Top Ten Tuesday: Settings I’d love to see more of

Yes, it’s finally Tuesday again and time for my favorite tag – today’s topic is great: Settings I’d love to see more of and so let’s do it!

#1 Boarding School

It doesn’t have to be as magical as Hogwarts, but a boarding school would be nice. The atmosphere is always special, it adds a different twist when all the protagonists live and eat together and you have the same setting throughout the book. It might have something to do with the fact that I always dreamed of attending one when I was small, but I guess also series have proved that boarding schools can add a twist – Night School by CJ Daugherty for instance.

#2 London

Yes, this might be a cliche, but you can never have enough of your favorite city. Old buildings to hide in, the underground for a chase and the Tower of London to steal the Queen’s jewels + on top, a nice little High Tea at the Ritz – it fits for every possible genre.

#3 San Francisco

My favorite city in the US – and I have never read a book that’s set in this beautiful and special city. Why not use its beautiful pier, the old streets or the short drive over to Berkley for a book?

#4 Castles & Palaces

Yes, I like royalty in books. Doesn’t Selection by Kiera Cass or Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo prove that you can never have enough castles or palaces as settings? You can add official banquets, mask balls or just a stroll through the big and pompous garden – or why not use it as a training facility for a secret society full of special agents?

#5 Faerie lands

Yes, I know we have that a lot in these days because of Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince and also Cassandra Clare’s Queen of Air and Darkness, which are both set (in total, or just some chapters) in the world of the Fey. This comes with not only beautiful descriptions of worlds, buildings, people and cultures, but also with new plot lines. We don’t know what they’re capable of and therefore not only a new world is created, but also a whole new set of opportunities opens up…

#6 The Wizarding World

Ok, I admit it. I would like to see more of Harry, Ron and Hermione. And that will prove itself to be highly improbable (quoting Prince Nikolai here, if anyone noticed!). I didn’t enjoy The Cursed Child AT ALL because, well, for various reasons. But I would really appreciate a short story covering their whereabouts and situations now. I know we got a glimpse of their adult life – Hermione being Minister and Neville being Professor at Hogwarts – but I mean, we never really got something brilliant. And brilliant is what I’m expecting from Rowling after her masterpiece.

#7 Paris

My second favorite city in the world and besides the small glimpses we got in Marissa Meyer’s Scarlet, I have never read a book set in Paris before, or if I have, I don’t remember anymore. Just like London, Paris is such a historical city that could be used in millions of ways – invent a secret order that does its work at Sacre Coeur, take the fire at Notre Dame and blame a government, plan to steal the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. There are many ways, plus you have the French humor and their accent you can incorporate.

#8 Oxford

This is just me dreaming. Oxford is where I want to study Law. It’s been my dream for many many years now – and reading about the University in books would just be magical and to die for. It would be perfect for mysteries or crimes, but the old city in general could be incorporated into any genre!

#9 Airplanes

Due to my recent obsession with mystery and crime novels, this setting is what strikes me as the obvious best. A setting where the suspects are bound to stay, where the detective can easily investigate but also observe – and where the perfect murder can be performed.

#10 Hotels or Resorts

I am just spinning here, but hotels, resorts or motels can add a special suspense factor. I mean, let’s look at Agatha Christie’s The Evil under the Sun, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho or the Netflix series Bates Motel. Doesn’t that speak for itself?

That’s it – a mixture of my favorite places in the world and interesting ideas for future projects! Enjoy your day!