Ten Books Set Outside the U.S.

Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that asks bloggers to create Top Ten lists on a variety of bookish topics. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books Set Outside the U.S.

As I was reviewing my reading spreadsheet for this post, I realized I read very few books set outside of the U.S. until the past two years. I have no idea why that is, but I’m very glad I’ve broadened my horizons lately and will continue to do so! Hopefully this Top Ten Tuesday will give me some good adds for my non-U.S. TBR list!

Ten Books Set Outside the U.S.

Asia

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Japan

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
India

The Expatriates by Janice Y.K. Lee
Hong Kong

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by David Shafer
Myanmar, formerly Burma

The Caribbean

An Untamed State by Roxane Gay
Haiti

The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson
Barbados

Eastern Europe

Dear Fang, With Love by Rufi Thorpe
Lithuania

The Tsar of Love and Techno by Anthony Marra
USSR

North America

Sweetland by Michael Crummey
Canada

Western Europe

Tender by Belinda McKeon
Ireland

What are some of your favorite books set outside the U.S.?




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40 Comments

  1. I see a few on my to read list and some I’ve read. I didn’t realize Dear Fang was set outside the US.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
  2. I’ve got to get Dear Fang, With Love. My maternal grandparents immigrated from Lithuania.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      You mentioned that when I wrote my review…so you definitely have to read it!

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  3. I’ve seen The Untamed State show up on quite a few lists today. It must be a pretty good book so maybe I will have to check it out. The Tsar of Love and Techno also seems to be pretty popular.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Untamed State is brutal, but really amazing. If you can stand reading some tough scenes, then give it a shot for sure! Tsar is a little tamer in that respect.

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  4. Stephanie wrote:

    Just finished Sweet Caress from William Boyd. Loved it. Original story of the life in the 20th as a female photographer. A few bits in the US, but mostly outside.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Stephanie wrote:

      Sorry, not sure how all of those typos got in there. But you get my meaning. I hope 🙂

      Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I remember hearing about that one at BEA 2015, but never got to it! Glad you enjoyed it.

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  5. Suzanne wrote:

    IQ84 and Dear Fang, With Love are on my TBR list. Looking forward to reading them. Many of your other titles are new to me and sound like great reads. Definitely adding a few to my list. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      You’re very welcome and I hope you get to those. Have you read Murakami before? 1Q84 was my first Murakami…he’s a little out there, but really fantastic!

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  6. Allyson wrote:

    I haven’t read any of these, but there are a couple on my wishlist! Great list 🙂

    My TTT.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Thank you and hope you get to read the ones on your wishlist!

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  7. Loooove Murakami, Gay, and Marra. I still need to get to The Expatriates!

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      It’s an unexpectedly dark light read if that makes any sense. I thought it would be lighter going in, but was thrilled that it was darker than expected.

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  8. Trish wrote:

    OMG I’m so embarrassed that I didn’t realize that Myanmar was formerly Burma. My sister vacationed there a few years ago and I never made the connection. Sheesh. Shantaram is one that I keep hearing so much about…I think it’s the length that keeps putting me off. Heh–same with 1Q84 (though I love Murakami!).

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Ha! I didn’t know that until I read Whiskey Tango…and my husband has a cousin who was born there. She still calls it Burma 🙂 And 1Q84 is super long…I read it before I started the blog and wonder if I would’ve invested the time now. I’m thinking not since I seem to be allergic to long books these days (City on Fire scarred me).

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  9. Naomi wrote:

    I just read City of Thieves by David Benioff and it was wonderful! (Does it count if the author is still from the US?) It’s set in Russia, more specifically Leningrad. Homegoing is another good one, but only half of it is set in Africa (Ghana), the other half is in the US.
    I’m sure there are many more, but those are at the top of my head right now.
    Oh, The Radiant City by Lauren B. Davis, which is set in Paris.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I read City of Thieves years ago and really liked it…although I can’t remember anything about it now. And – if I’d limited myself to books set in foreign countries also by non-U.S. authors, my list would have REALLY shrunk! Sweetland would’ve stayed on though 🙂

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  10. The Tsar of Love and Techno is on my TBR and I’ve been curious about The Expatriates but your others are new to me. I think I need The Star Side of Bird Hill. That looks good!

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Def try Star Side…fantastic and beautifully written debut.

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  11. Lindsay wrote:

    How funny — we’ve had the opposite reading experience: I used to read many more books set outside the U.S. (and England), particularly in Asia, and I hardly read any anymore. I think that’s because I’ve discovered my love for books set in the U.K. and, well, we like what we like!

    You listed a few books that are on my to-read list, and after seeing how much you liked “Dear Fang” that got added to TBR mountain as well. I actually have read “1Q84” but it didn’t make my list this week because I didn’t love it nearly as much as I had hoped.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I feel like 1Q84 and Murakami in general isn’t for everyone..he’s kind of out there and I’m actually surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did b/c I normally like my books set firmly in reality.

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  12. I’m actually halfway through reading Dear Fang right now and love it so far so I’m glad to see it made your list. I’m definitely trying to read more books from non-european countries so I’ll definitely have to check out The Expatriates!

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Oh yay!! I hope you end up loving it…let me know once you’re finished!

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  13. I think I’d find the same thing in my reading, a lot of US-centric books until the last couple of years. Except for books set in the Middle East, that’s always been an interest of mine.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Your focus on the Middle East is interesting and I’m pretty interested in that as well, but most of the books I’ve read about it have been nonfiction (Underground Girls of Kabul was a recent fave) and I stuck to fiction for this list.

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  14. I’m reading Dear Fang right now and I absolutely love it so far (Tender not so much). I’ll have to check out some of the others.

    Posted 7.19.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Yay – I’m so glad!

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  15. My TBR list has gotten so big this week. There are so many non-US books that I want to read.

    Posted 7.20.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      I hope you get to some of them! So many books, so little time!

      Posted 7.20.16 Reply
  16. Lindsey wrote:

    I’m loving reading everyone’s lists for this Top Ten Tuesday. It’s making me want to go look through my archives and see how my reading stacks up, even if I missed writing the post!

    I’ve been meaning to read An Untamed State for a while, but I know I need to get myself ready and maybe have something nice and light to read afterwards.

    Posted 7.20.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      Yes – definitely have something light ready for after Untamed State!

      Posted 7.24.16 Reply
  17. Michelle wrote:

    A few years ago, I started tracking all of the places around the world my books take me. I use that visual to try to make sure I visit every continent, if possible. It has definitely pushed me to read books I may not have normally considered, and it has forced me to pay attention to setting in ways I may not have done in the past.

    Posted 7.21.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      That’s great that you’ve been tracking your geographical diversity! Maybe I should start doing that. What places do you have left to “visit”?

      Posted 7.24.16 Reply
      • Michelle wrote:

        I’m a little light on Africa and South America, but I have visited them at least once this year. I think all I am missing so far is Australia!

        Posted 7.24.16 Reply
        • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

          I’m light in those 2 continents as well. As for Australia – what about Bill Bryson’s In A Sunburned Country?

          Posted 7.24.16 Reply
  18. Diane wrote:

    Shantaram was an all time favorite of mine. Great list

    Posted 7.25.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      It was so good, right?! Did you read his book that came out last Fall?

      Posted 7.25.16 Reply
  19. Athira wrote:

    Love this Top Ten Tuesday prompt! I can see my bookshelf exploding soon! Untamed State is the book I want to read the most in this list. I love Roxane Gay but I don’t seem to read enough of her work.

    Posted 7.31.16 Reply
    • Sarah Dickinson wrote:

      It’s incredibly brutal, but fantastic!

      Posted 8.1.16 Reply

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