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Tuesday 13 August 2013

Caragh's Top Ten Favourite Books Set In The South! (USA)

Hosted by Broke & The Bookish

This weeks Top Ten is pretty open! The description is: Top Ten Favorite Books With X Setting (ie: futuristic world, set mostly in schools, during World War II, books set in California  etc. etc. So many possibilities!) 

I picked The Deep South because not only do I LOVE that region of America, but a lot of books I love just so happen to be set in and around that area too. So with that, here is my list!

1. Morganville by Rachel Caine
It's been a while since I shamelessly talked about this book series. It's my absolute favourite and as if it was done especialy for me, Morganville is set in the state of Texas. Great books, insanely loveable characters and badass storylines plus Texas? Hell yeah!

2. Harper Connolly by Charlaine Harris
I'm actually a much bigger fan of the Southern Vampire series (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) but for this instance i'm using Harris's somewhat lesser known Harper Connolly series as to be it feels more 'Southern'. Harper is a young woman who just so happens to communicate with the dead and help them rest in peace...or at least help their families. The books are really interesting and have a little mystery/crime about them.

3. Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Maybe cheating a little here as I haven't read Beautiful Redemption yet, but the Caster Chronicles series is fast becoming one of my favourites. Set in the fictional (or at least I believe it is!) Gatlin County, South Carolina, an average student in an extraordinarily boring town is about to find out that in the South, nothing is as it seems! So much tension, action and adventure in these books, great character building and some beautiful Southern accents!

4. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
I'm not entirely sure if this is the real South, but I love it all the same. Huckleberry Finn was one of my favourite books growing up. I used to steal my brother's copy of the book all the time until he eventually gave in and gave it to me permanently. I went on to study my beloved Huck in an American Lit class and my interest in the book only grew.

5. Demon Trappers by Jana Oliver
Demon Trappers is set in Atlanta/Georgia and even though it's just words on the page, Beck really brings the Southern feel to the books. His frequent slips into his Georgian accent melts my heart. I've always had a fascination with Southern accents so it serves as just one more reason to love Denver Beck! Swoon.

6. Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice
I'm picking this book rather than the whole series because it's the only one i've finished! The film version of this is possibly my favourite of all time and when I finally read the book a few years ago, I loved that too! Unlike today's vampire books, IWTV feels dark, mysterious and dangerous. And Southern! In my mind I always connect vampires with the South because of this book. A great read and a must-have for any vampire lover.

7. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Another one set in Georgia, The Color Purple is a wonderful, heartfelt and award-winning novel that focuses on the life of black women in America in 1930's. Well worthy of it's success, The Color Purple is definitely a must read. It's rich in character and history. Despite having read it a fairly long time ago, the story has stuck with me and is a favourite.

8. Holes by Louis Sachar
I shamefully only read Holes last year! So many people said wonderful things about this book that I just had to get it read. A quick and easy read full of adventure and really awesome kids! Holes is set in Texas which adds a lot to the story. Hours and hours a day digging holes in the desert with no chance of escape...ouch! 

9. Ruby Landry series by Virginia Andrews
Not many people know this about me but I really enjoy Virginia Andrews! The first series of books I read by her were the Ruby Landry series, set in Louisiana. Thinking back, this is probably the book that really got me interested in the South. At one point, Ruby attends the Mardi Gras and it was so interesting to read about. It also makes me hungry for Cajun food.

10. Shades of London by Maureen Johnson
Though the Shades of London books are set in London (duh!), protagonist Rory hails from Louisiana and throughout the current 2 books, she often makes references to her home in Louisiana and her food choices (oh she loves her food!). The books are incredible and i'm super excited for the release of book three!

3 comments:

Josh Caporale said...

These are some pieces I can relate to. I also read portions of Huck Finn in my American Lit II class that makes up my English major.

Loaded Shelves said...

Huck Finn seems to be read by everyone who has studied American Lit! For good reason though ;) ~ Caragh

Josh Caporale said...

It does make sense, because it captures the ways of the south during the period that Mark Twain writes back to. It also shows how the use of the "n-word" stirred plenty of controversy, but it was just Twain's way of capturing their dialect.

This, Transcendentalism, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, and plenty of others are common in such a class. The one I got a kick out of was Allen Ginsberg.

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