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100 Must-Read California Books

"I'm a California girl, born and raised. So when I got the chance to list 100 MUST-READ books set in this fantastic golden state, I jumped. Some aren't set completely in California, but characters spend enough (relevant) time there that I gave them a pass. All I can recommend are must-reads"
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72 Hour Hold (Bebe Moore Campbell)
72 Hour Hold
1
Bebe Moore Campbell
Adaptation (Malinda Lo)
Adaptation
2
Malinda Lo
All the Little Live Things (Wallace Stegner)
All the Little Live Things
3
Wallace Stegner
Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner)
Angle of Repose
4
Wallace Stegner
Ball Don't Lie (Matt De La Peña)
Ball Don't Lie
5
Matt De La Peña
Be Cool (Elmore Leonard)
Be Cool
6
Elmore Leonard
Beaches (Iris Rainer Dart)
Beaches
7
Iris Rainer Dart
The Big Nowhere (James Ellroy)
The Big Nowhere
8
James Ellroy
The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler)
The Big Sleep
9
Raymond Chandler
Big Sur (Jack Kerouac)
Big Sur
10
Jack Kerouac
The Black Dahlia (James Ellroy)
The Black Dahlia
11
James Ellroy
The Black Echo (Michael Connelly)
The Black Echo
12
Michael Connelly
The Black Ice (Michael Connelly)
The Black Ice
13
Michael Connelly
Brothers and Sisters (Bebe Moore Campbell)
Brothers and Sisters
14
Bebe Moore Campbell
California Caress (Rebecca Sinclair)
California Caress
15
Rebecca Sinclair
Changing Places (David Lodge)
Changing Places
16
David Lodge
Concrete Blonde (Michael Connelly)
Concrete Blonde
17
Michael Connelly
Crescent (Diana Abu-Jaber)
Crescent
18
Diana Abu-Jaber
Daughter of Fortune (Isabel Allende)
Daughter of Fortune
19
Isabel Allende
Devil in a Blue Dress (Walter Mosley)
Devil in a Blue Dress
20
Walter Mosley
Dirt (David Vann)
Dirt
21
David Vann
Divisadero (Michael Ondaatje)
Divisadero
22
Michael Ondaatje
East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
East of Eden
23
John Steinbeck
Elsewhere, California (Dana Johnson)
Elsewhere, California
24
Dana Johnson
Esperanza Rising (Pam Muñoz Ryan)
Esperanza Rising
25
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Everything Leads to You (Nina Lacour)
Everything Leads to You
26
Nina Lacour
Family Album (Danielle Steel)
Family Album
27
Danielle Steel
Farewell to Manzanar (Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston)
Farewell to Manzanar
28
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston
Farewell, My Lovely (Raymond Chandler)
Farewell, My Lovely
29
Raymond Chandler
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Cameron Crowe)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
30
Cameron Crowe
Fifteen (Beverly Cleary)
Fifteen
31
Beverly Cleary
Funny in Farsi (Firoozeh Dumas)
Funny in Farsi
32
Firoozeh Dumas
Get Shorty (Elmore Leonard)
Get Shorty
33
Elmore Leonard
The Golden Gate (Vikram Seth)
The Golden Gate
34
Vikram Seth
The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
The Grapes of Wrath
35
John Steinbeck
Ham on Rye (Charles Bukowski)
Ham on Rye
36
Charles Bukowski
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers)
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
37
Dave Eggers
Hold Still (Nina Lacour)
Hold Still
38
Nina Lacour
Hot Water Music (Charles Bukowski)
Hot Water Music
39
Charles Bukowski
House of Sand and Fog (Andre Dubus III)
House of Sand and Fog
40
Andre Dubus III
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