Best Southern Literature (1342 books)

Our favorite works of Southern literature.

Books that are set in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

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1	To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 4.26 avg rating — 6,853,520 ratings score: 92,370, and 933 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 4.31 avg rating — 1,255,175 ratings score: 54,646, and 556 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 3,010,804 ratings score: 52,543, and 538 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Adventures of Tom and Huck, #2) by Mark Twain 3.83 avg rating — 1,335,167 ratings score: 36,689, and 380 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg 4.28 avg rating — 326,080 ratings score: 34,040, and 351 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 1,350,459 ratings score: 29,049, and 303 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Color Purple by Alice Walker 4.28 avg rating — 750,308 ratings score: 24,317, and 256 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain 3.92 avg rating — 1,015,682 ratings score: 21,155, and 224 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston 3.99 avg rating — 385,410 ratings score: 19,383, and 203 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner 3.86 avg rating — 195,606 ratings score: 18,877, and 195 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt 3.92 avg rating — 294,547 ratings score: 18,531, and 197 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers 3.99 avg rating — 119,139 ratings score: 15,800, and 167 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy 4.26 avg rating — 216,211 ratings score: 15,048, and 160 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner 3.72 avg rating — 186,464 ratings score: 15,045, and 157 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams 3.98 avg rating — 333,922 ratings score: 14,609, and 156 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole 3.89 avg rating — 297,242 ratings score: 14,284, and 150 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor 4.16 avg rating — 49,629 ratings score: 13,329, and 139 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 568,307 ratings score: 13,303, and 143 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier 3.89 avg rating — 249,777 ratings score: 12,599, and 134 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns 4.02 avg rating — 105,355 ratings score: 12,340, and 130 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	The Notebook (The Notebook, #1) by Nicholas Sparks (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 1,836,353 ratings score: 11,811, and 124 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	A Time to Kill (Jake Brigance, #1) by John Grisham (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 825,594 ratings score: 11,030, and 119 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren 4.09 avg rating — 66,546 ratings score: 10,440, and 112 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner 3.99 avg rating — 47,888 ratings score: 10,427, and 111 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou's Autobiography, #1) by Maya Angelou 4.30 avg rating — 579,488 ratings score: 9,835, and 108 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
26	Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison 4.14 avg rating — 47,702 ratings score: 9,412, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
27	The Awakening by Kate Chopin 3.69 avg rating — 226,782 ratings score: 9,266, and 100 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley 4.45 avg rating — 164,673 ratings score: 8,880, and 99 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles, #1) by Anne Rice 4.02 avg rating — 648,222 ratings score: 8,757, and 95 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	In Cold Blood by Truman Capote 4.09 avg rating — 726,766 ratings score: 8,586, and 94 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams 4.06 avg rating — 64,332 ratings score: 7,967, and 89 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams 3.74 avg rating — 143,012 ratings score: 7,815, and 88 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 3.92 avg rating — 242,310 ratings score: 7,339, and 82 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1) by Charlaine Harris (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 560,201 ratings score: 7,242, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	Everything That Rises Must Converge: Stories by Flannery O'Connor 4.23 avg rating — 22,083 ratings score: 7,049, and 76 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Sophie’s Choice by William Styron 4.17 avg rating — 94,374 ratings score: 6,199, and 70 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor 4.39 avg rating — 40,751 ratings score: 5,952, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	Light in August by William Faulkner 3.94 avg rating — 66,625 ratings score: 5,899, and 66 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg 4.13 avg rating — 29,455 ratings score: 5,813, and 63 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Garden Spells (Waverley Family, #1) by Sarah Addison Allen (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 107,858 ratings score: 5,783, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (Goodreads Author) 4.23 avg rating — 301,758 ratings score: 5,705, and 61 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump, #1) by Winston Groom 4.01 avg rating — 72,357 ratings score: 5,542, and 62 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe 3.91 avg rating — 15,756 ratings score: 5,201, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers 3.81 avg rating — 20,294 ratings score: 5,142, and 57 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling 4.27 avg rating — 17,893 ratings score: 5,045, and 58 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 87,422 ratings score: 5,027, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Beach Music by Pat Conroy 4.19 avg rating — 54,695 ratings score: 5,021, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Great Santini by Pat Conroy 4.16 avg rating — 34,640 ratings score: 4,874, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (Goodreads Author) 4.10 avg rating — 278,495 ratings score: 4,836, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Lords of Discipline by Pat Conroy 4.34 avg rating — 30,046 ratings score: 4,686, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
51	The Pelican Brief by John Grisham (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 446,542 ratings score: 4,679, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	The Firm by Robin Waterfield (Adaptor) 4.07 avg rating — 638,307 ratings score: 4,666, and 55 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver 4.05 avg rating — 127,712 ratings score: 4,665, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison 4.16 avg rating — 127,126 ratings score: 4,664, and 53 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	The Client by John Grisham (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 462,306 ratings score: 4,607, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Cane River by Lalita Tademy (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 50,425 ratings score: 4,562, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor 3.82 avg rating — 37,623 ratings score: 4,555, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	To Whisper Her Name (Belle Meade Plantation, #1) by Tamera Alexander (Goodreads Author) 4.28 avg rating — 7,546 ratings score: 4,417, and 45 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy 4.17 avg rating — 26,898 ratings score: 4,386, and 49 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	Blood Meridian, or, the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy 4.15 avg rating — 218,341 ratings score: 4,326, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane 3.30 avg rating — 109,918 ratings score: 4,323, and 51 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey (Goodreads Author) 3.63 avg rating — 893 ratings score: 4,257, and 43 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	North and South (North and South, #1) by John Jakes 4.21 avg rating — 62,437 ratings score: 4,233, and 48 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	South of Broad by Pat Conroy 3.87 avg rating — 50,703 ratings score: 4,181, and 47 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Road by Cormac McCarthy really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,031,718 ratings score: 3,908, and 44 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	Mudbound by Hillary Jordan (Goodreads Author) 4.06 avg rating — 70,201 ratings score: 3,566, and 38 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	The Moviegoer by Walker Percy 3.64 avg rating — 30,833 ratings score: 3,534, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	The Collected Stories by Eudora Welty 4.20 avg rating — 8,323 ratings score: 3,424, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines 3.99 avg rating — 63,937 ratings score: 3,403, and 40 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Summer of My German Soldier (Summer of My German Soldier, #1) by Bette Greene 3.70 avg rating — 17,802 ratings score: 3,237, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor 4.07 avg rating — 15,473 ratings score: 3,183, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Deliverance by James Dickey 3.89 avg rating — 33,920 ratings score: 3,175, and 39 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote 4.24 avg rating — 18,719 ratings score: 3,122, and 37 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories by Carson McCullers 3.78 avg rating — 26,271 ratings score: 3,074, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2) by Michael Shaara 4.33 avg rating — 91,717 ratings score: 3,069, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse, #4) by Charlaine Harris (Goodreads Author) 4.12 avg rating — 266,960 ratings score: 3,006, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	I Talk Slower Than I Think: An Antidote to Helicopter Parenting by C.D. Bonner (Goodreads Author) 4.24 avg rating — 51 ratings score: 2,999, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote 3.75 avg rating — 17,667 ratings score: 2,998, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	From Dead to Worse (Sookie Stackhouse, #8) by Charlaine Harris (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 194,987 ratings score: 2,954, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
80	Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell 3.71 avg rating — 15,878 ratings score: 2,939, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (Goodreads Author) 3.97 avg rating — 63,699 ratings score: 2,900, and 32 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith 4.19 avg rating — 8,058 ratings score: 2,889, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts 4.04 avg rating — 252,643 ratings score: 2,857, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass 4.13 avg rating — 134,597 ratings score: 2,833, and 33 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 24,068 ratings score: 2,716, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
86	Christy by Catherine Marshall 4.25 avg rating — 56,986 ratings score: 2,679, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (Goodreads Author) 3.88 avg rating — 16,195 ratings score: 2,671, and 29 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, #9) by Charlaine Harris (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 194,965 ratings score: 2,651, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons 4.02 avg rating — 12,928 ratings score: 2,645, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	The Bracelet by Dorothy Love (Goodreads Author) 3.46 avg rating — 679 ratings score: 2,643, and 27 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	The Witching Hour (Lives of the Mayfair Witches, #1) by Anne Rice 4.10 avg rating — 124,128 ratings score: 2,637, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Go Down, Moses by William Faulkner 3.93 avg rating — 10,571 ratings score: 2,608, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Big Stone Gap (Big Stone Gap, #1) by Adriana Trigiani (Goodreads Author) 3.86 avg rating — 48,146 ratings score: 2,586, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 4.03 avg rating — 991,289 ratings score: 2,585, and 31 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Suttree by Cormac McCarthy 4.21 avg rating — 28,100 ratings score: 2,534, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (Goodreads Author) 3.99 avg rating — 57,378 ratings score: 2,516, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty 3.52 avg rating — 15,478 ratings score: 2,509, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! (Elmwood Springs, #1) by Fannie Flagg 3.92 avg rating — 28,190 ratings score: 2,495, and 30 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Rapture of Canaan by Sheri Reynolds (Goodreads Author) 3.83 avg rating — 34,822 ratings score: 2,369, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls 4.13 avg rating — 439,678 ratings score: 2,358, and 28 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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1,342 books · 2,575 voters · list created June 24th, 2008 by JG (Introverted Reader) (votes) .

Tags: alabama, america, arkansas, deep-south, fiction, florida, georgia, kentucky, literary-fiction, location, louisiana, mississippi, missouri, north-carolina, oklahoma, setting, south, south-carolina, southern, tennessee, texas, virginia

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Comments Showing 1-50 of 63 (63 new)

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message 1: by TexasMargarita (new)

Jul 30, 2008 04:00PM

I think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil could almost make it in here, and some day maybe some James Lee Burke

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message 2: by [deleted user] (new)

Oct 12, 2008 01:46AM

And what about Kathleen Anne Porter?!

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message 3: by Sunita (new)

Dec 05, 2008 06:06AM

these books are cool and Ilike them

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message 4: by Sunita (new)

Dec 05, 2008 06:15AM

cool book peoples and I like them very much you rock
lvu you people very much and how you keep voting for these book and as for the people who don't do it now and when I say do it now I mean it just do it now .For those people who collect these books u rock so much that I can't say how much it must be for you to read and that is the one things that is the mager thing about collecting books and I hope thatyou keep collecting these books
thank you
sunpoo0994

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message 5: by pcb (new)

Feb 22, 2009 02:18PM

ditto about james lee burke

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message 6: by Joann (new)

Mar 12, 2009 08:47AM

The Known World by Edward P Jones

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message 7: by [deleted user] (new)

Sep 21, 2009 10:22PM

Is The Plain Truth really Southern? Jodi Picoult lives near my sister in VT. I read it but don't remember much about it now. Wasn't it about the Amish?

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message 8: by Maxine (new)

Jan 19, 2010 03:38PM

Aaaw no All the Pretty Horses? That's my favorite Cormac McCarthy book.

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message 9: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Mar 29, 2010 08:42PM) (new)

Mar 29, 2010 08:41PM

The Prince and the Pauper? It's set in Tudor England!

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is set in a fantasy English Dark Ages.

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message 10: by [deleted user] (new)

Mar 29, 2010 09:05PM

Susanna wrote: "The Prince and the Pauper? It's set in Tudor England!"

Yes... *Southern* Tudor England! ;-)

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message 11: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Mar 30, 2010 09:20AM

Ah dew declare!

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message 12: by [deleted user] (new)

Oct 20, 2011 06:05AM

Gone with the Wind is listed twice.

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message 13: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 20, 2011 10:14AM

I told it to check for duplicates, which hopefully got it.

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message 14: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 20, 2011 10:20AM

Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?

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message 15: by Bettie (last edited Oct 20, 2011 12:06PM) (new)

Oct 20, 2011 12:05PM

Hayes wrote: "Susanna wrote: "The Prince and the Pauper? It's set in Tudor England!"

Yes... *Southern* Tudor England! ;-)"

hahaha - you are right, the title doesn't say Southern North America now does it; a touch arrogant n'est pas!?

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message 16: by [deleted user] (new)

Oct 20, 2011 12:06PM

Susanna wrote: "Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?"

Well, Southerners do tend to read books about the South, honey chile.

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message 17: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 20, 2011 02:46PM

Yes, indeedy they do!

And I myself interpreted it as "books about the South." But "books by Southerners" is the only way I can think of that Prince and the Pauper, A Tramp Abroad, or A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court could qualify, so I thought I'd ask!

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message 18: by Bettie (new)

Oct 20, 2011 03:38PM

Susanna wrote: "Yes, indeedy they do!

And I myself interpreted it as "books about the South." But "books by Southerners" is the only way I can think of that Prince and the Pauper, A Tramp Abroad, or A Connecti..."

I'll wait for an answer to your question before voting
:O)

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message 19: by holly (new)

Nov 04, 2011 02:07PM

Plain Truth takes place in Pennsylvania and the author is from New York...

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message 20: by David (new)

Dec 10, 2011 08:43AM

Ernest Gaines's novels should be added to this list. So should books by Gayl Jones and Nikki Finney.

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message 21: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Dec 10, 2011 10:30AM

You could add them; it's easy to add books to lists. At the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes."

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message 22: by David (new)

Dec 10, 2011 11:10AM

Thanks, Susanna.

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message 23: by Beth (last edited May 12, 2012 08:15PM) (new)

Feb 11, 2012 06:18PM

Susanna wrote: "Is this list for works about the South, or by Southerners?"

I took a course called "Southern Literature" at the University of Georgia when I was working on a graduate degree. Southern Literature was defined as literature that was written by a Southerner AND set in the South. I have always found this definition to be very helpful.

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message 24: by Shawnee (new)

Feb 20, 2012 01:21AM

I didn't see West Virginia in the list of states but I added books with author and setting from WV. Most of the state is below the Mason-Dixon line and we mountaineers consider ourselves southerners.

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message 25: by Eddie (new)

May 12, 2012 01:28PM

Forgive my crass marketing here. I've written a book called EVIL IS ALWAYS HUMAN that's been compared to Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy. I invite you to take a look at it.

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message 26: by Pat (new)

Sep 05, 2012 08:32PM

W. Virginia separated from Virginia rather than be part of the South. So, that's a done deal.
"Sophie's Choice" takes place in Europe with no mention of 'the South' so, multiple people putting it on the list is just sad.
Including William Tecumseh Sherman's biography several times is wrong. While a work about only his maniacal acts in the South could be included, it would hardly seem to merit "the Best Southern Literature".
These mistakes aside, the list is enjoyable.

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message 27: by Beth (new)

Sep 08, 2012 12:22PM

Well stated!I completely agree.

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message 28: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 25, 2012 08:17AM

Pat wrote: ""Sophie's Choice" takes place in Europe with no mention of 'the South' so, multiple people putting it on the list is just sad."

Well, in their defense it might be mentioned that the author is from Virginia. Which, owing to the book's setting and subject matter, doesn't make it a "Southern" novel IMHO either, though ... nor, based on the description now added to the list, in the opinon of the list's creator.

JG, do you want the list to be pruned back to books actually set in the states you mentioned?

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message 29: by [deleted user] (new)

Nov 16, 2012 03:33PM

Oh my god, how is "The Sound and the Fury" not number 1, fuck you Goodreads, this is not debatable

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message 30: by Beth (last edited Dec 31, 2012 10:01AM) (new)

Nov 16, 2012 03:57PM

Lists are made by Goodreads members/readers. Goodreads provides the arena for its readers who can vote for the various books listed in any Listopia. In other words, people have voted for these books and their rank is the result of these votes. Several books on the list would have been ranked differently for me personally. Nevertheless, it is interesting to see where different books line up after votes are calculated.

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message 31: by Steve (new)

Dec 31, 2012 07:30AM

Yep, those that like southern lit should vote and/or add their favorites. The list will sort out over time.

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message 32: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (last edited Dec 31, 2012 09:52AM) (new)

Dec 31, 2012 09:50AM

The one that makes me scratch my head currently is #36: I Talk Slower Than I Think: An Antidote to Helicopter Parenting, as it looks to be non-fiction?

Also, 5 ratings and 33 votes???

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message 33: by Shawnee (new)

Jan 23, 2013 12:08AM

West Virginia separating from Virginia had more to do with perceived unfair distribution of state resources and divisive beliefs on slavery and nothing to do with whether it wanted to be part of the south. More important, the U.S. Bureau of Census states West Virginia as part of the South Region. I think my position is valid and West Virginia should be included in this category list.

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message 34: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Jan 23, 2013 12:29AM

Susanna wrote: "The one that makes me scratch my head currently is #36: I Talk Slower Than I Think: An Antidote to Helicopter Parenting, as it looks to be non-fiction?

Also, 5 ratings and 33 votes???"

The voting pattern is highly suspicious (1 of 1 or, at most, 1 of 2, all of them).

It being nonfiction alas doesn't seem to be a reason for exclusion on this particular list, though (the list title says "literature," not "fiction," and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil -- currently ranked no. 12 -- is nonfiction as well) ...

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message 35: by Sandy (new)

May 11, 2013 06:53PM

Pat wrote: "W. Virginia separated from Virginia rather than be part of the South. So, that's a done deal.
"Sophie's Choice" takes place in Europ..."

Sophie's Choice does not take place in Europe,it takes place in New York. Only the memories of Sophie take place in Europe. One of the main characters "Stingo" is a very southern boy who comes to New York to write.

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message 36: by Vicki (new)

Jul 20, 2013 08:14AM

Charlaine Harris & Anne Rice made this list, but not Peter Taylor, Elizabeth Hardwick, Dorothea Benton Frank, Anne Rivers Siddons, the Fugitive poets, etc etc. WTF??

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message 37: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Jul 20, 2013 10:32AM

That's because it's a user-sourced list. You are free to add them, if you like. (It's easy to add books to lists - at the top of the list, at the tab next to "all votes.")

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message 38: by Beth (new)

Jul 20, 2013 11:59AM

Vicki, those are good candidates for the list and I encourage you to add them. I was not familiar with the Fugitive poets until you mentioned them in your post. That's one of the good thing about Listopia, it allows us to learn from each other regarding books and authors of which we might not have previously known.

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message 39: by Manray9 (new)

Jul 25, 2013 02:05PM

Agreed. That's why "In Cold Blood" shouldn't be on this list.

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message 40: by Donna (new)

Oct 14, 2013 04:59PM

I am surprised at how little nonfiction is here. I added some, and I voted for Sherman's memoir as #1, since there is absolutely no denying that he changed the course of Southern history, like it or not.

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message 41: by Donna (new)

Oct 14, 2013 05:06PM

Shawnee wrote: "I didn't see West Virginia in the list of states but I added books with author and setting from WV. Most of the state is below the Mason-Dixon line and we mountaineers consider ourselves southerners."
I really question that subscript also. How is Florida not a Southern state, yet Oklahoma is? Kentucky was not a Confederate state, but it is in the list, and rightfully so. I think West Virginia should be, since culturally, they fit. An argument could be made for Maryland; rural, I think they are Southerners, but the cities are much more northern in character imo.

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message 42: by Manray9 (new)

Oct 14, 2013 06:35PM

Donna wrote: "Shawnee wrote: "I didn't see West Virginia in the list of states but I added books with author and setting from WV. Most of the state is below the Mason-Dixon line and we mountaineers consider ours..."

I grew up in Maryland, but now live in South Carolina. Nobody in SC considers Maryland the South. When I went to grad school in New York City, everyone there considered me Southern. Who knows? Perspective is everything.

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message 43: by Manray9 (new)

Oct 14, 2013 06:43PM

Donna wrote: "I am surprised at how little nonfiction is here. I added some, and I voted for Sherman's memoir as #1, since there is absolutely no denying that he changed the course of Southern history, like it o..."

I disagree about Sherman's memoirs. He was an Ohioan who campaigned in the South. Grant campaigned there too, so why not add 'The Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant?" Neither work would meet my definition of Southern literature. In fact, I adhere to the definition of literature as "imaginative or creative writing, especially of recognized artistic value." That eliminates non-fiction, although I realize some would consider all written works in a particular language as literature.

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message 44: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Oct 14, 2013 08:24PM

I'd consider Maryland "Southern."

It was a slave state, and kept in the union 150 years ago by hook or by crook (and for good reason - D.C.'s situation would have been utterly untenable if it had seceeded).

Also, I remember from my childhood, that on trips north, that the line dividing where if you asked for "tea" what you automatically got was iced, rather than hot, was about the Maryland/Delaware line. (Circumstantial, I confess.)

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message 45: by Manray9 (new)

Oct 15, 2013 08:07AM

Susanna - Censored by GoodReads wrote: "I'd consider Maryland "Southern."

It was a slave state, and kept in the union 150 years ago by hook or by crook (and for good reason - D.C.'s situation would have been utterly untenable if it had ..."

We always considered the line to be Maryland-Virginia, south of that line they included grits with breakfast.

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message 46: by Terry (new)

Nov 22, 2013 06:36AM

Have you read my comic Southern novel, Cooley & Rose, which is primarily set in 1948 South Norfolk, VA? If you like Grit Lit, please take a look at the reviews on Goodreads and Amazon. Thanks.

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message 47: by Sue (last edited Jan 03, 2014 08:59PM) (new)

Jan 03, 2014 08:50PM

Peyton Place? Oh come on. New Hampshire has never been very southern and Massie's book on Empress Catherine Isn't either. Otherwise there are some great titles here. I'm trying to think of the title of Peter Mattheisen's book so I an add it. Oh well later I guess.
I looked it up...Shadow Country. What a book.

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message 48: by Donna (new)

Jan 19, 2014 01:56PM

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message 49: by Calypso Jane (new)

Feb 17, 2014 12:37AM