TOP TEN TUESDAY: Ten historical places/events I want to read more of

(Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and The Bookish!)

There's a lot of history.
Like, a lot. More history than any of us could ever dream of.
So, this week, I'm picking ten places or events that really interest me, and that I really want to see featured more in historical fiction - particularly YA. I haven't read much historical YA - it hurts my brain and I don't read many that are really genuine, so I'm always frustrated by inaccuracies - but these are the settings I'd really like to explore more.

10) Chernobyl

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster was one of the worst of its kind, and the effects on people can still be seen thirty years in the future. I haven't read any novels that have included Chernobyl, either pre- or post-disaster, but I think it could be a beautifully devastating book, especially if it focused on the younger people who had to deal with the fallout.

9) New Zealand

Okay, this is cheating, because it's not a point in New Zealand history that I want to visit in a book - it's just New Zealand. But I promise this is the only modern day setting that I'm picking - the rest are historical! 

8) Atlantis

Okay, this one might also be cheating, because Atlantis is allegedly fictional - ALLEGEDLY. I strongly and firmly believe in the existence of Atlantis, and if it did exist it definitely existed in the past - I'm counting this as a totally acceptable choice. 

7) Mauritius in the 1600s

Purely for the potential of a character with a dodo as a pet. I don't know if dodos could be pets, but in fiction the possibilities are endless! 

6) The California Gold Rush

I don't know why, but something has always fascinated me about the idea of panning for gold. I know it was a terrible time of desperation and death, but I think a book based in the time period would be fascinating - especially focusing on the struggles of young people competing with men two or three times their age. 

5) United States pre-Columbus

Native American culture is extremely interesting. In Jodi Picoult's 'Picture Perfect' there was a tribe of modern Native Americans and I thought the insight into the culture was beautifully written - I'd love to read more fiction featuring Native Americans, particularly before Columbus colonized America. 

4) Ancient Greece

We get a lot of the Greek myths and legends retold, but I think I want to hear more about the ordinary Greek people - the women, the teenagers - because their lives would be so vastly different from what we experience today. 

3) England in the 1500s

I love the Tudor period, so to read a YA based on a young King Henry VIII, or perhaps any one of his numerous wives, would absolutely grip me.

2) Ancient Egypt

It's estimated that King Tut died when he was just eighteen - isn't that the perfect age for him to become a YA protagonist? In all honesty I'd adore any novel set in Ancient Egypt (I attempted 'Cleo' by Lucy Coats and really didn't enjoy it, but if you can think of any more please let me know!). 

1) Pompeii

Everyone knows the story of Pompeii: Mount Vesuvius erupted, completely burying the city in molten lava and freezing all of the inhabitants exactly where they were. I think a YA romance based in Pompeii in the lead up to the eruption could be utterly fascinating, and very heartbreaking too. 

If you know any YA novels that are set in any of these historical settings or time periods, please let me know! I love recommendations and I've been trying to explore more historical fiction.