Reading about North Carolina

Saints at the River by Ron Rash (contemporary)
On Agate Hill by Lee Smith (historical)

Both books offer a wonderful sense of place...

Another one of my favorite authors who gets the people and the humor just right: Clyde Edgerton. Read Walking Across Egypt If you don't laugh til you cry when the old lady gets herself stuck in the seat of her rocking chair and doesn't dare call for help lest someone find out she sat down before doing her breakfast dishes, you have no joy in our soul.

I live in North Carolina, but I never could get excited about any of the contemporary authors so my pick is still Look Homeward Angel based in Asheville (Altamont) NC

When I was a teen and big fan of bodice ripping romances I loved the Inglis Fletcher novels mostly set in coastal Carolina in the 17th and 18th centuries. Lots of pirates, planters, pioneers, explorers and romantic ne'er do wells.

Gail Godwin is a Carolina writer.
Father Melancholy's daughter & Evensong are based in NC. I'm not sure about the rest of her novels.

I always think of David Sedaris and Nicholas Sparks for North Carolina. Here are a few more...

http://avidreader25.blogspot.com/2012/08/reading-states-north-carolina.html