I have consulted the recommended reading list compiled by this subreddit, but most of the books during this period either focus on WW II or FDR. Despite my username, I am interested in histories of the country that do not take FDR as their starting point. The perfect book for me would be one that doesn't focus too heavily on the economic policies of the New Deal or the War per se. I want to learn about the day to day experiences of ordinary Americans. If possible, I would like to access books that are not simply regional in scope, BUT I would gladly accept suggestions that might allow me to build a composite view of my own. These books need not be holistic either. Maybe there is a really good book on Americans and newsreels, for instance, that doesn't focus on FDR or WW II.

To put this in perspective, I'm sure that in many years hence, most histories of the early twentieth century will focus exclusively on 9/11 and the war on terror. Yet, while these are important, U.S. citizens were not wholly preoccupied by these. They experienced the rise of social media, followed the death of Pope John Paul II, and worried about Wal*Mart pushing out smaller businesses, among other things.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.