Recs if you like Bittersweet in the Hollow...
Southern Gothic Fiction
A selection of contemporary Southern Gothic titles exploring the decay, despair, and trauma of the reconstructed American South. Come for the palpably atmospheric settings and descriptions, stay for the literary commentary on the legacy of the South's oft-romanticized past.
As a note: I did not include the most well known writers in the genre, e.g. Truman Capote, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, etc. as the list is more focused on the resurgence of Southern Gothic in contemporary literature.
When the Fit Check Doesn’t Lie
Books that are just as good as the cover promises. AKA: Fantastic book covers that also happen to be fantastic books! List will be added to in the future because I can’t leave well enough alone. (Suggestions welcome, leave it in the comments.)
Over the Garden Wall 🐸🍁
Over the a Garden Wall… and into a book! Spooky, cozy, and creepy fall vibes
Setting as a character
Where the setting is cooler than the main character.
Sticky Southern Nights Spent with Arnold Palmer
The feeling of growing up two miles from a Dollar General and getting yea ma’am-ed at 12 years old. People love to use Southern slang and talk about Waffle House like it’s a reality TV show but refuse to do their actual research into the South. If I see one more person acting like only inbred white supremacists live in the south (and only in the south) to eat their raw okra and liver mash I’m gonna lose it.
© 2025 Pagebound