Sloth Goes Places - Arizona

 

Sloth Goes Places is a feature where I share books I have tracked from previous Literary Escapes reading challenge hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book.

Today we are looking at books set in ....

Arizona

The southwest is a region I visited a few years ago, and I was lucky enough to stay in Sedona and in the Grand Canyon during the visit. Arizona is very different from the northeast, and I really loved getting to learn more about the area. As far as reading, I never really struggle with this state. It's not a super common setting, but it's abundant enough that I can find something I like to read set there. 

---

PS: I Hate You by Lauren Connolly
Published by Berkley on December 3, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

Maddie Sanderson would be proud to honor her older brother’s dying wish, that she scatters his ashes over eight destinations that the adventurous 29-year-old never got to visit before he died from cancer. But in his will, Josh assigned her an impossible partner to help complete the mission—Dominic Perry. Seriously, if Maddie weren’t already at his funeral, she would have killed him for this.

Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a farewell trip that spans thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.

This is my most recent read set in Arizona. You may see this on pop up quite a bit this year, as there are multiple trips where the character travel to 10 different states. It's a bonanza for a state based reading challenge. I highly recommend PS: I Hate You not only because the story is wonderful, but because the visit to each state shows the state off a bit. I think Arizona was the ghost town visit which was pretty fun. 

---

Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb
Published by Gallery Books on June 4, 2024
Age/Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Goodreads

A divorcée embarks on her “year of yes” and crosses paths with a shy and sensitive birdwatcher who changes her life.

Newly divorced, almost-empty-nester Celeste is finally seeking adventure and putting herself first, clichés be damned. So when a friend asks her to “partner” with his buddy John for an event, Celeste throws herself into the role of his temporary girlfriend. But quiet cinnamon roll John isn’t looking for love, just birds—he needs a partner for Tucson’s biggest bird-watching contest if he’s ever going to launch his own guiding business. By the time they untangle their crossed signals, they’ve become teammates…and thanks to his meddling friends, a fake couple.

Celeste can’t tell a sparrow from a swallow, but John is a great teacher, and the hours they spend hiking in the Arizona wilderness feed Celeste’s hunger for new adventures while giving John a chance to practice his dream job. As the two spend more time together, they end up watching more than just the birds, and their chemistry becomes undeniable.

I liked this romance a lot, and again, Arizona is featured quite a bit. The characters spend a lot of time outdoors as they search for different birds for the bird-watching contest. You really get a feel for the flora, fauna, and general landscape while they are out and about. 

---

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
Published by Union Square Kids on September 5, 2017
Age/Genres: Middle Grades, Contemporary, Fiction

Goodreads

Aven Green loves to tell people that she lost her arms in an alligator wrestling match, or a wildfire in Tanzania, but the truth is she was born without them. And when her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown western theme park in Arizona, Aven moves with them across the country knowing that she’ll have to answer the question over and over again.

Her new life takes an unexpected turn when she bonds with Connor, a classmate who also feels isolated because of his own disability, and they discover a room at Stagecoach Pass that holds bigger secrets than Aven ever could have imagined. It’s hard to solve a mystery, help a friend, and face your worst fears. But Aven’s about to discover she can do it all . . . even without arms.

I read this one a long time ago, but I am sure they talked a bit about Arizona as Aven was a transplant. This is just a book I will always hype. Aven Green is a spectacular character, and this book was so feel-good. I highly recommend if you are searching for a sweet and touching middle grades book. 

Have you read any books set in Arizona?
Let us know in the comments!