Top Ten Tuesday- Where You At?

This week's Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and Bookish involves setting, an element I find very interesting. In some novels, the setting is everything- it's a character in and of itself. Yet, on the other hand, a good story with quality characters and writing doesn't necessarily require an elaborate locale. And I appreciate that setting can be broad, as in "on a tropical island" or something extremely specific, like "the living room at 1513 Manchester Avenue in Santa Cruz." It can be literal and it can be metaphorical. It can be dazzling or it can be more mundane as a drive across the desert. That being said, here are ten of my favorite settings:

1. Arcadia by Lauren Groff- I just finished this novel (which I loved) and was mesmerized by the hippie commune a majority of the story was set on. The setting stood for so much and went through so many transitions throughout the decades in which the novel spans. 

2. The Lost Girls by Jennifer Baggett- I've mentioned this travel memoir a few times before- three girls abandon their city lives and travel the world for a year. They go places like Thailand, New Zealand, and Kenya. It may not be the best book, but the setting makes up for the lack of juicy details.

3. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling- After reading the series you can't help but to want to visit Hogwarts. A friend and I have joked about picking up and flying to Florida for two days just to go to the theme park- you never know....

4. Wild by Cheryl Strayed- I wrote about this memoir a few weeks ago, but must reiterate how amazing the Pacific Crest Trail is. I spent a few days in Yosemite and Tahoe this summer, both of which are on it and hope to one day see more.

5. When the Killing's Done by TC Boyle- There are two juxtaposing settings in this novel- the rural Channel Islands and the urban jungle of Los Angeles. 

6. The Selected Works of TS Spivet by Reif Larsen- It's been awhile since I've mentioned my beloved little TS! The settings in this book range from the family's secluded Montana home to life on the railroad to the Smithsonian and Washington DC. The fact that you're getting these places from the eyes of a brilliant kid makes them even better.

7. Indian Killer by Sherman Alexie- This novel takes place in Seattle, a city that, for some reason, I'm determined to visit. It just seems so clean... and healthy. 

8. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett- Most of this awesome novel takes place in the rainforests of the Amazon, where the dangers parallel the astounding beauty. 

9. Mr. Pip by Lloyd Jones- This novel is set on a tropical island that is secluded from the rest of the world. The only white man in the village decides to read the kids Great Expectations as their world starts crumbling as a result of local violence. 

10. The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon- Four words: Cemetery of Forgotten Books.