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Monthly Selections | |
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| The Black Squall by Lori Stone. Some say the lead character, Jean Pearson, a 29-year-old veterinarian from Youngstown, Ohio, who comes to Fort Lauderdale to arrange for the funeral of her father and uncle is the daughter of Travis McGee. You'll have to decide.. |  |
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| Jan 2002 | ||
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The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, by Christopher Moore. I read Island of the Sequinned Love Nun a year ago and hadn't read any more of Christopher Moore's work until reading this. I never should have waited so long. This gave me the laughs I have been needing for so long. A small California coastal town, 1500 wacky inhabitants mistakenly taken off their "meds", a sea serpent named "Steve", an ex "Xena" type B movie actress and a pothead constable. Need I say more? | |
| Dec 2001 | ||
| Blood
Stream, by Dave Ferneding. Blood Stream, is
a 408 page novel about historical action and romance.
It's about why Cubans and Americans are compelled to live
under the existing political circumstances, and the
powerful secret of an ancient rite entombed in the
catacombs of the mind. Also by Dave Fernending, The End of A1A.This is one of those rare gems that completely captures the reader's attention and transports them to another world. The author makes you laugh, dream and cry with his, often first hand, accounts of life in Key West and the seas which surround this tiny island of diverse souls. It left this reader not only dreaming of moving but wanting to sit down and talk to this humorous, soulful and articulate author. |
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| Nov 2001 | ||
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The
Mangrove Coast is the sixth
of Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford series and it is the
fastest, most compelling and most intense book in this
absolutely wonderful series about a Florida marine
biologist and his hipster friend Tomlinson. But if you
are a woman be warned in advance: This book is going to
scare the h--- out of you and you'll never feel the same
about meeting new Internet friends again. (Frankly, it
may be for the best). Many have said this before me: If
you like John D. McDonald's Travis McGee, you will
absolutely love Doc Ford. Ford is just as big and
loveable, but he has more layers and seems even more
dangerous.SJM Paperback only |
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| Oct 2001 | ||
| Native
Tongue by Carl Hiaasen. "I have read every Hiaasen book since Double Whammy and although all have their merits, "Native Tongue" is still the funniest, with "Skin Tight" a close second. Having grown up in Homestead I was immediately captured by this one as it starts out on Card Sound Road where my Dad used to take my brother and me fishing. Hiaasen's description of the incident with Dickie the Dolphin and the Miami reporter, and the parade with the 'lude queen will literally have you laughing out loud no matter where you are. My wife kept asking me "what's so funny", then she read it and found out."-Anon. Mass Market Paperback Reprint edition (November 1992) |
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| Sep 2001 | ||
| Body
Language by James W. Hall is "as crazy
as a tale gets without losing its sense of direction
(from Miami north to the Panhandle). James W. Hall shows
why he is one of the leading lights of the zany Southern
Florida mysteries with a frenzied, yet exciting and
detailed tale. The characters clearly make the show as
all are fully motivated and a bit off-centered.
Especially of note is three of the prime men in
Alexandra’s life: her father (his comments are dark
comic relief), her spouse (using chaos theory to pull off
his heist), and the killer (as bloody a rapist as one
will read about). Mr. Hall continues to be one of the
best mystery writers of non-stop thrillers."-Harriet
Klausner Hardcover - 336 pages |
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| Aug 2001 | ||
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The
Monkey Wrench Gang, by Edward Abbey, One of my all-time favorites! For many, this was Ed Abbey at his best: poetic, irreverent, romantic, and pragmatic. It is the book that motivated a generation that loved wilderness to try to save some of it. Abbey's charactors are passionate, resourceful, and hilarious. Buy it. Read it. Share it. Mass Market Paperback Reissue edition (February 1997) |
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| Hayduke
Lives! by Edward Abbey This superb sequel to The Monkey Wrench Gang, the novel that was called "ribald, outrageous, and, in fact, scandalous" by Smithsonian, is finally available in paperback. Hayduke, an ex-Green Beret and "wilderness avenger," was last seen hanging from a cliff, under fire from both a helicopter and a posse. Now he's back, fighting against the despoilers of the earth. Paperback Reprint edition (September 1991) |
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| Jul 2001 | ||
| Buzz Cut, by James W.
Hall, Hardcover,
Paperback,
448 pages, Thorn, a loner and gloomy sort of guy, is the hero of James W. Hall's thriller series. But in Buzz Cut, the real center of attention is Butler Jack, an erudite homicidal maniac with a brilliant and grandiose scheme. The plan is to hijack a $400 million cruise ship and hold its 2,000 passengers for ransom. Butler Jack has an obsession with etymology, and he is more than happy to lecture his hostages on the derivation of the word "hijack," which is descended from "Jack" which comes from the Middle English "Jakke," which meant "ordinary guy." Our Jack is an ordinary guy who just happens to have the mind of a genius and a passion for grisly killing. |
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| June 2001 | ||
| It keeps getting better. I've had a
chance to read two more by James W. Hall. Red
Sky at Night Gone Wild, Hardcover,
Paperback |
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| May 2001 | ||
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Tropical
Freeze, by James W. Hall, Paperback Mean High Tide, by James W. Hall, Paperback "Both great adventures, set in the Florida Keys, with our hero Thorn. IMHO, easily as good as Travis McGee" - Mayday |
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| Apr 2001 | ||
| Big
Red Tequila, by Rick Riordan "Parrothead alert! Jimmy Buffett fans be warned, don't miss this book. The author is obviously "one of us" and you'll find plenty to enjoy in this novel. The main character's older brother, the Mycroft to his Sherlock, if you will, is a committed Buffett fan, and the Buffett references are sure to delight you. rigarn@acxiom.com" |
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| The Widower's Two-Step, by Rick Riordan, Paperback, 416 pages | ||
| Mar 2001 | ||
| The
Proud Highway : Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman
1955-1967 (Fear and Loathing Letters/Hunter S. Thompson,
Vol 1), by Douglas Brinkley, Hunter S.
Thompson "The Proud Highway is the first in an anticipated three-volume collection of the letters of Hunter S. Thompson. It includes letters spanning a 12-year period, during which time Thompson survived his first incarceration, graduated from high school, was discharged from the Air Force, drank to excess, wrote prolificallyin obscurity, and finally achieved notoriety with the publication of Hell's Angels, his first successful book. The letters are frantic and comedic, self-righteous and intensely cynical. He writes to friends and family, famous authors he admired, and even the president of the United States. As Thompson travels from New York City to Puerto Rico, then on to South America and Northern California, his letters trace the development and refinement of his talent. This collection of Thompson's early writings paints a portrait of the man before words like "Gonzo," "Doctor," and "fear and loathing" were inextricably linked to his name, revealing the unrestrained ego that serves as the foundation for the talent of this popular and important American writer." - Amazon.com |
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| The Pirate at
Fifty, by Jimmy Buffett Hardcover, 224 pages |
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| Don't Stop the Carnival : A Novel, by Herman Wouk, Paperback, 395 pages |  |
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| Feb 2001 | ||
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The
Dancing Wu Li Masters : An Overview of the New Physics,
by Gary Zukav "great book, good human story of a communal type of brainstorming gathering like what spawned the quantum theory itself back in the 20's and 30's. The metaphor of the many meanings of 'WuLi' is really neat. The physics may be a little dated, but still serves as a good intro." Paperback |
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| King
of the Moon : A Novel of Baja California, by Gene
Kira "An excellent novel about the lives of the panga fishermen of Aqua Verde, Baja California del Sur." |
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| Jan 2001 | ||
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Act
Now, Apologize Later, by Adam Werbach A call to arms to protect the environment and more. Some great activist stories by the head of Sierra Club. You can make a difference Hardcover |
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| Legends
of the Fall, by Jim Harrison. This was the inspiration of Jimmy Buffett's song Lage Nom Ai from the Barometer Soup album and the source of the thoroughbly enjoyable movie with Brad Pitt. Paperback |
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| Dec 2000 | ||
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Tales
of the South Pacific, by James A. Michener I'm on my third dog-eared copy. This is a book you pull out monthly and read a little for inspiration, especially if you live where it's cold. |
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| The
Prince of Tides, by Pat
Conroy A must read...and a heckuva lot better than the movie. You never realized how much the movie left out. Hardcover, 567 pages, Paperback |
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