This week The Broke and the Bookish Top Ten meme is to list our personal top ten settings (real or imaginary) in books. This should be easy, as I love settings. To me, they count as a character. Without further ado, my list:
Hogwarts from Harry Potter- Come on, I know it's obvious, but it just HAS to be included. As settings go, it's just about perfect.
Prince Edward Island from Anne of Green Gables- I would love to go here someday. For real. Along those same lines, I would also include the island of Guernsey from The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
The Lands Beyond in The Phantom Tollbooth- Island of Conclusions. Kingdom of Wisdom. Doldrums. Digitoplois. Now I probably wouldn't want to visit all of this places, but Norton Juster is a genius in my book.
The planets in A Wrinkle in Time- I don't read much sci-fi/fantasy, but I have to admit writers of this genre come up with awesome settings.
Battle School in Ender's Game- Another example of an amazing sci-fi setting.
The Community in The Giver- I had to include a dystopian setting, and this is my favorite dystopian novel.
Republic of Gilead from The Handmaid's Tale- Okay, one more dystopian setting. Both are places I definitely wouldn't want to be, but they are so well written.
Terabithia from Bridge to Terabithia- Lovely, imaginative place.
Salem from all the various books I've read on the Salem witch trials- The Salem witch trials are a subject I find really interesting. I plan on making time to visit the town whenever I make it back East next, even though I'm sure it's mostly a huge tourist trap now.
Oh PEI is a good one! I would also love to go there.
ReplyDeleteI picked Anne of Green Gables too. I have always wanted to visit there, it looks so beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI didn't think to include dystopian settings, but yes, some of them are interesting, aren't they? I probably would have used the settlement on Mars from the Red Mars series.
ReplyDeleteI also had Prince Edward Island on my list, but Hogwarts nearly made it in and the lands from The Phantom Tollbooth would also be interesting to visit. Gormenghast castle in the books by Mervyn Peake was my only dystopian setting.
ReplyDeleteAh, I'm so happy to see the community on there from The Giver! One of my favourite books ever! Hogwarts is on my list too :)
ReplyDeleteHere's my list this week :)
those are some of my favorite settings too. I agree Hogwarts is a given and I totally love Teribithia. Kaye—the road goes ever ever on
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great topic for a list! I'm going to have to write my own, even though I haven't been keeping up with the meme at all. Hogwarts will probably be on mine, too, and I love that you included the islands from The Phantom Tollbooth! I have been thinking I need to reread that book, which has been one of my very favorites since I can remember, for a long time.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't help but pick Harry Potter's world either, hee hee. I didn't care that everyone else has probably listed it too.
ReplyDeleteI love dystopians too by I haven't read the Giver.
I included Hogwarts, too - how could I not? I didn't think of the Giver, so I wound up including the Hunger Games instead.
ReplyDeleteI remember Terabetha fondly, though it's been many years since I read the book.
ReplyDeleteI imagine that Hogwarts will make it onto many people's lists. I remember my mother saying that Salem is indeed pretty touristy, but there are museums and old beautiful houses, so it's pretty easy to imagine things as they were. And nothing jogs you out of modern life quite like a cemetery full of witches...
ReplyDeleteThe dystopians definitely have the more creative settings. I put Gilead on my list and then took it off, but it is definitely a good one.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my list here