Top Ten Tuesday: Places in Books I’d Love to Escape to

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

---

Hello lovelies! I hope this week has been treating you well so far. It’s been a kind of reflective week for me due to some bad news I received last Monday, so I am actually quite glad that this week’s TTT topic is one that was perfect to think of. I think reading is such a beautiful thing because it allows us to escape the stuff in our lives at times to other worlds and places where we temporarily live other people’s lives and see how they struggle and triumph through what’s thrown at them.

In trying to honour the vast diversity of genres I read, I have picked a number of real places, real-ish societies, and completely fantastical places I would love to escape to for a while right now.

Fantasy locations I wish I could transport to

1. The Shire/Rivendell (The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien)

This has always been my number one place when I want to escape out of my own stress. Just put on the soundtrack, close my eyes and dream of peaceful rolling green hills and leaning against a tree trunk watching Hobbits doing their thing.

Or seeing the glory of the Elvish halls as the sun hits its spires in all the right places, and running into this peaceful abode to spend the rest of my days. What more could I ask for?

2. Narnia (The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis)

Maybe not when it was in its completely icy form ruled by the witch, but the whimsical feeling of falling into another world through the wardrobe has never left me since I was child reading this book. Mostly I would dream of training in the camp with Aslan and his group, a cause uniting us all.

3. The Witchlands (Truthwitch by Susan Dennard)

• 

• 

Not many fantasy places capture my heart enough to want to go there, especially if the world building was particularly strong enough to even picture such a place. But Susan’s Witchlands have captured my imagination and I would love to walk (or be on the run) with Safi and Iseult around this place.

4. Caraval (Caraval by Stephanie Garner)

• 

• 

• 

Okay, hear me out. I know it wasn’t the greatest experience for Scarlett but the experience of Caraval just seemed so much fun for like literally everyone else (who were not part of the cast). Following riddles or clues, meeting strangers with the perfect smile and having fun into the wee hours of the night, who wouldn’t want some of this? If I wanted a week of mystery, excitement and adventure, this is where I would want to go.

Real destinations I can travel to

5. Italy (Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch)

After reading this gorgeous book, I just want to travel since it’s been so long! While I want to rent a car and just drive around all of Italy, I do want to particularly spend some time in Florence after reading about so much of its sights in Love & Gelato. And definitely eat some gelato, of course!

6. England (Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce)

I just love visiting England, you know? While I have been there once before, I felt like it was the kind of place I could move to if I ever wanted to live somewhere else. I don’t get that kind of feeling for the places I visit on vacation so there was definitely something special that pulled at my heart here. Also, at least people here will understand my love for tea more, right?

Other time periods of our world (because it seems better at times?)

7. Regency era England (The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman)

Yes, I love this place enough to want to live in it in a different time period. I am representing the era with a Bridgerton shot since I couldn’t find a better location picture. I think it’s the romanticism I associate with Victorian England and the allure of Regency England that makes me want to escape to such times occasionally. It seemed simpler in some ways, and kind of works with my old-fashioned heart. Maybe not so much the corsets and the rampant diseases going on, but I suppose I can’t be choosy.

Imaginary settings in the real world (I’d much prefer these “imaginary” places)

8. Hogwarts (Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling)

Like with my first two places, I would definitely have Hogwarts on this list. I always wondered what boarding school would feel like, but throw in some magic and excitement (aka danger!), and I am completely sold for this place. I would’ve loved to even out the girl to boy ratio and helped Hermione show them who is boss.

9. The Shadowhunter New York/London Institute (City of Bones / The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare)

Sometimes I pass by a super old building in the heart of my downtown core and dream that it is a Shadowhunter Institute. I love the world Cassandra has built into the fabric of our own real world, and I love what the Shadowhunters stand for. I would totally go move into an Institute (literally any Institute) and train or something if they’d have me!

10. Yale campus – but mostly the Houses (Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo)

An aerial shot of campus, I loved the book a lot and I think there has always been an allure to old school buildings that have such history associated with them. Like they could’ve witnessed countless lives and drama through its halls. This is the same idea as going to boarding school, but for an older version of myself to explore and just be a different, more adventurous me.

---

And that makes 10! Fancy any of these places too if you are ever in need of some escape from your own reality? Let me know what you think!

Until next time!