Top Ten Tuesday used to be a weekly post hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, but was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl. “It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.” This is definitely something I can understand and want to participate in.
This week’s prompt gives us a bit of structure and a bit of leeway. It’s books set in X (pick a setting and share books that are all set there. This could be a specific continent or country, a state, in outer space, underwater, on a ship or boat, at the beach, etc.) When I’m not reading fantasy, I generally try my best to read books set in places that are different than the ones I’m most familiar with. But for this week, I decided to stay local and highlight some books set in New York, my home state.
- Kantika by Elizabeth Graver. Although the story follows the journey of a family in diaspora through several locations, New York City plays a prominent role in the story.
- The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker. This is an urban fantasy that merges Jewish and Arabic mythology and folklore with historical fiction set in turn-of-the-century Manhattan.
- Going Bicoastal by Dahlia Adler. Well, half the book is set in New York City, so it counts! This sliding doors style bisexual YA romance was split between NYC and LA, and showcase the best that both cities have to offer.
- When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb. Another historical fantasy set at the turn of the century in NYC, this one featured some of the dark side of the times.
- Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan. This riveting nonfiction memoir of the author’s terrifying fight with an illness that threatened to take everything from her, including her mind and identity, took place right in New York.
- As Seen on TV by Meredith Schorr. Part of this charming, Hallmark-adjacent rom-com takes place in NYC, while the rest takes place in upstate NY, but all of it is wonderful and highlights New York’s variety.
- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. This is another story of a family in diaspora, and it takes place over many generations in a wide range of settings, one of which is Harlem, NY.
- The Matchmaker’s Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman. I loved this dual timeline story about a woman in the early 1900s, fighting to make her own way in the world, and her granddaughter in the present day, struggling through grief and working to find meaning in her life, with both timelines set in NYC.
- Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman. I loved this historical fantasy story, not just because of the story, but also because part of it let me see what Manhattan was like in the 1600s, and it was so cool to read about it!
- When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole. This thriller takes place in NYC, addressing gentrification and racism in the creepiest way possible.
What are your favorite books that take place in the state of New York?
Categories: Top Ten Tuesday
Leah's Books 
How fun to feature novels set in your home state. 🙂 Someday I need to do that too. Maybe one of those times I’m not loving the prompt. Happy Top Ten Tuesday!
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You totally should! You always come up with such fun topic ideas that I always want to steal, so it’s nice to be able to give you a topic idea to steal for a change. Happy Tuesday!
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A great looking list! I want to read As Seen On TV.
Have a great week!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
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Thank you, and you should! It’s such a cute Hallmark type story. I loved it, and hope you do too if you end up reading it. Happy Tuesday, and I hope you have a great week.
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Thank you 😊 it’s been on my radar for ages!!
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I was totally at a loss thinking of books in a specific setting! It’s not the kind of thing I remember, somehow. 😳 You’ve got a great list, though! Brain on Fire was so fascinating (and a bit scary).
Here’s my list!
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Thank you! I always try to switch up the genres in a list like this and include some from different genres. Brain on Fire was such an interesting story but also terrifying, especially since I’ve worked in mental health!
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Someone else picked this same theme, too. New York is such a popular setting.
Here is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
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That doesn’t surprise me, a lot of books are set here.
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New York is a great venue for stories of all kinds. So many of the ones I read are set there.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
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It really is a good setting for books, although I wish I had read more that were set in other parts of NY besides NYC.
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Alice Blanchard has a series set in what I think is upstate NY that starts with Trace of Evil. Fabulous series.
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Ooooh, thanks for the heads up! I’ll check that one out.
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I keep track of where all the books I read are set each year and New York is always #1 or sometimes #2 (behind California). There are SO many books set there, especially in the city. I actually prefer the ones set in upstate, though, since I’m not a city person. Plus, upstate NY is so pretty!
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Upstate NY is gorgeous! I went to college there and always visited family there growing up, so it has a special place in my heart. And I love the idea of keeping track of where the books you read are set!
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The Golem and the Jinni is one of my favorites. so atmospheric, the setting is another characters and it makes you want to walk around the city
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Absolutely! If you’ve ever been to NYC, it really does have its own personality, so I love when books capture that so well like The Golem and the Jinni did.
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I love books set in New York! Lauren Layne has a bunch of good ones.
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I’ve never heard of her before, but now I’m going to have to check her out! Thanks for the tip.
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While I enjoy reading books set in NYC, I would love to find books in New York that aren’t around the city. The state is so big, beautiful, and diverse!
Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!
https://readbakecreate.com/cookbooks-for-book-lovers-gift-ideas/
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I tried to find some that are set in other parts of the state, and actually did find some! I do like the beauty of upstate NY, although it isn’t nearly as exciting as the big city.
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I love New York!! Great topic choice. I really enjoyed the Matchmaker’s Gift! I feel like it didn’t get all the love that it deserved!
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Thanks! New York is such a fun city for books to be set in. And I’m so glad you loved The Matchmaker’s Gift! It sure got plenty of love within the Jewish bookstagram circles, but it was definitely underhyped outside of that.
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Yeah, I was surprised I didn’t see it around more. Maybe I shouldn’t be though. Regardless, a great book!!
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The only one I have read from this list is Brain on Fire, but I have had my eyes on Going Bicoastal for a while now. When No One is Watching looks really intriguing too!
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You picked two really great books from the list! I highly recommend them.
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