Are you looking for books set in North Carolina to inspire your southern travels? Find mysteries, historical fiction, and YA books about North Carolina with this reading list.
I couldn’t imagine a better way to prep for a trip to Asheville, Raleigh, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Biltmore, or the Outer Banks than reading books set in North Carolina. For me, Asheville is a literary blogger’s dream.
Did you know that many of the scenes from The Hunger Games and The Last Of The Mohicans took place across Asheville waterfalls and in one of North Carolina’s abandoned villages?
Plus, Asheville is home to a champagne bar and bookstore, Thomas Wolfe’s childhood home, and all of the used and new bookstores Belle could desire. Do you see where I am going with this?
In honor of celebrating that this boozy and bookish blogger moved to Asheville, NC, be sure to check out this eclectic reading list filled with books about North Carolina from bookstagrammers, book and travel bloggers, librarians, and authors.
In addition to these classic, mystery, and young adult books set in North Carolina, don’t miss our Asheville travel blog, Uncorked Asheville filled with books set in Asheville and famous Asheville authors.
What are the best books about North Carolina to take you there via your armchair? Let’s get started!
Afterward, Read Across America Here.
Looking for more great southern and North Carolina books? Head this way:
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4. As a member of Amazon Prime, don’t miss Amazon First Reads — early access to Kindle books.
Fictional & Contemporary Books Set In North Carolina
A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler
One of the most powerful North Carolina books for deep thinkers, A Good Neighborhood is a Romeo and Juliet meets Little Fires Everywhere retelling. When the wealthy and privileged white Whitman family moves into Oak Knoll, North Carolina — building an excessive house and killing Valerie’s historic tree — no one can predict the tragic outcome of this story. Or, can they?
Told via the perspective of an omniscient neighbor(hood), racism, corruption, and vile men with too much power own this heartbreaking narrative. From the start, readers are aware of the imminent tragedy creeping up on the Black Alston-Holt family.
The story carries you there until the crushing end. A Good Neighborhood would make a fantastic book club selection. Read more→
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A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash
Submission by bookstagrammer, Jennia.
In Wiley Cash’s debut novel, A Land More Kind Than Home, the opening pages introduce minister Carson Chambliss. Chambliss is a man who has more in common with the snakes he regularly handles in his church services than he does with any of his parishioners.
Preaching in a small town nestled deep in North Carolina, Chambliss uses his authority and sway over the community to bend and shift the goings on to his advantage.
Jess and Christopher “Stump” Hall, two local boys, set off on a cataclysmic snowballing of events after spying on who they think is their mother and father. With Chambliss now aware of what they have witnessed, the reader sees the haunting religious underworld that the town’s inhabitants allowed to grow and fester.
Early on, the story percolates with a looming dread, culminating in a denouement worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy. Cash writes with unflinching honesty, creating something both beautiful and tragic.
Travel around the United States with our Massive 50 States Booklist.
The Girl From Widow Hills by Megan Miranda
If you are looking for seriously spooky books that take place in North Carolina, don’t miss NC mystery and thriller, The Girl From Widow Hills.
In an attempt to start over from a haunting past filled with suspicious and unwanted fame, Olivia moves to North Carolina. Her mother is also recently deceased from a drug overdose, and Olivia is dreading the 20-year anniversary of her famous sewer drain rescue.
When Olivia trips over a body in her yard during a sleepwalking episode, her precarious glass bubble smashes to pieces. Is someone trying to hurt her? Read more→
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
Submission by indie author, Jennifer Ann Shore.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is called “magical realism” by some reviewers — but I like to call it a southern, contemporary romance with bright-pink sprinkles on top.
Our protagonist is a lonely and semi-bored Josey. She lives at her mother’s house in North Carolina, spending her time eating as many sweets and reading as much as she can devour. This North Carolina novel is a light, cute story of Josey’s self-discovery.
While Allen’s Garden Spells (another book set in North Carolina) is a fan-favorite, I think this novel could be the sugar on top of your to-be-read pile.
If you love these books based in North Carolina, don’t miss some of the Best Southern Novels.
The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Which Nicholas Sparks book should you pick? It is no secret that Sparks lives in NC and writes all of his books set in North Carolina.
The Notebook, Sparks’ classic, is the perfect introduction to this junk-foody, sap of a novelist. Sparks will leave you in tears, and his stories all have the same type of romance, death, and destruction-to-your heart vibe.
Returning from WWII, Noah Calhoun cannot stop thinking about his pre-war love, Allie Nelson. Allie is now engaged to Noah’s antithesis, a socialite lawyer. Will love prevail? Can Noah win Allie back? The ending is heartbreaking; have the Kleenex ready.
A few other Nicholas Sparks’ novels worth your time include: Safe Haven, The Choice, A Bend In The Road, and A Walk To Remember.
**A fair warning that after compiling this book list, Nicholas Sparks demonstrated intolerant comments and actions aimed at the LGBT+ community. His novels also lack people of color.
Thrillers & Mystery Books Set In North Carolina
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
A psychological thriller set in small-town North Carolina, meet Rachel Krall, a true-crime podcaster. Rachel is a lot like Scooby-Doo and the gang — a ‘meddling’ mystery solver that you love. Responsible for freeing a man, though, she isn’t the most beloved public figure for lawyers and judges.
Recruited into a new trial, a young woman seeks out Rachel to uncover the truth behind another mysterious disappearance and murder. Rachel lands caught up in the deadly drama.
Can she survive long enough to solve the case? The Night Swim was one of TUL’s best books of 2020. Read more→
Travel to Tennessee next with our Books Set In TN Reading List.
Spell Booked by Joyce and Jim Lavene
Submission by Gigi, a retired children’s librarian
Witches and Werewolves and Retirement, Oh My! Spell Booked is the first in a supernatural cozy mystery series about three witches nearing retirement in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Olivia, Elsie, and Molly find that both their memories and spell powers are declining. They decide that it would be best to move to Boca Raton, Florida where, apparently, witches go to retire. Who knew?
But before they can hit the beach, they need to find three replacement witches. Their plan is barely in action before Olivia is murdered and their spell book is stolen. Now they have to find new recruits AND solve a murder.
What to do? Go to the library, of course! They recruit a new librarian and with the help of various characters, finally figure it all out.
P.S. One of the restaurants mentioned in the book, Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn, is still in existence. If I ever visit Wilmington, I will definitely stop in.
Under A Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake
One of the historical fiction and mystery books set in North Carolina and Biltmore Estate that I cannot wait to read (and grabbed as part of Amazon’s First Reads program) includes Under A Gilded Moon – a story about money and power.
With the finishing touches happening at Biltmore, Kerry MacGregor heads to the Blue Ridge Mountains to help her family. Her family’s land is one of the final pieces required to complete Biltmore. A battle of the rich versus the poor entraps Kerry.
Are you Biltmore-obsessed? We are annual passholders and love Biltmore’s library and winery. If you are traveling to Asheville, see How To Get The Most Out Of Your Biltmore Ticket Here.
Seven Turns & Moonlight and Moss By Kim Beall
Submission from North Carolina author, Kim Beall
Woodley, USA is a quirky, small Southern town you will not find on any map. Author Callaghan McCarthy stumbled into it in the middle of the night in search of inspiration for a sequel to her once-famous ghost story.
Callaghan got more inspiration than she bargained for. Now, the ghosts and other spirits of Woodley are some of her best friends.
Seven Turns is the story of Cally’s arrival at the haunted Vale House B&B in Woodley, and of how she meets Ben, a mysterious man who is not, technically, quite 100% human, himself.
Moonlight and Moss follows Cally’s struggle to accept her role as the liaison between the human world and that of the faerie kingdom on the other side of the meadow gate.
Women’s & Historical Fiction Books Set In North Carolina
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
Hayley is a well-traveled book blogger for Backpacking Bookworm.
Necessary Lies is a North Carolina book about family, love, and secrets.
North Carolina, 1960: 15-year-old Ivy lives on Mr. Gardiner’s tobacco farm with her sister, baby nephew, and grandmother. She dreams of running away with her boyfriend Henry Alan, Mr. Gardiner’s son. Although they are intimate, she is smart enough not to get pregnant, unlike her sister.
22-year-old Jane is newly married to her physician husband. She begins a job as a social worker (much to her husband’s disagreement).
Jane is passionate about helping people, but her manager tells her she can’t get emotionally involved in her client’s lives. When told to fill out a petition to get Ivy sterilized against her wishes, she fights for Ivy’s basic human rights.
Jane finds herself wrapped up in the case, and ends up putting not just her job, but Ivy’s future on the line.
Outbound Train by Renea Winchester
In a moving indie North Carolina novel about growing up poor in Appalachia, head to working-class Bryson City, North Carolina. It’s the 1960s when a night on the train tracks shapes Barbara Parker’s life forever.
Flash forward to the present where Barbara’s daughter, Carole Anne, is caught in the same brutal cycle of poverty, wretched men, and corrupt leaders abusing their power.
In a The Connors like narrative, readers learn about hope, second chances, and the difference between having money vs welfare and trudging through the city dump. Hard work and brains can only get you so far when you need money for college. Read more→
Big Lies In A Small Town by Diane Chamberlain
Submission from Sheree of Keeping Up With The Penguins.
Diane Chamberlain is the best-selling author of 26 novels, and her newest – Big Lies In A Small Town – might be her best yet. This North Carolina book is set in the small town of Edenton, where two parallel stories unfold, eight decades apart.
In 1939, burgeoning artist Anna Dale wins a government-sponsored competition to paint a mural for the town’s post office, beating out a beloved local portrait painter. She tries to ingratiate herself to the disgruntled community, and completes the mural… but it is never installed. She disappears shortly thereafter, under mysterious circumstances.
In 2018, Morgan Christopher has made a series of bad decisions that have landed her in prison. Her salvation comes in the form of a famous artist’s daughter and a fancy lawyer, who offer to get Morgan released just one year into her three-year sentence – on the condition that she restores Anna Dale’s mural so that it might finally be displayed in a public gallery.
As she begins her new life, Morgan becomes obsessed with the mystery of Anna Dale’s disappearance – and you will too. The battered old mural has many secrets and surprises just waiting to be uncovered.
But this is more than just a historical mystery or domestic drama: it’s also a carefully constructed examination of race, gender roles, and social politics in North Carolina.
Serena by Ron Rash
Ron Rash — a South Carolina native — is famous for his stories about Appalachian life set in the Carolinas. Serena follows George and Serena Pemberton, newlyweds, looking to start a timber business in the late 1920s.
Serena is a strong and powerful woman, but she cannot bear children. George has a child from an affair, and Serena sets out to kill her ‘son.’ Find themes of betrayal and industrial development’s cruel effects on the environment.
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Submission from Rachael of Booklist Queen.
If you are looking for the best books set in North Carolina, look no further than the top of the New York Times bestselling list.
For years, Kya Clark has survived alone in the marshes of the North Carolina coast. Dubbed “The Marsh Girl” by the locals, she was abandoned by her family and has been raised almost by nature itself.
Now, as she comes of age, Kya begins to yearn for something more than her lonely existence – maybe even a connection with one of the local boys. But when one of the local men ends up dead, Kya is the lead suspect. Can Kya ever find acceptance with the local town, or will she always be forced to live in the fringes of society?
An exquisitely written tale that quickly became one of 2018’s bestselling books, Where the Crawdads Sing is a must-read. If you are looking for the perfect book club pick, you can’t go wrong with this one. Read More→
Don’t miss our Where The Crawdad’s Smash literary cocktail.
Guests On Earth by Lee Smith
For historical fiction books set in North Carolina, don’t forget about Guests On Earth. Infamous F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald would summer in Asheville, NC.
Zelda was said to have suffered from bipolar disorder and resided at Highlands Hospital for her mental health. For that time period, Highlands offered nontraditional and progressive healthcare practices to ensure the wellbeing of its clients.
Inspired by the events of the Highlands Hospital fire in 1948, which killed nine women including Zelda, follow the historical fiction story of one woman who befriends Zelda.
Outlander Series by Diane Gabaldon
Submission by Tori of Tori-Leigh.
If you’re not obsessed with the Outlander series, you know someone who is.
Claire, a British nurse, time travels to 18th century Scotland where she falls in love with a handsome warrior, Jamie. Set against the backdrop of the gorgeous Scottish Highlands, Outlander begins as a series full of history, fantasy, romance, and adventure. How could this series not have a bit of a cult following?
The first three books follow Jamie and Claire through Scotland and other parts of Europe, while the fourth, fifth, and sixth novels focus on their life in the American colonies.
Claire and Jamie build their home in the North Carolina foothills. Amidst the onset of the American Revolution, Jamie forms a militia to stop the citizens who took up arms against corrupt colonial officials.
Historians consider the rebellion as a catalyst for the American Revolution. Jamie is torn between his loyalty to the British crown and his hopes for a free world while trying to live peacefully in North Carolina.
Claire and Jamie’s home is located on Fraser’s Ridge in the North Carolina mountains. Gabaldon herself has said that Fraser’s Ridge would be near Boone, NC and Blowing Rock.
The scenery closely resembles the Scottish Highlands. It’s impossible to visit the area and not imagine Jamie and Claire’s cabin tucked in the woods.
In fact, many Scottish settlers made a home in North Caroline during the mid-1700s. Like Jamie and Claire, they arrive at Wilmington and settled closer to the Appalachian mountains. Today, you can visit the mountains surrounding what would be Fraser’s Ridge in protected National Parks. Read More→
Young Adult Books Set In North Carolina
The Summer I Turned Pretty Trilogy by Jenny Han
Submission by Jennifer of Jennifer Mitchell, Bibliolater.
There is something so magical about the summertime especially when you are young and carefree. The season feels like a new beginning: The warmth of the sun, the lure of the beach, and the potential of new love.
Jenny Han’s The Summer I Turned Pretty Series captures the magical essence of a North Carolina summer perfectly. This series includes, The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You, and We’ll Always Have Summer.
Belly and her family along with the Fishers have spent every summer of her life at a beach house in Cousins Beach (a fictional town said to resemble the Outer Banks in North Carolina along with Cape Cod and the Hamptons). But, this summer for Belly feels different. It is the summer where she feels pretty for the first time ever.
I’ve always taken Belly’s declaration that she feels “pretty” as more of a declaration of confidence and not of a declaration of physical appearance. She has grown into her own person and is no longer a little girl. With this newfound confidence, Belly’s world opens, and life begins.
The Summer Series is a fantastic North Carolina read. It captures the pure innocence of a first crush, a first love, the heartbreak of losing a dear friend, and the shattering realization that there is more to the world than what our adolescent selves have always believed.
Serafina And The Black Cloak by Robert Beatty
One of the most popular tween historical fiction books about North Carolina and Biltmore, Serafina And The Black Cloak by Robert Beatty promises a magical NC experience. Serafina lives hidden in Biltmore’s basement since her father works there.
When children start disappearing on the grounds, Serafina and Braeden Vanderbilt decide to solve the mystery, heading into the enchanted forest.
Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen
From hipster librarian Kelly of Lost Between The Pages.
Colie Sparks didn’t want to spend her summer in the small town of Colby, North Carolina. When her famous mother ships off to Europe, she has no choice but to hang out for the next few months with her Aunt Mira.
While Colie’s there, she decides to get a job at the nearby diner. She meets Morgan and Isabel, who befriend her and take her under their wing.
And then there’s Norman. He wants Colie to pose for one of his paintings, which really throws her because back home, she’s called a loser and made fun of.
Things are different in Colby. New friends help Colie realize her inner beauty; she’s not really the misfit she thinks she is.
Written in her usual realistic style, Sarah Dessen has yet again crafted a relatable coming-of-age story that both teens and adults will find engaging.
NC Literature & Nonfiction Books About North Carolina
After touring Thomas Wolfe’s childhood home in Asheville, I had to read the most famous book set in North Carolina…
Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe
If you are looking for classic books set in North Carolina, read local Asheville author Thomas Wolfe.
Published in 1929, most unique about Look Homeward, Angel is that the book is sneaky classic fiction. Deceiving because although Look Homeward, Angel is technically fiction, Wolfe infamously writes about all of the people he met in Asheville, North Carolina.
Wolfe barely changed their names. Most of the town’s regulars could easily pick out themselves in rather unflattering depictions. Originally poorly received, once the townspeople (and more so Wolfe) became famous, Asheville took pride in their young author.
Look Homeward, Angel is a coming of age story about a passionate young boy struck with restlessness and wanderlust. Wolfe is also famous for later noting that “you can never go home again.”
Take a Virtual Literary Tour Of Asheville Here.
The Last Castle by Denise Kiernan
Travel back in time to the building of Biltmore. Denise Kiernan is an amazing historian known for uncovering obscured histories and sometimes hidden truths. Learn about the love, debt, and community behind the Biltmore, Asheville’s iconic legacy.
Deemed the largest home in America, Biltmore is more than just its grandiose walls. Watch Edith take part in politics, and see the Vanderbilts’ legacy on forestry. You’ll appreciate Biltmore so much more in this transformative revealing. Read More→
Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
An autobiographical slave narrative set in North Carolina, scholars debate whether Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl is historical fiction or nonfiction. Harriet Jacobs wrote her story under the name Linda Brent.
Born into slavery in 1813, Jacobs chronicles her life as a slave. From a female perspective, Jacobs emphasizes what it is like to be separated from your children and the abuse she suffered.
Which of these North Carolina books have you read? Did you find a new NC book to read?
I’d love to know everything about NC, especially since we live here now. Please send along any recommendations, book-wise or travel-related. Don’t forget to drop by our sister blog, Uncorked Asheville.
Book Lists You May Also Love:
The Ultimate 50 States Reading List
Tennessee Novels
Books Set In The South
Books Set In Florida
Hayley Yager
Saturday 8th of June 2019
Finally got around to reading this! Some great submissions, Where The Crawdads Sing was one of my favourite books of 2018. Have you got around to reading it yet? I'm so glad you asked me to be a part of this contribution. Necessary Lies had been on my Goodreads TBR for two years and I didn't even realise! And now I've found a new author who I can't wait to read more of. Thanks again, always a pleasure to get involved ❤
Christine
Wednesday 12th of June 2019
Hey! I still haven't read Where the Crawdads Sing but since we are moving to NC, you can bet I still want to. I hope the title lives up to all of its hype. Sounds like it most definitely will! Thanks for contributing and being a regular. I love having you on board.
Macey
Wednesday 5th of June 2019
Oh my goodness congratulations on this exciting new chapter in your lives!! I can't wait to hear about your new adventures in North Carolina. You can't go wrong with Nicholas Sparks' novels that's for sure. The Summer I Turned Pretty and the Outlander series sound amazing; I definitely want to check those out :)
Christine
Thursday 6th of June 2019
Thank you so much, Macey. We are super excited!
Did you hear that I am doing a similar list for Nicholas Sparks? If you want in, it's not too late to contribute so please feel free to drop me a message.
I think I'd love The Summer I Turned Pretty series too.
CJ | A Well-Read Tart
Wednesday 5th of June 2019
I've been meaning to comment since I read your exciting news in your newsletter. Sorry it took me so long, but congrats on the move!! I've never been to Asheville, but I have cousins there who LOVE it. They live very lovely lives. :-) And the scenery just seems so beautiful! And, I think it still might get a little chilly there, especially in the mountains, so maybe you'll be able to reclaim a bit of your New England autumns and winters, since I know you've missed that since moving to the unbridled warmth of FL, haha. I'm so excited for you to begin this new journey! Looking forward to reading all about it (and commenting on it when I can!
And, I love this list of books. I would never think of doing a state-based reading list, but it's a brilliant idea. And, I was quite excited to see Sarah Addison Allen make the list. I've not read Sugar Queen, though I need to since I adored Garden Spells and First Frost.
I saw someone in the comments mention Wilmington, NC as being nice -- and I would just like to point out that I believe that is where they filmed Dawson's Creek (...wait for it... I DON'T WANNA WAIT!! FOR OUR LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVES TO BE OVVEEEEEERRRRR!! ...sorry, I had to, hahaha), which had some beautiful scenery shots. (Note: 15 year old me did not care about the scenery when the show first aired. When I re-watched it on Netflix about 10 years later, I was like, ooooh, where IS this place? Vacation spot....lol).
Anyhoo!! Congrats! I love your spontaneity and your zest for adventure. I wish I had it in me to get up and go like you're doing, but I love living vicariously through your travels. :-)
Christine
Thursday 6th of June 2019
Hey!! Thank you so much. I totally understand and know what you mean about being able to comment and also reading things and never commenting. That is truly the story of my busy A$$ life lately. I've been perusing your site too and just haven't had the chance to sit down and comment. This summer is only going to get more wild too with house hunting. I always appreciate the following along, reading, and being there, even if it is silently. Thank you!
I just looked up the temps in Asheville. Florida will feel like 100 today. Yup. F' me. LOL! Asheville is showing 66 with a high of 77. Woooohoooo! I am going to have to buy much warmer clothes. Do you know that I only recently bought 2 sweaters in FL for when we travel to Europe in the winter? Until then, I had been using my sweaters from COLLEGE. AND I'M 35!!!!! Thankfully, I bought a new coat or two last year for Iceland and Germany. I miss wearing winter clothes and hats...so I am stoked. I still rocked my boots in Florida, but everyone just thought that I was nuts.
Truly, I miss those seasons and cannot wait to see them again. PLEASE LET THE LEAVES CHANGE COLORS!!! I think snow is magical too. Remind me that I said this later. ...When I'm cold and complaining about driving off the road or shoveling.
I will miss the beach, but hey, I get mountains! FL is SO flat.
Now that someone wrote about Sarah Addison Allen, I see her books EVERYWHERE. I will have to pick up one, for sure. Can't wait to explore more NC authors. I gotta find the indies.
Sad story, but I know nothing about Dawson's Creek. Head DOWN. Maybe it's time that I catch up...
Thank you SO much for the good wishes. I hope you are no longer concussed (that probably looks and sounds awful to people who don't know what we are talking about lol). I look forward to catching up with your foodie adventures. If you come to NC, we will have to do a Dawson's Creek tour--if that exists?!
Paige Schildkamp
Monday 3rd of June 2019
I love everything Sarah Addison Allen writes!
Christine
Tuesday 4th of June 2019
I've actually never read her so I will definitely have to give her titles a try.
Barbara
Monday 3rd of June 2019
New books to add to my reading list. Congratulations on the move!
Christine
Tuesday 4th of June 2019
Thank you so much! You'll have to let me know what you read.