30 Days of Book Talk discussion

Is there a fictional setting you particularly enjoy reading about? It might be a place or a time period, an entire fictional world, or a type of place (starships, hospitals, etc.). What settings particularly interest you in reading a book?

Lately I've been reading a lot about the 18th century in nonfiction, so that setting is a plus for me. Typically though, I enjoy reading about countries culturally distant from my own. My world books challenge made me realize how much fantastic African literature is out there that I was previously unaware of. Some favorites there:

The House at Sugar Beach (a memoir)
Half of a Yellow Sun (historical fiction set in the 1960s)
Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria (travel narrative)
July's People (quasi-speculative fiction about what might have been a violent end to apartheid in South Africa)
Patchwork (fiction about growing up)
God's Bits of Wood (historical fiction about a labor movement)
Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter (literary fiction)
Kintu (contemporary family saga)
I Do Not Come to You by Chance (contemporary humorous fiction about Nigerian scam artists)
Nervous Conditions (literary fiction)

I also enjoy reading about countries I've visited. I have not yet been to any countries in Africa, but I did visit India a few years ago, and even before then I was in love with Indian food, which I'm pretty sure I happily could eat exclusively for the rest of my life if I had somebody to cook it for me. (Not a fan of cooking myself!) Reading descriptions of people eating Indian food has a tendency to make me order takeout. I've already talked some here about books set in India that I really liked - a couple recent ones I haven't yet mentioned are Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India and Clear Light of Day.

When I read Orbitsville by Bob Shaw, I fell in love with the place, and knew that if it were real, that's where I would want to live. I think I feel that even more, these days. Y'know...away from it all.

Though the two follow-up books were not as great as the original novel, in terms of plot - or even "sense of wonder", because there's nothing like the first impressions - I do remember starting the last Orbitsville book, Orbitsville Judgement and feeling happy that I got to go one more time no matter the storyline, but also sad that it would be the last time.

I seem to never get tired of books set in small towns with eccentric residents; especially if the towns are in the south with people constantly offering each other sweet tea. Or in England, where the tea is hot. And bonus points if there is a Downton Abbey-ish manor house in the vicinity.

I immediately thought of Middle Earth by Tolkien, somehow I find it very soothing to read about and revisit the map of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
In terms of historical settings I am in general interested in Japan and liked A Pale View of the Hills and Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro which are set in a rebuilding postwar Japan and I still remember fondly Shogun by James Cavell which is set in 16th century Japan.
Finally I feel Hilary Mantel excels as a painter of historical settings. Both in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy (I am now reading the Mirror and the Light) and in A Place of Greater Safety she skillfully brings the past of England and France alive.

I second both Ange's (quirky small town, especially in Britain, country manor, lots of tea and cake) and Henk's (Lord of the Rings, Thomas Cromwell's England) settings as I enjoy these very much.

I can also add Discworld to it. It's not soothing, of course, but hilarious nevertheless.

Once The Discworld Mapp: Being the Onlie True and Mostlie Accurate Mappe of the Fantastyk and Magical Dyscworlde and The Streets of Ankh-Morpork as well as the The Compleat Ankh-Morpork: City Guide came out, I puchased them all and re-read my favourite subseries (the city watch) books alongside them, tracing their routes on streets or through countries. It was so much fun. :)