Armchair Traveling: Books Set in Every U.S. State Posted by Cybil on May 17, 2021 Â The United States of America is an awfully big place. Sensibly, we chopped it into states a long time ago. This simplifies thingsâtaxes, mapmaking, sports team allegiancesâand it makes for an interesting way to divvy up the million-and-one stories that constitute American literature. Â This time around, weâve added another little twist. The 50 books below (51, actually, counting D.C.) have all been published within the last ten years. While many states have older books that are more readily identified with them individually, this list represents a kind of 21st-century survey of American reading.