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JD Vance first made news when he published his book Hillbilly Elegy in 2016, but he has since become a senator in Ohio and a vice presidential candidate. When his memoir came out, there were many people who had strong negative feelings about his book, namely other people from Appalachia who felt that he misrepresented them and their struggles.

When JD Vance was selected as Donald Trump’s VP, we thought it might be a good time to look at some other Appalachia-related books that perhaps provide a fuller picture of the region, which spans 206,000 square miles, 423 counties, and six states. A region this large cannot be summed up by one person in one book.

So our goal this week is to give you some diverse Appalachian voices to add to your TBR for a broader view of this region.

Books Mentioned In This Episode:

1- Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance

2- Storyteller by Dave Grohl

3- Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Clare Dederer

4- Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began by Leah Hazard

5- Phallacy: Life Lessons from the Animal Penis by Emily Willingham

6- The Sirens of Soleil City by Sarah C. Johns

7- A Five Star Recommended by Fellow Book Lover Nikki Lee @nikkileethrillseeker - The Mechanics of Memory by Audrey Lee

8- "A Ribbon for Baldy" by Jesse Stuart (short story)

9- The Beatinest Boy by Jesse Stuart

10- Andy Finds a Way by Jesse Stuart

11- Many-Storied House: Poems by George Ella Lyon

12 - Gay Poems for Red States by Willie Carver Jr.

13- "Where I'm From" by George Ella Lyon (poem)

14- Prodigals: A Sister's Memoir of Appalachia and Loss by Sarah Beth Childers

15- Township by Jamie Lyn Smith

16- Water Street by Crystal Wilkinson

17- Affrilachia by Frank X Walker

18- "Burying Albatross" by Frank X. Walker (poem)-

19- "Neoteric Kama no Sutra" by Frank X. Walker (poem)-

20- Where I Can't Follow by Ashley Blooms

21- Smothermoss by Alisa Alering

22- Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White

23- Clay's Quilt by Silas House

24- The Coal Tattoo by Silas House

25- Parchment of Leaves by Silas House

26- Fair & Tender Ladies by Lee Smith

27 - Hill Women: Finding Family and a Way Forward in the Appalachian Mountains by Cassie Chambers

28- Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place by Neema Avashia

29- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Media mentioned--

1- The To Read List Podcast

2- Slow Horses (Apple +)

3- The Bear (Hulu)

4- Ripley (Netflix)

5- True Detective: Night Country (HBO MAX, 2024)

6- Steve! (documentary) (Apple +, 2024)

7- Kaos (Netflix, 2024)

8- The Princess Bride (1987)

9- The Tourist (Netflix)

10- The Good Girl's Guide to Murder - (Netflix, 2024)

News articles

1- Dave Grohl Announcement -

2- Neil Gaiman controversy -