North Carolina’s Favorite Book Genre Revealed

Reading a great book is a special experience, and as it turns out, where you grew up or currently live could somehow impact the kind of books that you like to read. It makes sense that certain areas of the country are into genres of books that are just more popular in that area. Well, a new study has revealed the most popular book genres in every state, and there are some definite trends.

Researchers at Cloudwards, as reported by Real Simple, have scoured the web and looked at search trends to determine the most popular book genres in each state. The study revealed that romance is the most popular genre in the U.S., coming in as the most popular genre in an impressive 22 states. Second place was a tie between general fiction and poetry, with both of those genres snagging nine states. Fantasy was also the top genre in six states, and family-themed literature was the most popular in three states.

This study was in line with a 2024 study by Book Riot, which states that the most popular book genre in the U.S. is romance. "Romance has dominated the industry for a while now," they noted. "Not only is it popular and enjoyed by a devoted fanbase, but romance writers taught the rest of the industry how to sell books." There's even an entire organization dedicated to romance writing, called the Romance Writers of America.

Now, let's get to North Carolina. According to the Cloudwards study, per Real Simple, the most popular book genre in the state is fantasy. Who doesn't love a good fantasy read once in a while, right? That genre beat out all others, crowning it tops in the area.

So, what fantasy books are those in North Carolina reading? According to Good Reads, the No. 1 fantasy book in the U.S. right now is The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. "Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen," the book's description states.