Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's theme? Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of (Or At All)

1. The Harry Potter universe as made famous by the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
Seriously, does this need any more explanation? I would take (almost) anything extra from this universe and before you ask - no, I have not read Fantastical Beasts and Where To Find Them, Tales of Beedle the Bard, or Quidditch Through The Ages. My dream book for supplemental material? Hogwarts, A History. Come on, Rowling! It would totally sell!

2. Paris, France as seen in Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.
Almost anyone who has read this book could tell you that Paris felt like a character. The city was such a huge part of the story that it almost felt like a secondary character. St. Clair and Anna go on so many trips through Paris - to see the famous sites as well as to hang out at local Parisian theaters and restaurants... I wasn't in love with Paris before reading Anna but I am now. If you have read any books in which a city felt like a character, please let me know!

3. Azeroth as made famous in World of Warcraft.
Alright, I'm showing my nerd here. I cannot express how wonderfully complex the lore/history/stories of the massively popular video game, WoW, is. Seriously. Blizzard (the company that owns WoW as well as the Starcraft and Diablo franchises) commission authors (most notably Richard Knaack and Christie Golden) to write novels about the lore. Any video game nerd can tell you that most of the big names in the gaming world have complex histories and lore that make the foundation of the game and World of Warcraft is no exception. I have read only a few of the WoW books but they were fantastic. If you don't believe me, head over to the WoW Wiki and look around for a while. If you're a fan of fantasy novels, chances are this world will be right up your alley. (For the Horde!)

4. Spaceships such as those seen in Firefly and Across the Universe.
Okay, first of all, if you haven't watched Firefly... what are you doing with yourself? Please, just turn around, go to Netflix and thank me later. But in all seriousness, I have only seen a spaceship setting in the two story arcs mentioned above (okay, and in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and they were amazing. There is something so futuristic but so... contemporary when I've seen this setting (think: contemporary, our time, married to the future).

5. The beach and I'm not talking about a tropical paradise. No, I'm absolutely in love with summery, beach romances that are found in stories akin to those by Nicholas Sparks and Sarah Dessen. These types of books are typically very light and fluffy, filled with parties, and adorable romance... and  before you say it, yes. I know that these books are a dime a dozen but I can't find anymore! If you can give me an awesome beach-y read similar to The Last Song or Along For the Ride, let me know! I also discovered a few debut titles that may fulfill this need for me too...

6. Steam punk 19th century as seen in The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.
I never in a million years thought that I would be attracted to a steam punk universe... but after reading The Infernal Devices - I feel like I can't get enough of this stuff! And I'm not even entirely sure that The Infernal Devices could actually be considered steam punk. I just love the feel of stories set in the turn of the century (late 1800's) with all of the new technology blended with the older styles. Yes, I have Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan waiting on my shelf for me!

7. The universe from the Study/Glass series by Maria V. Snyder.
Have you read the Study series yet? No? Please, just go. This world was absolutely fascinating to me. Snyder blended a dystopian setting with fantasy and it was wonderful. I would love to see more stories set in this world.

8. Stories set in the 1200-1300's... as seen in Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman.
I remember reading and rereading these books over and over in elementary school and, not only falling in love with the characters and the stories, but with the time period. I have yet to encounter another YA/children's book that takes place in this particular time period so if you do know of any, please send them my way. Fun fact? I wrote a letter to Karen Cushman when I was in the 6th grade... and she wrote me a letter back - hand written! I was star struck!

9. Goredd as seen in Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.
If you have read Seraphina than you know exactly what I'm talking about. This book is high fantasy - think Middle Earth and the Seven Kingdoms - as well as a young adult novel. It was wonderful, epic, and I
can't wait for the next book to come out.

10. South central Pennsylvania.
Okay, I am totally selling out with this last setting but there is something so satisfying about reading a book that takes place in your hometown. The only book I've read that takes place in my stomping grounds was Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey and I couldn't help but squeal every time she mentioned a place that I knew.


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