Top Ten Tuesday- Underwater Hotels, Morocco, and the Central Valley

First off, a huge thanks to Kristin at Designer Blogs for my new look. Long overdue!

This week The Broke and the Bookish are asking us where we would like to see more books set. I know there are books that take place in each of the places below (especially those in their own language), I just don't know them.

1. Normal, blue-collar, workplace environments- I've frequently thought about writing a book about a group of people who work at, say, a grocery store or hair salon. The dynamics would be interesting to explore.

[source]

2. California's Central Valley- Obviously I'm a bit biased here, since that's where I grew up, but who doesn't get excited when they see their hometown mentioned in a book? It's such a different world from what people normally think when they consider California- it's more of a midwest feel.

3. Southern California (not including Los Angeles or the beach areas)- I hate that people assume that when you say you live in Southern California you're just a hop, skip, and a jump away from palm trees and the Pacific. It's not all fun in the sun, let me tell you that.

4. The Desert- Whenever I drive to Vegas I'm always intrigued by the tiny little towns (or even just random trailers) out in the middle of absolutely nowhere. There's something mysterious about desert life and the people that choose to seclude themselves in the heat and sand. 

5. Scandinavia- Other than The Millenium series, I'd like to find some great book set in Norway, Sweden, or Finland. Sometimes I think that because Scandinavia seems to have their shit together the rest of the world forgets about them.

[Source; Blue Lagoon Geothermal Pools, Iceland]

6. Iceland- I've heard it's amazing, but know very little besides the whole "Iceland is green and Greenland is icy" thing. I know they have some great geothermal pools and unique music, but that's about it. 

7. Dubai- I find the excessive riches of the city-state fascinating, in terms of what they do... and don't do with their wealth. 

8. An Underwater Hotel- How do they get down there? Do people ever spaz out? What happens if there's an earthquake/volcanic eruption/tsunamis? 

[source; El Minzah Hotel, Tangier]

9. Morocco- Something about Morocco seems a little rough, a little mysterious, and a little mystical. I would definitely read some quality Moroccan magical realism. 

10. Restaurants: I spent a few summers working in restaurants during college and know first-hand what can go on between the staff and customers. Now that I've learned to appreciate food and become interested in the actual management required of opening a new place, I'd love to see a well-written book look at it from both the food and personnel sides.

Know any great books set in the above locales? What setting would you like to see more of?