Tuesday 12 October 2021

Top Ten Tuesday ~ Top Thirteen Favourite Book Settings

      

"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at "The Broke and the Bookish". It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.

Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of other bloggers who share their lists here.

This week's topic is Favourite Book Settings

That's a tough one. I enjoy reading books about history or about real events but I don't ever select them for their setting.

However, over the years, there have been some countries that I read more about than others because they started to interest me more or I'd been to the place or would like to go there. So, here is a list with towns or countries that I've read more about than others. I have added my favourite book if I could decide.

Afghanistan because their story is just too important to be ignored. And Christina Lamb has told the story of the women and girls in this torn country.
Lamb, Christina "The Sewing Circles of Herat: A Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan" - 2002

Catalonia because I adore the "Cemetery of Forgotten Books" series by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "The Shadow of the Wind" (Spanish: La Sombra del Viento) - 2001 (El cementerio de los libros olvidados #1)

China because Pearl S. Buck was my first adult book love. I read many other books about this huge and interesting country but this was my first.
Buck, Pearl S. "Peony" - 1948

England because I've lived there. Jane Austen because I love classics and she is one of my favourite authors and "Persuasion" because it is my favourite novel by her
Austen, Jane "Persuasion" - 1817

Germany because it's my country. Thomas Mann because he is one of my favourite authors and "Buddenbrooks" one of my absolute favourite books and I just love Lübeck.
Mann, Thomas "Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family" (German: Buddenbrooks) - 1901

Greece because I've been there and love their country and because Victoria Hislop is one of my favourite authors. And I've been to the Island of Spinalonga.
Hislop, Victoria "The Island" - 2005

India because it's such a fascinating country. One of the first books I read was "A Suitable Boy" and it tells us so much about the life of the people there.
Seth, Vikram "A Suitable Boy" - 1993

Ireland, my favourite country in the world. Edward Rutherfurd has written many sagas about all parts of the world but the one about Ireland is probably my favourite.
Rutherfurd, Edward "Dublin: Foundation" (aka The Princes of Ireland: The Dublin Saga)" - 2004

Israel because I've been there and absolutely loved it and their history will forever be intertwined with that of my country. "
City of Oranges", there is so much history in this book about how the states of Israel began, what was before and what it led to today.
LeBor, Adam "City of Oranges" An Intimate History of Arabs and Jews in Jaffa" - 2006

Netherlands because I've lived there for two decades. There are quite a few interesting books about the country and its history. But this one by Harry Mulisch has been selected the favourite book of the nation and I thought that is good enough to include it here. It is fantastic, by the way.
Mulisch, Harry "
The Discovery of Heaven" (Dutch: De Ontdekking van de Hemel) - 1992

Russia because I love Russian literature. There are so many great authors here and it was tough to choose just one but in the end I decided for this one:
Tolstoy, Lew Nikolajewitsch (Толстой, Лев Николаевич) "War and Peace" (Russian: Война и мир = Woina i mir) - 1868/69

Scandinavia because it's such a beautiful area. Again, tough to decide. I love Astrid Lindgren as much as Marianne Fredriksson but I decided in the end for this one where the life of women in the last century is described so well.
Fredriksson, Marianne "Hanna's Daughters" (Swedish: Anna, Hanna og Johanna) - 1994

Turkey because I've been there and we have many people with Turkish ancestors living in our country and because Orhan Pamuk is one of my favourite authors ever and "My Name is Red" probably my favourite book by him.
Pamuk, Orhan "My Name is Red" (Turkish: Benim Adim Kirmizi) - 1998

I could have carried on with Japan, the USA and many, many other countries but I thought thirteen is already three more than ten, so here you go.

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Do you have a favourite setting? Even if you don't participate in the Top Ten Tuesday challenge, maybe this would be a topic you could just write one post about.

30 comments:

  1. This is a great list. I'd love to read more books set in Germany and Greece.

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    1. Well, Deb, for Greece I can really, really recommend Victoria Hislop, she is an honory citizen after all she wrote about the country. And I read a few more. Just check out my link.

      The same for Germany, being German, I have read a lot of books that take place here. And I am always happy to recommend some.

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  2. Ditto for me on Russia, Rutherford, and Austen. I'm not sure whether A Suitable Boy is so representative of India anymore, given that it was published in the 1990s, but still it's a good book (and a voluminous one too). And Pearl S. Buck was my first adult book love too. :)

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    1. Oh, that's great, Lex. I knew we had a lot of books in common.

      Pearl S. Buck, many criticized her being award the Nobel Prize but I believe she really deserved it. Many people like us were probably introduced to that kind of literature to her. She will always have a special place in my heart and a large one on my bookshelf.

      I agree with your comment about "A Suitable Boy". It was the first book I read about India and I absolutely love chunky books. I see it more as a historical fiction now since it tells us a lot about India first after gaining indepence.

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  3. A great list, and your personal acquaintance with so many countries makes it even more interesting!

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    1. Thanks, Jen. It's always much more interesting if you can relate your reading to something you experienced yourself.

      Often, if I haven't been to the country, I know someone from there, that also helps. Maybe that's why I love reading about so many different countries.

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  4. I love The Cemetery of Forgotten Books (more people need to read it!) and Persuasion is also my favourite Austen! Great list 😍

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    1. It's just one of the greatest series ever written, Dini. What a shame we won't have more books by this fantastic author.

      And most people prefer "Pride & Prejudice" over "Persuasion". But maybe they haven't read it. ;)

      Anyway, I love all the Austen books but this one the most.

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  5. The Shadow of the Wind was JUST recommendmended to me by two different people—you make three! Guess I need to get on that. :)

    Lori
    https://fiftytwo.blog/2021/10/11/ttt-favorite-book-settings/

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    1. Oh, you definitely do, Lori. And you will have all those books by Carlos Ruiz Zafón to look forward to. You can read them all mixed up but since you haven't read any, I recommend you start with "The Shadow of the Wind" and carry on with the other "Cemetery of forgotten books" before going on to all hsi others. Believe me, you will want to read them all. Enjoy!

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  6. Great list! I love books set in England, and would love to read more books set in China or Scandinavia.

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    1. Thanks, Lindsey. I would love to read more set in Belgium but there don't seem to be that many there. Maybe you can recommend some?

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  7. Great list! Most of my reads tend to be based in the US and UK. I have been trying to diversify my reading more.

    Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
    https://readbakecreate.com/autumn-vibes-books-whos-cover-has-autumn-feels/

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    1. I can imagine, Pam. The trouble is, that many foreign books aren't translated into English and hence not so well know. You will find many on my list, I always try to find out whether there is an English translation of any of the books I read. I'm always happy to recommend something if you look ofr a certain place. Or just hit one of my links.

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  8. What wide reading interests you have. In awe! Cheers

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    1. Thanks, Carole. I just enjoy reading them and if others don't but like to read only one certain genre, that's fine, too. I'm just very interested in this world and what's going on elsewhere.

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  9. I love your creative and interesting spin on the topic! Nicely done!

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    1. Thanks, Carol. If you ask me about a setting, I always think country first. Can't help it. LOL

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  10. Great list! You've been to so many interesting places! Thanks so much for visiting Long and Short Reviews!

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    1. Thanks, Poinsettia. That's the advantage of living in Europe, you don't need long to get to another country. Actually, where we lived in the Netherlands, we could easily visit three countries within an hour.

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  11. I love books set in Ireland, too! I would love to go there someday.

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    1. As I mentioned above, Deanna, it's my favourite country. It's absolutely beautiful and the people are the nicest in the world. Let me know if you go, I can recommend a lot of places.

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  12. China is such a huge and varied country, and England and Greece as well. I love reading about Ireland too.

    The Netherlands is interesting to just having learned about it from certain bloggers, and during the Olympics I was fascinated by ther team in the road race cycling.

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    1. You are right, Greg. It's fascinating to read about large countries because of the variety there but even smaller countries are not the same everywhere.

      Yes, the Netherlands is a great cycling country, kids are born with a bicycle. LOL.

      I remember a reporter saying the Dutch were so good at ice skating because they always had to use the canals in the winter to get to work. I asked my son whether he also used the canals. He bikes to work in Amsterdam and he said they wouldn't let him on the canals with that. LOL

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  13. It's interesting that you picked specific countries. Great list!

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    1. Thank you, Lectrice. As you know, I love to travel the world with my books, so that sprang to mind right away.

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  14. My setting would simply be...medieval world and renaissance world.

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    1. Mmmmh, why am I not surprised, Sarah? Though, if you're honest, you read so much non-fiction, there have to be some contemporary places, as well.

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    2. Hmmm. Good point. I will have to think on this a bit more.

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    3. That's alright. I could also remind you the next time. LOL

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