Hello everyone,
One of the absolute gems of reading is that it can transport you to absolutely anywhere in the world – or to a different world entirely, courtesy of its setting. As well as being something fun, exciting, and potentially new, it allows you to really immerse yourself in a different culture or experience things from different perspectives, especially if the portrayal is authentic and well researched.
I absolutely adore a good setting and always try to spotlight or make some kind of reference to them in my book reviews. They can provide an exceptional amount of atmosphere and depth, sometimes to the extent that they feel like an extra character.
Here are some of the countries and settings I have visited this year through reading. Perhaps not as global as some previous years, but still interesting nonetheless!
United Kingdom
The setting plays an enormous part in The Household by Stacey Halls, inspired by the true story of a home that was founded for ‘fallen’ women in the mid-nineteenth century in London. Urania Cottage is something of a safe haven for the women, with some in fear of what lies outside and others unable to escape the temptations that lie beyond its four walls.
The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell is set at a theatre that is taken over by an evil supernatural entity. That makes it very eerie and Purcell dials up the fear factor to the maximum.
Meanwhile, the only theatrical thing about The Mermaid And Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar is the writing, which is extremely flowery but captures the atmosphere and excesses of Regency London with great skill, so much so that as the reader you feel transported.
Historical London also appears in That Bonesetter Woman by Frances Quinn, depicting a time where the idea of a female physician was fanciful and diversity was not celebrated in the least. The job of a bonesetter also acts as a reflection of the time period.
Also set in New York, Breaking The Dark by Lisa Jewell is much more contemporary and features a fictional English village called Barton Wallop, making light of unusual British place names. Meanwhile, Every Word A Lie by Sue Wallman focuses on the claustrophobia of a serial killer being at large in a small affluent town.
An extremely poignant and tense read, The Last Thing To Burn by Will Dean contains a very rural, remote setting where a victim of human trafficking is kept, emphasising her helplessness and isolation.
The Shadow Friend by Alex North sees the main character return to the town where he grew up which holds some very dark memories. As a result, it is made to feel like a very haunted place.
Set in seventeenth century Scotland, The Maiden by Kate Foster has a very strong sense of place with the use of local dialect and depictions of historical social hierarchies. These are used to good effect in a very powerful story.
Do Not Disturb by Claire Douglas is a mystery set at a guest house in rural Wales, and that acts as quite a spooky setting – especially when someone dies and the locals are not very welcoming.
In terms of the most quaint setting I have read this year, that has to go to Windmill Hill by Lucy Atkins, which is about two elderly women who live together in an old windmill in Southern England. The mechanics of a windmill is well researched, and the writing style reflects the characters’ lifestyle with a leisurely feel to it.
United States
The Reappearance Of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson takes place in a small American town that becomes embroiled in one mystery. It is made to feel rural and out of the way, with the narrator Bel lacking friends and struggling to make sense of her past.
Set between the 1950s and 1970s, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng is a portrait of American life at the time for a family of Chinese descent, exploring themes of prejudice and how events affect the dynamics between them.
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang is also about prejudice in many ways but very much rooted in the present day, with a jealous New York author taking a manuscript from the recently deceased Athena Liu and passing it off as her own work.
A haunted house thriller, The September House by Carissa Orlando is set in the present day but the setting gives it the feel of a historical fiction. There are ghosts everywhere and it is quite dark and creepy, but the house itself is incredibly memorable with some great ideas within.
One Of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus represents our final trip to Bayview, a town where games turn deadly. There is nothing too remarkable about the place, but bad things always happen there and we get constant reminders that the police are incompetent.
The Inheritance Games trilogy had the puzzle box that was Hawthorne House, but spin-off The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – partly set in the UK, sees Avery and her found family go elsewhere with their fortunes.
Republic of Ireland
Just like her debut novel, Hani And Ishu’s Guide To Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar is set in Dublin, with the story about two opposite girls who decide to fake date but soon realise they have actual feelings for one another.
Italy
The second in her series set in the ancient city of Pompeii, The House With The Golden Door by Elodie Harper takes the main character Amara away from the brothel where she was forced to work, and to the home of her new protector where she lives as a freedwoman.
South Korea
The Forest Of Stolen Girls by June Hur is a murder mystery set centuries ago in Joseon era South Korea. A highly character driven story, it primarily takes place in a tight-knit village where girls have been going missing for months from the eerie forest.
India
A poignant young adult read, The Girl Who Came Out Of The Woods by Emily Barr follows a girl who has grown up part of a commune in India and after her family fall victim to a deadly virus, has to enter civilisation for the first time in her life to get help. To discover the world through her eyes is amazing, especially in a country as vibrant as India. When she comes to the UK later on, there is a clear change of atmosphere.
Australia
Murder In The Family is about a fictional true crime show where experts gather to try and solve a particularly fiendish cold case. One of their lines of inquiry takes them to Australia.
(Ancient) Greece
A reading year would not be complete without a couple of Greek myth retellings, and both Atalanta by Jennifer Saint and Medusa by Jessie Burton showcase beautiful writing and well realised settings – especially the island where the cursed Medusa has to hide herself away.
Fantasy Settings
Rule Of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo represents my most recent visit to the Grishaverse. Every time I pick up one of those books the world building seems to expand even more, and as this duology we spend lots of time in different kingdoms other than Ravka with lots of politics involved.
The latest book inspired by Chinese mythology to sweep me away was Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim. It is not only beautifully written, but everywhere we encounter during the story is so vivid and I really enjoyed the magic system that was at play.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace seems to be set in the real world with some paranormal elements, presumably in the United States. However, the location is never explicitly stated apart from the name of the fictional town. As a setting though, it is really Gothic with large estates and cavernous houses owned by members of high society.
A prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy, The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes by Suzanne Collins sees us return to Panem, where the whole landscape is different. The war with the districts has just ended and the Games are in their infancy with the rules we see in the future still being established.
The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea by Axie Oh takes a literal deep dive into Korean mythology as a girl sacrifices herself to the Sea God and enters a divine realm. In contrast, The Wolf And The Woodsman by Ava Reid is inspired by folklore which is very evident in the setting and the narrative.
A spin-off of short stories taking place within the original duology, Tales Of The Celestial Kingdom by Sue Lynn Tan is an absolute treat. Any opportunity to spend more time in that world is a total delight, from the moon, to the Mortal Realm, to the Demon Realm – it is as alive as any setting I have read.
The Merciless Ones by Namina Forna took me back to the world of Otera and the continued fight of Deka as she leads a war against those who rule in a patriarchal society, where at the same time the gods have not been entirely honest with her.
In Space
Winner of the 2024 Booker Prize, Orbital by Samantha Harvey takes place exclusively on a spacecraft that is in orbit, using the concept to ponder a number of philosophical questions and truly portray humanity’s place in the universe.
Let’s Chat
What are the best settings you came across in 2024? How many countries did you visit on your reading journey? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
