Books from United States
Writing from the United States spans memoirs, novels, poetry, thrillers and science fiction. These books come from traditions of storytelling, coming of age, and imagined futures. Each title below offers a distinct voice and setting from the United States.
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Contemporary Fiction
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The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
A novel about a young man, Holden Caulfield, and his time in New York City after leaving his school.
- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. A coming-of-age novel told in vignettes about Esperanza Cordero, a young girl growing up in Chicago who invents for herself who she will become.
Mystery & Thriller
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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
A mystery thriller about a murder in a museum and a search for a secret that draws two people into a chase across Europe.
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. A mystery novel set in North Carthage, Missouri, in which a husband becomes a suspect after his wife disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary.
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
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Dune by Frank Herbert
A science fiction novel about Paul Atreides, a young man born into a great destiny who travels to a dangerous planet where forces fight over a precious resource.
- Neuromancer by William Gibson. A science fiction novel about a hacker who is hired for one last job in a world of computers and networks.
Poetry
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Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
A poetry collection, first published in 1855 and revised and expanded by him over the rest of his life.
Memoir & Nonfiction
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Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
A memoir about the author's childhood, born in Brooklyn to Irish immigrants and raised in poverty in Limerick, Ireland, in the 1930s and 1940s.
How we choose
These lists start from books Atlas Unread readers can stamp for United States. Each title and author is confirmed against Wikidata, Wikipedia or library records before it is listed.