The Empire State

As the US headquarters of the publishing industry, New York City is the setting for many, many books. To balance this, I’ve made sure to include some books set upstate and books published in the last decade for those set in Manhattan.

Is there a book you love and feel does a great job of highlighting the New York setting? Send your suggestions and please don’t forget to tell me why you think that book is a good book for this state. The book doesn’t need to be explicitly about the state, only clearly set in it and written by someone who actually lived there. I have a bias towards books written by authors who are still living so that we can reflect more on today’s reality but I won’t turn down a classic if you make a good argument for it!

Books are in no order of preference. That they are on this list is not a reflection of my personal taste or even that I’ve read them — I want you to find what works for you. More to be added soon!