TOP TEN TUESDAY | SETTINGS I LOVE

I love visiting other parts of the world in my books, but there are definitely places I love to read about, and that will make me want to pick up a book, and there are others that I find less appealing and will likely make me put it back down again. But this post is about the former. This is not a complete list, but here are some of my favourite literary (and actual) destinations!

England (London in particular)

Call it ancestral connection, call it British obsession, whatever the reason I adore England. Anything about it, I love. So books set there always get my attention, and vastly increase the chances I’ll want to read them.

Italy (Tuscany in particular)

Ever since reading Under the Tuscan Sun, I’ve longed to visit Italy. It sounds like just my kind of place, and every time I see pictures or films there, the beauty of the landscape further entices me. There’s something about the pace of life, the food, the culture, the scents of basil and lavender I imagine on the air that make me feel like I’m going to love it there.

My neck of the woods (Western Canada)

It’s like when you’re watching a movie and suddenly recognize the coffee shop you go to every morning. Which happens a lot to those of us who live here in Hollywood North, except usually it’s passed off as small-town America. So when I see or read about my area that is actually my area, it’s a pretty awesome experience. Hence my love of Douglas Coupland.

Corfu

Blame Gerald Durrell’s Corfu Trilogy (check out my review of books one and two in the trilogy) for this one, and the television series based on the books. It looks idyllic and gorgeous and full of interesting people and animals.

Kona (Hawai’i)

I’ve been here just once, and it is so wonderful. The scenery, the slow island pace of life, the beaches (I literally swam with a turtle as big as your average dog)… there’s nothing not to love. I haven’t managed to find many books set here, so if any of you have recommendations, please share them!

San Francisco

I adore SF. I used to go there quite frequently, and got to know it well enough to feel like I knew where to go and what to see. It’s a great setting for a book – the combination of LGBTQ+ history, the steep streets with their cable cars, the waterfront, the cool historical spots (City Lights is a must-visit for any self-respecting bibliophile) and even the fog all make it a magical spot.

New Orleans (or Louisiana)

Another city I just loved. Walking in the French Quarter was like being transported to a different period in history, and the laid-back attitude towards life, the night life spilling over into the streets, the vibrant culture and colours everywhere make you feel like you can really let go of your worries and steep yourself in the local vibe. It’s one of the places I most want to go back to. With its gothic history, it’s also a great location for books to be set, particularly those with a paranormal or magical undertone.

Havana

Another vibrant cultural spot, Havana is full of possibility when it comes to a literary setting. There is so much to explore – the culture, the music, the art, the history – and even more to imagine. It helps that it’s another spot with a rich literary history – you can visit the very bar and hotel where Ernest Hemingway used to spend his time!

Australia

I’ve yet to visit Australia, but it’s somewhere I haven’t read many books from. Now, this is mostly on me. I haven’t done a good job of seeking them out, as I’ve realized lately when I’ve been watching more Australian BookTubers. I’d like to explore the country more through its literature, because it’s somewhere that fascinates me. Bill Bryson’s travel memoir (In A Sunburned Country) alone is enough to pique my interest!

Iceland

I know almost nothing about Iceland, but I really want to learn more. Seeing as I’m unlikely to get a chance to visit anytime soon (if ever), I’d like to find some books set in or about this part of the world. Starting with Names for the Sea by Sarah Moss, I think.

Prince Edward Island

If you have any familiarity with CanLit, this will not be a surprise. Anne of Green Gables was set against the backdrop of PEI’s famous red roads, and the beautiful descriptions L.M. Montgomery wrote of her beloved island make it a place any Canadian reader feels a kinship with.

Chicago

Another place I just loved, but enjoy encountering on the page even more. It’s a great mix of beautiful architecture and an edge of danger (though I might be mostly getting this from The Devil In the White City). It’s a great spot for hard-boiled murder mysteries or any story with an undercurrent of threat to it!

Provence (or rural France)

And finally, France. Similar to Italy, I love Provence thanks to Peter Mayle’s A Year In Provence, an account of moving there and trying his hardest to fit in (largely unsuccessfully, with hilarious results). I’ve visited France a couple of times, though, and fell in love with it. Some of my most treasured memories are there, and it’s another place that feels so different to the wet, grey, anxiety-ridden part of the world I call home that I couldn’t help but want to move there. It’s a great setting for self-discovery, stories of quirky and eccentric characters, and anything that involves whimsy and love.

This wasn’t exactly a small list, but I love visiting different places through my reading, so it really couldn’t be. There are plenty more I’d love to encounter more on the page, but these are top of my list! What about you? Any favourite spots you like to return to in your reading? Any places you wish were more frequently depicted on the page?

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.