This week’s Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by The Broke and the Bookish) features our favorite settings we like to see in the books we read! Here I’ve listed my favorite settings, and I tend to gravitate toward books with these themes, too. I love reading about day-to-day experiences of characters, right down to the nitty gritty, so the more “realistic” it is, the more I’m engaged with it. In essence, if it’s set in New York City, Paris, or London, I’m immediately drawn to it no matter what the time period, but these are my absolute favorites.
- England, and especially London, before, during, and after World War I. Even before Downton Abbey’s cultural popularity, I’ve loved this period. Edwardian Era? Check. WWI? Check. The Lost Generation? Check.
- The Tudor Era. Or basically anything to do with the kings and queens of England from The Wars of the Roses until Elizabeth I.
- Victorian England. If it’s got prostitutes and/or detectives, even better. Gothic themes and ghosts? Hell yes.
- The Middle Ages, anything from the Medieval times to the Renaissance. The influx of knowledge we gained over those hundred years is astounding, and old medical practices gross me out and intrigue me at the same time.
- Space, the final frontier. I love a good space opera or a space western, especially those that go to strange new worlds and engage with new, alien cultures.
- 19th century France. Something about Paris and the French countryside before the industrial revolution seems so romantic.
- Classical Greece, Rome, Ancient Egypt, and Biblical eras. I’m not religious, but the mythologies surrounding ancient cultures and religions are fascinating. I especially love reading about women in these times.
- Late 19th-early 20th century New York, right as the city begins to come to life during the industrial revolution.
- Time travel. I haven’t really come across many books lately that delve into traveling through time, but I’m so excited to read Passenger!
- Fairy tales, especially ones with princesses, princes, kings, queens, fairies, magic, and sprawling, lush kingdoms.
Which are your favorite settings?
I love books set in England during the first World War. Parade’s End is one of my favorites. There’s something so pivotal about that period in history. World War II is interesting to read about too, but it’s that initial transition between traditional and modern warfare tactics and how that affected individuals that is so interesting.
So much yes about the transition between traditional and modern warfare tactics and its affect on people. I don’t know many people personally who think about it ,but it’s something I think about all the time. We’ve gone from fists and swords which is so personal to something like pressing a button which becomes so impersonal. I’ve read the first part of Parade’s End and I keep meaning to read the rest because I love love loved the mini series so much.
Yes, to all of these! 🙂
Check out my TTT.