(Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Want to make your own list? Clicking the image will take you to this week’s post. Happy listing!)
One of the most fun things about reading is that you can, at a moment’s notice, be transported somewhere (or somewhen) amazing, or frightening, or uplifting. Open one book and find yourself in a small medieval fishing village; open another and lose yourself in a futuristic world on a faraway star. This week’s list is all about the best book settings.
1. Under the Tuscan Sun (Frances Mayes) – I loved reading about Mayes’ accidental love affair with Tuscany, and her adventures in making Bramasole her own. Also, the food. Who doesn’t love the food?
2. Lake Wobegon (Garrison Keillor) – Small town charm is in short supply these days. Keillor creates such great characters, and I’ve been hearing about them for so long that they feel like family. And despite (or perhaps because of) its being filled with Norwegian Lutherans, the city experiences the most ludicrously hilarious situations.
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (Rick Riordan) – A setting where the Greek gods are real, and it’s possible to be their offspring and have powers? Sign me up!
4. Soulless (Gail Carriger) – I list this one more for the Steampunk aspects than the paranormal/supernatural ones. Gotta love crazy inventions, and seeing the future blended with the past.
5. Thursday Next series (Jasper Fforde) – This series makes it onto nearly every list. Fforde’s settings are so detailed, and I love the little things he adds in, like WillSpeak machines and the fact that nearly everything is sponsored by Toast. The BookWorld is just as alive as the “real” world he’s created.
6. The Secret Garden (Francis Hodgson Burnett) – I love Misselthwaite Manor. There are so many secrets there, and I want to discover them all. I’m not a big “outdoors” person, but Burnett’s description of the moors makes me want to be there. I want to help Dickon and Mary make the garden come alive again, and I want to be there when Archibald Craven sees his son walk.
7. The Halfblood Chronicles (Andres Norton and Mercedes Lackey) – Dragons, elves, humans, half-bloods. Telepathy, scrying, magical spells. Adventures, close calls, explosions, fights, and love. Definitely a bit of a scary setting, but one that I fell totally in love with.
8. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams) – Like Fforde, Adams created an expansive universe filled with bizarre creatures and things like chronically depressed robots and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. It’s got its moments of over-the-top ridiculousness, but it’s a great set of stories within a fully-realized setting.
9. Fables series (Bill Willingham et. al) – A graphic novel series in which the characters from fairy tales and folk lore find themselves forced out of their Homelands. In order to remain safe from “The Adversary,” they have traveled to the human world and formed a small community called Fabletown — and only in New York would no one notice. I’ve only read one “book” from this series, but it’s a great setting and I’d love to read more.
10. Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice) – An amazingly dark, creepy story set against the lush background of New Orleans (one of my favorite cities). I enjoyed the film, especially the cinematography: all the great colors and rich fabrics of Claudia’s clothes, and the dark back streets of city. Fantastic.
What are some of your favorite book settings? Let me know in the comments.
Yes! I was thinking to use the dark scenery in Interview With The Vampire too. It was lush, dark, and creepy. I’ve never seen the movie, but the imagery seeped through the pages of the book.
The movie is great. I saw it in high school, and then in college my sculpture class used the film as inspiration for a project. I made Claudia’s tea tray — fake blood in a dainty, child-sized glass goblet and all. It was awesome. Definitely check out the movie if you get the chance.
I would love to meet the Greek gods are to be one. I loved this series and think Rick Riordan did a great job creating this mythical world.
I completely agree about Riordan, Lisa. I think I would love the series anyway, but the fact that it’s well-researched and integrates the Greek myths and gods just puts it over-the-top fantastic. Have you read any of his other stuff? I just finished the second book in the Kane Chronicles, and I loved The Lost Hero. I was kind of surprised to learn that these are Riordan’s first books: he’s written a series of mystery novels starring the hero Tres Navarre and set in San Antonio, Texas. I’ve never read them, but if it’s Riordan, chances are it’s great. 🙂
I would absolutely want to visit Thursday Next’s world – amazing books! Camp half-blood would be great too. I keep meaning to read Under The Tuscan Sun. I’m sure the setting is amazing.
Yay, another Fforde fan! Have you read any of the Nursery Crime series? It’s just as amazing (if that’s even possible). Under the Tuscan Sun is a great summertime read, or a book to carry with you on a long trip. I read it in Prague, Czech Republic, on a bench inside a 14th century monastary garden. I think I actually finished it on a train, going between Prague and Krakow, Poland. If it didn’t feel like a travel book before, it certainly does now!
It’s a great book, full of amazing descriptions of food, history, and life in Tuscany (and greater Italy). I definitely recommend it.
I covered almost every place, I think!
Here is my Top Ten post!
Indeed you have! Thanks for stopping by.
Good list! I love the ship from Hitchhiker’s Guide and think it’s a great setting!
As for a reply to your comment on mine… one of my favorite “South” books is Beautiful Creatures. And as for the border, one of my professors is exceptional at writing regional literature and made the list of one of the top 50 writers in the US. His name is Benjamin Alire Saenz. My favorite of his is Sammy and Juliana In Hollywood.
Thanks for stopping by, Elizabeth. The ship is indeed fantastic, but I think I prefer Marvin the robot just a tiny bit more. 🙂
I have Beautiful Creatures on my TBR list, but I’ve been hesitating to pick it up because I’m afraid of more drippy, sappy YA literature. Not that it’s not good, but one does tire of it. Is Beautiful Creatures worth the read, other than its great setting?
I don’t think I’ve heard of Saenz. But if he writes along the same lines as people like Sandra Cisneros, then I can imagine why he made it onto such a prestigious list.
Beautiful Creatures is more suspense and intrigue than drippy romance, and it’s from the boy’s pov entirely which you almost never see in YA. I’ve been hesitant to pick up it’s sequel, but the book was definitely good.
As for Saenz, I can’t really compare him to anyone, he’s just an amazing writer in my opinion. And he does everything, adult lit, YA lit, poetry, and even picture books.
Ooh, from the guy’s POV. That is a rarity indeed. I just might have to move it further up my TBR list. Thanks for giving me the scoop! 🙂
I read Under The Tuscan Sun and Interview. I could not believe how spot on atmospheric Rice’s novel was. Even all these years later, I can still see myself in her world..
Under The Tuscan Sun…loved both the movie and book, though they were different. I would trade a limb to go there for a good amount of time.
I don’t think I’d want to spend any time with Louis or Lestat (or even Claudia), but Rice’s description of the French Quarter is amazing. I spent a week in New Orleans several years ago (pre-Hurricane Katrina/Rita), and I loved everything about it — although I didn’t wander around at night or visit any voodoo practitioners, so I think I missed out on a big part of the culture. But then maybe there are some things that shouldn’t be messed with…
I saw the film adaptation of Under the Tuscan long before I read the book. I think it’s one of the few instances of a good book-to-film adaptation; there are many differences, but the general feeling and “voice” is preserved, and that’s what makes that book so great.
Good choice on not visiting the voodoo priestesses. I don’t think I would have “gone” there. Those horror flicks have got me good, in that regard.
I agree, Jennifer. I’ve got just enough curiosity to consider such a thing, and just enough Cajun blood in me to know better than to mess with anything “on the other side.” My mom doesn’t watch movies involving devils or possession, because she believes just seeing it is asking for trouble. She’s remarkably Yiddish in that manner — cursing someone actually curses them, invoking a devil will create one, etc. I’m glad that people write about and research the supernatural, but it’s not for the faint of heart.