Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme originally created and hosted by Rukky @ Eternity Books, and then cohosted by Dani @ Literary Lion. Since April 2022, the meme moved to another host, Aria @ Book Nook Bits. LTB is a meme where participants discuss specific topics, share their opinions, and share their love by visiting each other’s posts.

Hello! So, here I am, excited to write this week’s post.

Today’s topic is: Books Set in Real Places (Hannah @ Hannah’s Library)

Prompts: Do you like books set in real places? How accurate should an author be when writing about a real place? Have you read a book set in your town or city that was depicted in a way you liked or didn’t like? Do you think an author should have firsthand experience of a particular place in order to write about it? 

Do you like books set in real places?

In the story I read, places are really essential.
Of course, novels are about people, but individuals are products of their culture and surroundings, so the setting is an essential plot component.

I’m always captivated by the worlds that authors build for their fantasy and sci-fi stories. I suppose the sheer intricacy of establishing a full society, from its laws and religion to its people, plants, and environment, fascinates me.
However, basing our stories on the “real world” that we all know (or believe we know) can be difficult.

How accurate should an author be when writing about a real place?

If the author writes about a real place, he/she has to get the facts right. If it’s historical fiction, this involves a good deal of research to find out how places looked during a particular period.

Using actual settings—real towns or cities, real street names, real landmarks—can appear simple since everything has already been constructed. You don’t need to develop culture, landmarks, or names.

Have you read a book set in your town or city that was depicted in a way you liked or didn’t like?

At the moment I’ve to say that up ‘til now, I have never read any books set in my town! but I would really like to read one!

Do you think an author should have firsthand experience of a particular place to write about it? 

Some authors go to extraordinary lengths to visit the settings they write about, so they manage to depict them very well. But some other authors, show that desk research can sometimes be enough.

Do you like books set in real places?
Do you think an author should have firsthand experience of a particular place in order to write about it? 

Let’s chat in the comments below!

Hope you enjoyed it!! xxx