Top Ten Tuesdays: Favorite books with a English setting

Happy Top Ten Tuesday! The Broke and the Bookish left this week sort of open as far as subject goes; they said to pick your favorite setting. So today's topic is Favorite Books with an English setting.

Pip pip, cheerio. Cheers olde man! Bugger off you blimey cod! All my (read two) English friends will probably murder me for these terrible English-isms, but come on!!! I don’t think I even used half of those correctly, but it’s too fun to resist trying. Oyez! Oyez! Here follows the listing of ye olde favourite novels set in Jolly Olde England.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Quintessential English! Proud upper crust gentleman lowers himself to court the witty young woman. And there’s tea. You, dear reader, are likely rolling your eyes and thinking I’m lame. I’m ok with your judgment.

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Not just one London, but TWO! Twice the English setting is twice the fun. Gaiman creates the world of London Below in this fantastical book about the underbelly of London that consists of magical, otherworldly creatures and how one resident from Below runs into a resident from London Above, forever changing his world.

Harry Potter (all of them)

Ok here are my favorites in order: 3, 6, 1, 4, 7, 5, 2.
As my coworker puts it, “Asking which Harry Potter book is like asking which flavor of chocolate don’t you like?” Nearly impossible to answer, but hard to make a poor decision.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Smith writes a coming of age story about a young woman and her eccentric family who live in an old castle in the English countryside. An amusing, sweet story that is most certainly English!

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

Those crazy Brits! Potato Peel Pie does sound like disgusting English pub fare, luckily it’s not. This is a heartwarming story about the problems Guernsey had while it was occupied by Nazis, and about the kooky characters now residing there.

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Alright Gregory is a darn good historical fiction author. Yeah I’m kind of tired of seeing her name, but she’s well researched and brings history alive! I hate myself a little for using that phrase. Anyway, her series about the Plantagenets of England makes for good reads.

Atonement by Ian McEwan

A haunting book that looks at the atrocities that an overactive imagination can cause. McEwan paints a story about a rich English estate and those who live there then moves to WWII all while following characters whose lives changed due to a child’s misinterpretation.

Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

1950s London was full of civilities and manners. Here’s a look at a world on the brink of change while the characters are still suppressing urges and keeping their pinkies up.

A Madness of Angelsby Kate Griffin

Set in London, the audience meets a man who’s newly resurrected…and on the hunt for the man who killed him.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Did you know Agatha Christie’s one of the top, if not the top, translated author in the world? And Then is a hallmark of mystery writing with Christie creating the “locked room” mystery. Here we have an isolated English isle and all the corrupt characters who are unfortunate enough to land there.

Do you have a favorite setting for books?

~Kristin M.