[CarrieOn]

All of Randy Wayne wrights..amazing especially if u know sanibel

[Doro22]

Originally Posted by pqrstar

A Land Remembered by Patrick Smith
and Alas Babylon by Pat Frank

Being born in Miami Beach & growing up in S. Fl I’ve read most of the books mentioned in all the posts. Grew up reading the Miami Herald & the several excellent authors that wrote for that newspaper: Dave Barry, Carl Hiasson, & more. But nobody mentioned Edna Buchanan. She was a crime writer for The Herald for many years, and also authored many crime novels mostly set in Miami. The one I recall most is “Miami It’s Murder”. Some of her titles may be difficult to find. I can just picture these talented Miami Herald writers to be close buddies, hanging out together at all the old out of the way Miami bars etc.

[chrisinva]

Thanks to you ALL.

I have added a number of books & authors to my Books to Read spreadsheet.

[Smalley]

Originally Posted by George Page

“Carl Hiaasen is Wickedly fun reading”

You’ve got that right!

I agree 100%. He has done much to inform the public of the damage done by the developers and the corruption in Florida government. Lots of fun to read.

[KarenD]

If you want to know a really interesting part of Florida history then read
"Mullet On The Beach" by Patricia C. Griffin.
Another one is called "The Minorcans of Florida" by Philip D. Rasico.

They are both the stories of how my ancestors came to Florida in the 1700's :-)

[PanamaKim]

I love this thread! One more title for you book lovers to add: Beneath a Ruthless Sun, A true Story of Violence, Race, and Justice Lost and Found, by Gilbert King - same author as Devil in the Grove. Beneath is a very good read, from a newspaper owner/report’s perspective, it covers nearby areas of Ocala, Lake County, Mt Dora, and more. Corrupt sheriff in Lake Co in the late 1950’s and how he had his own version of justice and took advantage of the vulnerable in society and people of color. A hard book to put down, but I had to take breaks from it because it is heartbreaking to read of these injustices. Well worth your time to read about a bit of history right here in our backyard.

[Kcmkm123]

ORANGES, John McPhee

[Parnell]

I recommend A Land Remembered. Now when I drive by the vast open lands to the west of the Villages, I can see and feel the challenges that faced these brave pioneers who then built the shining cities like Miami and those other meccas of fortune further south. Read it.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by JerryLBell

Pretty much any book by Carl Hiaasen is set all or mostly in Florida and also happens to be a great read. On a non-fiction side, Dave Barry's Florida: Best. State. Ever. is all set in Florida and one chapter in The Villages. Both authors, along with several other Florida authors, collaborated on Naked Came The Manatee, where each author wrote a single chapter. Wickedly fun reading.

Originally Posted by George Page

“Carl Hiaasen is Wickedly fun reading”

You’ve got that right!

Originally Posted by Girlcopper

Hiaasen’s books are all fantastic especially if youre familiar with the area of Fl hes writing about.

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

Thriller series’ by Steven Becker, Wayne Stinnett, Tom Turner and Randy Wayne White. Of course there are the much better known and award-winning authors, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Carl Hiaasen. There are literally hundreds of books set in Florida.

Originally Posted by GaryKoca

I go along with anything by Carl Hiassen as well as Best State Ever by Dave Barry. Hysterical! If you want something serious and shameful, try Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, a very depressing book about Central Florida in the late 1940s.

Originally Posted by geltner@verizon.net

I agree 100%. He has done much to inform the public of the damage done by the developers and the corruption in Florida government. Lots of fun to read.

Greetings to all you Carl Hiaasen fans — and have I got news for you! (drumroll, please)

Carl Hiaasen’s new book Squeeze Me is coming out on Tuesday, 8/25.

I met Carl at a book signing a few years ago. I asked him when he is going to write a book about The Villages. (I know there is one chapter in the book he wrote about golf but there sure is a lot more material in TV.)

Thank you to queasy for starting this thread. I am going to add A Land Remembered to my Audible listening, but I ordered Squeeze Me in hardback so I can share it with others after I read it.

Boomer

[philoret]

Travis McGee mysteries by major old time author, John D. McDonald. Movies made of a couple, not so good.

[Mleeja]

Laurence Shames novels are usually fun reads. His books are generally based in Key West, that is still Florida isn’t, with a New York influence.

[davem4616]

Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin. An easy read...what makes it interesting is that the setting is none other than The Villages.

A murder has occurred and the body is left in Brownwood Square...finding the suspect takes the reader all over TV.

Another that I enjoyed was The Road to Key West

[Doro22]

Originally Posted by davem4616

Vindication by H. Terrell Griffin. An easy read...what makes it interesting is that the setting is none other than The Villages.

A murder has occurred and the body is left in Brownwood Square...finding the suspect takes the reader all over TV.

Another that I enjoyed was The Road to Key West

Thanks for the info. A few more to add to my reading agenda, especially since we don’t go many places.

[Shell1234]

Both those authors are great. I’ve read all their books. Hilarious!!

[JerryLBell]

Originally Posted by Boomer

Greetings to all you Carl Hiaasen fans — and have I got news for you! (drumroll, please)

Carl Hiaasen’s new book Squeeze Me is coming out on Tuesday, 8/25.

Boomer

Well, that just made my day! I just looked it up and, joy of joys, it's another Skink novel! Here's the story summary:

It's the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every good cause, there's a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when prominent high-society dowager Kiki Pew suddenly vanishes during a swanky gala, and is later found dead, panic and chaos erupt.

Kiki was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President - who immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth.

The truth might just lie in the middle of the highway, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady's motorcade to a grinding halt. Enter Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, who is summoned to the posh island to deal with a mysterious and impolite influx of huge, hungry pythons . . .