Top Ten Tuesday - Book Settings.

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme over at the Broke and the Bookish. This week it is top ten book settings.

1. Fictionland in the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde. Specifically the version in his latest "One of Our Thursdays Is Missing" because it now forms an actual island. You can get taxis to your favourite books. There is even a place for fan fiction (although the characters there will look a little strange) and vanity publishing. I really want to go there!

2. I know this is going to be on every ones list but there is a reason for that. How cool would it be to visit the wizarding world of Harry Potter? I want to see a wizards newspaper, visit Diagon Alley, drink butter beer and see real dragons.

3. Pern by Anne McCaffrey. I devoured these books years ago and loved them. Have went off them a bit since the son has taken over but I enjoyed them at the time. I love dragons and this is why Pern is one of my favourite settings. I just wouldn't want to be there during thread fall even if that's when the dragons are at their best. Actually, I probably would. I bet it would look spectacular.

4. New York. I love books set in New York. I am generalising here since it's a real place. I loved my holiday there a few years ago and really want to go back. Recognising places through books is about as close as I'm going to get for now.

5. Japan. Generalising again. I went through a phase of reading lots of books about Japan. It's one of the many places I want to visit and I love it's literature. My heart breaks for the people there after that disastrous earthquake.

6. Confederation timeline - Peter F. Hamilton. It's the technology that fascinates me. Allowing people to live forever by storing their memories, organic ships and so much more. His Commonwealth timeline uses technology in a similar way but it was the confederation series I fell in love with first.

7. Tudor Britain. I have a fascination with this era of history just now and I know there are a lot of good historical fiction books out just now set then. I know some of them glamorise the era although I think if you were to turn up there you would find little glamour. I just love the drama behind the era. Our own monarchy is quite boring in comparison (no offence).

8. New Orleans. Another generalisation I'm afraid. I've read quite a few books set in New Orleans and I have always enjoyed them. They have all depicted different aspects of it and it seems like one of those places that has so many sides to it. Another place that has sadly had it's share of disasters. I would love to go there one day. Meanwhile I will continue to enjoy reading about it.

9. Shantaram's India by David Gregory Roberts. I have only just begun the book and I am already fascinated. I haven't read that many books set in India but this one has truly caught my imagination. The descriptions are so detailed it's hard not to picture everything and believe you are there. I am not sure I would want to visit a lot of the places described by Roberts since he is visiting a lot of risky areas but it's certainly making for a fantastic book.

10. Mexico in Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna. Again the city is beautifully painted in this book. So vibrant and colourful. I loved reading about it through the eyes of the narrator who saw Mexico as his home but was always aware of his American heritage. How amazing would it be to see Diego or even Frida Kahlo at work?

I am sure I am missing something. I will no doubt come across a number of lists and wonder why I didn't think of that. I will visit everyone's blogs tonight as I have done this in between work and running back out the door again. Will give me something to look forward to.