
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. For the rules see her blog.
The topic this week is 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.
I’ve chosen books set on islands:
The links go to my posts on the books.










The Island by Victoria Hislop, her debut novel. It is historical fiction set in Plaka on the island of Crete and in Spinalonga, a tiny, deserted island just off the coast of Plaka.
The Island by Ragnar Jonasson, Nordic Noir, set on the isolated island of Elliðaey off the coast of Iceland. It’s an intricate mystery full of suspense and foreboding, set against the beautiful and dramatic Icelandic landscape.
The Long Song by Andrea Levy. This is a brutal, savage, and unrelenting novel that depicts the lives of the slaves in Jamaica just as slavery was coming to an end and both the slaves and their former owners were adjusting to their freedom.
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves, the first in her Shetland series, crime novels set in the Shetland Islands, to the north of mainland Scotland. This is a murder mystery investigated by Inspector Jimmy Perez.
The Blackhouse by Peter May, set on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, a murder mystery. the first in his Lewis Trilogy. It includes a description of the traditional annual two week trip to An Sgeir, the rock fifty miles north-north-east of Lewis to harvest the guga, or young gannets.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a short novel about a group of boys stranded on a desert island. What at first seemed to the boys as a great adventure soon descended into a sinister nightmare scenario.
A Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon, the 10th Commissario Guido Brunetti novel, set mainly on the island of Pellestrina, south of the Lido on the Venetian lagoon. Brunetti investigates the mystery surrounding the deaths of two clam fishermen, father and son.
Entry Island by Peter May, set in the present day Magdalen Islands, part of the province of Quebec, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, and in the nineteenth century on the Isle of Lewis at the time of the Highland Clearances. Only two kilometres wide and three long, Entry Island is home to a population of just over 100 inhabitants, the wealthiest of whom has just been discovered murdered in his home.
The Survivors by Jane Harper, set in the fictional coastal town of Evelyn Bay on the island of Tasmania. Just who and what the ‘Survivors‘ are plays a major role in the story – along with the sea, the caves and the tides. This is a slow-burner at first, that turns into an emotionally charged book
Silver: Return to Treasure Island by Andrew Motion, a sequel to Treasure Island. Jim and Natty, son and daughter of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver, go in search of the silver left behind on Treasure Island forty years earlier.
I absolutely love the island as a setting in books and movies, I almost picked it as my theme. Here’s my list: https://yggdrasille.com/2023/11/28/top-ten-tuesday-books-set-on-mars/
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I like books set on islands, and especially liked the Victoria Hislop book you started with!
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Oh, you’ve picked some terrific novels, Margaret! I really liked the Peter May novels you mention, and the Ann Cleeves as well. Islands are just tailor-made for novels, I think. So many possibilities for plots, etc..
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Oh yes, Lord of the Flies. Robinson Crusoe is another good island story.
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Island settings have been popular this week. That’s what I chose too although we don’t have any in common!
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Ooh, great idea! I’ve read Lord of the Flies, and Silver: Return to Treasure Island sounds interesting.
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Islands are a cool setting for sure.
Here is my <a href=”https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-books-set-in-x/“>Top Ten Tuesday</a> post.
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I’m also a big fan of island settings, especially when the books are of the moody, broody type (like May’s). I’ve read four of these. There are a couple here I hadn’t heard of, so I’ll definitely give those a closer look.
Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
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Lord of the Flies. Good catch. I doubt I would have thought of that one. Fun list.
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The cover of Black House is soooo sinister!! I’ve liked Jane Harper’s books–I think I’m up-to-date on her. The Guest List by Lucy Foley and, with Dean Street December coming up very soon, Charlotte Fairlie by DE Stevenson https://hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com/2023/03/01/review-charlotte-fairlie-by-d-e-stevenson/ are both island books. Great list–I’ll likely read at least one of these.
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Margaret, you’ve got two books by one of my favorite authors on your list – Peter May. I’ve loved both of them. About time for a reread. Hope you are feeling well again – I’m finally getting around and commenting after a long time away. Happy holidays!
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I really enjoyed both Raven Black and Sea of Troubles and remember both of them well. No desire to reread Lord of the Flies :) The Island sounds like something I would like.
Great theme and good choices.
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