Top Ten Places Books Have Made Me Want to Visit

Wow. It seems like I have not participated in Top Ten Tuesday in a looooooong while. I keep meaning to, and then I get on my laptop, and it’s Wednesday, and I’m just like ‘okay, back to blog post B.’ But this week’s topic looked too fun to pass up. I always tell people that my love for travel is rooted in my love for books, and it’s so true. Reading about far off places and great adventures has a way of just making you want to have your own adventures in said far off places. Unfortunately, many such places do not actually exist (so far that I know). So I’ll just let out some of my inner pain with this list.

As always, the Top Ten Tuesday party is happening over at: The Broke and the Bookish. 

(In no particular order because I’m far too lazy to sort them out) 

 

(From the Harry Potter Wiki, because, let’s face it. You know it’s going to be on this list.) 

10. Neverland (Peter Pan)

You get to never grow up! There’s pirates! Adventures! If you got there, you can obviously fly! Dreams, take me awaaaaay.

9. Transylvania (Dracula)

That’s weird, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s weird. I don’t know why I want to go to Dracula’s reigning place, seeing as he’s this bloodthirsty creature of the night and all, but I promise if I go I’ll wear lots of garlic and keep a sharpened pencil in my pocket.

8. Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Yeah, I know that children have like a 4/5 chance of being maimed and/or humiliated here. But, chocolate!

7. England (Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series)

After I read the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series, I was obsessed with moving to England. And now…here I am! Wow, that worked out well.

6. Russia (Anna Karenina)

Read the first 400 pages of Anna Karenina. Could hardly focus on plot, was so absorbed with setting.

5. The Night World (The Night World series)

This is an alternate reality world where vampires, witches, and shape shifters run alongside us humans. A lot of the creatures in the Night World are kind of evil. But I still think it’d be fun to live there, because there’s this thing called the soulmate principal, and it’s really cool, and–yeah, this is just my teen fangirl emerging here.

4. Pawnee (Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America)

This is kind of cheating. You probably know Pawnee as the town from the popular, awesome TV show Parks and Recreation. But I’m putting it on here because I read the book Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America. Yes, it was a book based off of the TV show. But it’s still a book. And it’s still about Pawnee. So, ha. Loopholes! Anyways, Pawnee is usually portrayed as a podunk town with a lot of ignorant people living in it. But it’s also the Greatest Town in America. I would totally go hang out creepily at City Hall, or just stock up on waffles at JJ’s Diner. And then at night, I would go party at the Snakehole Lounge!

3. Spain (The Sun Also Rises)

Immediately after I read Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, I desperately wanted to go to Spain. I’m still not entirely sure why. I mean, Spain seems great and all, but everything that Hemingway talked about isn’t really my cup of tea. I’ve only fished two or three times in my life. I don’t like bullfighting. My favorite places are usually cold, cloudy ones. All of that doesn’t change the fact that I really, really want to go to Spain. I want to eat good food, and drink lots of wine, and not descend into the kind of mad partying and moral degeneration that went on in the Sun Also Rises. I think that’s possible, right?

2. The Underland (Gregor the Overlander series)

I used to be obsessed with Suzanne Collin’s first series when I was in middle school. And although I haven’t read this series in a couple of years, I still remember how much I longed to fall from my city to a secret world, just like Gregor. The Underland is not a cheerful, happy world full of fun adventures. It’s a land corrupt with violence, betrayal, and huge, terrifying rats. But in this land, you can form a bond with a bat, and said bat will be your best friend and take you flying, and I *really* like that idea. Brilliant series. You should read it, if you haven’t.

1. Hogwarts (Harry Potter series)

Duh. I mean, I’m sure this reply is on basically everyone’s list today. And for a good reason. Who wouldn’t want to go to a school where you learn magic?! I mean, a brief list of the best things about Hogwarts: you get to compete against other houses for bragging rights, P.E. could mean FLYING on a broom, Hogsmeade is like, right there, and can I just say that I would gain so much weight at Hogwarts because every freaking meal looks like an ornate feast?! Holidays at Hogwarts would be the best, and the portraits talk to you. Chocolate frogs. Pets are allowed. Sign me up.

What locations do books have you pining over? Let me know!