Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is Top Ten Bookish Settings I’d Love to Visit.
This, more than any other topic The Broke and the Bookish have ever done, was made for me. I read fantasy for the world building; for the incredible and fantastical worlds that I can only explore through the writing. If there is one thing I wish more than anything else it’s that I had the power to visit bookish worlds because there are so many places I’d love to visit. Until that becomes a reality, I’ll settle for reading about them.
Hogwarts
Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
Like probably everyone else who read the books I waited for my Hogwarts letter when I turned eleven. Obviously it didn’t arrive but I’ve never really grown out of the desire to go to Hogwarts; to visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into my Hogwarts House, take classes like Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts, and visit Hogsmeade on the weekends.
Le Cirque des Rêves
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
If I ever developed the power to travel into bookish worlds this would be number one on my list. Le Cirque des Rêves was described so wonderfully in the book that I could almost experience it through the eyes of the other visitors, but I know if I ever got to go there for real it would be an experience I’d never be able to fully describe.
Luna
The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer
With her Lunar Chronicles series Marissa Meyer took us all over the world; from New Beijing, all the way to the Sahara desert, but my favourite setting was always Luna which we finally saw in Winter. Under Queen Levana’s control it sounded a horrible place to live, but under Cinder’s rule I imagine it would be safe to visit the capital city, Artemisia, if it were actually possible that is.
Camp Half-Blood
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Granted I feel like if I ever went on any of the quests Percy, Annabeth and Grover went on I’d die very quickly, I’m not a fighter it has to be said, but I am a huge fan of Greek mythology, and if a place like Camp Half-Blood ever existed in real life it’s where I’d want to be.
Wonderland
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Wonderland was probably the first book setting I ever wanted to visit. I remember as a child being jealous of Alice falling down the rabbit hole and having insane adventures in a place as crazy as Wonderland. I’d have taken my chances with the Queen of Hearts if it’d meant I got to go to a tea party with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare.
Red London
Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab
I live in London, or close enough to count, but if I was in the Shades of Magic series I’d be stuck in Grey London, a world with no magic and no adventure. I’d want to be like Lila Bard, travelling to Red London where there’s magic, and adventures to be had even if they come hand in hand with danger.
Weep
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor has a way of writing that makes me want to visit the cities she describes, just to be able to experience the magic she develops for myself. She did it with Prague in Daughter of Smoke and Bone and she did it with Weep in Strange the Dreamer, and while I can hop on a plane and travel to Prague there’s no plane that can take me to Weep.
Velaris
A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas
After Feyre’s experiences Under the Mountain and how stifling the Spring Court felt the Night Court and Velaris was like a breath of fresh air for her character. It sounded so beautiful, and I’ve always loved the night and the dark more than I have the Spring.
Cabeswater
The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater
The way Maggie Stiefvater wrote The Raven Cycle series was almost like the way magical realism books are written, there’s no solid explanation for why things are the way they are it’s simply magic. Cabeswater itself felt like magic, and I’m still not 100% sure what it is but what I am 100% sure of is that I’d want to experience that dream-like magic for myself.
Road Tripping America
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
This is a slightly different setting on my list this week because unlike all the rest this isn’t a fantasy book with a world I’ll never get to experience for myself. I’ve always loved the idea of doing an epic road trip in America, like the kind Roger and Amy do in this book. Maybe one day I will, but until then I’ll have to settle for feeding my wanderlust stories like this one.
So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what bookish worlds you’d love to visit.
Great choices, Beth! You know I’d love to visit Le Cirque des Rêves as well as Wonderland. I’d certainly love to visit Weep as well, especially during the time before it had fallen to chaos. I think more than a few of us would LOVE to visit Velaris. That city was so beautifully detailed. Also, Rhys is there. So that’s a win win haha. And lord, yes, I’d love to take Amy and Roger’s road trip. I reread that book this month! Still a wonderful read. I think I got the travel bug again because of it LOL. Again, amazing picks!
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Thanks so much Azia. 🙂 I feel like for everyone who’s read it Le Cirque des Rêves is the ultimate fantasy setting we’d love to visit. It’s just to magical. Weep would have been incredible to see before the chaos, and yes Rhys and Velaris are win wins in my opinion too. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is like the book to inspire wanderlust. I’d kill to go on a road trip like they did. 😀
Thanks again Azia. 🙂 ❤
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Oh, I’d 100% love to go to Hogwarts!! I think that’s every bookworm’s dream, right?? I think what makes the Harry Potter books so magical (besides nostalgia) is the world — it’s crafted so beautifully & extensively that we can’t help but fall in love with it!
And YESSSS. I’ve always dreamed of going to Camp Half-Blood and training among all the demigods. (I’d probably be horrible at combat.) And tbh all the Londons of the Shades of Magic trilogy would be awesome to visit?? I already want to visit the real London, haha!
Great post!! ❤
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Ha, yeah it’s definitely every bookworms dream, and I’d have been disappointed in myself if I hadn’t included Hogwarts on my list this week. 🙂
Oh I’d be horrible at combat at Camp Half-Blood, and I’d probably die very quickly into my first quest, but it would be fun to experience life as a demi-god I have to admit. Well hopefully one day you’ll be able to make it to read London then. In my opinion it’s simply Red London without the magic! 😀
Thanks May! 🙂 ❤️
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I totally agree about The Night Circus! It was described so vividly, that I felt like I was walking around the grounds myself. And each tent sounded absolutely mesmerizing.
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God yeah it was just amazing wasn’t it? The only thing better would be actually walking around the grounds myself but given that I don’t think that will happen I’ll settle for reading about it all! 😀
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Hogwarts and Le Cirque des Rêves!!! How stunning and beautiful these two places would be!! One visit alone to each of these places would probably complete anyone’s life hahahah 😀
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I live in hope that one day I’ll be able to visit those places because it would really complete my life. I know for a fact that both would be even better than they’re described as in the books! 😀
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I’ve read all of these books and I’d have to second you: they’re all enthralling setting which it would be amazing to visit someday. I think I’d really love to visit the island of Montmaray from the Montmaray Journals by Michelle Cooper, and Red London would be amaing if you stayed out of the way of all the people with quests to complete
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It would be the dream right? To one day be able to travel to all the incredible places that before now we’ve only read about. I live in hope one day it will be an actuality instead of just a daydream. 😀
Ha, yeah I think that’s solid advice for whatever fantasy world we wanna visit; stay away from the people with quests to complete. 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Biblioanthropologist.
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This is such a fantastic review!! hehe I so wanted my hogwarts letter to come too 😉 You’re so right about Night Circus! And you’re really right about how great Marissa Meyer’s world building is- both on Luna and in general! I completely agree about Wonderland. haha I’m stuck in grey london too- I’d love to go to Red London! I’d so want to go to Velaris and Caibswater too! And I really like how you included Amy and Roger’s Epic detour as well!
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Thanks so much! 🙂 Oh if only our letters could have come right (part of me is still hoping one does). The Night Circus would be a dream come true for me, and same with Wonderland given how much I love that book.
Ha yeah we’re all stuck in grey London aren’t we? And I just had to include Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour because that book really really spoke to my sense of wanderlust. Also it’s the only one of these that could potentially happen one day! 😀
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You’re welcome! 🙂 hahaha yes!! 😉 I know- both of those would be amazing.
hahaha yes unfortunately 😉 I totally get that!! And yes, I hope I can do that one day too.
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This is such a fantastic list, Beth, so many places I would love to visit ❤ Red London, obviously, you know my love for London, and filled with magic, that would be a thousand times more incredible, I am sure of it. ❤ Also, Hogwarts is quite obvious here, Cabeswater and Wonderland as well, for all the mysterious and crazy events it might bring haha 🙂 and YES to Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, so happy you included that one! ❤
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Thanks so much Marie! 😀 ❤ Oh yes, London is amazing but magic just makes everything better so imagine how much better it would make London (because obviously we'd be there after everything that happened in ACOL was done with). Ha, yeah had to include Hogwarts this week, and same with Wonderland actually.
That book gave me such an incredible sense of wanderlust it needed to be on this list. Plus of all of these a road trip around America is the most likely one I could do you know? 🙂
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Harry Potter all the way!!!
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Ha, yeah I couldn’t NOT include Hogwarts this week! 😀
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We choose some of the same settings. I think Hogwarts made it to everyone’s list if they’ve read it!
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I would definitely not be surprised to see Hogwarts on everyone’s lists this week. It’s one of those must-add locations for all bookworms right? 😀
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I totally agree
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Hogwarts is one I would love to visit too! As well as Velaris and weep! The court of Dreams was written so well and sounded so magical 😍😍 and weep … how do you even describe weep? I would definitely be a blast to visit! Great list 🙂
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Hogwarts is like the ultimate travel-to location for bookworms isn’t it? Same with Velaris actually because yeah it just sounded so magical I wanted to experience it for myself. Oh Weep would be incredible, and given it’s been dreamed to life by Laini Taylor you know it would be amazing in person as well. 🙂
Thanks Lauren! 😀 ❤
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Weep is a bit dangerous, but it does sound lovely, too. 🙂 My TTT
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Ha, I feel like dangerous but lovely is a theme for my list this week. Then again you could say it’s a theme for most fantasy settings right? 😀
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Glad to see someone else picked Luna too! I was also thinking of Cabeswater, but I couldn’t really figure out what it was that made me want to visit it so it was a bit too tricky to explain.
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The Lunar Chronicles is one of my all-time favourite series so I just had to include Luna. 🙂
Well, I’m not too sure I managed to explain why I wanted to visit Cabeswater so badly in my post, but it’s just one of those places I WANT to visit you know? 😀
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For me, I think Cabeswater may have had more to do with the people than the place itself, but I definitely know what you mean.
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Oh that makes sense, and yeah I don’t think it would be the same without Blue, Gansey, Ronan, Adam and Noah right? 🙂
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Hmm…I don’t know about Cabeswater. That might be a little freaky!
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Ha, see in my mind the freakier the better. After all I included Wonderland on this list this week! 😀
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Wonderland, Red London, Hogwarts. Yes! Take me with you. Great list!
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Ohh, if only these were places we could visit right? I’d jump at the chance. 😀
Thanks so much. 🙂
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I sooooo badly wanna see Velaris! But uh… maybe before it was a little beaten up from the bad-guys
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Yes, or after they’ve been defeated and have had a chance to recover from the war right? 😀
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The Night Circus is one of my favorite books ever, and I absolutely agree with everything you said about it. The lush, descriptive writing style made everything come to life. Le Cirque des Reves was so vivid on my mind!!
Wonderland is a setting I also included on my list!! This place’s weirdness and madness are what made it so appealing to me. I wish I could fall into the rabbit hole too! (But avoid all the Queen of Hearts situation, because that woman REALLY scares me.) Amazing picks! I loved this post!
My TTT: https://bookslikewolves.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2017/12/05/Top-Ten-Bookish-Settings-I%E2%80%99d-Love-To-Visit
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Oh exactly, and The Night Circus is a great example of why I think world building is so important, because throughout the story sometimes I almost felt like I was there just from how Erin Morgenstern described everything in the book. It made it such a standout read for me. 😀
Ha, yeah I wouldn’t want to run into the Queen of Hearts when she was in a bad mood either, but I think stay on her good side and you should be OK. 😀 Wonderland is always going to be one of those places I want to travel to myself.
Thanks so much! 😀
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Awww I love that you include Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour!! I would love to go road tripping across the States ❤
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I just couldn’t resist because that book inspires so so much wanderlust in me. Also the idea of a road trip through America is like a dream for me. Maybe one day! 😀
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BETH!! I love your list… it sounds like the perfect balance and now I need a road trip through all of them!! Besides the ones we agree on I think Weep would be so great to see!! ❤
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Thanks so much Dani! 😀 And oh I LOVE that idea, a road trip through all these fictional worlds would be beyond incredible. If only there was a way to make it happen right? 🙂 ❤
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Great picks! A number of these made my list too! 🙂
My Top 10 Tuesday
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Thanks so much! 😀
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I’d definitely want to visit Hogwarts ,Wonderland and Camp Half Blood ,really love your destinations
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Oh those three are classics aren’t they? I wouldn’t be surprised to see them on a lot of lists this week. Thanks so much. 🙂
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We chose a lot of the same settings which doesn’t surprise me at all! We have very similar taste in books!
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That doesn’t surprise me either. 🙂 Also I feel like some of these are just fictional settings everyone would want to visit. 😀
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I would die to be a demigod and go to camp half blood, and then probably actually die because there’s no way I could fight either. Great list!
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Ha, yeah I’d probably die during my first quest as a demigod at Camp Half-Blood, but I’d die happy considering I would have been a demigod at Camp Half-Blood! 😀
Thanks Lindsey.
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