16. A book set in a rural or sparsely populated area

[Emily, Conterminous Mod]

To contrast last week's global cities prompt, we are taking it to the countryside with a book that takes place in a rural setting. Small town life can be as idyllic as Sarah Addison Allen's Peach Keeper or as menacing as Courtney Summer's Sadie. Take to the backroads this week and pick a book set in a small town.

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Suggestions:
Top 10 Novels on Rural America
10 Great Novels of the Rural
10 Books Set in the English Countryside
Books We Love that are Set in Small Towns
9 Books Where Small Towns are Big Characters
9 Books for People Who Love Small Towns
10 Best Small Towns in Books
Small Town Books Where Everyone has a Secret
Small Town Crime Books
YA Small Town Love Stories
YA Set in Spooky Small Towns
Listopia: Best Books with Rural Settings

ATY Group Listopia

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Optional Questions
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. What is the setting?
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?

[Dana]

Among the Wicked, which is small town Amish country in Ohio. I do enjoy rural settings for books.

[Serendipity]

Hoping to get hold of Hearing Birds Fly which is set in Mongolia, a country with one of the lowest population densities.

[Angie]

I love this kind of setting, and a good chunk of my booklist works for this. I'll probably do Winter's Bone. It's rural noir/grit lit. There was a movie a few years ago (which I still haven't seen) starring Jennifer Lawrence. I'm pretty excited to read it.

The book is set in the Ozark Mountains.

[SadieReadsAgain]

From my physical/Kindle shelves, I've got...

Beartown
Blackbird House
I'm Not Scared
Kilbrack
Rebecca
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Little Friend
The Road
The Secrets Mothers Keep
The Wasp Factory

[Traci]

I'm planning on reading a book from Mongolia. Probably The Blue Sky, but Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race has been recommended to me.

[[deleted user]]

I'm having fun with this prompt and I'm going to read The Girl in Red, which is an adult, dystopian retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story, and takes place in the Woods (which I'm assuming is rural/not populated by anything human, lol).

[Wendy]

Looking at my shelves/TBR:
Drop City
Ormeshadow
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Cold Sassy Tree
Disappearing Earth
Miracle Creek

Does wilderness count?
The White Road

[Rachel]

Right now my options are:
Where the Crawdads Sing
The Graveyard Book
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

[Ashley]

I read The Long Winter. While most of the book look place in town, the town was not very big. People were still working on settling this area of the country when the book took place.

[Dea]

I just finished The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Almost all of the book is set in a remote part of Alaska.

I'm reading it for the survival prompt, but it would fit here, too.

Trigger warning: domestic violence.

[Sara]

1. What are you reading for this category? Benediction
2. What is the setting? Holt, Colorado
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? Yes, they are frequently my favorites.

[Maple]

1. What are you reading for this category?
Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century

2. What is the setting?
It varies, but typically small town America or National Parks.

3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
Not really. As someone who grew up in a rural area, I hate how cliche and stereotypical every book about a rural area is. That was part of my rational for picking Nomadland. Also knowing that one day this will be mine, and my friends retirement plan (by choice or by force).

[Ruth]

1. What are you reading for this category?
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman which I had originally thought I's use for week 7 (a book set in the Southern Hemisphere)
2. What is the setting?
The first part of the book is set on Janus Rock, a fictional island located 160 km (100 miles) off the southwest coast of Western Australia, the only inhabitants are the light house keeper and his family.
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
I don't set out to read about the countryside as such although I love walking so am on the lookout for books about hiking (e.g Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail or A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.)

[Milena]

1. What are you reading for this category?
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
2. What is the setting?
An area of Poland that's very sparsely populated, especially in winter.
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
Yes.

[Lieke]

1. What are you reading for this category?
Lampje by Annet Schaap

2. What is the setting?
A small coastal town

3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
Depends on the book and the writer.
I did enjoy this children's book :)

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

Ruth wrote: "I don't set out to read about the countryside as such although I love walking so am on the lookout for books about hiking (e.g Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail or A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.)
."

If you like walking books, last year I read The Salt Path about a couple who walk the Coastal Path in Cornwall. Having walked part of that path, I absolutely loved the book although I do see why some people hated it. I think people who are long-distance walkers look at these books differently (I detested Wild, mostly because she did so many stupid things but presented them as triumphs rather than stupid things)

[Pamela, Arciform Mod]

1. What are you reading for this category? Educated
2. What is the setting? Mostly a remote house on the side of a mountain in Idaho
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? I don't really pick books based on location. And as someone who recently found out she lives in a USDA rural area rather than a summer resort area (useful for getting government grants!), but has lived most of her lift in cities, there is really no difference in how people interact or behave in both environments- it's more about how they choose to do so.

[Evelyn]

1. What are you reading for this category?


2. What is the setting? A small town.

3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? It depends on the genre.

[Lin]

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read The Scent Keeper by Erica Bauermeister. I really enjoyed the book. The story was told in wonderful detail.
2. What is the setting? A small island around Vancouver, Canada
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? I read books in all settings. I don't search rural settings out.

[Emma]

This was an easy one for me - I went with Andy Catlett: Early Travels by Wendell Berry.

I feel like Port William, Kentucky is the quintessential fictional rural location, and I really love pretty much everything Berry has written!

[Sara]

I feel exactly the same about Berry and Port William, Emma!

[Ruth]

Pamela wrote: "Ruth wrote: "I don't set out to read about the countryside as such although I love walking so am on the lookout for books about hiking (e.g Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail or A ..."

Pamela, thanks for the suggestion, I'm now reading The Salt Path, I live on the route of the SW Way in South Devon and have walked a bit on the north coast and most of the path along the South Devon coast. Agree with you about some of the things Cheryl Strayed did on her hike!

[Jill]

Ruth wrote: "Pamela wrote: "Ruth wrote: "I don't set out to read about the countryside as such although I love walking so am on the lookout for books about hiking (e.g Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Cr..."

I loved The Salt Path. Probably the best book I read last year. I have walked most of the Cornwall part and some of the rest, but only in short trips.

[Erika]

1. What are you reading for this category?
Her Darkest Nightmare - it's a mystery/thriller about a psychiatrist who works at a prison in rural Alaska where the goal of the prison is to study the worst killers/violent offenders in America in an effort to understand the "psychopathy problem" aka what makes people psychopaths. And of course there's some other drama and steamy romance stuff going on too.
2. What is the setting?
The very small town of Hilltop, Alaska (which I don't think is real)
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
I actually love them. Set a book (especially mystery/thriller) in a snowy Northern town or mountainous/foresty region and I'm going to be giving it longing eyes. I love anything about small communities tbh.

I would also recommend the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong, the first book is City of the Lost which takes place in a small, literally off the map, Yukon town if you like mystery thrillers.

OR

The Lovely and the Lost as a YA suggestion. It features search and rescue dogs and takes place mostly in a small town/national park forest and I absolutely loved it. (it's pure coincidence that both of these titles have the word lost in them)

[Beth]

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Us Against You by Fredrik Backman. It is the sequel to Beartown.

2. What is the setting?
Beartown, a small fictional town in Sweden.

3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
Sure. It really depends on the story, the author, etc.

[Sarah]

I am going to read Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike by Charlotte Gray.
It is about the Yukon Gold Rush and has a part about the establishment of Dawson City, a large mining city of the time.
I had the opportunity to visit Dawson City last year. The mine shut down years ago but the city doesn't look like it has changed much.

[Anastasia]

Empire of Wild takes place on the shores Georgian Bay, Ontario, Canada. A small town of Metis is being haunted by a Rougarou, which is a version of a werewolf.

I have not finished it yet, but the story is really good, so I will be done very shortly. 😊

[Jana]

I read Educated set in rural Idaho.

[Sarah]

I finished We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. It's a YA novel set (mostly) on a private island.

[Marie (UK)]

I read The Crossing Places
on 08/03/2020

Set on and around the salt Marshes of the Norfolk Fens

I thinks the setting is less important than that it fits the narrative

[Kim]

Optional Questions
1. What are you reading for this category? The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
2. What is the setting? The backwoods and mountains of Kentucky
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? I enjoy them especially when they show the strength of the characters.

[Andrea]

For this category, I read Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas. It takes place in the backwoods of Pennsylvania. Remote settings are perfect for gothic stories.

[Susan]

The Long Way Home by Louise Penny, set in (mostly) various small towns in Canada. One is so remote that no roads go there, just supply planes and boats. The mystery is a bit slow and wandering. 3/5
I'm by nature an urban creature, but I read small town mysteries fairly often.

[Steven]

I read The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

Small college in Vermont.

If they are well written I enjoy them. I did not particularly enjoy this book, but other ones I have enjoyed.

[Traci]

Toxic Toffeeby Amanda Flower is set in Amish country in Ohio. I enjoy this series of books set in a candy shop and a cozy mystery series. I think many of my books i select tend to be in big cities or suburbs but don't dislike books that give glimpses at small town/country living

https://titlesurfingwithtraci.blogspo...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Alesha]

1. What are you reading for this category?
The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James

2. What is the setting?
Fell, New York. As far as I know, it's a fictional small town, but St. James made it feel very realistic.

3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
Probably no more than I enjoy books set in global cities, however, I do think that small towns tend to complement mysteries and thrillers very well.

4.5 to 5 stars. Really enjoyed this one! Very eerie and reminded me of elements of The Shining (which I also love).

[Leah]

I read 'Summer and Love' by William Trevor.
It's set in rural Ireland in the 1950s.
I don't have any strong views on where a book is set, provided it's a good story!
I loved this book. One review in the blurb says 'Elegiac and poignant, Love and Summer is a work of real beauty', and I would wholeheartedly agree with that.
I did consider it however, for the prompt 'A time or place that you wouldn't want to live' because of the inherent repression of the small community.

[Laurel]

1. What are you reading for this category? Girl Gone Missing by Marcie Rendon
2. What is the setting? Rural Minnesota
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? Very much, if the characters and plot are good.

CW for sex trafficking and racism in this book. The protagonist is a Native American woman looking into the disappearance of several young women from rural communities after a visit to the big city.

[MN]

I read Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing for this prompt. The descriptions of the wildlife are superb.

[Shelley]

1. What are you reading for this category? Last Ones Left Alive
2. What is the setting? Rural Ireland during a zombie apocalypse
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? No. I love cities, I love living in the city, I love visiting other cities. I love reading about cities.

[Sherri]

I read Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips. It is set on the remote Siberian peninsula of Kamchatka, Russia. The setting is as much a part of the story as the main storyline of sisters abduction. I gave it 3 stars but right now I am still mad about the book & think I should of given it 2 stars. I put the book on hold in December & waited all this time to read it. Now I’m just mad. The story is told through vignettes involving women that are connected to or influenced by the children’s kidnapping. I felt let down for some reason by the ending. It seemed ambiguous to me. I reread the last pages several times but still didn’t come away feeling I knew exactly how it ended. I was left frustrated.

[Samantha]

1. What are you reading for this category? Lakewood
2. What is the setting? From the description it is set in the mysterious and remote town of Lakewood, Michigan.
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? I think I enjoy when books that have the proper setting. From what I know about this book the remote setting sounds like it will add to the tension so will be a good one.

[Donna]

1. What are you reading for this category? Into the Forest by Jean Heglund. I belong to a postcard club, and someone from The Netherlands recommended this book. I am excited to read it for that reason.

2. What is the setting? A forest in California, 32 miles from the nearest town.

3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? I enjoy books! The setting does not matter much to me. :-)

[Aimee]

I'm going to be reading The Familiars for a book club and I'm trying to work out how I can fit it into the ATY challenge. I've already done prompts 2 and 8 which would have been perfect otherwise.

It sounds from the blurb like it takes place in a rural area so could be used to this prompt - can anyone confirm that for me please? Thanks!

[Heather]

1)Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
2)rural Iceland
3)I don't think I care where it's set as long as it's well written.

[Jill]

What are you reading for this category?
Zennor In Darkness by Helen Dunmore

What is the setting? A small village in Cornwall, during the first word war

Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? I know this area where this book is set, but really it does not matter to me were a book is set, as long as the story is good

[SadieReadsAgain]

What are you reading for this category? The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
What is the setting? Wigtown, in Dumfries and Galloway
Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? Yes, very much. I don't mind a city but there's something about the countryside in the hands of a good writer that can't be beaten.

So let's list things that I love. Scotland, bookshops, books about books, heavy doses of sarcasm, and (when I worked in a bookshop myself) snarking about customers. So given that all of these boxes are ticked in this book, it was a open goal. I cringed and laughed in equal measures, and given that my own bookselling career was pre-Kindle, early Amazon and in a high street chain brand which has since eaten most of the competition, I learned so much about the used book trade and the realities of an independent book shop. I particularly enjoyed reading about the Wigtown Book Festival, which is top of my newly-single-freedom bucket list to visit. Bythell is curmudgeonly, but underneath it lies a man who is passionate about books, generous with his hospitality and very obviously cares about the people around him. I warmed to him a lot in his entries of striving to keep a threatened business afloat whilst not repeating his Kindle-shooting incident with certain incredibly rude and/or ignorant customers (or gawpers, given how rudeness and ignorance usually coincides with tightfistedness). I can't wait for the end of lock-down so I can start planning my Wigtown visit.

[Stephanie]

1. What are you reading for this category? The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator
2. What is the setting? Norra Forlosa, Sweden
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas? Yes, I feel that a rural setting is more quaint and intimate. With a small town, everyone usually knows everyone yet some secrets can still be hidden.

[Pam]

1. What are you reading for this category?
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
2. What is the setting?
A remote Polish village
3. Do you enjoy books set in rural areas?
Yes but, of course, it depends on the writing and the story.