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

[Tonya]

Diane wrote: "Sometimes. I became interested in the Brother Cadfael tales by Ellis Peters because of their medieval settings, and in Bangkok 8 for its exotic Asian setting. However, I..."

I loved Brother Cadfael. I have all the books and even went out and bought all of the videos. If you like monastic mysteries try the Matthew Bartholomew series by Susanna Gregory.

[Pamela]

I enjoy selecting and reading a book set in the area in which I am holidaying. Shrewsbury is a wonderful area, known for Cadfael. A Death in Valencia is interesting when visiting Spain. Just to name two.

[Lexie]

I love books set in the Scottish highlands and islands, but I've just started one which has completely failed to grab me, the prose flat and uninteresting. I think I feel more disappointed because I feel I ought to like it!

[Audiothing]

Love books that describe the setting and gives the reader a feel for the place. However, I did read one book by a famous author that was set in a place I knew well, sadly it was so inaccurate (with no disclaimer) that it put me off that writer for years!

[M.A.R.]

Settings do not attract me to a book. They can be a turn off if inaccurate. What's the first rule (or should be) or writing? Write about what you know.

[Pamela]

Leigh wrote: "Also this website lets you search for books by location..

https://www.smalldemons.com/places/ca...

Hope this helps"

Thanks for the link, Leigh. I enjoy reading a wide range of books and location doesn't really matter except that since I went to Europe last year, I've been fascinated by authors from the countries I visited. The stories are still the main focus, but I love seeing what differences there are in the way of telling a story from a different country. Especially because now I look for authors from different countries.

[Michael]

Do you find that the locale itself is important, or is it rather the ability of the author to invoke a sense of "place" that tells readers something we don't know (in places that are unfamiliar to us) or something that we hadn't observed (in places that we know something about)?

[M.A.R.]

Michael..you've hit the proverbial nail on the head.Again, if the info's wrong…readers will pick up on it. Just as savvy TV viewers will. I recall a "Murder She Wrote" that was set in Miami. Probably Venice Beach, in actuality. There were mountains in the background. Really? The famous Miami Mountains… highest Miami "land features" are highway overpass hills.

[Betsy]

I think that it depends on what the "mistake" is and whether it affects the story. One of my favorite tv series had an episode about the battle of Waterloo--only it was snowing. Since Waterloo was fought on June 18, 1815 in Belgium, it was rather humorous; but it did not affect the episode otherwise. It's good to be knowledgeable, but not too picky unless it in some way alters the meaning of the story.

[M.A.R.]

Battle of Waterloo in snow is like the Battle of Valley Forge in a heat wave. It does matter. If you're intent on the characters, so be it. Me? I'd change channels. In books? Anything set in northern Michigan in winter that doesn't involve snow would be hard to fathom and impossible to take seriously.

[Betsy]

If you feel that way, that's fine, but the story was more than just snow on a June day. As for books, I think more authors are doing research now so hopefully that will lessen the problem; but great books have been written for centuries, and I sincerely doubt that all were perfect in their settings.

[Eyehavenofilter]

Yes and no! It has to have the right " feel " as well. It has to feel real.

[Feliks]

Yes! If a book is under a towering-high pile of a lot of other books, I am usually disinclined to move them to get at it. Similarly, if a book is on a high, top shelf--I might not want to climb on a stepladder to access it. Or, if a book is jammed in with a bunch of others way in the far back of a shelf; or if it is jumbled in with a bunch of others in the shadowy recesses of my book bag, I might refrain from reaching for it. Setting and localtion do play a big part in my reading choices.

[Tonya]

You're so funny Feliks. I'm glad I don't feel that way, or I'd never read any of mine and my husband's books (3000+) that are mostly boxed up in our Florida room because we haven't built enough shelves yet.

[Feliks]

I applaud your loyalty to printed reading material! Bravo to you both!

[Tonya]

Call me "old fashion". Besides if I took my Kindle to work with me it would be stolen in a heartbeat.

[Lexie]

Betsy wrote: "I think that it depends on what the "mistake" is and whether it affects the story. One of my favorite tv series had an episode about the battle of Waterloo--only it was snowing. Since Waterloo wa..."

Actually that one does really annoy me, because I've put the Battle of Waterloo in a book myself and worked hard to get it right (I hope!).

[Betsy]

I can see why it would annoy you for your book, but this was a tv series. Evidently, they had started to film when a freak snowstorm came through. Since production costs were so high, they didn't feel like they could shut down. As I said, it certainly did not affect what was a powerful scene.