Sometimes the best plane ticket we have is a good book. It’s certainly the most reliable time machine (so far). I love reading about far off places, especially ones I want to see for real, someday. Here are some of my favorite books that live in another place.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted weekly by That Artsy Reader Girl


The Visitors by Sally Beauman

Set in Egypt during the height of the 1920s archaeology craze, it highlights the excitement and extreme boredom (and heat) of the desert adventures. My review.

Midnight at the Pera Palace by Charles King

This nonfiction marks the history of modern Turkey through the fortunes and failings of Istanbul’s most iconic hotel. My review.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence

I can’t move on from the middle east without mentioning Lawrence of Arabia. His own recounting of his time is desert is gripping.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Pulley creates a magical world that feels so real, deep in the Andes of South America. My review.

Sugar Money by Jane Harris

Harris draws a novelized version of the true story of slaves in Martinique who attempt a dramatic theft. My review and interview with the author.

The State Counsellor by Boris Akunin

I am obsessed with all of Akunin’s novels featuring the enigmatic Erast Fandorin, set in the last days of imperial Russia. My review.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

With a completely different, and much less action-packed view, of Russia, I adored this novel, even more than the author’s first. My review.

Circe by Madeline Miller

I am about two-thirds finished with this vivid, imaginative story of the Greek goddess on the island of Aiaia. Review forthcoming.

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

So much of what I read takes place in England (I can’t help myself), but Perry’s novel is one of my favorites. My review.

The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding

The author explores a century of German – Soviet history all from the point-of-view of a family’s summer cabin. My review.


What are your favorite books that take place in another country?


7 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Books that take place in another country”

  1. Oooh good list. I’ve got The Essex Serpent and The Bedlam Stacks on my TBR at the moment, and I’d love to read both Seven Pillars of Wisdom and Circe!

  2. Great list! I don’t think I’ve heard of many of these books, except Circe, and I was sort of on the fence about reading it. I’d be interested in seeing what you thought after you finish reading it. 🙂

    1. It’s really great so far. It definitely takes a turn right at the halfway point but it’s still really good.

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