Remember summer reading lists? We found a book from a female author in each of our four Tidbits cities to keep you company during your vacay. No essay required.

SAN ANTONIO
Entertainment Weekly writer Karen Valby decided life in a place called Utopia, Texas, had to be pretty darn idyllic. So the Trinity grad left New York and moved to the tiny Hill Country town. Her non-fiction chronicle, Welcome to Utopia, is getting all sorts of nationwide attention, and Valby says she surprised herself by deciding to settle in Texas when she was done.

AUSTIN
Jennifer Ross weaves a sweet tale – girl gets dumped, moves to Manhattan and copes by baking and frosting. The Icing on the Cupcake: A Novel includes tempting recipes throughout, like Shot Through The Heart cupcakes, along with the story of how a Dallas gal’s charm mixes with life and love in the big city.

NEW ORLEANS
You love to eat, you love Nola. Welcome to The House on First Street, a decadent tale of globe-trotting Vogue writer Julia Reed’s move to the Garden District where she fixes up a historic home, eats out constantly and watches Katrina’s after-effects. Her hilarious style, weaved with insider Crescent City knowledge, will make you ache for an invitation to one of her raucous dinner parties.

HOUSTON
Hipster Katherine Center writes what she knows best – being a mom – but this isn’t boring baby-lit. Her characters’ lives in Houston are hilarious and sometimes heart-wrenching. We love all her books, including just-released Get Lucky, about a NYC ad exec who returns home to play surrogate for her sis.