Book around the States (indefinite)

July 10, 2007. The United States is a union of 50 states, and I want to find the best books about each state. The book should help us learn something ABOUT that state and not just be one written by somebody who lives there. Let's "book around the states" and find at least one excellent book for each state of the union.

AL = ALABAMA
AK = ALASKA
AZ = ARIZONA
AR = ARKANSAS
CA = CALIFORNIA
CO = COLORADO
CT = CONNECTICUT
DE = DELAWARE
FL = FLORIDA
GA = GEORGIA
HI = HAWAII
ID = IDAHO
IL = ILLINOIS
IN = INDIANA
IA = IOWA
KS = KANSAS
KY = KENTUCKY
LA = LOUISIANA
ME = MAINE
MD = MARYLAND
MA = MASSACHUSETTS
MI = MICHIGAN
MN = MINNESOTA
MS = MISSISSIPPI
MO = MISSOURI
MT = MONTANA
NE = NEBRASKA
NV = NEVADA
NH = NEW HAMPSHIRE
NJ = NEW JERSEY
NM = NEW MEXICO
NY = NEW YORK
NC = NORTH CAROLINA
ND = NORTH DAKOTA
OH = OHIO
OK = OKLAHOMA
OR = OREGON
PA = PENNSYLVANIA
RI = RHODE ISLAND
SC = SOUTH CAROLINA
SD = SOUTH DAKOTA
TN = TENNESSEE
TX = TEXAS
UT = UTAH
VT = VERMONT
VA = VIRGINIA
WA = WASHINGTON
WV = WEST VIRGINIA
WI = WISCONSIN
WY = WYOMING

DC = DISTRICT of COLUMBIA

NOTE:This is my challenge and has its own blog, Book around the States. That's where you'll find the books and follow-up information. Our challenge is to find 50 books for 50 states — plus 1 for DC. When we find them, we can challenge ourselves to read a book about each state, maybe a handful at a time.
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As I read and review books that fit into this category, I'll link them here.

Books I want to read:
1. All Aunt Hagar's Children ~ by Edward P. Jones ~ DC
2. Citizen Vince ~ by Jess Walter ~ Washington
3. The Country of the Pointed Firs ~ by Sarah Orne Jewett ~ Maine
4. The Echo Maker ~ by Richard Powers ~ Nebraska
(see Verbivore's thoughts while reading this book)
(see 3M's post about this book)
5. More Than You Know ~ by Beth Gutcheon ~ Maine
6. One Thousand White Women ~ by Jim Fergus ~ Nebraska
7. Place Last Seen ~ by Charlotte McGuinn Freeman ~ California
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Click on a title to read my review of the book.