Florida Books

"We're locals, and sometimes it's easy to get out of touch with hotspots. So when relatives came to Miami for a long weekend, this guide really came in handy. We figured out exactly where to visit and eat out during their brief stay. They especially enjoyed the off-the-beaten tourist path spots like Scotty's Landing in the Grove that they never would have discovered on their own."

Witty, smart, and not afraid to make fun of Miami's sacred cows, this guide cares as much about giving you a feel for the city as it does about dropping celebrity names. Not that they're missing--if your main goals are to find the hottest clubs and bump into Tara Reid, consult the detailed nightlife guide, complete with names of A-listers known to put in an appearance.

But if you want to get a true taste of America's Caribbean capital, work your way through the itineraries listed in Schmidt's book, which run from "Hot and Cool Miami," a celebration of South Beach and its trendy ilk, to "Clásico Miami," a three-day retro cruise to the great beach resorts and Latin restaurants that made Miami famous in the 50s and 60s, when the Rat Pack, James Bond, and a wave of Cuban immigrants transformed the town into the Magic City.

Unlike many guidebooks, Fun Seeker's Miami gives you the dirt instead of the Chamber of Commerce spin. As a former South Florida resident, I have to say it's right on.

Parents and children alike will be entranced by this treasure of University of Alabama memorabilia and traditions. Scenes of Denney Chimes, Big Al and the "Roll Tide" fans will always put you in remembrance of your special "Gameday".

The Auburn Gameday book is an excellent way for the young fan to gain a knowledge of his or her favorite team and the grand campus traditions surrounding it. Children will be able to recognize the school monuments, to collect autographs and other memorabilia and get caught up in the excitement that is "Gameday".This will make their experience last a lifetime.

I had recently moved to Florida and did not know much about the Florida geology. This book was perfect as a comprehensive guide to the geomorphology, sedimentology, paleontology, and hydrogeology of the area. There are many more interesting chapters with a wealth of information. Randazzo and Jones put together a wonderful collection with great geologists such as Bob Halley of the USGS and Sam Upchurch formerly of the University of South Florida.

I don't usually go in for this sort of book, but this one caught my eye because the author takes off with a few nuggets and writes whole, full-blown stories that quite often really do make the hair on your arms stand on end. Lots of good murder and madness stories instead of a bunch of filler.

Sheryl Monks' Ghostly Lighthouses From Maine To Florida, a gathering of fifteen folktales about lighthouses from the East coast. While the stories read like fiction, they are derived from reports and followed by directions for the would-be lighthouse visitor not scared off by spooks.

Beautiful account of the natural wonders of Florida and early tourism. As a native Floridian, I remember fondly as a child going to see the mermaids and being totally amazed. Too bad I75 and Disney spoiled the true treasures of Florida.

This book documents the primary tourist attractions in Florida before Disney -- central and north Florida's incredible spring systems, and the roadside attractions and tourist parks that sprang up to capitalize on their beauty.

For those of you who remember coming down to Florida before the highways all led to Orlando, you will be thoroughly entranced by the trivia, the photos, the postcards, the brochures, and other memorabilia lovingly catalogued by Mr. Hollis. Silver Springs, Rainbow Springs, Weeki Wachi, and all the other associated tourist spots are recalled and discussed, with copious and often-hilarious photos and other promotional material. Also discussed are related wild-west attractions, roadside motels, inns and other odd-ball curios that arose to meet the burgeoning Florida tourist market.

For me this book was a treasure. Anyone who has visited Weeki Watchee and swam in its beautiful crystal-clear springs, or took a ride on the glass-bottom boats at Silver Springs, will want this book. Buy it before it goes away.

If you love american history by a great writer, PICK THiS BOOK UP! It is amazing, and he is a true american writer! Great pictures, great stories, you will never put the book down. Dont mind that I am his nephew, im really not that biased!

I've read Peter Genovese's other two books and have to say this is by far the best. Great stories, great photos, excellent writing. I grew up in a town right on Route 1 in New Jersey, and have traveled some of the sections in a few other states. This book makes you see the road in a whole new light. My husband and I have driven Route 66 all the way and we were looking for another "road trip" to take. I think this book will be the "travel guide" for that trip. I loved it! I can't wait for his next book!

The Bones Tell Their Story

A walking tour to visit long hidden slave graves and hear local legends yields a grisly discovery in Glynn Marsh Alam's sixth Luanne Fogarty mystery. The season is Halloween and a chill has descended on the swamps of north Florida that we have visited in Alam's previous books.

Luanne, an adjunct diver for the Sheriff's Department, is called on to explore what could be a modern killing ground in the midst of an older sad setting - a slave graveyard. Ultimately, newer bones found amongst the old tell their story, after a very enjoyable return to Alam's world.

Alam again has created such a real setting and characters that the reader is swept into life in swamp country, the myths and lore that have grown to explain phenomena, and the characters that inhabit this world. She is especially talented at getting the reader into the mind of Luanne, a strong competent character, yet with personal and work concerns that ground her in reality. Luanne's job as a linguistics professor at the university is well imagined, as is her relationship with her gentleman friend Vernon, and her work with the Sheriff's Department.

Smaller details are deftly drawn. Edwin, a recurring character, lives in the backcountry and hunts snakes, and is tuned into the ways of the swamps and the ghosts that may lurk there. An alligator that has learned to associate humans with food and wait under a footbridge is another nice touch. Combined with a backwoods preacher with a past, a lovely yet possibly sinister historic preservationist, university students who may harbor secrets, a funeral home, and other interesting aspects, this is a story that I really enjoyed and a setting and characters that I look forward to continuing to read about.

It's a rare day off for both Luanne Fogarty and her beau Vernon. They are relaxing by taking a walking tour in their area of Florida. While the guide goes on about the extinct volcano just under the swamp, the college kids also on the tour are more interested in the slave graveyard. When they head off to explore, one of them falls in a hole and gets injured. When Vernon goes to help her, he finds new bones mixed in with the old.

Since the graveyard had long since been abandoned, Luanne and Vernon know that something isn't right. Since they are both on the scene, they become involved in the case, even diving into a nearby pond looking for more bones. Luanne's find of three skull caps only furthers the mystery. Who do these bones belong to? And how did they come to be scattered all over the old graveyard?

This series has long been a favorite for its vivid descriptions, and this book is no exception. The story is set around Halloween, and I felt the crisp fall air. The pace of the story matches the setting. We are constantly getting new clues, but the story still feels nice and relaxed. I was always engaged, and the ending was a surprise. Luanne's day job of professor of linguistics is more prominently featured then normal and adds to her character. The other characters, both new and old, are interesting as well.

If you want an entertaining mystery and a glimpse of life in the swamps of northern Florida, this is the series for you.

Gary Corsair's The Groveland Four: The Sad Saga of a Legal Lynching is a shocking look at a dark age in America's past. This is a story of hate, violence, and prejudice. Corsair investigates the legal lynching of four young black men in 1949's Groveland, Florida who were accused of raping a 17-year-old white woman. Corsair uses interviews from the people who lived the tragedy, including the only surviving defendant, to shape an accurate description of this heartrending event. This book explains with great insightfulness the discrimination in criminal justice administration at the time of the civil rights movement. It's just a shame it took this long for someone to tell this story. This book was very compelling from the first word you will be hooked. I recommend this to anyone who likes to read a gripping story of corruption, courage, and redemption.

As one who was on the scene at the time,I marvel that Gary Corsair has uncovered and bought to light the shocking events
that tore through Groveland,Florida in 1949 after four young
black men were falsely accused of raping a white woman: two
shot to death (one by a mob,one by Sherrif Willis McCall),
two railroaded to prison, the homes of their families and
friends destroyed by mob violence. Now that the Justice Department has decided to reopen the investigation of the death of Emmett Till, it'a time to follw Corsair's brave lead and
bring final justice to Groveland.

This is a fascinating and colorful fictional memoir of a young girl growing up in South Florida in the 1950's. The writing is superb. Each character will remain with you for a long time. If you liked The Glass Castle, The Secret Life of Bees, Zippy, Ellen Foster, etc. etc., you'll LOVE Guava Dreams.

This is a book I couldn't leave. Kelly's unique voice and wit carried me on a mesmerizing journey through the gritty, mango-sticky, sweaty summers of childhood, through the fears and confusions, and the soaring exaltations. It is a sharply real taste of growing up, in a world totally unique, a world that is lost to us now.

The color plates and sidebar data make it a fun, easy to read mango guide. For any mango lover to hold the guide and look at any color plate is to tease the taste buds for one of the best tropical treats imagineable. It's a great gift item. Someone must republish the book.

Edited by some of Florida's leading mango experts, this book offers detailed descriptions, with full-page color photographs, of 80 varieties of mangos grown in Florida. Mango enthusiasts will find the book invaluable in deciding which cultivars to grow. Mangophiles will also be fascinated by the historical information on the mango industry and on important mango varieties. One caveat: the book does not attempt to give detailed information on how to grow mangos, or how to recognize and deal with the diseases and pests that may affect mango trees.