Books Set in California

44,469 members

723 reviews

3.9

6 Members: hipdeep, sturlington, ahef1963, elia1168, janeet, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: sturlington: Salinas River Valley

4

East of Eden

27,352 members

480 reviews

½ 4.4

5 Members: aulsmith, sturlington, elia1168, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: sturlington: Salinas River Valley

5

Tales of the City

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

5,391 members

113 reviews

3.9

5 Members: aulsmith, ahef1963, NinieB, janeet, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

6

by Philip K. Dick

22,100 members

530 reviews

4

4 Members: hipdeep, sturlington, janeet, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: sturlington: San Francisco

7

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel

by Robin Sloan

9,405 members

758 reviews

3.8

4 Members: merrystar, sturlington, ahef1963, janeet
Explanations: sturlington: San Francisco and Silicon Valley

8

Angle of Repose

by Wallace Stegner

5,973 members

198 reviews

4.2

4 Members: sturlington, ahef1963, NinieB, janeet

9

The Grapes of Wrath

38,947 members

516 reviews

4.1

4 Members: aulsmith, sturlington, elia1168, NinieB,janeet
Explanations: sturlington: Hooverville

10

The Joy Luck Club

by Amy Tan

19,237 members

219 reviews

3.9

3 Members: sturlington, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: sturlington: San Francisco

11

Parable of the Sower

by Octavia E. Butler

11,420 members

316 reviews

4.1

3 Members: sturlington, janeet, ManWithAnAgenda

12

Cannery Row

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail

11,119 members

213 reviews

4

3 Members: hipdeep, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda

13

by Cheryl Strayed

10,145 members

554 reviews

3.9

3 Members: sturlington, ahef1963, janeet
Explanations: sturlington: Sierra Nevada mountains

14

Daughter of Fortune

by Isabel Allende

9,581 members

203 reviews

½ 3.7

3 Members: KimarieBee, sturlington, ahef1963
Explanations: sturlington: Gold Rush

15

The Jane Austen Book Club

by Karen Joy Fowler

6,784 members

199 reviews

3

3 Members: sturlington, ahef1963, janeet

16

Parable of the Talents

by Octavia E. Butler

4,827 members

125 reviews

4.1

3 Members: sturlington, janeet, ManWithAnAgenda

17

Practical Demonkeeping

by Christopher Moore

4,352 members

113 reviews

½ 3.7

3 Members: hipdeep, sturlington, janeet

18

The Postman Always Rings Twice

by James M. Cain

3,888 members

144 reviews

½ 3.7

3 Members: sturlington, ahef1963, ManWithAnAgenda

19

More Tales of the City

Further Tales of the City

2,800 members

28 reviews

3.9

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: San Franciso

20

Telegraph Avenue

by Michael Chabon

2,555 members

99 reviews

½ 3.5

3 Members: aulsmith, sturlington, janeet
Explanations: sturlington: Oakland and Berkeley

21

2,499 members

25 reviews

3.9

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

22

The Wayward Bus

2,398 members

46 reviews

3.8

3 Members: aulsmith, elia1168, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: Central Valley

23

Babycakes

2,122 members

21 reviews

3.8

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

24

Significant Others

1,947 members

16 reviews

3.8

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

25

Sure of You

Tea with the Black Dragon

1,925 members

17 reviews

3.8

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

26

Frog Music

by Emma Donoghue

1,661 members

99 reviews

½ 3.3

3 Members: KimarieBee, sturlington, janeet
Explanations: sturlington: San Francisco

27

by R. A. MacAvoy

1,596 members

43 reviews

3.9

3 Members: merrystar, sturlington, ahef1963

28

The Drowning Pool

927 members

20 reviews

3.8

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

29

The Gold Coast

by Kim Stanley Robinson

864 members

23 reviews

½ 3.5

3 Members: aulsmith, sturlington, janeet

30

The Goodbye Look

Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders

590 members

11 reviews

½ 3.7

3 Members: aulsmith, NinieB, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

31

1st to Die

by James Patterson

8,996 members

188 reviews

½ 3.7

2 Members: dara85, janeet

32

A Dirty Job

by Christopher Moore

7,301 members

281 reviews

4

2 Members: sturlington, ManWithAnAgenda

33

by Vincent Bugliosi

5,735 members

100 reviews

4

2 Members: sturlington, ahef1963

34

The Sisters Brothers

by Patrick deWitt

4,731 members

338 reviews

3.9

2 Members: sturlington, ahef1963

35

Sandman Slim

by Richard Kadrey

2,716 members

190 reviews

3.8

2 Members: hipdeep, janeet

36

A Single Man

by Christopher Isherwood

2,612 members

95 reviews

4

2 Members: aulsmith, janeet

37

Always Coming Home

by Ursula K. Le Guin

2,503 members

22 reviews

3.9

2 Members: sturlington, janeet

38

Gun, with Occasional Music

by Jonathan Lethem

2,491 members

68 reviews

½ 3.7

2 Members: sturlington, janeet

39

Postcards from the Edge

by Carrie Fisher

1,734 members

34 reviews

½ 3.6

2 Members: sturlington, ahef1963

40

Into the Forest

by Jean Hegland

1,647 members

57 reviews

3.9

2 Members: sturlington, janeet

41

Michael Tolliver Lives

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

1,474 members

52 reviews

3.8

2 Members: aulsmith, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

42

by Jack Finney

1,451 members

61 reviews

3.8

2 Members: sturlington, janeet

43

The Wild Shore

by Kim Stanley Robinson

1,230 members

23 reviews

½ 3.7

2 Members: aulsmith, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: Alternate Orange County

44

Devil House

by John Darnielle

991 members

29 reviews

½ 3.5

2 Members: sturlington, ManWithAnAgenda

45

You Don't Love Me Yet: A Novel

by Jonathan Lethem

944 members

33 reviews

2.9

2 Members: sturlington, ManWithAnAgenda

46

The Chill

823 members

26 reviews

4

2 Members: aulsmith, NinieB
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

47

The Underground Man

802 members

20 reviews

½ 3.7

2 Members: aulsmith, NinieB
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

48

The Galton Case

798 members

21 reviews

4

2 Members: NinieB, janeet

49

Pacific Edge

by Kim Stanley Robinson

736 members

15 reviews

3.8

2 Members: aulsmith, janeet
Explanations: aulsmith: Alternate Orange County

50

California Girl

by T. Jefferson Parker

588 members

13 reviews

½ 3.4

2 Members: dara85, NinieB

51

Bride of the Rat God

by Barbara Hambly

569 members

20 reviews

3.8

2 Members: sturlington, janeet

52

The City, Not Long After

by Pat Murphy

540 members

22 reviews

3.9

2 Members: sturlington, janeet

53

Fadeout

530 members

22 reviews

4

2 Members: aulsmith, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

54

Death Claims

317 members

12 reviews

3.8

2 Members: aulsmith, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

55

Gravedigger

The Last Thing He Told Me

225 members

3 reviews

½ 3.6

2 Members: aulsmith, ManWithAnAgenda
Explanations: aulsmith: Los Angeles

56

The Maltese Falcon

by Dashiell Hammett

10,315 members

302 reviews

3.9

Member: sturlington
Explanations: sturlington: San Francisco

57

The Circle

by Dave Eggers

6,930 members

446 reviews

½ 3.4

Member: sturlington

58

Less Than Zero

by Bret Easton Ellis

6,372 members

99 reviews

½ 3.4

Member: ManWithAnAgenda

59

by Laura Dave

5,462 members

182 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: ahef1963

60

Shanghai Girls

by Lisa See

5,032 members

323 reviews

3.8

Member: aulsmith
Explanations: aulsmith: San Francisco

61

All Tomorrow's Parties

by William Gibson

4,822 members

39 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: sturlington

62

I'll Give You the Sun

by Jandy Nelson

4,295 members

181 reviews

½ 4.3

Member: aspirit

63

The Girls

by Emma Cline

4,121 members

259 reviews

½ 3.5

Member: sturlington

64

Ghosts: A Graphic Novel

by Raina Telgemeier

4,070 members

94 reviews

4

Member: aspirit
Explanations: aspirit: Northern California (fictional city); graphic novel

65

Earth Abides

by George R. Stewart

4,060 members

129 reviews

3.9

Member: sturlington

66

The Loved One

by Evelyn Waugh

3,868 members

78 reviews

3.8

Member: hipdeep

67

The Final Girl Support Group

by Grady Hendrix

3,638 members

127 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: sturlington

68

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake

by Aimee Bender

3,628 members

290 reviews

½ 3.4

Member: ManWithAnAgenda

69

The Age of Miracles

by Karen Thompson Walker

3,571 members

349 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: sturlington

70

Inherent Vice

by Thomas Pynchon

3,487 members

102 reviews

½ 3.6

Member: drenglish

71

Coyote Blue

by Christopher Moore

3,181 members

58 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: sturlington

72

Cemetery Boys

by Aiden Thomas

2,982 members

89 reviews

4.2

Member: aspirit
Explanations: aspirit: Los Angeles

73

Interior Chinatown

by Charles Yu

1,998 members

100 reviews

3.9

Member: sturlington

74

Dog on It

by Spencer Quinn

1,940 members

155 reviews

3.8

Member: blakelylaw

75

Devil in a Blue Dress + Crimson Stain

by Walter Mosley

1,361 members

49 reviews

3.8

Member: sturlington

76

In a Lonely Place

by Dorothy B. Hughes

1,139 members

44 reviews

4.2

Member: sturlington

77

A Stir of Echoes

by Richard Matheson

1,057 members

39 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: sturlington

78

Redwoods

by Jason Chin

933 members

63 reviews

½ 4.3

Member: aspirit
Explanations: aspirit: Picture book

79

Sundial

by Catriona Ward

788 members

37 reviews

3.8

Member: sturlington

80

Gold Fame Citrus

by Claire Vaye Watkins

759 members

42 reviews

½ 3.3

Member: sturlington

81

Already Dead: A California Gothic

by Denis Johnson

739 members

12 reviews

½ 3.5

Member: drenglish

82

Golden State

by Ben H. Winters

594 members

29 reviews

½ 3.6

Member: sturlington

83

The Mark of Zorro

by Johnston McCulley

590 members

23 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: aulsmith

84

The Black Kids

by Christina Hammonds Reed

537 members

21 reviews

3.8

Member: ManWithAnAgenda

85

The Velvet Room

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

535 members

15 reviews

4.2

Member: ManWithAnAgenda

86

Sleepless

by Charlie Huston

519 members

28 reviews

½ 3.7

Member: sturlington

87

The Wycherly Woman

Passing Strange {novella}

483 members

13 reviews

3.8

Member: NinieB

88

by Ellen Klages

444 members

38 reviews

3.9

Member: sturlington

89

Picture Us In The Light

by Kelly Loy Gilbert

393 members

23 reviews

4.1

Member: ManWithAnAgenda

90

Security: A Novel

by Gina Wohlsdorf

384 members

67 reviews

½ 3.4

Member: sturlington

91

Vanishing Point

by Michaela Roessner

346 members

12 reviews

3.8

Member: sturlington

92

The Trespassers

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

328 members

7 reviews

3.2

Member: ManWithAnAgenda

93

The Moon Within

by Aida Salazar

277 members

9 reviews

4.1

Member: aspirit
Explanations: aspirit: Oakland

94

A Country of Old Men