What if there are NO books set in your hometown?

[Jessica]

What if there are no books set in your hometown? I live in a small, small hometown. I've already checked and there are no books. What should I read?

[Breanna]

I feel like I'm going to run into this same problem. To be honest, I haven't spent a whole lot of time looking because I'm not really sure where to start.

[Valerie]

My backup plan had been to go with Kansas City...largest city near me, until my librarian told me there was one. I would check with local librarian first to be sure there are not any, and if truly none, go with one nearby. Possibly nearest metropolitan. Especially if you have been there.

[Amanda]

I think it could be a problem for me, too, as my hometown is fairly small. I was thinking about reading one set in my home state (Alabama). I thought it would broaden my options a good bit.

[Penny]

I come from one of those teeny tiny middle America towns. There is no hope of me ever finding a book set in my home town. I plan to pick a book from a city nearby. I found one that is set in a city (Columbia, MO) that is about an hour drive from where I grew up. I think that is about as close as I will be able to get.

[Connie]

There may be the possibility of finding a non-fiction book based in such places. Perhaps a town history, or a local scandal made it into print at some point? Calls to the nearest university or college library may yield something.

[Anne]

I would think you could just work outward until you find a book set in a place close-ish to you.

Or, a book set in a place you have lived could work.

[Kathy]

Ask you librarian if there are any published authors in your hometown. I live in a fairly small N.E. Texas town (4000+/-) people and was surprised to find that there are at least 2 published authors in our town + one who grew up here and based part of one of his books on his childhood here.

[[deleted user]]

My hometown is a tiny tiny village, I've picked a book set in the city closest to me, think that should count!

[Jaci]

I agree! It'll be hard to find one set in my town, too, but I know there are some set in the general vicinity.

[Sarah]

our library is doing this and we have encouraged people to use the state because not much is set in our very small town. I think the point is to have fun and so far they have been very creative.

[Frogli]

I'm going with hometown being the town I live in which is nice and easy. Town I was born in is more challenging, and then getting hold of it...

[Hanna]

My town is pretty small but our small claim to fame is having Abraham Lincoln stay there for awhile. So for the challenge I read a Lincoln biography, even though it only mentioned the town in footnotes!

[Patricia]

I cheated a little with this category and instead of finding a book set in my hometown (which would have been impossible), I chose instead an author who came from a outport close by. Reading E. J. Pratt.

[Elizabeth]

I am having a hard time with this one! Any ideas for a book in Sudbury Mass or Merrick NY ? I spent my childhood in both of this towns and really can't find anything!!

[Becky]

Try the state, that's what I'll be doing :)

[Summer]

I had the same problem so I chose a book set in my home state.

[Cyndy]

https://www.goodreads.com/places is an alphabetical listing of book settings as far as I can tell. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be searchable.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you for the ideas