How Paying Attention to Book Settings Can Improve Your Reading Life
Plus 25 book recommendations
Every book has a setting, but I’m curious how much attention you give it. Until a few years ago, I never thought too much about setting. I read whatever sounded good, and if the book was set somewhere I found interesting, great. I’ve learned, though, that taking the time to think about the settings I’m drawn to and tend to enjoy repeatedly can have a positive impact on my reading. If the setting is done well, it can become a sort of character in the story, leading to a richer and more satisfying reading experience.
The more I consider what I like and dislike in books, the more I’m able to hone my reading taste and have better success with the books I choose. That doesn’t mean I won’t pick up books outside of what seems like my taste, but it does mean that I always have a map when I’m not sure what to read next.
Here are some of my favorite book settings, and some top titles for each one. I hope my list inspires you to create your own.
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Bookstores and Libraries
I’m sure it’s no surprise that I, a library worker who writes about books, like to read things set in bookstores and libraries. I tend to adore bookish books, and I’m always happy to see titles about writers, librarians, booksellers, or editors.
Bookstore and library book suggestions:
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
A New Yorker strikes up a friendship with a used book dealer in London as they write letters back and forth.
The Banned Bookstore of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson
Maggie Banks steps in to manage her best friend’s bookstore in a small town that’s very set in its literary ways. When Maggie starts breaking the rules in the name of inclusivity, she unites the townspeople in surprising ways.
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa and translated by Eric Ozawa
A woman reeling from a breakup finds welcome and solace at her eccentric uncle’s bookshop in Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book district.
How Can I Help You by Laura Sims
When Patricia is hired as a new reference librarian, she notices her colleague Margo, who’s beloved by library patrons and staff. Patricia suspects there’s more to Margo beyond the surface, and she can’t help but investigate her when a patron is found dead in a library bathroom.
The Shelf: From LEQ to LES: Adventures in Extreme Reading by Phyllis Rose
This delightful memoir chronicles the challenge Rose took on when she read an entire shelf of books at the New York Society Library.
Campuses
I love a campus story. I work in education, have fond memories of college, and I’ve always loved learning, so maybe that’s why I’m drawn to academic settings. I like stories set in colleges, high schools, private schools, public schools, and anything in between. When I hear a book is set on a campus, I’m immediately intrigued.
Campus book suggestions:
The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
Each chapter in this funny and heartfelt novel follows a different staff member at a public high school after a substitute teacher is found dead in the staff room.
I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
When a woman returns to the campus of her former boarding school to teach some classes, she’s forced to remember the murder of her roommate and consider whether or not the right person was convicted.
My Last Innocent Year by Daisy Alpert Florin
Set in 1998, a college senior enters into an affair with one of her professors in this well-written novel that examines consent and power against the backdrop of the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal.
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
A group of classics students becomes dangerously entwined in this beloved dark academia classic.
William Stoner defies the life laid out for him by becoming a college professor instead of a farmer in this quiet novel that follows Stoner throughout his life.
London
I know that for many people, vacation means beaches and sunshine, but give me old buildings and cool museums any day. London intrigues me because of all its history. I like stories set in places full of their own stories and lore.
London book suggestions:
A bachelor named Will makes up a fake son to attend a group for single parents, hoping to meet an eager woman. Instead, he meets Marcus, a 12-year-old boy whose mother is barely keeping her head above water. Will begrudgingly takes Marcus under his wing, changing them both.
The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Libby is a young woman who learns about her birth parents when she inherits their abandoned house in a trendy London neighborhood, the site of three mysterious deaths years earlier.
The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner
Tash is a new mom who gets involved with a wealthy group of mothers at her son’s playgroup. When a young woman is found dead, Tash suspects her friends have some secrets.
A book editor starts to spiral when her fiancé shares some shocking news shortly before their wedding.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie is a 25-year-old Jamaican Londoner who must consider the person she wants to be when her boyfriend breaks up with her and she embarks on a series of disappointing relationships.
New York City
I’ve always been interested in New York City, even though I’ve never been to the East Coast. I have a feeling I’d be overwhelmed in NYC within ten minutes of arriving, but my fascination persists. I’m intrigued by how people live there: apartments instead of houses, public transportation instead of having your own car, and having endless options for what to eat, drink, and do. NYC seems like a wholly unique place, and that’s one of the reasons I like reading about it.
New York City book suggestions:
A stage actress who meets a mysterious man for lunch is the protagonist of this complex standout of 2025.
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
After nine-year-old Oskar loses his father on 9/11, he finds a key and sets out across the city to find the lock it opens.
It Was an Ugly Couch Anyway: And Other Thoughts on Moving Forward by Elizabeth Passarella
This essay collection about a Southern woman building a life and searching for the perfect NYC apartment is hilarious, warm, and thoughtful.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Graduating from Columbia and living on the Upper East Side aren’t enough to satisfy the unnamed protagonist of this novel, so she decides to sleep for a year.
Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison
Jamison recounts her divorce and how she felt being a single mom stuck in an apartment with a toddler during the 2020 lockdown.
Vacation Homes
I might not have vacation home money, but I do have a library card, so there’s that. Come summertime, I enjoy reading stories about vacations, especially when the vacations take place somewhere beachy or otherwise intriguing. I love the family tension found in many vacation stories, and summer seems like the perfect time to enjoy them.
Vacation home recommendations:
Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum
Rich New Yorkers behave badly when they escape the city for a summer on Fire Island.
The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh
A couple heads to a remote getaway for a week-long challenge called The Eden Test that’s meant to help couples find their way back to each other in this thriller full of secrets and lies.
A woman’s plans to enjoy a quiet summer at her family’s country home are derailed when her boyfriend leaves her, her adult children come home, and her father announces his surprise engagement.
Motherhood and aging are beautifully explored in this tender and funny novel about a family vacationing on Cape Cod.
A con artist in hiding from her former partner poses as a chef for a group vacationing in Provence.
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I’d love to know what settings you’re drawn to. Do any of your favorites overlap with mine? Share your thoughts in the comments!
I love this!
I love a campus novel. I'm also a huge fan set in the South or in cozy coastal towns.