Top Ten Tuesday: Books With A Southern Setting

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 
I love books set in the South. When done well, a Southern setting feels almost like another character in the book. You can just feel the atmosphere around you: hot summer days, muggy nights, the drawl of Southern accents, the hospitality, the slower pace. When an author hits the mark with a believable Southern setting, it can make for a richer reading experience. Here are some of my favorite books with a Southern setting.



Until Friday Night - Abbi Glines (Alabama)
Sullivan's Island - Dorothea Benton Frank (South Carolina)
Wicked - Jennifer L. Armentrout (NOLA)
Never Never - Colleen Hoover/Tarryn Fisher (NOLA)
The Vincent Boys - Abbi Glines (Alabama)
Morganville Vampires series - Rachel Caine (Texas)
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood - Rebecca Wells (Louisiana)
Sweet - Tammara Webber (Texas)
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (Alabama)
Rusk University series - Cora Carmack (Texas)
Have you read any of these books?
Do you have a favorite setting that you love to see in books?



26 comments

  1. Oh I love me a Southern setting!!! I really liked The Vincent Boys and of course To Kill a Mockingbird. I just read Game On which was in South Carolina and super sweet. Great list!!

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    1. Thanks Grace! I think The Vincent Boys/Brothers might have been the first books I read from Abbi Glines. I got the "extended and uncut" Kindle version and it was as steamy as the Alabama setting. :) I'll need to look up Game On.

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  2. Oh good pick! Love a good Southern setting. I adore the Rusk series!

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    1. You and me both! After each Rusk book I'm like, now this one's my favorite. I loved Carson and Dallas in the first book but I think Silas might have him beat. LOL

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    1. Me too! And didn't Tink just steal the show? LOL I'm so excited to start Torn - hopefully soon. Have you read it yet?

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  4. I feel like I read more adult books set in the South than YA, but it can be done really well. I love settings that can almost become another character.

    -Lauren
    www.letsgetbeyondtolerance.blogspot.com (Author Edition TTT here)

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    1. Same here, Lauren. When a setting is described so well that it just immerses you in it... love that.

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  5. I loved Never Never and The Vincent Boys! Wicked is on my kindle but I haven't read it yet, I was waiting for the next book to release so hopefully I'll get around to it soon :D

    Christy @ Novel Ink

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    1. Oh gosh, Christy, Wicked was so much fun! I hope you'll have a chance to read it soon now that Torn is out. I'm thinking I may have to reread Wicked to remind myself of some of the details.

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  6. ♥ this! I really liked Good Girl by Lauren Layne (set in Louisiana, too). Love the inclusion of Morganville!!

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    1. I totally need to read Good Girl! I've only read one by LL so far (Crushed) and have been meaning to read more from her ever since. And I'll never understand why the Morganville Vamp series didn't/doesn't get more attention.

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  7. I'd like to read more books set in the South. Never Never looks interesting and the Morganville Vampires does too.

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    1. Never Never has been really interesting - I just finished the third and final installment. Morganville Vampires was a long series (15 books) but I enjoyed every one of them. Not sure why the series didn't get more attention... it sure deserved it. Thanks for stopping by, Greg!

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    1. Yes! Love her books so much! I have the last Rosemary Beach book in hand but I keep putting it off . I don't want to say goodbye to all these people. But at least I have the Sea Breeze series to look forward to. :)

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  9. I want to read Until friday Night but I heard it was pretty bad--so I'm a little nervous. I lived in Georgia for two years and moved (too southern-y and no job). But the nights and that open sky was beautiful so I like reading about it! Nice picks!

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    1. I love Abbi Glines for what she provides - fun, addictive, brain-candy kind of reads. But even so, I have to say I didn't love Until Friday Night. I liked it well enough and I'm looking forward to the second book releasing next week... but I definitely had some issues with UFN. And I'm still laughing at GA being too southern-y. My new favorite word. LOL

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  10. Books with southern settings are my absolute FAVORITE to read! Until Friday Night was fabulous in my opinion and I can't wait till the next one comes out in the series (just a few days I think!). And I've heard excellent things about Abbi Glines series, although I definitely want to read the Rusk University series first! I just added all three of the books to my TBR on Goodreads thanks to you Tanya! :) LOL. Great topic idea for this week's TTT!
    Emily @ www.rabbitholereviews.com

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    1. So interesting that you love a Southern setting! You're waaay up north, right? Have you ever lived in/been to the South? I really like Abbi Glines. TBH, it's not like the writing is fabulous or anything, but I consider most of her books super-addictive brain candy. Absolutely wrong with that, either! I loved the Vincent Boys duology and I'm one book shy from finishing the Rosemary Beach series. And then I'll dive into the Sea Breeze series. I know they're nothing great but I don't care - I am hooked on those characters (Rosemary Beach) and I gobble up those books like potato chips. LOL I just read Until Friday night a few weeks ago and I liked it a lot but had a couple issues with it. Still, I'm excited for the next book (just 3 days to go!) and I'll definitely being buying it.

      Now the Rusk University series is another story. I *love* that series! I saw when you added them on GR but I didn't realize it was because of me. :) I am sooo excited for you to read those! I swear I just want Cora Carmack to publish a book a week for that series and I would keep on reading them. LOL I've loved all three so far and it's hard to pick a favorite couple/guy. I sometimes lean toward Carson and Dallas (book #1) but I admit I really have a thing for Silas (book #2). #SilasVirus Can't wait to see what you think when you get around to them!

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  11. To Kill a Mockingbird would be my number one for this topic.

    Check out my TTT.

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    1. TKaM is such an incredible book. And obviously the Southern setting places a huge part in the story. Now I'm in the mood for a reread... :)

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  12. I haven't read many books set in the South, so thank you for putting this list together! Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous post! ♥

    ~ Zoe @ Stories on Stage

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    1. Hi Zoe - and thanks! I love a good Southern setting so it was fun to put the list together! Thanks for the comment! :)

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  13. Wicked and Rusk University, obviously.
    Rebel Belle series is good. I know there's other ones but wow, I'm totally drawing a blank. #ivereadtoomanybooks

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    1. Ha. After awhile with so many books they do start to become a blur. I love the setting for Wicked. It played such a part in the book.

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