in 2025.

Pleated trousers are here to stay.
man walking down a street in white pleated trousers and a cream sports coat
Pleated pants have a clean look.

Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Lindsey Bernay, a stylist and the author of "You Can't Leave the House Naked," told BI that pleated trousers are still going to be big next year.

"Pleated trousers add volume and movement while accentuating the waist, making them a perfect choice for those looking to create a refined yet flattering silhouette," she said. "They are perfect if you are going for the quiet-luxury look that is still trending this winter."

Cuffed jeans will remain popular in the New Year.
person posing on the streets of paris in a moto jacket and cuffed jeans
Whether you opt for wide-leg denim or barrel jeans, you can cuff the ends for a trendy look.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Desiree Miranda, a personal stylist, said cuffed jeans are going to stay in style in 2025.

"Cuffed denim is trending right now thanks to its ability to show off footwear," she told BI.

The stylist said cuffed jeans are great for in-between occasions where you want to look put together but still a tad casual.

High-waisted cargo pants are a fun, nostalgic trend.
man walking down a street wearing a short-sleeved button up and green cargo pants
Classic cargos come in khaki and green, but there are all sorts of variations now.

Cultura Creative/Shutterstock

Leena Alsulaiman, a San Francisco-based stylist and fashion coach, predicts that high-waisted cargo pants will dominate the fashion scene next year.

"Their rise in popularity is due to the perfect mix of nostalgia and functionality they offer, appealing to both millennials reliving their youth and Gen Z discovering the trend for the first time," she told BI.

Plus, the pockets are practical and the waistline is flattering.

Pinstripe pants are back and better than ever.
woman posing on the street in a denim top and pinstriped trousers
Pinstripe trousers are classic, but you can also dive into other materials.

Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

There's been a divide about "in" patterns for a while now, but Bernay said pinstripe pants will be trendy in the New Year.

"Pinstripes are back in a big way, offering a sleek, polished look that elongates the legs," she told BI. "Perfect for both professional and casual settings, this classic pattern brings a sophisticated edge to any outfit."

Wide-leg trousers will still be a wardrobe staple in 2025.
person walking down a street wearig all gray including wide leg trousers
Wide-leg pants offer style and comfort.

Creative Lab/Shutterstock

Alsulaiman said wide-leg trousers are here to stay.

"Offering a perfect blend of comfort and sophistication, wide-leg trousers are versatile enough for both office wear and casual outings," she said. "Their popularity stems from the ongoing shift toward more comfortable, forgiving silhouettes."

On the flip side, skinny jeans aren't going to be back next year.
Padma Lakshmi  walking down the streets of new york win a furry coat and skinny jeans
It's not time to dust off your skinny jeans quite yet.

Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Alsulaiman told BI that skinny jeans haven't clawed their way back quite yet — and it doesn't look like they will next year, either.

People are still turning toward more comfortable pants and looser cuts of jeans.

"The decline of skinny jeans also signals a change in beauty standards, with fashion embracing a wider range of body types and shapes," she said.

Corduroy is taking a backseat in 2025.
woman posing for a photo in a red corduroy outfit
Corduroy had its time in the sun.

Christian Vierig/Getty Images

Although we saw a lot of corduroy fabric in the early 2020s, Miranda said its popularity is continuing to decline.

"Fashion right now is gearing more toward minimalism and simplicity while corduroy has a distinct texture and bulkiness to it that conflicts with the sleek lines we are seeing more of," she told BI.

Jeggings had their moment.
woman on the street wearing a tank top and jeggings
Jeggings can be even tighter and more restricting than skinny jeans.

Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

Alsulaiman told BI that the famous, stretchy jean-legging hybrid doesn't fit in with the 2025 trends.

Although they may be a comfort item, there are more structured, quality fabrics that are still easy to move around in.

The stylist also said this follows a broader trend away from overly clingy silhouettes.

Distressed denim won't be seen much, either.
man posing on a street wearing a sweater vest and ripped, studded jeans
Chic, classic jeans will be more popular in 2025.

Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images

If you can help it, Miranda said, steer clear of distressed denim in 2025.

"As trends come and go, this is a style you will not see around in the New Year," she said. "You will see a much stronger push toward classic cuts and styles and nostalgia for clean lines and sleek silhouettes."

Read the original article on Business Insider

Hypelist wants to break lists out of silos and put recommendations first

There are plenty of services that let you build lists to track and discover new books, movies, and songs, but often, these lists end up getting siloed. Former Squarespace employee Alfonso Cobo wanted to bring all kinds of lists together, and he’s trying to do that with Hypelist. Cobo said the ethos behind creating Hypelist […]

© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

5 shoe trends that are in right now and 4 that are out, according to stylists

composite image of a man wearing cow print loafers and a woman wearing tan short uggs
Sleek shoes with funky patterns are in, and bulky boots are out.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images; Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

  • Business Insider asked stylists about which shoe trends are in and out this winter.
  • They said Mary Janes and shoes with funky prints are here to stay.
  • On the flipside, furry boots and stilettos will likely be phased out for the season.

With the seasons changing, it's time to clear off the shoe rack and swap in some fresh pairs.

Business Insider asked stylists which shoe trends are in and out this winter. Here's what they said.

Over-the-knee boots are here to stay.
woman walking down the street wearing a monochrome taupe outfit with a midi skirt and knee high boots
Knee-high boots are a winter staple.

Creative Lab/Shutterstock

Personal-styling consultant Desiree Miranda told BI that over-the-knee boots are going to be big this winter.

"We are seeing a lot of mini skirts with tights paired with high over-the-knee boots," she said.

The warmth and elegance of the tall boots mean you can brave the colder winter temperatures without sacrificing style.

Classic loafers are a safe bet.
close up of a man wearing gray jeans and classic brown loafers
Loafers are a great unisex shoe option.

Claudia K/Shutterstock

Leena Alsulaiman, a San Francisco-based stylist and fashion coach, said classic loafers are making a comeback.

"These sophisticated slip-ons add a touch of polish to any outfit, from casual jeans to tailored trousers," she told BI. "Their resurgence is driven by a return to refined, understated elegance and the desire for comfortable yet stylish footwear that transitions seamlessly from day to night."

Mary Janes are going to remain popular.
woman walking across a street wearing a navy coat, white skirt, gray socks, ad black mary jane flats
Layering with socks can help transition Mary Janes into winter.

Claudio Lavenia/Getty Images

Miranda told BI that Mary Janes are a major trend this season.

Current styles are keeping the basic foundation of the classic shoe but adding more interesting details to make a bolder statement.

"Think big hardware, thicker straps, glossy or embossed leathers, and stitch detailing," she said. "An elevated version of the classic look is what you want to go for."

Kitten heels are still in.
close up of a woman's red patten mary jane kitten heels
Kitten heels have been trending for a while.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Alsulaiman said kitten heels are still trending.

"These low, slender heels offer a touch of height without the discomfort of higher stilettos, making them ideal for long winter days and nights," she told BI.

The stylist said this fits in with the broader shift she's seen toward more versatile, comfortable footwear.

Funky prints aren't going anywhere.
man walking down a street wearing a black vest, brown pants, and cow print loafers
Animal print is still big this season.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Miranda said animal-print pumps, slingbacks, and boots are making a statement across runways.

"We are seeing more neutral-colored looks in terms of clothing, so to balance that, out add in a fun snake-print boot or leopard slingback," she told BI.

On the other hand, square-toe boots are on their way out.
woman walking up a set of concrete stairs wearing square toe boots
Square toes and other boxy silhouettes don't fit in with the current trends.

MS_studio/Shutterstock

Lindsey Bernay, a stylist and the author of "You Can't Leave the House Naked," told BI that square-toe boots are out of style this winter.

"They're giving a '90s aesthetic, and that doesn't align with current styles," she said. "This year, the focus is on pointed toes, which help to elongate legs and create a more sophisticated look."

Sky-high stilettos were a fleeting trend.
woman walking down a street wearing a black and white outfit with black stilettos
People are looking for more comfortable footwear options.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

There's nothing wrong with a sky-high stiletto every once in a while, but Alsulaiman said we'll be seeing fewer of them.

"This shift reflects a broader trend toward more comfortable, wearable shoe heights that are better suited for everyday life, especially in challenging winter conditions," she told BI.

Furry, fuzzy boots are going into hibernation for the season.
woman walking into a store wearing a turtleneck, jeans, and short ugg boots
Stylists are reaching for sleeker boots this winter.

Bellocqimages/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Alsulaiman told BI that bulky and furry boots are falling out of favor this winter.

"There's a shift toward sleeker, more refined winter-boot styles that offer warmth without the bulk and maintenance issues of exterior fur," she said.

It's time to say goodbye to neon shoes — for now.
close up of a man's neon green sneakers
Neon isn't trending this winter.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

Although they may be fun to look at, neon shoes are on their way out for the season.

"This suggests a preference for rich, saturated colors over shocking neons, aligning with the cozy, warm aesthetic often associated with winter fashion," Alsulaiman told BI.

Read the original article on Business Insider

How to turn a Bluesky Starter Pack into a List

A new tool for the rapidly growing X competitor Bluesky helps you quickly create new feeds that you can pin to the app’s home page to follow your various interests. If you’re daunted by the prospect of having to rebuild your Twitter/X lists on Bluesky’s app, you can use the Pack2List web app to take […]

© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The most famous book set in every state

A girl sitting on a sofa and reading a book
We identified the most famous book set in every state.

Natalia Bostan/Shutterstock

  • Business Insider identified the most famous book set in every state.
  • The list features various genres, from historical fiction and thrillers to romance novels. 
  • This compilation highlights America's diverse literary landscape.

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.

In the US, where each state has a storied past and varied cultures and traditions, there's much to explore. If you're curious about life in Louisiana or itching to experience the many neighborhoods of 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, Melia Russell, Melissa Wiley, and Jacob Shamsian contributed reporting on a previous version of this post.

ALABAMA: "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.

Amazon

When a local attorney is asked to defend an African American man accused of rape, he has to decide between doing what's right and doing what society expects of him, launching his children right in the middle of the conflict.

This Pulitzer Prize winner is set in Maycomb, a community divided by racism and inspired by Lee's hometown of Monroeville.

Find out more about this book here.

ALASKA: "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer
"Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer.

Amazon

Christopher McCandless, a young man from a family of money, donates all of his savings to charity and abandons his possessions before hitchhiking into the Alaskan wilderness to reinvent himself.

This true-story survival-drama was made into a movie of the same name in 2007, directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch, shedding light on McCandless' idealism of a life unburdened by material possessions and the harsh realities of the Alaskan wild.

Find out more about this book here.

ARIZONA: "The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver
"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver
"The Bean Trees" by Barbara Kingsolver.

Amazon

Taylor is well on her way to escaping small-town life. But shortly into her journey to Tucson, Arizona, where she hopes to start over, a stranger leaves her with a Native American toddler with a traumatic past.

Kingsolver's story of finding salvation in a barren situation is packed with real places and events.

Find out more about this book here.

ARKANSAS: "A Painted House" by John Grisham
"A Painted House" by John Grisham
"A Painted House" by John Grisham.

Amazon

Luke Chandler lives on a cotton farm with his parents and grandparents and suddenly finds himself keeping the deadly secrets of harvest workers. The legal-thriller follows the 7-year-old as he grows up and loses his innocence in the 1950s.

The narrator's upbringing in rural Arkansas inspired this coming-of-age tale.

Find out more about this book here.

CALIFORNIA: "Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion
"Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion.
"Play It As It Lays" by Joan Didion.

Amazon

Joan Didion's 1970 novel established her as a master fiction writer in addition to an already acclaimed nonfiction one. Set in Nevada, New York, and Hollywood, it's "an indictment of Hollywood culture" in the 1960s and utterly gripping in its intensity. Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, adapted the book into a movie in 1972.

Find out more about this book here.

COLORADO: "The Shining" by Stephen King
"The Shining" by Stephen King.
"The Shining" by Stephen King.

Amazon

A recovering alcoholic writer accepts a position as winter caretaker of the isolated Overlook Hotel, which sits in the Colorado Rockies. He moves in with his family, including 5-year-old son Danny, who has psychic abilities and begins to witness aspects of the hotel's horrific past.

The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, which inspired the fictional Overlook, offers a Ghost Adventure Package for guests.

Find out more about this book here.

CONNECTICUT: "Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates.
"Revolutionary Road" by Richard Yates.

Amazon

Considered the original anti-suburban novel, "Revolutionary Road" follows a young, bright couple marooned in Connecticut and trying to escape pressure to conform in the 1950s. Their failed attempts to be different lead to self-destructive affairs and a psychotic breakdown.

In 2008, the book was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Find out more about this book here.

DELAWARE: "The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani
"The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani.
"The Saint of Lost Things" by Christopher Castellani.

Hachette Group

Seven years after settling in Wilmington, an Italian couple is still in pursuit of the American Dream. Maddalena sews at a factory, but desperately wants to be a mother, while her husband's nighttime escapades threaten to unravel all their hard work.

Castellani wove bits of his own family history into the book. His Italian father, who emigrated to Wilmington after World War II, dreamed of opening a restaurant in Wilmington's Little Italy neighborhood just like Maddalena's husband did.

Find out more about this book here.

FLORIDA: "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.
"Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.

Amazon

A classic work of African-American literature, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" is about Janie Crawford, a woman living in the town of Eaton, Florida.

Hurston was one of the most prominent writers of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s, publishing the novel in 1937. But she slipped into obscurity in the later years of her life, and "Eyes" went out of print until Alice Walker championed her in the 1970s. Now, the book is taught in classrooms around the country.

Find out more about this book here.

GEORGIA: "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell
"Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.
"Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell.

Amazon

Mitchell's 1936 classic love story, set in the South during the Civil War and its aftermath, introduced the world to Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. O'Hara, the young spoiled daughter of a plantation owner, and her rogue star-crossed lover are torn apart and reunited through the tragedies and comedies of the human existence.

Mitchell spent nine years writing her manuscript, and the ensuing, unwanted fame led her to vow she would never write again.

But the book has been criticized for its portrayal of slavery, for romanticizing the Confederacy, and for its inclusion of racist stereotypes. In 2023, a new edition of the book came with a warning from its UK publisher, Pan Macmillan, that "there may be hurtful or indeed harmful phrases and terminology that were prevalent at the time this novel was written," The Telegraph reported.

Find out more about this book here.

HAWAII: "Hawaii" by James Michener
"Hawaii" by James Michener.
"Hawaii" by James Michener.

Amazon

The first of Michener's mammoth sagas, "Hawaii" tells the islands' history, from its creation by volcanic activity to its evolving identity as the most recent of the 50 US states.

Michener sought to show how Hawaii harmonizes different cultures and races, as a template that would benefit the rest of the country. However, he and his wife, the daughter of Japanese immigrants, faced harsh discrimination while living there.

Find out more about this book here.

IDAHO: "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson
"Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson.
"Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson.

Amazon

Little to do with housekeeping, Robinson's poetic story follows two orphaned girls who are cared for by eccentric female relatives in the fictional town of Fingerbone.

Robinson describes the town as "chastened by an outsized landscape and extravagant weather." This, and many other details in "Housekeeping," conjure images of her own Idaho hometown of Sandpoint.

Find out more about this book here.

ILLINOIS: "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.
"The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.

Amazon

The story of a Lithuanian immigrant employed in Chicago's stockyards, where Sinclair worked undercover to research for the book, revealed the poverty, hopelessness, and unpleasant living and working conditions experienced by meatpacking laborers in the early 20th century.

The book's graphic depictions of the slaughterhouse work caused a public uproar that contributed to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act six months after "The Jungle" was published.

Find out more about this book here.

INDIANA: "The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington
"The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.
"The Magnificent Ambersons" by Booth Tarkington.

Amazon

Written by a native Hoosier, the novel centers on characters struggling to preserve their status during the rapid industrialization between the Civil War and 20th century. The aristocratic Amberson family loses its prestige and wealth as "new money" tycoons take over.

Woodruff Place, Indianapolis' earliest suburb, was the setting for Tarkington's "The Magnificent Ambersons," which Orson Welles later adapted as a movie.

Find out more about this book here.

IOWA: "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley
"A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley.
"A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley.

Amazon

When an Iowa farmer decides to retire, he plans to divide his thousand acres of land among his three daughters. The youngest objects, setting off a chain of events that unleashes long-suppressed emotions and secrets. It's a modern-day "King Lear."

Smiley's narrator describes the farm in Zebulon County as "paid for, no encumbrances, as flat and fertile, black, friable and exposed as any piece of land on the face of the earth," like a lot of land in Iowa.

Find out more about this book here.

KANSAS: "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.
"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum.

Amazon

There's no place like the Great Kansas Plains.

Baum's imaginative tale of Dorothy Gale from Kansas and her Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion friends was the best-selling children's story of the 1900 Christmas season and spawned the 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz."

Find out more about this book here.

KENTUCKY: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.
"Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Amazon

Uncle Tom, a long-suffering enslaved person, is sold by the Shelby family and begins a journey that, for 19th-century readers, depicted the realities of slavery and endorsed the power of Christian love to overcome all obstacles.

Stowe based the abolitionist novel on the first-hand stories of former enslaved people in Kentucky, a slave state, while she lived across the Ohio River in Cincinnati. Its powerful condemnation of slavery fueled the human rights debate in the mid-19th century.

Find out more about this book here.

LOUISIANA: "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole.
"A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole.

Amazon

"A Confederacy of Dunces" is one of the funniest American novels ever published. It's hard to describe, but it's basically about a 30-year-old man named Ignatius J. Reilly who lives with his mother in New Orleans. Reilly is educated and philosophically opposed to having a job, but has to confront reality when his mom makes him get one.

The story behind the novel is as famous as the novel itself. It was Toole's first published novel, published 11 years after his death after being championed by his mother and the writer Walker Percy. It was released to instant acclaim, winning a rare posthumous Pulitzer Prize.

Find out more about this book here.

MAINE: "Carrie" by Stephen King
"Carrie" by Stephen King.
"Carrie" by Stephen King.

Amazon

Carrie, a shy high school girl raised by an unstable, Christian fundamentalist mother, discovers she has telekinetic powers. When her classmates falsely crown her prom queen in an elaborate effort to humiliate her, she enacts her supernatural revenge.

Stephen King is Maine's biggest champion in literature, and "Carrie" takes place in the fictional town of Chamberlain.

Find out more about this book here.

MARYLAND: "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler
"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler.
"Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" by Anne Tyler.

Amazon

Another Baltimore-based novel by Tyler, "Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant" tells how three siblings remember growing up with their perfectionist mother as she lies on her deathbed. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated novel examines how the siblings' recollections vary drastically.

Tyler's characters live in Charles Village, near her long-time residence.

Find out more about this book here.

MASSACHUSETTS: "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau
"Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.
"Walden" by Henry David Thoreau.

Amazon

"Walden" is the product of transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau's two-year retreat into the woods, an experiment in isolation, simple living, and self-reliance. By immersing himself in nature, he hoped to understand society more objectively.

Encompassing 61 acres, Walden Pond is the crown jewel of the greater Walden Woods ecosystem in Concord.

Find out more about this book here.

MICHIGAN: "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.
"The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides.

Amazon

"The Virgin Suicides" is a gripping tale of five beautiful yet eccentric sisters who all die by suicide in the same year in Gross Pointe, Michigan. It is written from the perspective of an anonymous group of boys who are observant, infatuated, and endlessly struggling to explain the tragedy.

Eugenides said he was inspired by the deterioration of the state's auto industry and the "feeling of growing up in Detroit, in a city losing population, and in perpetual crisis."

Find out more about this book here.

MINNESOTA: "Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis
"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis.
"Main Street" by Sinclair Lewis.

Amazon

"Main Street" reveals two sides of Minnesota: the thriving metropolis of Saint Paul, where the heroine is from, and the dried-up small town she moves to after much convincing from her new husband. The young woman falls victim to the narrow-mindedness and unimaginative nature of the townspeople.

The author used his birthplace of Sauk Centre as a mold for the fictionalized Gopher Prairie setting.

Find out more about this book here.

MISSISSIPPI: "The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner
"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner.
"The Sound and the Fury" by William Faulkner.

Amazon

"The Sound and the Fury" encapsulates the decline of the American South through the dysfunctional Compson family, who face financial ruin during the Roaring '20s and lose the respect of the townspeople in Jefferson, Mississippi.

Many readers complained that the book's stream of consciousness style was hard to follow. Faulkner's advice was to "read it four times," he told the Paris Review.

Find out more about this book here.

MISSOURI: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain.
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain.

Amazon

This classic coming-of-age story set alongside the Mississippi River follows Tom Sawyer, a young boy who preoccupies himself with pulling pranks and impressing a girl — until he witnesses a murder. Tom and his companions run away to an island, but eventually return to take up treasure hunting.

Twain grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, which inspired the setting of "Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

Find out more about this book here.

 

MONTANA: "A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean
"A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean.
"A River Runs Through It" by Norman Maclean.

Amazon

"A River Runs Through It" is the semi-autobiographical tale of everyday life in the west for two brothers who are the sons of a local pastor.

Set amidst the beautiful, wondrous landscape of Montana, the two boys — one dutiful and one rebellious — each grow up and discover themselves, turning, at times, to dark places, but always under the footfalls of their father.

Find out more about this book here.

NEBRASKA: "My Ántonia" by Willa Cather
"My Ántonia" by Willa Cather.
"My Ántonia" by Willa Cather.

Amazon

The reader meets Ántonia Shimerda through a written account from the narrator, Jim Burden, a young man who moves to the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, to live with his grandparents.

Through Jim's lens of love and infatuation, Ántonia is brought to life as a young Bohemian girl with many trials and triumphs. The reader grows to know her and, simultaneously, the author as well, who wrote the novel from details of her own life in Nebraska.

Find out more about this book here.

NEVADA: "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson.
"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson.

Amazon

"Fear and Loathing" follows a journalist, Raoul Duke, and his attorney, Dr. Gonzo, on a trip to Las Vegas to cover an event taking place there.

However, the two are preoccupied and saddened by what they perceive as the decline of 1960s American pop culture and begin experimenting with drugs. Much of the book is seen through their hallucinations and twisted realities, which are only fueled by the hyperreal surroundings of Sin City.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: "The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving
"The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving.
"The Hotel New Hampshire" by John Irving.

Amazon

Containing all the classic John Irving tropes — a bear, rape, body-building, and social privilege — "The Hotel New Hampshire" follows a peculiar family as they open hotels in New Hampshire, Vienna, and Maine.

The book evokes Irving's upbringing in the back woods of New Hampshire.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW JERSEY: "Drown" by Junot Díaz
"Drown" by Junot Díaz.
"Drown" by Junot Díaz.

Amazon

Based on Díaz's own experiences as a Dominican immigrant who moved to New Jersey, the 10 short stories in "Drown" tell of the struggles the New Jersey immigrant community faces, from poverty to homesickness to the language barrier.

The outlook is often grim, but thanks to Díaz's riveting and intoxicating narrative, we manage to see the characters' unsentimental determination for a better life.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW MEXICO: "Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy
"Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy.
"Cities of the Plain" by Cormac McCarthy.

Amazon

The final book in McCarthy's Border Trilogy, "Cities of the Plain" is about a doomed romance in the American frontier between a man and a sex worker who runs afoul of a pimp.

The novel is set in New Mexico on the border of the United States and Mexico.

Find out more about this book here.

NEW YORK: "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Amazon

"The Great Gatsby" tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a young, lovesick millionaire, through the eyes of his friend and next-door neighbor, Nick Carraway. The novel progresses as Gatsby tries to rekindle his love with Daisy Buchanan, Nick's cousin.

Through Gatsby's shady business dealings and his extravagant wealthy lifestyle on Long Island, Fitzgerald reveals a world in New York that is both terribly beautiful and terribly corrupt.

Find out more about this book here.

NORTH CAROLINA: "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks
"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks.
"A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks.

Nicholas Sparks Website

This Sparks romance novel, made famous by its film adaptation starring Mandy Moore, shows the unlikely, blossoming love between two high school students from Beaufort: Landon Carter, a popular rebel, and Jamie Sullivan, a quiet bookworm.

While Landon tries to get closer to Jamie, she pushes him away, fearing that a secret will end things between them before it begins.

Find out more about this book here.

NORTH DAKOTA: "The Round House" by Louise Erdrich
"The Round House" by Louise Erdrich.
"The Round House" by Louise Erdrich.

Amazon

A woman living on a North Dakota Indian reservation is attacked, but police have a hard time investigating the case when she is unwilling to discuss what transpired.

Her son takes matters into his own hands, recruiting his friends to find out what happened and bring justice to his family and tribe.

Find out more about this book here.

OHIO: "The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace
"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace.
"The Broom of the System" by David Foster Wallace.

Amazon

In Foster Wallace's slightly altered view of Ohio in 1990, we follow our heroine, Lenore Stonecipher Beadsman, a telephone operator and secretary who juggles a job with barely any purpose, a relationship with her much-older boss, and the task of finding her decrepit grandmother.

The grandmother, along with 25 other residents of the Shaker Heights Nursing Home, has managed to disappear without a trace.

Find out more about this book here.

OKLAHOMA: "Paradise" by Toni Morrison
"Paradise" by Toni Morrison.
"Paradise" by Toni Morrison.

Amazon

"Paradise" chronicles tensions between the patriarchal, all-Black town of Ruby, which was founded by the descendants of free slaves intent on isolating themselves from the outside world, and a nearby community of five women, each seeking refuge from the past.

Morrison conceived the idea for "Paradise" after researching the all-Black towns in Oklahoma that formed when newly freed men left plantations under duress.

Find out more about this book here.

OREGON: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" by Ken Kesey.

Amazon

Randle McMurphy barges into an Oregon mental institution one day and decides to rally the patients against the tyranny of Nurse Ratched. McMurphy stirs more trouble as he smuggles in women, alcohol, and other contraband, leading to an all-out war between him and the institution.

Told through the eyes of one of the patients, Kesey's novel reveals bits of his own background. He previously worked as an orderly in a mental health ward.

Find out more about this book here.

PENNSYLVANIA: "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.
"The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold.

Amazon

"The Lovely Bones" is a dark, gripping tale about Susie Salmon, a young girl who was brutally raped and murdered in the cornfields of Norristown. It's told from her point of view after her death.

Looking down on her family from heaven, Susie watches as they come to terms with what happened to her and try to solve a case that, to police, seems to lead nowhere.

Find out more about this book here.

RHODE ISLAND: "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult
"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.
"My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult.

Simon & Schuster

Anna has always been her older sister Kate's lifesaver. She's undergone countless surgeries, transplants, and donations to help save her sick sister, but when doctors discover that Anna is now a match to be Kate's bone marrow donor, Anna decides to sue for the right to control her own body.

Picoult shows the heartbreaking pull between freedom and family in this Rhode Island-set novel.

Find out more about this book here.

SOUTH CAROLINA: "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd.
"The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd.

Amazon

Lily Owens is a young girl growing up in 1960s South Carolina with an abusive father and an African American nanny who serves as a surrogate mother. When her nanny ends up in jail for insulting some white men, Lily breaks her out and the two run away, seeking refuge among three eccentric bee-keeping sisters.

Monk Kidd injects some of her own Southern upbringing into this contemporary heartwarming novel.

Find out more about this book here.

SOUTH DAKOTA: "A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw
"A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw.
"A Long Way From Home" by Tom Brokaw.

Amazon

"A Long Way From Home" details Brokaw's own "American pilgrimage," from boyhood on the Missouri River into a career in broadcast journalism in the '60s.

In Brokaw's honest narrative, we see how much his life has been shaped by growing up in South Dakota and the historic events he lived through as a child and young adult.

Find out more about this book here.

TENNESSEE: "A Death in the Family" by James Agee
"A Death in the Family" by James Agee.
"A Death in the Family" by James Agee.

Amazon

"A Death in the Family" is the only novel by the polymath writer James Agee. It's a semiautobiographical book about the emotional reverberations in a family after a father dies in a car accident. Set in Knoxville, it lyrically captures the feelings of every character, from the inner mind of a child to the tragedy of a widow.

The novel was published posthumously, after Agee died of a heart attack at 45, and won the Pulitzer Prize. He was also an acclaimed screenwriter, critic, and journalist.

Find out more about this book here.

TEXAS: "No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy
"No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.
"No Country for Old Men" by Cormac McCarthy.

Amazon

Made famous by the film of the same name starring Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men" is Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece about a drug deal-gone-wrong on the Texas-Mexico border. The event left a group of men dead and $2 million in an abandoned truck.

Llewellyn Moss, who discovered the scene, takes the money and gets swept up in the illicit drug business.

Find out more about this book here.

UTAH: "The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff
"The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff.
"The 19th Wife" by David Ebershoff.

Amazon

Ebershoff weaves a novel based on the life of Ann Eliza Young, one of the wives of Mormon leader Brigham Young, who escapes her oppressive husband and embarks on a mission to end polygamy. The tale is juxtaposed against a modern-day story, following a young Mormon man who was cast out of the church and is trying to re-enter to solve his father's murder.

In this work of historical fiction, Ebershoff takes a critical look at polygamy through his side-by-side narratives.

Find out more about this book here.

VERMONT: "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.
"The Secret History" by Donna Tartt.

Amazon

Tartt's debut novel tells the story of six classics students at a fictional Vermont college and was a sensation when it was released in 1992. It's narrated by Richard Papen, one of the students, who recounts the story of a murder that happened among them.

The story takes a classic whodunnit premise and situates it in an coming-of-age story as well as the intellectual world of classic literature.

"Forceful, cerebral and impeccably controlled, 'The Secret History' achieves just what Ms. Tartt seems to have set out to do: It marches with cool, classical inevitability toward its terrible conclusion," Michiko Kakutani wrote in The New York Times in her review of the novel.

Find out more about this book here.

VIRGINIA: "Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson
"Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson.
"Bridge to Terabithia" by Katherine Patterson.

Amazon

Jesse Aarons wants to be the fastest runner in his rural Virginia elementary school and almost realizes his dream until a new girl shows up and outruns everyone. This leads to an unlikely friendship between Jesse and the girl, Leslie, who together invent a magic wooded kingdom they call Terabithia.

The book is loosely based on events from Patterson's own childhood, which she spent in the greater DC area.

Find out more about this book here.

WASHINGTON: "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.
"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer.

Amazon

The small town of Forks, Washington, became famous as the setting for Meyer's best-selling vampire book series.

Bella Swan moves from her mom's house to live with her dad in Forks where she meets Edward Cullen, a quiet, handsome young man at her new high school. Edward usually keeps to himself, but he is drawn to Bella and can't seem to stay away from her — for a shocking reason.

Find out more about this book here.

WASHINGTON, DC: "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown
"The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.
"The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown.

Amazon

In this story of espionage, conspiracies, and buried American secrets, "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown has done it again.

Brown's beloved character Robert Langdon returns, this time chasing down his mentor's kidnapper in DC while trying to decode five puzzling symbols linked to the Free Masons.

Find out more about this book here.

WEST VIRGINIA: "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
"Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
"Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.

Amazon

In Friendly, a young boy finds a puppy he names Shiloh in the hills behind his home. But Shiloh belongs to Judd, a scary town-drunk who beats the dog.

Now the boy, who's made a friend in Shiloh, will do anything to save him.

Find out more about this book here.

WISCONSIN: "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
"Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Amazon

The classic characters Laura, Mary, and their family struggle to make a home for themselves in Ingalls Wilder's beloved "Little House" children's book series.

Based in part on Ingalls Wilder's own journey around the Midwest, young Laura and Mary, along with their parents and baby sister Carrie, learn to survive the long winter, fend for themselves, and take care of each other in this true-to-life work.

Find out more about this book here.

WYOMING: "The Laramie Project" by Moises Kaufman
"The Laramie Project" by Moises Kaufman.
"The Laramie Project" by Moises Kaufman.

Amazon

Kaufman wrote "The Laramie Project" as a play to recount the murder of Matthew Shepard, a young gay man who became the victim of an extreme hate crime in a quiet Wyoming town.

Shepard is remembered and honored from the perspective of family and friends as Kaufman takes a lens to the stubborn intolerance in society.

Find out more about this book here.

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