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There’s something about reading outdoors that makes a good book even better. Whether you’re stretched out in a hammock by the lake, sipping coffee at your campsite, or winding down by the campfire, a great read is the perfect companion to a summer getaway.
This list of books features titles written by Arkansas authors or stories with strong ties to the Natural State. From fast-paced thrillers and heartfelt memoirs to laugh-out-loud novels and atmospheric tales set right here in Arkansas, these books are perfect for lake days, lazy afternoons and cozy campfire nights. Pack a few along on your next adventure and enjoy reading local voices wherever your travels take you.
Photo courtesy of Talya Tate Boerner.
The Third Act of Theo Gruene
Talya Tate Boerner
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Southern Fiction
Talya Tate Boerner is an Arkansas author and blogger whose writing is deeply rooted in the people and places of the Natural State. In The Third Act of Theo Gruene, Boerner introduces readers to Theo, a seventy-year-old retired botany professor whose orderly life is turned upside down when an unexpected young visitor appears during a storm. What follows is a poignant story of love, loss, and the unexpected joys of human connection—perfect for a reflective lakeside read.
The House with a Secret Cellar – Kay Pritchett
Genre: Mystery / Suspense
Kay Pritchett is a longtime Arkansas resident and professor emerita at the University of Arkansas. The House with a Secret Cellar is a twisty, small-town mystery centered on real estate agent Mosey Frye and Chief Gus Olivera. What begins with a mysterious figure spotted in a garden quickly spirals into a deeper investigation involving a hidden cellar, a stash of old Spanish paintings and a long-buried web of secrets among the town’s elite. Set in the fictional town of Hembree, Arkansas, this is a satisfying whodunit with Southern charm and just the right amount of suspense.
Hooked on You – Kathleen Fuller
Genre: Christian Romance / Small-Town Fiction
Kathleen Fuller, raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, began writing Christian and Amish fiction after becoming a stay-at-home mom. In Hooked on You, the first book in her Maple Falls series, Riley McAllister returns to her small Arkansas hometown to help her injured grandmother—only to find herself drawn to former baseball star Hayden Price. A light, charming romance about second chances and finding home where you least expect it.
Photo courtesy of Keisha McKinney Pittman
Ouija & Haints in the Silent City – Jane Elzey
Genre: Cozy Mystery / Historical Mystery
Jane Elzey is an Arkansas author known for her Cardboard Cottage Mystery series, set in the fictional town of Bluff Springs, Arkansas. In Ouija & Haints in the Silent City, vintage game store owner Amy Sparks and her three friends take part in a local cemetery fundraiser—only to stumble upon a cold case murder from 1924. A mysterious necklace, an antique Ouija board, and old hobo symbols lead the group into a tangled web of past secrets and present danger. With charm, humor, and a dash of the supernatural, this cozy mystery is a fun pick for lakeside afternoons or campfire nights.
Come and Get It – Kiley Reid
Genre: Literary Fiction / Campus Novel
Kiley Reid, acclaimed for her sharp social insights, sets her second novel at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. In Come and Get It, RA Millie Cousins is drawn into a complicated relationship with visiting professor Agatha Paul, whose research on students’ financial lives exposes tensions around power, privilege, and ambition on a modern Southern campus.
Photo courtesy of Keisha McKinney Pittman
Raising Razorbacks – Jeni Bea Hopkins
Genre: Memoir / Sports Biography
Jeni Bea Hopkins, an Arkansas native and daughter of Razorback great Tommy Burnett, shares the remarkable story of her family’s deep ties to Arkansas football. In Raising Razorbacks, she chronicles the lives of her father and uncles—Bobby, Tommy and Billy Burnett—three brothers from Smackover, Arkansas, who all became standout players for the Razorbacks. Through family stories, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and reflections on values instilled by their parents, Hopkins paints a portrait of athletic excellence, character, and legacy. A must-read for Razorback fans and anyone who appreciates stories of family and perseverance.
Twenty Acres – Sarah Neidhardt
Genre: Memoir
Arkansas native Sarah Neidhardt reflects on her family’s experience in the 1970s back-to-the-land movement in Twenty Acres. Through letters and personal stories, she shares what it was like growing up in an off-grid Ozarks cabin, offering a vivid portrait of family, self-reliance, and rural life in the Natural State.
The Carrington Affairs – Susan Gooch
Genre: Political Drama / Family Saga
Susan Gooch, an Arkansas author and longtime educator, sets her political family drama in the small town of Searcy, Arkansas. In The Carrington Affairs, junior senator Bennett Carrington is on the rise—until scandal forces him to resign in disgrace. A decade later, he has a chance to restore his career, but first must convince two women from his past to reveal long-buried secrets that could change everything. With its Southern setting and layered story of ambition, love and redemption, this novel offers an engaging and thoughtful escape for your next lakeside or campfire read.
Twenty Acres – Sarah Neidhardt
Genre: Memoir
Arkansas native Sarah Neidhardt reflects on her family’s experience in the 1970s back-to-the-land movement in Twenty Acres. Through letters and personal stories, she shares what it was like growing up in an off-grid Ozarks cabin, offering a vivid portrait of family, self-reliance, and rural life in the Natural State.
Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves – Quinn Connor
Genre: Southern Gothic / Mystery
Quinn Connor is the joint pen name of Robyn Barrow, an Arkansan and Alex Cronin, a Texan; the pair met at Rhodes College and share a love of Southern storytelling. In Cicadas Sing of Summer Graves, three women are drawn into a decades-old mystery after a locked box resurfaces from the drowned Arkansas town of Prosper. As past and present collide, they must confront buried secrets and ghostly memories beneath the lake’s surface.
The Forgotten Girls – Monica Potts
Genre: Memoir / Social Commentary
Monica Potts, a native of Clinton, Arkansas, weaves personal memoir with cultural critique in The Forgotten Girls. The book explores her friendship with Darci Brawner and examines how poverty, lack of opportunity, and systemic challenges shaped the lives of women in rural Arkansas, offering an unflinching look at inequality in her home state.
A Noble Calling – Rhona Weaver
Genre: Thriller / Adventure
Rhona Weaver, a University of Arkansas graduate and retired appraiser, draws on her deep respect for first responders and her Arkansas roots in A Noble Calling, the first book in the FBI Yellowstone Adventure series. Rookie FBI agent Win Tyler—a former Arkansas farm boy and Razorback football player—faces a violent militia plot during a Jewish monument dedication in Yellowstone National Park. As Win confronts river rescues, treacherous terrain and shifting alliances, he’s tested in courage and faith, all while navigating a tangled web of deceit and domestic terrorism.
Ozark Dogs – Eli Cranor
Genre: Rural Noir / Thriller
Eli Cranor, a former football coach from Russellville, Arkansas, brings grit and authenticity to Ozark Dogs, a dark thriller set in the Arkansas Ozarks. When a murder exposes long-standing family feuds and buried sins, violence and vengeance spiral through a small town, revealing how the past continues to haunt the present.
These Arkansas-connected summer reads are the perfect companions for your warm-weather adventures. They offer a chance to connect with local voices and stories that reflect the richness of our state. So, pack a book or two on your next trip—you just might find your new favorite read under the open sky.
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