They Do It Just A Little Bit Better

I'm very late to the party on this one: I've just started reading the Pretty Little Liars books.

Guess what?  They're set in the suburbs of Philadelphia!  I'm from the suburbs of Philadelphia!  Sara Shepard even mentions Wawa within the first few chapters!

I'm ecstatic, and even more eager to read the series now.

I happen to be on a Philly roll.  I recently read Jennifer Jabaley's Lipstick Apology, in which the lead character moves from… the suburbs of Philly!  And as I blogged the other day, I just finished The Silver Lining Playbook, which not only takes place in Philly, but my team, the Philadelphia Eagles, are a major part of the story.  Bliss!

Is it just me, or do you also get excited when a book is set in your hometown, or another place you know well?  Do you get more excited about that, or about a book that takes you to a place you've never been and brings it to life for you?

Maybe it's because I left when I was fairly young (with no regrets), but I get waaaaay more excited about books set in and around my hometown.  It's probably why I set Populazzi there.

Hmmm… now I'm craving cheesesteaks and Tastykakes…