Does the setting or location of a book affect your reading choices?

[Meredith]

It doesn't really bother me at all. If I struggle though whether it's vocabulary trouble or Era difficulty I really have to read slowly and re-read over and over.

[DonnaCarol]

I enjoy books set in places I am familiar with AND those that I am clueless about. I read about places near me or places I have been and it seems that the stories take on a more realistic feel. I guess because my sub-conscious knows that these are true to life places. And it's fun to be reading and suddenly read the name of a town, or community & catch yourself saying, "oh my gosh, I've been there". My imagination doesn't have to stretch very far on these. On the other hand, I like to read about places I have never been to if I know they do exist. It may be the closest I will ever get to "visit" these places. I don't enjoy as well, the books that are set in places that are totally made up. I do read them(after all, these are works of "fiction") but somehow just knowing that there is no such place makes it a bit harder for me to be pulled into a story. The author has to have that "special" gift to get me there.

[Carmen]

Love the Donna Leon books set in Venice. She also co-wrote a cookbook based on the food in the series!

[Cathy]

Stephanie wrote: "Yes. I will automatically add a book to my reading list if the setting is either Minnesota or Massachusetts, both places where I have lived. I will also tend to add a MN author if it's in a genre ..."

If you ever give mysteries a try, John Sandford's Davenport series is set in the Twin Cities but my fav is the William kent kruger series set in the Iron Range. He does a great job weaving the setting into the plot (and characters for that matter)

[Cathy]

Jenni wrote: "Twin Cities and Iron Range. Where are these located?"

Oops, sorry. Both are in Minnesota
Twin Cities - Minneapolis/St Paul
Iron Range - northern MN, lake country close to Canadian border

[Donna]

I don't think that I've ever picked a book based on it's setting. There are some backdrops I feel very comfortable and at home in. Small towns depicted by John Grisham come to mind. Now that may be because it reminds me of where I grew up.
I am always in awe, however, when a writer's use of a location becomes integral to the story. Ian Rankin's Edinburgh is a prime example, but Giles Blunt also does this very well. He uses Northern Ontario's weather and landscape in a way that's tied to the story. No other setting would be right.

[Norene]

Yes. I like travel settings, well-described, as if I am there in the middle of the action.

[Kathy]

I especially love series books that are set in a specific location: JA Jance - Seattle & Arizona; Robert Parker - Boston; John Sanford - Minnesota; and, Robert Crais & Michael Connolly - LA.

[Kathy]

I'll read mysteries set just about anywhere, but I love British mysteries, especially ones set in England. I've only been there twice, both times in the 80's, but I'd really love to visit again someday.

I also like them set in Florida (where I live), but there aren't too many cozies set here. Mysteries and thrillers, yes. Cozies, no. I've enjoyed the Julie O'hara mysteries set here, the first one is Castle Cay

[Kathy]

Laurence wrote:
Here's a Pinterest board of Irish crime/mystery authors. 90% of ..."

Thanks for that link Laurence. A lot of them look like they're not available in the U.S., but I'll keep checking. Several look interesting.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder*]

I really don't pay much attention to location and settings of books when decided to read them or not

[[deleted user]]

If it's a really good book nothing distracts me but I like being alone when I read. It's nice to read on the front porch on a nice day.

[Catherine]

I am partial to mysteries that take place in Europe...particularly..UK.....but I simply love mysteries for the way they transform any place into something unexpected :)

[AngryGreyCat]

Catherine wrote: "I am partial to mysteries that take place in Europe...particularly..UK.....but I simply love mysteries for the way they transform any place into something unexpected :)"

me, too!! I love all the British mysteries S.J. Bolton; Ann Cleeves; Ann Purser; M.C. Beaton; Peter May; so many great mysteries with settings in the UK

[Lexie]

I don't like to read a book set somewhere I'm just about to visit for the first time or somewhere I am for the first time - I like to see it first through my own eyes, not someone else's. But then I'm happy to read almost anywhere, as it were. There are one or two settings I'm not keen on: I find the Spanish Civil War a very depressing background (I love C.J. Sansom's Shardlake books but couldn't deal with his Spanish stand-alone novel), and I hate reading about Ireland, particularly the north. But Scotland lures me back again and again, even though I find Tartan Noir a bit overdone!

P.S. to Jac: Yes, Iain M. Banks is just as good as Iain Banks - very clever and thought-provoking.

[Mel]

I like the Shardlake stories as well, the protagonist is portrayed sympathetically but quite realistically. Henry VIII, however, comes across as highly dislikeable.

[Lexie]

I think Henry was a pretty mixed character - and it's hard to be entirely sympathetic towards someone who had two of his wives beheaded!

[Mel]

In historical terms, yes, he was pretty mixed. But in the Shardlake stories he appeared to be painted in more negative terms. His mockery of Matthew's back being an example.

[Lexie]

I don't disagree, but I wonder, though: Sansom portrays quite a few people either fearing Shardlake's hunchback or laughing at it. Perhaps he's simply portraying Henry as a man of his day. But you're right: Henry is particularly cruel about it.

And Death at La Fenice is lovely! Donna Leon is a great setter of stories.

[[deleted user]]

Being born and raised in California I do enjoy reading books set here. But I rarely touch Hollywood stories. I have no interest in the fame or fortune of the famous. Also, I love gothic southern settings. It is almost an automatic buy for me. Especially New Orleans.

I like European settings too. But any mention of Wales will get my interest. It's where my grandfather's family came from. I haven't read any Welsh mysteries though I'd love to.

And I love historical settings. Any. My favorites are probably WWII era and the American Civil War.

[Leigh]

Traci L. wrote: "Being born and raised in California I do enjoy reading books set here. But I rarely touch Hollywood stories. I have no interest in the fame or fortune of the famous. Also, I love gothic southern se..."

Here is a list featuring mysteries set in Wales.

http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/Loc...

[Ron]

Where the location is, is pretty much irrelevant to me. The author is more important than the location. Although, in some cases, the author is going to determine which location is used. Such as, a John Sandford book, either Davenport or Virgil, will be set in Minnesota. But, author is more important than that, to me. A Michael Connelly will be pretty much set in LA. Although, it might go to another location from there. Robert B. Parker's Spenser series will be set in Boston. His Jesse Stone books, will be set around Boston with forays into Boston in some of them. Carl Hiaasen's will be set in Florida. I still read all of them, but, the fact that they are set in different locations is not the attraction. Or, maybe it is and I haven't realized it yet.

But, location isn't my driving force behind what I read. Another driving force, is how it became recommended to me. My brother has recommended the Hiaasen novels to me, along with his wife. I respect their opinions. Don't always agree with them on books and authors, but, did in the Hiaasen one. Another recommendation of my brother, is the Inspector Shan books by Eliot Patterson. I haven't read one, yet, but, 1 has bubbled up on my "to read" list on Goodreads. Looking forward to it.

Several people have recommended Inferno by Dan Brown. In fact, I'm reading it now and have thanked all who recommended it to me.

So, authors and recommendations have more weight, to me, than the setting, or location, of the book.

[Mark]

Stephanie wrote: "Have you read the late Iain M. Banks' books? I read his literary fiction, under his real name without the M. Are the sci fi books as good?
"

I have not. My next audiobook is an Ian Banks one in h..."

His science fiction is tremendous - more influential that his mainstream stuff, at least in England.

[Mark]

Elizabeth wrote: "Reminds me of the television show"Foyle's War" Was that based on a series of books?"

Kathy wrote: "I'll read mysteries set just about anywhere, but I love British mysteries, especially ones set in England. I've only been there twice, both times in the 80's, but I'd really love to visit again som..."

Kathy wrote: "I'll read mysteries set just about anywhere, but I love British mysteries, especially ones set in England. I've only been there twice, both times in the 80's, but I'd really love to visit again som..."

Foyle's War certainly was created by a writer (Anthony Hotowitz) but I don't think he based it on his own books. I could be wrong.

That setting works for me, too; big-time. I come from London and I find the idea of a blitzed city, standing alone against the Germans, very evocative indeed. And there are a myriad of opportunities for great fiction. One of my more recent books was set during London during the Blitz and I had a blast doing the research. It really was like another world.

[Lexie]

I think it was written for television, but mostly very well (just a few anachronisms!). Superb acting always helps.

[Olivia "So many books--so little time.""]

If a story is good the setting doesn't matter, but I've several favorites including New York, LA, New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana, and the Midwest. I also like small towns for cozy mysteries.

[Barb]

I have,on occasion, read a book because it was set in an interesting location. But, I have never determined I would NOT read a book based on a location. For example: while in Italy, I read The Agony and Ecstasy about Michelangelo. And, in some cases the location is almost one of the characters, it is so vital to the story - for example, Amy Tan's books about women's lives in China. But, mostly I am looking for a well-told story and this could be set anywhere.

[VickiLee]

The location, if described with alluring imagery, can hold me rapt. The truth is even the most common of landscapes can become captivating through the words of an imaginative writer.

[Gina]

Yes, I suppose there's been a couple of times I was put off by location, but it's very rare. For me, it's more about the storyline and genre. If it sounds like a good book, I'll try it :)

[Susan]

Karin wrote: "Yes, I do choose books based on their locale. Usually Ireland, Scotland and England locations grab my attention first, followed by other destinations I would like to travel to. I just read a book s..."

Karin,

Have you read Mystery of the Death Hearth: A Runevision Novel? It's a Celtic murder mystery set in the 5th century. The author did a phenomenal job researching the northern European (the European Celts) and Roman cultures. The book is full of fascinating details about both cultures, and I think the author "plays fair" in presenting the good and bad of both groups. I learned a lot, and thoroughly enjoyed the mystery.

~Susan

[Clare]

I prefer to read crime books set in the UK, Ireland and the USA. Canada and Australia are OK too. I find a lot of the European especially Scandinavian books hard to get into. I think it is because the legal and police system are different and unfamiliar. However I enjoy other genres set in different parts of the world

[GlenK]

Most definitely. I'm first attracted to the weather described in a book, personally preferring dark and gloomy. Additionally, political/social climate and time period can be attractions. I think perfect for me is England, Scotland, Germany, or San Francisco in the 1930s-1940s. With bad weather.

[Tracyk]

I am currently trying to read more mysteries set all over the world, and especially Scandinavian countries, Asian countries, and Scotland. Previously my preference was mysteries set in the UK and set during WWII.

[[deleted user]]

I also like books set in England, Scotland, Ireland, or Australia, and have an interest in stories set in the 1920's era or earlier. I find the liberated flapper-style characters of that time both refreshingly modern and fun to follow.

[Tanya]

For me it's not the geographical setting, but it's the description, tone and feeling of the setting. In a mystery, crime story or a thriller, the setting is just as much a character as the characters are in a book.

The setting is the thrill and the adventure for me. A place where I feel cozy and comfortable one moment and I want to turn the bathroom light on before I go to bed the next moment.

[Kirsten]

Yes, in some ways. (1) I love reading books set somewhere I've lived or been, say Seattle or the Tri-Cities.

(2) I love reading mysteries set in foreign climes. It's always interesting to compare the culture and the legal systems against our own.

(3) If you're talking temporal settings, I have weakness for books set before or during World War I.

[Tanya]

I like setting that I just get lost in...settings that take me away on an adventure.

It is fun if it is in Hawaii on in a tropical spot, but I like to have some kind of danger involved in the setting. Something to thrill me.

[James]

If it is done well, a novel set in an interesting place I am not familiar with adds an entire dimension to the story. I will have learned something, and been entertained in the process!

[Leigh]

James wrote: "If it is done well, a novel set in an interesting place I am not familiar with adds an entire dimension to the story. I will have learned something, and been entertained in the process!"

Yes! I think that is part of the reason I tend to ignore(overlook might be more accurate word here) books set in LA.

[Pamela]

I definitely love a sense of place within a mystery. I have Swedish and Spanish settings on my ready to read pile following my visit to the Scottish crime festival at Stirling.

[Lexie]

No! Read Scottish crime! (sorry, biased! :))

[[deleted user]]

I like books set in Florida. I guess that's because I graduated from the U of F and now live in NJ.
Richard Brawer
www.silklegacy.com

[Beth]

At first I thought no, setting doesn't matter at all. But i remembered an exception. If the setting is in Michigan, I woukd be more apt to read the book. Or, if the setting is San Diego, California, I'd be more apt to read it. The former is where I live, the latter is where I used to live.

[Michael]

I find myself gravitating towards any book set in Ireland, Michigan, or polar regions.

[Heather]

Lately I've been drawn toward books that are more brooding, and that usually goes for the setting as well. I like books set in winter or generally cold places, and I also tend to like those that are either in mountainous regions or sparse, windswept landscapes. I'm not a big city girl, and I think that shows in my reading taste. Although there are certainly times I love a dose of big city madness and chaos.

[Curlyhair]

I prefer books mainly written for the US and some set in the UK. Crime/thrillers just seem better from there - for me.

[Wendy]

I always enjoy settings in places I know or have visited. Adds a little frisson to the story, particularly with a mystery or thriller!

[Bryan]

It's a priority for me! I look for settings in small towns, or at least not big cities. Prefer the Northwest or Northern states.

[Susan]

Regional mysteries are my favorites. Tony Hillerman and Dick Francis do a wonderful job bringing setting into the story. Nevada Barr and Margaret Maron are excellent regional writers, as well.

I gave a lecture about mystery fiction last week to a college class. One of the students asked me if I had to get permission to use "real places" in my work. That was a first for me, but gave me the opportunity to discuss how writers often blend reality and fiction to create a setting.

[Susan]

Jamie Lynn wrote: "I avoid books set in certain places or certain parts of history that don't interest me.

I hope when writers do stories about certain places that they've been there. Otherwise they might make a few..."

I always appreciate when authors include a note acknowledging any changes they make to settings. One of my absolute favorites is the "confession" Nevada Barr includes at the start of her novel Borderline. You can see the entire paragraph using the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon, but here are the first few lines:

"For purposes of mine own I have done many terrible things. I have moved thousands of tons of rocks from Mexico to America at the rock slide in Santa Elena Canyon. I have rerouted roads and allowed..."

I will say that after reading her "confession" I immediately purchased the book! :)