T5W: Books that take place in my country/town

I tried to keep this list as close to home as possible so the top picks are books set in Edinburgh that I loved seeing as I haven't actually read any set in the town where I go to university although I have looked into it (although there do not seem to be many). Once I ran out of top Edinburgh settings though I did broaden it to Scotland in general. I do like reading books where I know where a character is and can picture the actual street although I haven't read as many as I had expected. 

1. Trainspotting by Irving Welsh  - This book does not paint my city in a good light as it explores the Edinburgh underworld but it is a great book and a classic Edinburgh pick. Definitely would recommend that everyone try this but I think the dialect it is written in will maybe make it difficult for some people to understand but I think it just adds to the experience of reading this to me.
2. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding  - Another book set in Edinburgh and if you haven't read this book you have probably seen the movie. This is such a funny and light read as we follow Bridget's daily diary of how she is managing her goals.
3. Fleshmarket by Nicola Morgan  - this book is set in the Edinburgh slums in the early 1800s and follows a boy who is trying to raise his siblings after his mother dies and father runs away. We read the first chapter or so of this in school in preparation for the author coming to give a talk to us. The first chapter is very graphic as it depicts old fashioned surgery without anaesthetic and after that I had no desire to continue the book but then as many of my friends read it I caved to peer pressure and I am glad I did. 
4. The Desperate Journey by Kathleen Fidler  - This book is about the highland clearances and we read it back in primary school but I rememberer really enjoying it. It is a heartbreaking tale about a family affected by famine and a forced to leave their homes and inevitably their country.
5. Harry Potter series by J K Rowling  - this book is only vaguely set in Scotland and it doesn't include any of the culture nor even any specific places but Hogwarts is in Scotland so I have to include it.

Top 5 Wednesday Goodreads page.