Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week there is a new topic for bloggers to choose and list their top ten. This week’s theme is Top Ten Top Ten Books that take Place in Another Country.
Books that take place in other countries are a major source for my own wanderlust. There have been so many that have made me want to hop on a plane the same day and travel to the city the author has set their story in. In fact if it was possible to travel to fantasy locations – think Red London or The Night Circus – I’d never come home again.
Prague
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Laini Taylor’s writing is pure magic, it was the way she described Prague in this book that made me want to visit and experience the city for myself. I’m actually hoping to go back to Prague one day soon, because one trip there definitely wasn’t enough.
Russia
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
There are a few books set in Russia I could have picked but I can’t think of any better than The Bear and the Nightingale, which is inspired by Russian myths as well as being set in the country. Russia is one of the countries on my must-visit-soon list (along with half the world it seems).
West Coast, USA
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour is my number-one, wanderlust-inspiring read. The second I finished I wanted to do what Amy and Roger had done; take an epic road trip all over the West Coast, visiting Yosemite and travelling along the loneliest road in America.
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Stephanie Perkins’ Anna and the French Kiss series is a favourite of mine because of the settings (which is why all three books made it on my list this week). San Francisco is possibly my favourite state in the US I’ve visited so far, I’d even say I preferred it to New York.
Greece
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
I am a massive fan of Greek mythology, one of the reasons I picked up The Song of Achilles when it isn’t normally the kind of book I’d read, so Greece has always been a country high on my must-visit-soon list. Why I haven’t made it there yet I have no idea.
Rome
Invictus by Ryan Graudin
Time travel is one of my favourite sub genres to read, and the part of Invictus I loved the most is that the story didn’t just take us to Rome in the future but Rome in the past as well. Like with Prague I’d love to go back to Rome one day, it’s currently one of my favourite cities in the world.
Barcelona
The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Like Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour The Gentleman’s Guide is a major wanderlust-inspiring read for me. Monty, Percy and Felicity travel to Paris, to Marseille, to Barcelona, to Venice on their travels and I had such a fun time reading their adventures.
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
While a lot of Isla and the Happily Ever After is set in Paris and New York Isla and Josh take a trip to Barcelona and that was the part of this book I enjoyed reading the most. Me and my friend are actually planning a trip there, so hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to cross it off my list.
Paris
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
The first in the series we travel to Paris with Anna so she can attend SOAP and see the city through her eyes as someone who’s never been to France before. I had visited Paris before picking up this book, and reading it brought back the best memories from my time there.
New York
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Another series inspired by Greek mythology that I love. With his Percy Jackson books Rick Riordan has taken the Greek Gods and brought them to New York, where Olympus now sits at the top of the Empire State Building and on Long Island Camp Half-Blood is hidden from mortal eyes.
So what do you think? Did you take part in this week’s Top Ten Tuesday, if so let me know what books you’ve read that are set in another country. Did any of my picks make your list, or have you been to any of the countries my ten choices are set in?
Hello Beth ❤
Are those photos from your travels!? I love how that you included them along with the book covers in this post 🙂 I definitely agree that reading a good book inspires me to get to know the country where it takes place!
It sounds like you liked Anna and the French Kiss? I might add this to my TBR since I am looking for a light read 🙂
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Hi Sophie. Yeah I used photos I’d taken from my holidays and photos I used in my Reading Around the World posts. So many places have made my must-travel-to list because of the books I’ve read.
Oh it’s a good book, I’d recommend it and I hope you enjoy it as well. 😀 ❤
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I’ve added it to my TBR then! I’ve been reading lots of heavy books these days so this will be a nice change of pace 🙂
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Yay, and yeah I know that feeling. 🙂
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Love this list and the way you did this! Absolutely love how Taylor describes Prague 🙂 I adore the setting in the Bear and the Nightingale. I wish I’d been to Greece, but I love Song of Achilles. I really want to read Invictus- I didn’t know it was set in Rome- I *love* Rome! And I love Barcelona- I hope you have an amazing time when you go!! I love Percy Jackson and would love to visit NY one day- it looks like such fun 🙂
Awesome post! ❤
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Thanks so much. 🙂 ❤️
Yeah when it comes to world building there aren’t many books out there that can match Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Oh in that case I hope you make it to Greece one day and that you really enjoy Invictus as well. I really loved it. Thanks, I’m excited for Barcelona and oh I love New York so I’m sure you’d have a lot of fun there as well. 😀
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You’re welcome 🙂 ❤
Absolutely agree with you! Thank you 🙂 You're welcome! 😀 Ah thank you! 😀
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Oh fantastic choices, Beth, and your pictures certainly makes me want to travel a bit more! I have to admit that Daughter of Smoke and Bone did made me want to visit Prague as soon as I can as well 🙂 Wanderlost, by Jen Malone, also really made me want to go on a trip around Europe haha 🙂
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Thanks so much Marie. 🙂 Yeah when it comes to books that have made me want to travel the only one that comes close to Daughter of Smoke and Bone is Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour. Ohh, I have Wanderlost on my to-read list, and hearing that just makes me want to pick it up all the sooner! 😀
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I can’t wait for you to read Wanderlost 🙂 x
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I totally agree with your mention of Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini’s writing brings the setting to life), and Amy & Roger’s (the book that totally made me want to visit the US some day). I also see other favorites here like Anna and the French Kiss and my all-time-fave Percy Jackson. ♥ The photos you’ve put together are so breathtaking.
– Aimee @ Aimee, Always
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Daughter of Smoke and Bone was the first book that popped into my head for this topic, and I just had to feature it. Same for Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour because that’s my ultimate travel/wanderlust read.
These are all amazing books in my opinion, and thanks so much! 😀
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I didn’t name any books that you named, but man you named some great books haha 😀
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Thanks, yeah these are some of my all-time favourite books (set in some of my all-time favourite cities as well)! 😀
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The Bear and the Nightingale and The Song of Achilles are both books I want to read soon! I’ve heard nothing but good things about TBATN. I hope I’ll love it, too!
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There is so much hype for The Bear and the Nightingale at the moment, but from what I’ve read it really does live up to that hype. I’m sure you’ll love it, and The Song of Achilles as well although that one will break your heart. 🙂
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Love the location photos Beth! Nice touch. 😊 Great list. P.S: One again, must visit Prague. It looks so pretty here!
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Thanks so much Ashley. Yeah I’d definitely say go to Prague as soon as you get a chance to, it’s what I’m hoping to do again one day too. 😀
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DOSAB also made me want to visit Prague! It sounds so amazing 😍😍 New York would be the first place I would visit if I ever got over to the states! 😀 and Rome is also on my must go to before I die list! Great list 🙂
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Oh it really was amazing, and whenever I go back to DOSAB I always remember visiting Prague myself which just makes the book that little bit more special you know?
I hope you make it to New York and Rome one day as well Lauren, I’m sure you’ll love them both.
Thanks so much! 😀
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Well, I’m literally the worst traveller in the world, and I struggle with a 1 hour flight… I’m not totally sure I could handle a flight to America 😅😅
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Oh I love travelling. Sometimes I prefer longer flights, at least there’s more on board entertainment so I’m never too bored. 🙂
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I love this list!! I’ve done close to no travelling (I mean, I’ve been up and down the east coast of the US, but not far outside of the time zone) but I would love to travel to many of these places, and read the books! Invictus is pretty high on my TBR, so hopefully I can get to it soon! Great post!
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Thanks so much, and oh that’s still travelling. I’ve been to various places on the east coast but there’s still more I want to visit. I’m sure you’ll make it to more places soon but until you do you can get started on the books at least. In my opinion if you can’t travel the next best thing is reading about travel.
Thanks so much. 🙂
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I’ve been to Parisa and well I live in Rome. All the others, I still have to see them. If I only had more time to travel. And money 😂
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If I had the money to travel I’d never stay in one place for too long (it would be a dream of mine to spend my life travelling all over the world). Oh well, I can dream right?
Rome is an amazing city, and I hope you manage to visit the others on this list one day soon as well. 🙂
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Yes to DOSB! That book is pure magic! We are now dying to visit Prague because of it!
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Oh it really is, and yeah when I finished I was dying to visit Prague myself. I hope you both make it there one day, I’m sure you’ll love it because it’s an incredible city. 🙂
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I forgot some of these!
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Hopefully you didn’t forget them because they were bad books, right? 🙂
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No, not at all!
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Ooh, I forgot about Daughter of Smoke and Bone for this one. I loved the Prague setting in that book and thought it was one of my favorite aspects of the whole story. Laini Taylor just painted the perfect picture of Prague and it was so magical to read about!
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Whenever travel and books is mentioned Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Prague are the first book/country that enters my mind. She really did, it was that book and the way Laini Taylor described Prague that made me visit there. I’m always going to love this series partly because it brings back some good memories. 🙂
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I love that you included pictures of the countries. Prague looks so beautiful!
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Thanks, yeah it was kind of any excuse to create some pretty aesthetics for various countries I’ve been to. Prague is definitely a beautiful city, I really want to go back there one day. 🙂
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