Books set in Georgia

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September 27, 2022
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Books set in Georgia

Every state has its hallmark writers. Mississippi has William Faulkner and his incomparable (fictional) Yoknapatawpha County and Missouri can lay claim to Mark Twain. The state of Maine is gifted with Pulitzer winner Richard Russo and horror icon Stephen King. Rural Pennsylvania is the playground of the much-heralded (and occasionally maligned) John Updike, and when many bibliophiles think of New Jersey, they also think of Richard Ford's series of novels featuring recurring Everyman character Frank Bascombe. Illinois can lay claim to William Maxwell, Sandra Cisneros, and Adam Langer, among numerous others. And what reader can think of Washington State without contending with the sparkle-vampire yarns of Stephanie Meyer?

What makes authors like these inextricably associated with a particular state is not simply the matter of their having been born there or choosing to live there. The connection, from a writerly standpoint, is deeper than that鈥攖heir work, nearly all of it, is set in "their" state.

Of course, there are certainly exceptions. Whether a writer sets a tale in the town where they went to college or spent part of their childhood鈥攍ike Donna Tartt's "The Secret History" and its New England arts school setting and the almost-factual small town of Jo Ann Beard's "In Zanesville," respectively鈥攐r crafts a story that follows a social or political theme to a location they know little about but lay narrative claim to anyway, the world is rife with books known, loved, and respected that also capture the essence of place鈥攂ooks where setting itself is one of the strongest characters.

compiled a list of books set in Georgia from . Whether you're looking for a good read set in the state you call home, or you're looking to expand your curiosity with a writer you're already familiar with, we've got you covered.

Gone with the Wind

- Rating: 4.30 (1.2 million ratings)
- Author: Margaret Mitchell
- Published: June 30, 1936
- Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance
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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

- Rating: 3.92 (251,299 ratings)
- Author: John Berendt
- Published: January 13, 1994
- Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Mystery, Crime
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The Color Purple

- Rating: 4.25 (609,269 ratings)
- Author: Alice Walker
- Published: June 1, 1982
- Genres: Classics, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Feminism
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Cold Sassy Tree

- Rating: 4.02 (101,078 ratings)
- Author: Olive Ann Burns
- Published: January 1, 1984
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics, Southern
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The Poisonwood Bible

- Rating: 4.08 (703,577 ratings)
- Author: Barbara Kingsolver
- Published: September 24, 1998
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Africa, Classics
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The Underground Railroad

- Rating: 4.05 (363,522 ratings)
- Author: Colson Whitehead
- Published: August 2, 2016
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Audiobook
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Blindsighted (Grant County, #1)

- Rating: 4.09 (84,092 ratings)
- Author: Karin Slaughter
- Published: May 1, 2001
- Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction
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Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simonverse, #1)

- Rating: 4.20 (389,112 ratings)
- Author: Becky Albertalli
- Published: April 7, 2015
- Genres: Young Adult, LGBT, Contemporary, Romance
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Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption

- Rating: 4.62 (201,418 ratings)
- Author: Bryan Stevenson
- Published: October 21, 2014
- Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Social Justice, Race
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Between, Georgia

- Rating: 3.88 (15,240 ratings)
- Author: Joshilyn Jackson
- Published: January 1, 2006
- Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Southern, Audiobook
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An American Marriage

- Rating: 3.95 (326,904 ratings)
- Author: Tayari Jones
- Published: January 29, 2018
- Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Audiobook, Literary Fiction
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The Night the Lights Went Out

- Rating: 4.03 (12,597 ratings)
- Author: Karen White
- Published: April 11, 2017
- Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Chick Lit, Contemporary
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Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1)

- Rating: 3.92 (140,862 ratings)
- Author: Rachel Hawkins
- Published: March 2, 2010
- Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic
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Fallen (Fallen, #1)

- Rating: 3.72 (553,933 ratings)
- Author: Lauren Kate
- Published: December 8, 2009
- Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal
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Run with the Horsemen

- Rating: 4.31 (3,475 ratings)
- Author: Ferrol Sams
- Published: January 1, 1982
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Southern, Classics
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Dear Martin (Dear Martin, #1)

- Rating: 4.36 (68,933 ratings)
- Author: Nic Stone
- Published: October 17, 2017
- Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction
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The Downstairs Girl

- Rating: 4.00 (26,131 ratings)
- Author: Stacey Lee
- Published: August 13, 2019
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Fiction
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The March

- Rating: 3.74 (13,624 ratings)
- Author: E.L. Doctorow
- Published: September 20, 2005
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Civil War, War
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Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen

- Rating: 3.76 (11,873 ratings)
- Author: Susan Gregg Gilmore
- Published: January 1, 2008
- Genres: Fiction, Southern, Chick Lit, Coming Of Age
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The Member of the Wedding

- Rating: 3.82 (16,800 ratings)
- Author: Carson McCullers
- Published: January 1, 1946
- Genres: Fiction, Classics, Coming Of Age, Novels
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Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

- Rating: 3.94 (82,181 ratings)
- Author: Beth Hoffman
- Published: January 12, 2010
- Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit, Southern
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An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood

- Rating: 3.94 (2,536 ratings)
- Author: Jimmy Carter
- Published: January 1, 2000
- Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, History
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Savannah Blues (Weezie and Bebe Mysteries, #1)

- Rating: 3.99 (22,036 ratings)
- Author: Mary Kay Andrews
- Published: January 1, 2002
- Genres: Chick Lit, Mystery, Fiction, Romance
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A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety

- Rating: 3.82 (4,893 ratings)
- Author: Jimmy Carter
- Published: July 7, 2015
- Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics
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The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir

- Rating: 4.35 (15,880 ratings)
- Author: Samantha Power
- Published: September 10, 2019
- Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Politics, Biography
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Endangered Species (Anna Pigeon, #5)

- Rating: 3.87 (7,070 ratings)
- Author: Nevada Barr
- Published: January 1, 1997
- Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller
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East Is East

- Rating: 3.65 (2,553 ratings)
- Author: T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Published: January 1, 1990
- Genres: Fiction, Novels, Humor, Contemporary
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This Side of the River

- Rating: 3.75 (72 ratings)
- Author: Jeffrey Stayton
- Published: February 1, 2015
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Civil War, Fiction, 19th Century
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Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

- Rating: 3.77 (10,100 ratings)
- Author: Jaye Robin Brown
- Published: August 30, 2016
- Genres: LGBT, Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary
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With His Dying Breath (JJ Matthews Murder Mystery #1)

- Rating: 3.89 (64 ratings)
- Author: Nancy Hogue
- Published: March 28, 2012
- Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery
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The Fixer Upper

- Rating: 3.92 (22,925 ratings)
- Author: Mary Kay Andrews
- Published: June 23, 2009
- Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Southern
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Pride of Eden

- Rating: 3.95 (462 ratings)
- Author: Taylor Brown
- Published: March 17, 2020
- Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Animals, Contemporary
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Lost Lake (Lost Lake, #1)

- Rating: 3.88 (34,337 ratings)
- Author: Sarah Addison Allen
- Published: January 21, 2014
- Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance
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Crux

- Rating: 3.62 (1,094 ratings)
- Author: Julie Reece
- Published: July 1, 2012
- Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
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Deep Dish

- Rating: 3.72 (14,059 ratings)
- Author: Mary Kay Andrews
- Published: January 1, 2008
- Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Southern
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Tobacco Road

- Rating: 3.72 (14,491 ratings)
- Author: Erskine Caldwell
- Published: January 1, 1932
- Genres: Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, Southern
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Uncle Remus: His Songs and His Sayings

- Rating: 3.75 (610 ratings)
- Author: Joel Chandler Harris
- Published: January 1, 1881
- Genres: Fiction, Classics, Childrens, Folklore
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Morning Glory

- Rating: 4.27 (13,679 ratings)
- Author: LaVyrle Spencer
- Published: January 1, 1989
- Genres: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction
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Hissy Fit

- Rating: 3.96 (24,475 ratings)
- Author: Mary Kay Andrews
- Published: August 17, 2004
- Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Humor
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Sophie and the Rising Sun

- Rating: 3.67 (854 ratings)
- Author: Augusta Trobaugh
- Published: January 1, 2001
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Historical
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Little Bitty Lies

- Rating: 3.85 (12,905 ratings)
- Author: Mary Kay Andrews
- Published: July 1, 2003
- Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Romance, Southern
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Tailspin

- Rating: 3.82 (16,595 ratings)
- Author: Sandra Brown
- Published: August 7, 2018
- Genres: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Mystery, Thriller
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The Sweetness of Water

- Rating: 4.19 (32,182 ratings)
- Author: Nathan Harris
- Published: June 15, 2021
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, LGBT
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Crossing Ebenezer Creek

- Rating: 3.86 (611 ratings)
- Author: Tonya Bolden
- Published: May 30, 2017
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Historical, Romance
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The Last Buffalo Soldier

- Rating: 4.08 (12 ratings)
- Author: Michael S. Nuckols
- Published: April 15, 2015
- Genres: Historical Fiction
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The Dog Star

- Rating: 3.71 (76 ratings)
- Author: Donald Windham
- Published: January 1, 1950
- Genres: Fiction
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Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

- Rating: 4.01 (2,600 ratings)
- Author: Janisse Ray
- Published: January 1, 1999
- Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Nature, Biography
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Hummingbird

- Rating: 3.84 (140 ratings)
- Author: Kimberly Greene Angle
- Published: May 27, 2008
- Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Death
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