Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books Set Outside the U.S.

IMG_1574Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish (http://www.brokeandbookish.com/).

It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday! This time it’s books set outside the U.S. I tried to do this theme justice, but it also highlighted a lot of books I need to get to on my TBR.

This week’s theme is difficult–are we talking real countries only or do made-up worlds count? I’m going to take this at face value and not include books set in outer space/fantasy realms/post-apocalyptic reorganized societies. I’m not going to discount SFF entirely for the list, but I’m making a rule for myself that the books need to be set in countries that actually exist. (Wow. I just made this way more difficult for myself.) I also did not count books that are set partially in the U.S. and partially in other countries (like Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and All Our Names by Dinaw Mengestu, both of which I really enjoyed.) Now that I’ve made the challenge more challenging, here are some books set outside the U.S. that I highly recommend you add to your TBRs!

My Brilliant Friend (The Neapolitan Novels, #1)

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante (Italy) – fascinating in-depth portrait of female friendship and also of tumultuous 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s Naples.

The God of Small Things

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (India) – I read this so long ago, but it was absolutely amazingly written.

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (England) – of course.

Euphoria

Euphoria by Lily King (New Guinea) – this is the story of three anthropologists in a love triangle, loosely based on a true story.

The Passion

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson (France/Russia/Italy) – gorgeous short novel about love and obsession.

Wide Sargasso Sea

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Jamaica) – feminist reinterpretation of Jane Eyre‘s memorable “madwoman in the attic.”

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (Japan) – surrealist, fantastic story about a man searching for his missing wife.

50420

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia) – epic family saga featuring magical realism that spans generations

The Girl in the Road

The Girl in the Road by Monica Byrne (Indonesia/Ethiopia/Indian Ocean) – creative story of two women on separate but interconnected journeys in a near-future setting.

Reading Lolita in Tehran

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Iran) – gorgeously written memoir framed by books.

And, since I’m thinking about it, here are 10 (OK, 12) books set outside the U.S. that are high on my TBR list:

Midnight's ChildrenThree SoulsAnna KareninaLagoonA Tale for the Time BeingDeathless (Leningrad Diptych, #1)1Q84Half of a Yellow SunA Brief History of Seven KillingsThe Palace of IllusionsThe VegetarianThe Lake

Have you guys read any of these? Feel free to link me to your TTT below!

BTW, I’m sooooo excited for #24in48 this weekend. TBR post to come (as soon as my latest BookOutlet.com purchase gets here).

 

 

 

 

9 thoughts on “Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books Set Outside the U.S.”

  1. Murakami is definitely surrealist in style! I haven’t read The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle yet but I loved the ones I’ve read… except maybe 1Q84, which I felt was really, really long (though still good), haha.

    You’ve got some really great books here – I’m also curious about The God of Small Things, as well as Reading Lolita in Tehran.

    Here’s my TTT.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I’ve read Norwegian Wood, The Elephant Vanishes, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, Sputnik Sweetheart, Colourless Tsukuru, and 1Q84. I like his writing better in short stories – I think the ‘weirdness’ is more suited to it. I’d recommend either one of his short stories or Norwegian Wood!

        Like

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