Hello everyone,
Into the final three posts of my A-Z of the books I read between 2018 and 2022, and this is one of the shorter ones. We have two letters to cover here, although I recall hardly anything that begins with ‘U’ so this will mostly be ‘V’ for Victor, Voila, and Viva Las Vegas.
I have hardly read any books beginning with either of these letters, but there are some interesting elements to be found here too. So let us get straight to it..
United Kingdom
I am from the UK, so that means that a large number of the books I read are set here. A lot of those are in London, but I have come across stories set in other cities such as Liverpool and Bristol, along with others in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Some authors use fictional locations too.
United States of America
The other country where most English language novels are set. I have read lots of books set in the United States, including a handful by British authors. New York is the perhaps the most frequent setting with California a close second, but it is such a huge country that I have read books that take place in numerous states.
Unsea
Another name for the Shadow Fold in the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo, An area of darkness that splits Ravka in two, the only way across it is a sandskiff and it is used by the Darkling as an area to inflict terror on those who oppose him.
The Shadow Fold is inhabited by sinister, shadowy creatures called Volcra.
Valora Luck
The main character in Luck Of The Titanic by Stacey Lee. Valora is an accomplished acrobat and circus performer who lands on board the ocean liner with her brother Jamie, looking to get a job under circus leader Albert Alkany Stewart. I really liked Valora, and occasionally she spoke in rhyming slang, which I found very endearing.
Vanda Symon
The author of Containment, the third book in a series of mysteries set in Australia. I read this one for a blog tour thinking it was a standalone – I enjoyed it to a degree but not so much the slow pace, and I have not revisited the series since.
The Vanishing Act Of Esme Lennox
A book by acclaimed author Maggie O’Farrell, which I read as part of a research study into reading habits back in 2021. It was a very unique and cleverly crafted book that I was not sure what to make of at first, but ended up appreciating it a lot.
Vasilisa Petrovna
The main character in the Midnight Trilogy by Katherine Arden. Determined and spirited, Vasya remains one of my favourite ever protagonists. I liked her from the start and she only became more compelling as the trilogy progressed.
Verity Everett
A detective constable in Cara Hunter’s DI Adam Fawley series. Everett is probably my favourite of the police characters – I really like her sense of world weariness and also that she seems to enjoy the company cats more than people.
Vermont
For some reason, the mountains of Vermont seem to be a popular setting for fictional boarding schools. The most notable of these is Ellingham Academy, in the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson.
Veronica Moon
The main character in The Woman In The Photograph by Stephanie Butland. A feminist photographer who is preparing an exhibition of her work as her health gradually deteriorates, Veronica’s story is told over two timelines.
Victor Amobi
Pippa Fitz-Amobi’s father in the A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder series by Holly Jackson. He works as a lawyer, but away from work he is the most chilled, laidback character around and I enjoy his dynamic with Pippa.
Victoria Valbon
A woman whose murder sparks a mystery for local radio presenter Stella McKeever, in Call Me Star Girl by Louise Beech. It turns out that Stella’s mother was working as Victoria’s doula, which heightens the suspense.
Virgil Doyle
An English aristocrat in Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. One of the residents of an eerie house, Virgil becomes increasingly frightening and horrible as the book goes on, as socialite Noemi becomes trapped in his twisted home.
Vivant
The magazine that Monique Grant works for in The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is in this magazine that legendary actress Evelyn asks Monique to publish her life story.
Vivien
An alpha-female kind of character who I encountered in Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager. She likes to play truth or dare while at summer camp under Emma’s supervision, but later she and two of her fellow campers disappear in curious circumstances.
Vivien Tester
Another unusual yet captivating character, Vivien is a housekeeper who assists academic Olivia Sweetman in her research, in The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins. Written in the first person, her perspective is unique and even at the end of the book, I had no idea if she was good or bad.
VOX
A dystopian book by Christina Dalcher, situated in a future where women are restricted on how many words they are allowed to say. It is an excellent concept, but the execution was poor as I struggled with the writing style and hated the characters.
Let’s Chat
And there we have it! Have you come across any of these books, settings, authors, or characters? Let me know in the comments!
Happy reading 🙂
Stephen Reads Books 