One of the most important elements to me in the books I read is world building. If I am unable to believe in or feel skeptical about the existance and working of the setting it is an extreme deterrant to my enjoyment while reading. Now, not everyone gets like this or reacts quite as strongly, so yes, world building and setting is very close to my heart as a reader. Today’s topic for Top Ten Tuesday hosted by The Broke and Bookish is 10 Vivid Settings In Books.
Top Ten Fictional Worlds:
1. Hogwarts and the Wizarding World
GIF Credit: http://hogwarts-is-our-home-rpg.tumblr.com/
Why?: Y’all, the world JK Rowling built is so freakin’ vivid it has it’s own theme park and cookbooks. Seriously, I could make a list on Top Ten most vivid places mentioned in Harry Potter.
2. Middle Earth
Middle Earth via Kris Kowal
Why?: Y’all, Middle Earth is totally a map lover’s wet dream. From the Shire to Isengard to Rivendell to Mordor.
3. Imre
The Name Of The Wind
Why?: Imre is the university town in The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I can totally picture myself getting a drink at the Eolian or hanging out in the archives.
4. Westeros
Why?: I’ve only read Game Of Thrones, I know fantasy fan shame right there, but seriously I can dreamily picture Jon Snow on the fall, I can picture Winterfell, ALL OF IT.
5. Toll
Twilight Robbery (UK); Fly Trap (US)
Why?: Toll is the city that Mosca Mye and Eponymous Clent go to in Twilight Robbery or Fly Trap by Frances Hardinge and it’s got this complex system of social stratification based on names and the system decides who gets to see daylight and who comes out at night.
6. The FJORD
Icefall
Why?: So this totally refers to Icefall by Matthew Kirby, y’all who knew that a fjord could be so fascinating, what with reading about tales of treachery and day to day life while entrapped.
7. The Mejis
Wizards And Glass
Why?: First this is from my favorite book series, The Dark Tower, which okay, I can easily picture the world in which Roland, Cuthbert, and Alan grow up and fall in love in. It’s also really easy for me to imagine the characters of the Ka-Tet following the Beam.
8. Sevenwaters
Daughter Of The Forest
Why?: Do you even have to ask? Marillier paints this fantasy world that is very Celtic with bits of quiet magic. I love it. L-O-V-E this series and this backdrop.
9. Avonlea
ALL OF THE SWOONS
Credit for GIF via Avonlea Vignettes
Why?: GUYSSSS if I was not madly in love, I should like to go to Avonlea and kidnap Gilbert Blythe and take a dip in the Lake of Shining Waters or hang around Green Gables. Goodness do I love the gentleness of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne series.
10. Le Cirque des Rêves
The Night Circus
Why?: Honestly. I want this world to be real. DESPERATELY. Like, while I read The Night Circus I could picture the tents, practically taste the food. Imagine the Circus members. This whole damn book was a sensory experience.
ANNE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love her. That gif is amazing.
ANNE FOREVER!!!!
Great list. Darn. I forgot Anne.
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG GAME OF THRONES!!!! I so want to live in that world!!! Except not really, unless I could be queen of the Dothraki because they are so badass and live in cool huts that look really comfortable… but anyways. Otherwise I’d settle for NARNIA!
Anna @ Literary Exploration
Great picks! I’ve only read 1, 2, and 4 but the others sounds amazing. I’ve been meaning to read the Patrick Rothfuss series and Juliet Marillier series for quite some time but have yet to get around to it.
Thanks for stopping by!
DUDE. How did I miss Game of Thrones!? I mean, okay, I’ve never read the books, but I loveeeee the show, haha. Middle Earth, yes! I need to read the rest of the books on your list! I suck.
Avonlea!!!! Ahhh totally. I love Anne of Green Gables and cannot tell you how many times we watched those movies as kids too!
Good point! I bet there’s a whole top 10 list in Harry Potter alone!
LOVE Anne with an ‘e’! And I really must get to ‘The Night Circus’.
I am totally lame for only reading one of the books on your list. Harry Potter counts for something though, right?! I mean, ahhh! You always, always push me outside my comfort zone with books. You’re awesome like that.
Great list! I’ve only read two of the books on it, but I enjoyed reading your reasoning.
Awesome List. Game of Thrones – I adore the opening credits of the TV shows – the maps, the cities and the music are amazing. I’ve only read the first book also – they’re was just too many unexpected deaths for me, but I think I’ll try again.
How could I have forgot Middle Earth? Amazing setting.
Avonlea–what a great choice. thanks for stopping by. kaye—the road goes ever ever on
Seeing as we have similar places I should really check the bottom half of your world
Pretty much all of it is on my to read list ^^
My TTT
OMG I love love your picks
Avonlea surprised me, but really nice surprise
And I want The Night Circus to be real so much, too! Just so magical!
YES THE CIRCUS. Celia and Marco forever.
Also, my heart just did funny things with Gilbert and Anne. It always will.
I love this list so much.
Sidenote: My very pregnant friend is about to give birth to a baby boy and she and her husband are literally in a fight because he wants to name the boy Roland Deschain for the first and middle names. I laugh so hard over this, but it really is not funny. He is not joking and she is in distress.
I’ve only read Well-Witched, but MUST read more Frances Hardinge! Thanks for reminding me about her. Oh, and I completely agree with you on The Night Circus. Why can’t the world be like that?
I can’t believe I forgot Avonlea!!!!! Yes, yes, yes to Hogwarts, Middle Earth, and Game of Thrones!
~Kailia @ Reading the Best
Yay for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Middle Earth! They are the absolute best.
I actually haven’t read any of the books listed here aside from the ones we have the same on our lists, and haven’t even heard of a couple of them! Must check them out.
Thanks for stopping by!
I love the Hogwarts gif! And I really need to read the rest of the LotR books. (Embarrassingly enough, I’ve only read The Hobbit.)
Great list!
Around the World Giveaway
I hear Night Circus is really good, but I haven’t gotten around to reading it. It sounds great though by the way you describe it. I love when authors describe every sense. And Harry Potter is just awesome. Probably on everyone’s list lol. Thanks for stopping by today.
Great list, I think Harry Potter is on everyone’s list. Thanks for checking mine out! (=
Great list! How’s this for fantasy fan shame- I haven’t read Game of Thrones yet…
Hogwarts for sure! I’d like to eat the food from the Night Circus too, it sounded SO GOOD. Now if only it was real.
Thanks for stopping by my TTT.
The Name of the Wind is a book I’m just looking into reading, so this should be good!
Great list and I love all the pictures and animations, particularly the Harry Potter one!
I could just throw myself on the ground and throw a screaming meme tantrum for forgetting about Mid-World!!!!!
I’m waiting for my daughter to get done with The Wind Through The Keyhole so I can read it!!
You have a great list! I’ve added some great books to my TBR list!
I never could get into the Anne books. I much prefer the Emily series–maybe it’s because it’s only a trilogy, or because it’s semi-autobiographical. It might also be because I prefer Ilse so much more than Diana.
The Night Circus is on my “to buy” list–I’ve heard so many good things about it!
I chose several of these as well. And I was SO close to putting the Eolian or the University on my list, but I didn’t and I don’t know why. I love your choices, both the ones that I picked and the ones that I didn’t. Your list is awesome.
Thanks for stopping by April. I think my favorite from your list which I totally forgot myself is Games of Thrones and some bastard.
Awesome list. I totally agree with every one of these that I’ve read. And while I’ve never read Marillier, I have one of her books out from the library and am very much excited to start it. The Name of the Wind is on my read-immediately list as well.
Completely agree with you on Avonlea—forgot to add that one to my list, sadly.
Arrrrrgh, Game of Thrones, I must go read you! Or watch you… either way, I’ve heard fabulous things about the series!
I really want to go read The Night Circus now because I would LOVE to be able to taste non-existent food!
Great list!
This is the second time in as many days I’ve heard about The Name of the Wind. I’m really looking forward to reading it.
Hogwarts and Avonlea <3333
LOVE the list! I too have Hogwarts (of course!), Middle Earth, and Sevenwaters (my favorite series!!!). Great choices
Awesome choices. I haven’t heard of some of them. Will have to check them out. Thanks for visiting My TTT =]
You have several on your list I haven’t read and will have to check out. I did love the world in The Night Circus!
Ahh I’m so happy that you included Avonlea in your list! Why didn’t I think of that lol. I love your list:). I’m not familiar with some of the titles, but I definitely want to check them out because they seem so interesting!
I have read none of your selections at all, lol! Even Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings… Twilight Robbery or Fly Trap sounds fascinating, though. I love imagined social systems.
WESTEROSSSSS.
The Night Circus’ setting sounds amazing! I’ll be checking that one out.
And YES YES YES to Harry Potter!
I have The Night Circus on my list as well. It’s such an amazing setting. I really need to read the Sevenwaters books. I have her new YA on my to read list too.
I have to say I enjoy Stephen King but haven’t read The Dark Tower series.. hmmm. Perhaps I should give it a shot!
Check out my Top (5) Tuesday, lol! Top Ten Tuesday
OMG, I definitely want to go swim with Gilbert! Sorry, Anne, but he’s a DOLL.
I totally spaced on doing Top Ten Tuesday yesterday. Oops! Anyway, your list is awesome, as always! I hadn’t heard of Icefall. Guess I should add it to my list.
I love this list – so awesome!
You’re so right about Harry Potter. There are 10 places I can think of off the top of my head from that. Man, there are 10 places at Hogwarts Castle I can think of vividly. And I totally want to run away to the Night Circus.
I am insanely happy that you included Avonlea on here. I love that Hogwarts and Middle Earth are on here, of course, and the other settings sound fantastic – but the mention of Avonlea just makes me smile like crazy. LOVE Anne! Love Gilbert!
I love ALL the gifs you included. I’m kicking myself for not adding some to my post. I can’t believe I didn’t include Avonlea!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Anne of Green Gables. Last year we did a big trip to Canada (planes, trains, and automobiles) and went to Prince Edward Island. There are a ton of Avonlea tourist traps there but I ate them up. I re-read AoGG on that trip to and fell in love with it all over again!
Seems like pretty much everyone had Harry Potter’s world topping their lists and quite a few fantasies too. I didn’t even think of The Game of Thrones though it wouldn’t count for me since I haven’t read the book. Awesome list!
Sadly, I’ve only been in one of these worlds myself. I’ll give you three guesses as to which… Harry Potter, you say? You would be correct. But in all fairness, it is probably one of the best examples of worldbuilding, ever.
Somehow, I seem to have never heard of The Night Circus before today, but I want to read it NOW! It sounds like just my kind of story! Illusionists, love, great worldbuilding, and gorgeous prose (I may have also made a quick jaunt over to your review to find out these details)? Yes, please! Getting this from the library very soon.
Also, I never read any of the Anne of Green Gables books in my childhood, and I really feel like I need to read at least one. I keep seeing them all over the place! I seem to be missing out.