[kmarc]

I enjoy reading books set in Florida and/or by Florida authors. For example, I'm a fan of Carl Hiaasen's books. And I really liked Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' "Cross Creek" (lol, she'd never be able to get that book published today, given the PC hysteria that seems to have taken over society). Recently I read a fun book set in Sarasota and the surrounding area, by a lady from the area.

I was wondering if any of the posters have a favorite book set in Florida, or about Florida or by a Florida author that they'd like to recommend? It can be anything from light fiction to a good non fiction work about the state or a person from Florida. Any Florida related literature.

I personally would like to recommend a book called "Alas, Babylon" by Pat Frank, published in 1959, with reprints as recently as 1999. In a nutshell, it's about a group of people surviving in North Central Florida after a nuclear war between the US and the Soviet Union. I found a paperback of it in my parents' library when I was a teenager and read it with fascination, so much so, that I kept the paperback all these years and re-read the book from time to time. When it started to fall apart, I was lucky enough to find the 1999 reprint in a thrift store. In many ways, it's still relevant today and so well written, that, with the exception of a few anachronisms, it doesn't seem out of date.

Although the location is a fictional tributary of the St. Johns River, there's interesting information about Florida's history, the environment and adapting it to survive without modern conveniences, social issues, the Cold War, etc. I recommend it to older and younger readers alike.

If you have a Florida-related book you'd like to recommend, please post.

[kyle19125]

Check out Edna Buchanan and Lucy Burdette. Both are mystery writers who base most if not all of their series of books on varying cities in Florida.

Edna Buchanan Book Notes
Murder mystery writer Roberta Isleib

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Check out Edna Buchanan and Lucy Burdette. Both are mystery writers who base most if not all of their series of books on varying cities in Florida.

Edna Buchanan Book Notes
Murder mystery writer Roberta Isleib

Thanks, kyle. I'm familiar with Buchanan, having lived in South Florida, but the others, not so much. This should be fun!

[vaughanwilliams]

"Alas, Babylon" was good. Try "A Land Remembered" A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith or "Cool Hand Luke". Better than the movie, believe it or not.

[beachmouse]

" Dream State: Eight Generations of Swamp Lawyers, Conquistadors, Confederate Daughters, Banana Republicans, and Other Florida Wildlife" by Diane Roberts is fun non-fiction, and as someone who was down here for the 2000 presidential recount, I've got to say she nails that time in a hilarious way.

[SoFLGal]

Florida: A Short History: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...X/floridasmart

Historic Homes of Florida: Historic Homes of Florida: Laura Stewart, Susanne Hupp, Nancy Wilson, H Patrick Reed: 9781561640850: Amazon.com: Books

Weird Florida: Weird Florida: Your Travel Guide to Florida's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets: Charlie Carlson, Mark Moran, Mark Sceurman: 9781402766848: Amazon.com: Books

[kmarc]

Thanks so much for the recommendations! There's a lot to keep me busy here, I can see. That "Dream State" book sounds fascinating.

[ssg II]

Carl Hiaasen's my hero and Dave Barry is hysterical. I like Edna Buchanan, too. I'd loved to have been around the newsroom at The Miami Herald when they were all there!

Dave Barry for a weekly laugh, although he has written novels, as well:

Dave Barry | MiamiHerald.com

Dave Barry, humor columnist and author of Insane City

Does anybody remember the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald? I read all of them and hadn't thought about them in ages! I may just read them again! (And Dream State does look very interesting.)

See paragraph 3 in the "About Travis McGee:"

Travis McGee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Thanks for posting this, kmarc!

[kmarc]

Originally Posted by ssg II

Carl Hiaasen's my hero and Dave Barry is hysterical. I like Edna Buchanan, too. I'd loved to have been around the newsroom at The Miami Herald when they were all there!

Dave Barry for a weekly laugh, although he has written novels, as well:

Dave Barry | MiamiHerald.com

Dave Barry, humor columnist and author of Insane City

Does anybody remember the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald? I read all of them and hadn't thought about them in ages! I may just read them again! (And Dream State does look very interesting.)

See paragraph 3 in the "About Travis McGee:"

Travis McGee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Thanks for posting this, kmarc!

Well, shame on me for never having read any of the Travis McGee novels and thanks for recommending them. I can add them to my Florida reading list. And they'll probably feed into my Ft. Lauderdale nostalgia.

The Carl Hiaasen character Clinton Tyree, aka Skink, is my hero. Love that character.

Clinton Tyree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[1insider]

Originally Posted by ssg II

Does anybody remember the Travis McGee novels by John D. MacDonald? I read all of them and hadn't thought about them in ages! I may just read them again! (And Dream State does look very interesting.)

See paragraph 3 in the "About Travis McGee:"

Travis McGee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John D. MacDonald is the father of the whole beach bum/badass Florida mystery genre. The Travis McGee series is required reading. If you like Travis McGee, you'll enjoy these outstanding authors of the same genre; James Hall, Randy Wayne White, Bob Morris and Tom Corcoran.