Focus on Reading -Week 4- The setting

[Booknblues]

Do you have any favorite settings with the books you read, either time or place?

[Joy D]

I have recently been interested in books set in places around the world - I want to broaden my knowledge of different peoples, cultures, religions, languages, customs, viewpoints, etc.

This year, I've read books set in 57 different countries.

I tend to enjoy historical time periods (1990s or prior), as long as it is authentic to the period.

[Tracy]

I like pretty much any setting, from the Shire to 500 years in the future. Learning about different times, places and people is why I love to read.

I’m not a big fan of books set in outer space, but I think that’s because so many I’ve tried to read are full of technical jargon that gets in the way of the story.

[Meli]

I love books set in NYC or other big, bustling cities. Maybe because I am from the midwest and Chicago aside we don't tend to have cities quite like a NYC or LA. Otherwise no real preference on setting.

I also like books set at a private school, like boarding school, or college. Hogwarts was an awesome setting for a book.

[Robin P]

I am a sucker for:

Paris or anywhere in France, London or anywhere in England (not so much Scotland or Ireland).

17th to early 20th century is my favorite era. Not that fond of medieval or American pioneers, too crude. I like the glamour of monarchy/nobility, even if the protagonists happen to be lower class.
(And in real life, even the nobility was disgustingly unwashed, had terrible teeth, etc.) Have read too many WWII books so I mostly avoid them now, though 1950's-60's can be great because that was my childhood.

My daughter used to joke when we would see movie previews and there was a costume drama, "this one's for you, Mom", but she was right. Stories set in the past are so much more interesting, when everything can't be solved by a phone call or internet search. I prefer historical mysteries and romances to modern ones.

Academic settings always draw me, since I spent so much time in them.

[Robin P]

Joy D wrote: "I have recently been interested in books set in places around the world - I want to broaden my knowledge of different peoples, cultures, religions, languages, customs, viewpoints, etc.

This year,..."

Wow! 57 countries is amazing! I'll have to look at mine but I'm sure I'm nowhere near that.
** Just counted and I have 21 (plus outer space). Fly the Skies influenced me having even that many.

[Booknblues]

I am interested in a variety of settings and cultures , but have nowhere near the number as Joy D. I am also interested in variety of urban, rural, desolate, ocean and forest settings. I love it if I can find a setting I am familiar with. I seem to read quite a few set in England and France.

I love historical fiction with a favorite being medieval. I also am drawn to reconstruction era, and WWII.

Because I am drawn to themes of survival, I tend to read some with wartime settings.

I also like a smattering of dystopian fiction thrown in so settings of worlds awry.

[Heather Reads Books]

I also like to read books from around the world, and I am a sucker for a good sci fi or fantasy setting (I still routinely contemplate the universes for Star Wars and A Song of Ice and Fire... I'm a nerd lol). I also have a lot of historical fiction books tagged but less than half of those I've actually read, which makes me think I need to make more of a concerted effort to read in that area.

Also I love a good spooky story set in New England in autumn. Reminds me of my childhood home.

[Theresa]

I echo much of what Robin said.

In addition to Paris and France, add Egypt, Turkey, and increasingly India...all places I have visited. I went down a middle east rabbit hole a couple years ago which does still rear its head. Lately China has been popping up - not quite a rabbit hole yet. That doesn't mean locations elsewhere don't catch my attention. These are the locations that have me automatically adding to TBR without much else needed.

Fantasy worlds...if it is essentially very our world - ASOIAF, the series started with The Bear and the Nightingale, Tolkien and Guy Gavrial-Kay worlds. Not Jemisen's Broken Earth or any outerspace.

Rural and small town appeal as those are where I grew up. Cities I have visited. Places I will be visiting.

Historicals set pre-WWII....I am totally burned out of WWII unless unique story, though there are a few in my TBR I will read eventually.

Cozy mysteries and romances of all kinds set in crafts, art, or food world.

Historical romance I prefer 19th Century especially regency and early Victorian England. Contemporary romance prefer with some thriller suspense, especially spec ops, military, FBI, spy, SARS, firefighters

All settings Christmas.

And of course Studly Men and Hunky Dogs. 😁

[Booknblues]

Theresa wrote: "Rural small town "

Yes, that is one which I forgot to list and one of our commonalities.

[LibraryCin]

Since I read pretty widely, I don't have any particular settings that I aim to read.

Except that I do try to read more Canadian stuff. Whether or not it's set in Canada (though that's a nice bonus) or a Canadian author.

[Joy D]

Robin P wrote: "Wow! 57 countries is amazing! I'll have to look at mine but I'm sure I'm nowhere near that.
** Just counted and I have 21 (plus outer space). Fly the Skies influenced me having even that many..."

It's cool that you have 21.

I also have outer space. I like SciFi, which I did not count in my 57, much of which is set in space, especially if it features artificial intelligence.

[Theresa]

You made me curious, so I went through my 2021 reads and I have about 28 countries represented so far. Multiples include Egypt, India, France, Mexico, for example. SciFi/fantasy universes acount for a surprising additional number - about 7 which is result of my Feminerdy Book Club. Some counted in the 28 were alternate universe of real places.

I have always loved reading books set in interesting settings.

[Theresa]

Meli wrote: "I love books set in NYC or other big, bustling cities. Maybe because I am from the midwest and Chicago aside we don't tend to have cities quite like a NYC or LA. Otherwise no real preference on set..."

If you have not yet read The City We Became, you must. Captures NYC brilliantly and all the locales exist.

When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole brilliantly captures a transitioning Brooklyn neighborhood, although being her first mystery, has weaknesses in plot and characters but still good read.

Lawrence Block Burglar mysteries capture NYC.

I have a New York City shelf you might want to look at. Francophilia shelf has plenty with Paris locales. Cara Black totally brings you Paris.

[Johanne]

I like made-up settings, if they're well thought out. For realistic settings, I don't have any in particular places or times, but I like when the setting becomes a character in itself. Like the nature in Out Stealing Horses, The Blue Fox and The Dry. Or how the city becomes part of the story in The Shadow of the Wind. I also like realistic settings with a tweak (alternative history, steampunk set in London etc.) like Burn, The Invisible Library and Soulless.
Finally I like reading a book set in the place I am when I travel (though the concept of travelling seems like a long ago dream atm).

[Jgrace]

I'm all over the map and out of this world when it comes to settings. I prefer historical fiction to contemporary settings. I seem to be in England with much of my reading , mystery series and regency romances are quick reads so that pushes the number of books that I tag that way.
I've had a fascination with Japan since I was a young child, a kimono on the cover pulls me in. I've had an interest in China since I read The Good Earth when I was 15. I tag books for only two cities; London and New York City, so I must be reading in those settings fairly often , but it's rarely a current day setting. I like going back in time.

I'm not widely traveled, never been to Europe or Asia, so I'm mostly reading about places I've never been to. I did live in South America briefly and I speak some Spanish, but other than Isabelle Allende, I rarely read anything set in Latin America. For that matter I'm not terribly interested in books set in California. I guess I'm looking for books in completely unknown territory.

[Doughgirl5562]

I don't really have a favorite setting, because I like variety. There are some period settings that I occasionally avoid because I get tired of them, such as WWII and the Tudor period.

[Joy D]

I like variety too. I find it interesting that "WWII" is considered by some a singular setting, since it occurred in so many parts of the world, all with different experiences, but that's just me.

[Robin P]

Joy D wrote: "I like variety too. I find it interesting that "WWII" is considered by some a singular setting, since it occurred in so many parts of the world, all with different experiences, but that's just me."

Very good point. Although I said I was tired of WWII books, I liked some with different settings like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society or A Town Like Alice or Coming Home

[Book Concierge]

Okay, I had to go check .... 28 countries (not counting home-base USA) visited so far this year. And I'll visit at least two more for Fly the Skies before year's end.

I don't think I have a favorite setting - either in terms of time or geography. But, like Robin, I DO like books set before the age of the internet and cell phones, especially mysteries.

[Book Concierge]

Johanne wrote: "I like when the setting becomes a character in itself. Like the nature in Out Stealing Horses,..."

I just finished this book yesterday. Totally agree that the landscape is practically a character it is so vibrant and "alive." I felt the same way about Lonesome Dove.

[Heather Reads Books]

Wow, I’m in awe of how many books you guys can read in one year! I upped my yearly goal to 25 when it seemed clear the pandemic wouldn’t be ending, giving me more time at home to read, and feel accomplished that I’m on track to meet that challenge.

I counted and have books shelved for 20 countries, though they are both Read and TBR. I have also not always tagged books I’ve read for their countries in the past, so there are probably more than that…. Additionally, 2 of those don’t exist as their own countries anymore (Chechnya and Yugoslavia — the casualties of post-Soviet conflicts).

I’m going to try to be more vigilant with tagging books with the country they are set in, just for my own data mining purposes. ;)

[Theresa]

Book Concierge wrote: "Johanne wrote: "I like when the setting becomes a character in itself. Like the nature in Out Stealing Horses,..."

I just finished this book yesterday. Totally agree that the landsca..."

In O Pioneers! by Willa Cather, the lanscape was a real character.

[Joanne]

Joy D wrote: "I like variety too. I find it interesting that "WWII" is considered by some a singular setting, since it occurred in so many parts of the world, all with different experiences, but that's just me."

It's me too Joy, you are not alone ;)

[Joanne]

Like JGrace I am pretty all over the place. I don't much care when/where the book is set, as long as I can connect to the characters and the writing is good.

I have 21 countries I have visited this year-wish that were true IRL!

[Jen K]

Just had to count and I'm at 42 countries plus space and fantasy locales so far this year.

I'm also fairly indiscriminate in my settings preferences. I like to read about new places but also enjoy those set in the US and both rural and urban. I am partial to those set in Africa though especially if written in own voices.

Same for time settings, I will read any time period but lately I have been slightly more drawn to contemporary/ within in the last century or future than historical though I still read a healthy amount of those as well.

[Patricia]

Yeah! I read the book name Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier and it was a great place like Bahia de la Luna but I know it was inspired in foggy coastal Northern California where she grew up and it was a great story!

[[deleted user]]

It's more about the time setting than the place setting for me - I love anything from the 1660s to 1830s, but this can be based anywhere in the world.