Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Settings that I'd Love to Visit

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by The Broke and The Bookish.

Okay,  let's see what are the top 10 places I want to visit because I read about them in a book, and if I can remember exactly which books made me interested.

1.  Ireland 

Hmm, can't remember exactly which books, but I know there were some!

2.  Forks, Washington

 Because of Twilight, obviously.

3.  Scotland

Many books, all of the On Dublin Street series by Samantha Young.  The Harry Potter castle is actually in Scotland as well.

4.  England

So many books take place in England.  A lot of them by Amy Daws.  Of course, the Harry Potter series.  

5.  New York City

Okay, this might be a little bit cheating, but NYC was always on my list, because of all kinds of books, like Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz to name one.  And I did get to go there several years ago, and have now been 4 times. 

6.  New Orleans

Another one I've already gotten the chance to visit. And because of books like the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole or the Wicked saga by Jennifer Lynn Armentrout, I totally wanted to go.

7.  Mexico

I've always been interested in old ruins from ancient civilizations, and after the book The Ruins by Scott Smith, Mexico became high on my list.  I made that come true about 10 years or so ago, when I visited the ruins in Tulum.  My first, and so far only, time out of the US.

8.  Egypt

Egypt is one that is from many, many books, among other things.  But a few that I can remember for sure are the Time Travelers series by Caroline B. Cooney, the Blossom Culp series by Richard Peck, as well as newer books like Reawakened by Colleen Houck.

9.  Germany, Amsterdam

I have wanted to see the house, attic really, that Anne Frank and her family had to hide out in.  I also feel like I want to visit a concentration camp, and pay my respects to those whose lives were lost in the holocaust.

10.  Australia

I think the first time I really thought I wanted to go was after reading Pride of the Peacock by Victoria Holt.

So, have you been to any of these places?  Are you from one of them?  What are some locations you want to visit after reading a book that took place in that setting?

Review: Vivian Divine is Dead by Lauren Sabel

As usual I must first thank Edelweiss and Katherine Tegen books for allowing me to read an e-galley of this title. This was a quick read, a good little mystery.

The main character is of course Vivian Divine. She is a teen movie star.  Not too long ago her mother was killed after being threatened.  After that, her father tried to commit suicide.  And she was just embarrassed by her boyfriend kissing her best friend being caught by the reporters.  Now, Vivian has received the same type of note as her mother, her death has been predicted, and there is even a photo shot of her as if it has already taken place.  Her personal assistant suggests that she go incognito down to Mexico where she has relatives who can help keep Vivian safe until they can figure out what to do to save her.  Of course they have to change her appearance, and then she is on a bus to Mexico.  Partway through the bus ride, Vivian notices her bag is missing.  A boy named Nick is who she first accuses, but he promises her it wasn't him, and even tries to help her.  Well sort of, he thinks she is pretty snotty, and so does it in a backhanded way.  But when the bus gets broken down before they reach Vivian's destination, she now must rely on Nick to take her to the town where she is supposed to meet the guy who is supposed to help her out.  Soon, she and Nick become pretty good friends.  But partly because the next ride they get only lasts for so long.  When they stop at a church to sleep for the night, a man with a gun comes in, and it is obvious he is looking for Vivian.  Now, Vivian hasn't told Nick her name, wanting to stay anonymous.  She is able to hide, but in the morning, the priest and the others staying in the church chase her out.  Nick goes with her. But soon the man catches up again.  And they are separated.  Now Vivian is on her own.  She even sees on the news that supposedly she has been found dead.

The story has all kinds of twists and turns.  The guy at the church isn't the only guy trying to get her, and she does catch back up to Nick when she finally gets to the town.  She comes across a woman who helps her, and this woman even has some connections that Vivian thinks may help her to actually find out why her mother was murdered.  But finding this out may put Vivian in even more danger. How much can she trust any of her new friends?  Including the cute boy Nick?

Really a pretty good story.  A fun read, I kind of had an inkling about a certain person who ended up involved in the whole plot to kill Vivian, although it may not be a first guess.  All the characters end up tied together in a pretty unique way I'd say.  But probably really believable for a small town in Mexico run by a drug lord.