Midwestern Readers Message Board

Hey there! I decided that LibraryThing needed a midwestern readers group. If you live in the midwest, join up!

Hello, fellow midwesterners! I'm an Iowan, but I'm currently transplanted in Ohio. So, I'm an Iowan-Ohioan. hehe.

I'm from the Quad Cities on the Iowa - Illinois border.

EC

I live in Metro Detroit, so I'm in Michigan ...

I'm in SW Ohio, between Dayton and Cincinnati.

Does anyone have any favorite topics to read that are geographically midwestern? I really enjoy reading books about the settlers of the midwest - of various backgrounds. I just checked out a bunch of books about the Amana Colonies in Iowa. I like to read about the Natives in Iowa, Germans in Iowa, and other things of the same nature.

I have to admit, I haven't specifically read any fiction because it was set in Iowa, but I did find some books in another users library that I'm going to check out eventually. :)

And, I know that I'm partial to Iowa. ;) It's a special place for me...but I've also lived in Kansas, Missouri, and Ohio (and that's just the midwest states I've lived in!)...so I've learned bits about the Ozarks and now about NE Ohio history. But, Iowa is my homeland. :)

I'm in Kent, OH.

Wow - we really don't have any books in common. Quite a diverse group of readers we are.

Well, hello there. I'm in Kent too. :) Do you go to Kent State? I'm a graduate student there and I work in the library.

Des Moines, Iowa here - stuck in the middle...

St. Louisan here.

Iowa and Wisconsin here (oh, and Texas).

Yay! Des Moines...now I'm homesick! ;)

I also lived in Des Moines for a while. Lived at one end of the Sky-walk and worked at the other. The thing I miss most is my favorite restaurant of all time the Trattoria on 4th.

hmmm, I have a vacation coming up....

EC

Most of our friends live downtown (off or near the skywalk,) but my husband and I happily reside in a lovely section off Beaverdale. I remember Trattoria having the best black coffee in the city, haven't been there in ages though.

Annabeth,

I went to Kent State and just never left. We'll have to get together sometime and talk books.

:) I'm wondering where I'll end up after graduation...I'm leaving it up to God! ;) Anywhere is good for me...well, I hope it's not in the south. Too hot! :)

What am I saying...it's 10pm and the heat index is still at 90. It's hot here. :)

I'm waiting for autumn. One thing the midwest has...all four seasons! :)

I'm in Lawrence, KS... out here for graduate school. I'm originally from the east coast.

Minneapolis here. I try to read books by Minnesota authors, but I don't own many.

I totally hear that about the heat. Last night our fair city had 91 degrees at 11 pm + 60% humidity.

Iowa = Home of the Air You Can Wear.

Some Iowa based mysteries for you all:
Witch Way to Murder: An Ophelia and Abby Mystery (Ophelia and Abby Mysteries) #1
Charmed to Death: An Ophelia and Abby Mystery (Ophelia and Abby Mysteries) #2
The Trouble With Witches: An Ophelia and Abby Mystery (Ophelia and Abby Mysteries) #3 (Release Date Sept 1, 2006)

Orchestrated Murder: An Iowa Murder Mystery

One of the most prolific Iowa based writers is Max Allan Collins. Author of numerous CSI novels and many other books.

EC

I am also in SW Ohio, in a southern suburb of Dayton, but originally from Westchester County, a New York City suburb. I've been here longer now but it's hard to take New York out of a psyche.

I am happiest surrounded by all my books, most of them unread because I frequent the library and try, usually in vain, to keep up with the due dates. It's a reason to live a long life; I'll be damned if I'm going to die leaving unread books! Sadly, I know too many people who are proud to have never read a book since high school. What's with that?

From western WI. A book that I really enjoyed takes place in MN and WI is Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy.

Wichita, KS since April this year; previously, from the UK.

Kansas City, MO here

hello all!

from Chicago! (originally from Warren County, IL -- stuck to my midwestern roots...)

#6 -- I remember when I had relatives living in Des Moines, my family would pass by this nest of restaurants off the interstate along the way called the Amana Colonies -- we'd make a point of stopping there and I loved it -- yummy diner food. :)

also for midwestern poetry, there's always Carl Sandburg -- from Galesburg, IL and moved to Chicago...

An Iowan, here, but living overseas.

Born, raised and lived in Missouri for 20 years. Now I'm living in Connecticut (sadly).

Oh, but I hear CT is so beautiful!

#29 - Yeah, it does have it's charm. It's a great place to visit, but not to live. The angry and snobby people mixed with the selfish culture ruin what would otherwise be a nice place.

Ohhh, that's too bad. I romanticize that area with thoughts of the ghosts of ee cummings, HDT, and Miss Dickinson roaming about....

And all the trees.

I like MO too. Hannibal is on my list of vacation possibilities for this summer. Anyone have any other thoughts for a Midwesterner in need of a vacation but unable to travel too far?

Central Illinois here. A lot of people assume you are from Chicago when they hear you are from Illnois. There is a whole big state out there that often gets ignored. I love living out in the country. Never get tired of the corn and soy bean fields. Any other central Illinoisans out there?

>32 KathiJ:
I'm in the corn and soybean fields too....in NW Indiana.

Hi all. Was born and raised in Wisconsin, but spent most of my adult life around Detroit (and I still miss the Detroit/Ann Arbor area). Then moved to the Indianapolis area in 2001, and now just returned to Wisconsin. Apparently there is a Wisconsin group on LT, but I can't handle joining a group who calls themselves cheeseheads. I'm sorry if I offend other Wisconsinites, but how stupid is that!!!

Anyway, I'm delighted to find a group of midwestern LTers.

#32--kathiJ!

I am from central Illinois (the fact that you call it central and not southern tells me you are the real deal:))! Born & raised in the corn fields of rural Pontiac/Cornell, then moved to Champaign (which I love and miss dearly). I also lived for a time in Bloomington, and then Clinton. I've somehow ended up in the western suburbs:(. Nothing but strip-malls and starter castles here--not an inch of character. I love downstate, especially this time of year. It will always be home to me.

#32 robbie,
Just waving from across the fields. I think all the beans are in now and almost all of the corn. Right now the leaves are at peak. I want to get out tomorrow with my camera and take some pictures before they all fall.