Monday, January 21, 2013

Top Ten Settings I'd Like to See More Of!


Here are the Top Ten Settings I'd Love to See More Of!
1. Michigan.
I'm from the midwest. I can relate to novels set from Wisconsin to Ohio. I've lived in Chicago and devoured books set on in it's beautiful splendor. Only, I'm from Michigan. I grew up here and I'm living in the metro Detroit area again. Since I was a child I've had a hard time finding books set in my home state, and then finding ones that didn't deal so heavily with the auto industry. There is a very specific culture to the midwest, and I love seeing it represented in literature - no matter what the actual place, I just want to see my home a big more evenly represented.

2. New York in the 1920's
The Jazz age fascinates me. It's at once festive, sad, and glamours. I'm enchanted by the liquor and the dancing. Really, I just want to ware cloche hats and drop waist dresses and not have to worry about the internet.

3. Hemingway's Paris
Alright, This should really be 2b. Still the 20's. Still the lost generation. Only I really loved the Paris wife and want books about ever one of his contemporaries in Paris. There's a book about Zelda Fitzgerald coming out this spring and I'm super pumped for it!

4. Canada
My grandmother is Canadian, and I'm a 20 minute drive from Windsor. I never see books set in Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver. I'd love to devour some stories about our neighbors to the north!

5. Cemeteries
I've always loved cemeteries as settings. They can be romantic or sad or mysterious, they bring all types of people together and can hold amazing amounts of information.

6. Bookstores/Libraries
Last year I read (er, listened to the audiobook) Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore and I was hooked. I wanted to find more mysterious bookstores, or find another forgotten library. These are places that are so relatable for bookish people and I love to see writers describe their favorite haunts.

7. Boarding Schools/ Prestigious Universities.
I just find pretensions institutes of learning fascinating, okay?

8.Hogwarts
Hey, a girl can dream, right?

And Two Settings I am DONE with:

1. Dystopian America
It can be done right, but a good dystopian novel set in America is very hard to come by lately. It doesn't help that lately everything seem's dystopian and I'm just over it.

2. The Pacific Northwest
I don't care about Seattle or Portland. I don't care about the constant rain. I don't want to read about hipsters in the rain. The end.



11 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm really done with the Pacific North West as well.

I'm from michigan!!

Hunted by: DJ DeSmyter is set in Mi!

Happy Reading!

Li @ rulethewaves.net said...

As a Canadian, I should've mentioned Canada but I forgot *blushes* I mean, granted, I should be reading more Canadian literature but you're right, there should be more books set in Toronto, Vancouver, etc *nods*

Great list! =D Here's my 10 places for this week's TTT =)

danicapage said...

Definitely agree with the 20's and Hemingway's Paris and Canada.

Hogwarts made my list too. :) I still like dystopian, so sorry.

But seriously great list.

Here's mine

~Danica Page

Taking It One Page at a Time

marissa | Rae Gun Ramblings said...

I did boarding schools too! and yes I dream of more Hogwarts stories. Keep hoping!

Marissa @ Rae Gun Ramblings

Bree said...

I've got Canada on my list, but that's because I am Canadian, haha! :) Boarding schools is a good one, as is bookstores & libraries (we should have ALL come up with that one, lol...)

Bree
My Top Ten @ Coffee Bean Bookshelf

lillylilac said...

Great list, I want to read stories set in the 1920s, in cemetries, bookstores/libraries and boarding schools as well.

JaneGS said...

Last year before I went to Montreal, my brother, who lives in Toronto, recommended Louise Penny's murder mysteries, set in a small town outside of Montreal, but with forays into the city. I read the first one, Still Life, and liked it and plan to read more.

Fun list--I'm on board with the Paris, 20's, Hemingway riff!

Red said...

I almost listed Hogwarts too. But I don't want Rowling to just set books there to make a quick buck instead of letting the series be AND I don't really want other people setting their stories there. So yeah. TORN

Anonymous said...

New York in the 20s, absolutely! Have you read Libba Bray's The Diviners yet? Fabulous. I wish I'd included cemeteries too! The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman is one of my faves. Great list!

Lisa
My TTT

Angela said...

I love #1 (I live in Wisconsin) and #6 (bookshops have so much charm).

Becky said...

Oh my gosh, lol, I wish I had thought to do a settings I'm done with set as well. I think I' probably say high school. Sorry YA fic, I love you, but I never want to go back there Here's Ours