Our favourite books set in amazing locations

19th April 2020

With a lot of books under our belt, and a good few more on our website, choosing our favourite all time ever TripFiction books was no easy task. The criteria? A book that is so good and so well written that at points you actually believe you’re in the location.

So we’ve racked our brains, scanned our bookshelves and tried to come up with a list to keep you entertained during these times, as we travel from Greece to Afghanistan, Paris to Kyoto, Tibet to Barcelona.

Let us know in the Comments below which ones you’ve read and if you’re adding any to your list!

Love in No Man’s Land by Duo Ji Zhuo Ga, set in Tibet

First of all, this is arguably one of the most beautiful book covers (ever?) Unusual, and even just the look of it transports you to Tibet. Although technically set in 1967 to the early 2000s, it feels as if it could have been set way earlier. It tells of a village in the high Tibetan grasslands with the most perfect descriptions of views, culture, smells and Yak-skin tents. It’s so immersive you feel as if you could be standing right there watching Gongzha hunt. It’s a beautifully written (and beautifully translated) book and gives you a real insight into the rapidly changing life of the tribes in the harsh grasslands and mountains of Tibet. 

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The Labyrinth of Spirits by Carlos Ruis Zafón, set in Barcelona 

This is the fourth in Zafón’s wonderful The Cemetery of Forgotten Books Series (the others are all worth a read as well!) Lots of the same characters appear in all of them, but they are all stand alone and can be read in any order – which is quite a skill in itself. It’s a really difficult book to classify – historical definitely, as it takes place mainly in Franco’s Spain in the 1950s, literary thriller as well, but also a family saga spanning many generations. It perfectly takes you through the streets of Barcelona and is an amazing TripFiction read.

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Beautiful Animals by Lawrence Osborne, set on Hydra

This book was actually a Top Location book for two of us, so it obviously must be good! It beautifully describes the rugged terrain of Hydra, the coves, the sparkling sea and the bristling heat, all forming a sultry and suffocating backdrop for a story that is dark and a brilliant observation into human nature. Osborne’s interview quote of ‘For me, place is everything… I spend more time thinking about that than anything’ is quite clearly true.

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The Office of Gardens and Ponds by Didier Decoin, set in Kyoto

Again, a beautiful book cover (but we aren’t judging them on that – promise!) It’s a pretty large skill to be able to write a book about the husbandry of carps in 12^th Century Japan and make it an incredible read, but Decoin has done it. It’s a story of one woman’s hardship and resilience, but also a lyrical exploration of Japan at a time when unrest and exploitation were rife. It is beautifully written and left me feeling richer for having read it. How often can you say that? (However, it was joint winner – probably justifiably I have to say – of the Literary Review’s 27th Bad Sex in Fiction award!)

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Paris Echo by Sebastian Faulks, set in Paris

Paris Echo gives us a wonderfully detailed look at Paris – not the city that the tourists see but rather what lies behind the glamourous façades of the iconic buildings of Paris. It is the Paris of migrant workers and lost souls. It’s quite obvious that Faulks knows Paris very well. In fact, the descriptions of travelling around Paris by metro are so vivid that the novel can almost serve as a sort of tourist guide for visitors who want a different view of the city and its varied inhabitants.

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The Thread by Victoria Hislop, set in Thessaloniki 

This is a story of a long-lasting, enduring love. It’s the story of Thessaloniki, following fires, wars, invasions and dictatorships and the people who live there. The Thread is a perfect name for this book, not only because of its links with the textile industry, but also how Hislop manages to link the characters of differing religions all together. Greece, its people, the landscape and the culture are wonderfully described. A beautiful love story of survival and bravery.

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Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, set in Mumbai

The book is on the list because it’s a book I always go back to, a book I always recommend and always think about. As you read it, you can’t quite believe that it’s (mainly) a true story, but it is! And it’s incredible. The story follows Lin and his crazy tales of life in Mumbai and it brilliantly brings India to life. The vibrancy oozes out of every page. It’s not a short book, so it’s a bit of an investment, but a perfect read for anyone wanting to travel by book to Mumbai.

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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, set in Herat and Kabul

One of my favourite books and one of my favourite authors. An incredibly beautiful and harrowing tale of two women’s relationship set against life in Afghanistan. It really is some of the best characterization I’ve ever read and it wonderfully (if I can say that because its actually quite awful) brings Afghanistan to life, and what it means to be a woman living there at the time. You really feel as if you walk straight into life there, you can smell the pots cooking, hear the streets and see the surroundings. I loved it!

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Charlotte for the TripFiction team

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