Are you more likely to pick up a book if you know it is set in a certain place or city? I certainly am, and that is why I love this week’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday. It was difficult for me to narrow it down to ten of my favourite book settings because I am someone who appreciates atmospheric in a novel. Let me know if we have any favourites in common!
Boarding Schools
I just know that boarding schools are going to be on so many people’s lists today! There is something about them that rarely misses, especially in thrillers/mysteries.
Bookstores
There is something so romantic about bookstores, but they can also be the perfect backdrop for a mystery, which is why three of the four books I recommended are thrillers!
Islands
This was a more recent realization for me, but I absolutely love books set on islands! There is something about the isolation that adds to the atmosphere.
Ireland
There is something about books set in Ireland and Irish writers in general that appeals to me. Sally Rooney and Emma Donoghue are my two favourite Irish authors, but there are so many others who I want to read from!
Space
I adore all types of SciFi, but I am especially drawn to anything set in space. I love books that take place on spaceships in particular. I don’t know why!
New York
Anywhere in Canada
As a Canadian, I love reading books either set in or written by Canadians. I am trying to be better at picking up books published by independent Canadian publishers as well.
Small Towns
There is something so charming about a small-town setting!
Forests
Forest are so vast and magical and make for the perfect setting for so many genres from fantasy to thrillers!
Haunted Houses
Give me all of the haunted house stories! I have really been into them lately and they are my perfect books for this time of year.
What is your favourite book setting?
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Big yes to all except the haunted houses cos I’m too chicken to read those 😂 I love a good small town, boarding school, and space setting! Great list!
Haunted houses are definitely a newer favourite for me!
Three Pines is one of my favorite places on [fictional] Earth! Good list!
I could have used Three Pines as an example for so many of these. Such a perfect setting!!
Boarding schools were on my list, too.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-favourite-book-settings/
One of the most perfect settings!
I love this! I didn’t have room in my top 10 for haunted houses but I do love me a good haunted house story!
I’ve really been loving them lately!
Great post! I love settings such as…bookstores, libraries, fae worlds, kingdoms, cities, and haunted houses.
Kingdoms! Can’t believe I forgot that one!
Fabulous post, Kristin💜 I love anywhere near the ocean and have a fondness for J. D. Robb’s futuristic NY.
Thank you! I love Nora Roberts but have never read anything under her J.D. Robb’s pen name. Isn’t that series over 50 books now!? That scares me!!
Oh, don’t let the number daunt you. Each book represents only one elapsed book in the series timeline. And, once you start, you’ll become addicted by the third book.
Part of Cloud Cuckoo Land is set on a space ship!
What!? I had no idea! I have the audiobook and I keep meaning to listen to it.
I think the audio format might be challenging because the story jumps around so much. I had to take notes at first to keep it all straight! 4 different stories and settings! Happy reading/listening!
Good to know. Maybe I’ll grab a physically copy and listen at the same time!
Good plan!
Love your list! I still need to read Project Hail Mary! ❤
Ahhhhh now is the perfect time! I love SciFi this time of year.
Yeeees! I need to push it up my list!
I have loved so many of these settings! Ireland, yes please! And bookstores, and libraries, and small towns! So good.
Lorihttps://fiftytwo.blog/2021/10/11/ttt-favorite-book-settings/
Right!? Give me a book set at a bookstore in a small town in Ireland and I will really be in heaven!
I love books set in boarding schools so much. Something about bit is appealing
Right?! I don’t know what it is!
One of the most entertaining books that I’ve read that takes place on an island is The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific, a 2004 travelogue by author J. Maarten Troost describing the two years he and his girlfriend spent living on the Tarawa atoll in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati. Highly recommend.
Ohhh that’s new to me. I’m going to have to check it out. Thanks!!
I enjoy reading books set in bookish places!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/autumn-vibes-books-whos-cover-has-autumn-feels/
Same. It’s the best!
I love all these! Especially Forests and Ireland! Great list
I love how so many of us love books set in Ireland!
I’m so happy to see that someone else besides me liked The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. It doesn’t get mentioned a lot. Great picks for settings all around 🙂
It’s such a great book. I need to reread it and talk about it more often! I just adore Alice Hoffman.
Great selection! I also love the boarding school setting (was completely crushed by Never Let Me Go), so I’m going to recommend If We Were Villains, by ML Rio, if you haven’t read it.
I also love an academic/university setting, especially if it’s more related to science. For this I recommend the Memoirs of Lady Trent series, by Marie Brennan – although it doesn’t take place at an university, it deals with academic topics, scientific discovery, women in science, etc etc (in a fictional world inspired by Victorian era!)
If We Were Villains has been on my tbr for years!!
Memoirs of Lady Trent sounds fantastic and is new to me. Definitely one I’m going to love into. Thanks!
Great post! I love Canadian settings as well, being Canadian myself. My novel The Cross We Bear is set in and around Toronto and my fellow Canadians appreciate it because they can relate to it- I believe we have a unique culture up here, that some people may not recognize. And of course Ireland as produce some great writers in addition to the ones you mentioned, there is James Joyce, and one of my all time favourite books is Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt an Irish American.
What an interesting angle at picking up book! I have been stuck in New Orleans or a while with Anne Rice and VC Andrews taking us there and to the bayou! Lol
That is a good one! I would love to read more books set in New Orleans!
I Love a near future setting with believable technology and the impact it can have like in Scythe. Thanks for sharing!
I love that too! Kazuo Ishiguro’s work definitely fits into that category and he’s one of my favourites.
I’ll need to check him out!!
Forest settings are really beautiful. I also like stories set in winter season. An amazing post!!👏🏻👏🏻
I love that you separated these books based on their settings. Not many people do that, and I think that’s a great idea.
Thank you!! I need to read more books set in winter. I don’t think I have read very many!
I love how you’ve organised this list. Have a great week of reading!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Almost all of these are on my tbr 😂.
I love that!
I love almost every one you mentioned! And france, too. Haunted houses, and small towns are sooo good.
Yes! I especially love haunted house in a small town!
Wow! The list is amazing. Thanks.
Hi Kristin! These are great – I’ve read many of the same books. I do like a NYC book, but haven’t read the ones you listed – I’ll have to add them to my list. My all-time favorite book takes place in NY: Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk. Highly recommend!