To many, Florida is a vacation destination full of salty palm tree lined beaches, busy theme parks, orange groves, humid weather, and vibrant cities. While all that is true, as […]

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To many, Florida is a vacation destination full of salty palm tree lined beaches, busy theme parks, orange groves, humid weather, and vibrant cities. While all that is true, as a lifelong native Floridian, I know my home state is also wild, breathtakingly gorgeous, industrial, occasionally dangerous, weird, romantic, and sometimes frustrating. And I am very excited to share titles that reflect these many sides of the Sunshine State. 

I won’t lie. Life in South Florida can often feel like a real life Jimmy Buffett song, especially after going to the beach and “watchin’ the sun bake all of those tourists covered in oil.” Don’t get me started on how many times I have blown out a flip flop! And not to mention being taught at a young age how to avoid alligators and prep for hurricanes. 

With all that in mind, I wanted to make sure to showcase a real sense of place in today’s list. With a state so huge and varied (it would take over 13 hours to drive from the Southernmost point in Key West to Pensacola in the Panhandle), there is an abundance to discover. There are over 80 unique and fragile ecosystems found here including the Everglades, hardwood hammock forests, rivers, scrubs, lakes, mangroves, swamps, intercoastal waterways, and oceans. And of course, the culturally rich cities, exciting amusement parks, and island beach settings as well. 

Florida often finds itself as the punchline in jokes about its residents, weather, and activities. Just ask my husband Chad about the 2000 election recount. (I actually spent the summer of 2001 working for the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office, but that is a story for another time!) However, the recent book banning and limits by our state government officials are no laughing matter. It is an important uphill battle in a state normally known for its lack of elevation and hills. I am particularly grateful to our many booksellers, authors, librarians, teachers, and residents working tirelessly to keep books on shelves and in readers’ hands. 

Times like these make our independent bookstores true rays of literary light, like Sunshine Book Co. in Clermont, Femme Fire Books in Jacksonville, Hello Again Books in Cocoa, Midtown Reader and Common Ground Books in Tallahassee, Books & Books in various locations (including a Key West outpost co-owned by the Judy Blume), Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Sundog Books in Seaside, and soon to open The Lynx from author Lauren Groff in Gainesville. The Sunshine state even got its first romance bookstore when Mel Saavedra opened the fantastic Steamy Lit Bookstore in Deerfield Beach a few weeks ago. If you do find yourself visiting, I highly recommend stopping by these special shops and attending their fabulous events or supporting them from afar. Plus for the past few years, I have had the incredible opportunity to partner with the amazing Miami Book Fair, an annual street fair and literary festival organized by Miami Dade College and Books & Books owner Mitch Kaplan to promote their awesome events and offerings. 

If you’re interested in reading about sunshine, margaritas, mosquitos, key lime pie, late afternoon thunderstorms, sunscreen, and cheeseburgers in paradise, I have made sure to include a wide range of genres to pick from. There’s a bit of everything on this list including nonfiction, mysteries and thrillers, romances, sci-fi, and short stories, too. And of course, there are many more fabulous Floridian authors and books that are set here. I couldn’t list them all if I wanted to! Please make sure to chime in with your favorite Sunshine State reads in the comments, cause this Florida Woman can’t wait to hear all about them.

Literary Tourism: Florida

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Author: Les Standiford

Fast-paced storytelling is my narrative nonfiction sweet spot! As a child, we often took school field trips to the nearby Flagler Museum, which is famously still not air conditioned. (My mother-in-law even volunteered as a docent there for many years!) However, there was so much I never knew about Henry Flagler and his many developments before reading this. I was riveted by the historical account of the Key West Railroad’s construction and ultimate destruction during the Labor Day hurricane of 1935. The depictions of the Gilded Age of Florida and the deadly “Storm of the Century” made this a truly gripping read. More info →

Author: Carl Hiaasen

What a wild and absurd ride though Palm Beach Island and South Florida! I have always enjoyed native Floridian Carl Hiaasen’s quirky comedic thrillers and most of the action in this standalone from the Skink Series takes place just a stone’s throw from my home. This is filled with vivid characters like the series’ namesake—Skink, the crusading environmentalist, road-kill cooking, off the grid Everglades living, ex-governor of Florida. Told in a zany alternate universe where an unnamed President is still in office and Kiki Pew Fitzsimmons, one of his top supporters, goes missing at the height of Palm Beach Island’s season. So over the top and honestly very plausible for this wacky state. More info →

Author: Dave Barry

Dave Barry may just be one of Florida’s most famous humor writers. I mean, who can forget the early nineties sitcom based on his life called Dave’s World that ran for only one season and starred Night Court’s Harry Anderson and Designing Woman’s Meshach Taylor? (Dave would totally appreciate that joke!) In this silly and fun non-fiction, he travels to some of Florida’s more quirky cities and attractions to show why Florida is truly the Best. State. Ever. I especially loved the chapters on the rather infamous town of The Villages, the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters, and the crown jewels of Florida tourism, the Weeki Wachee Mermaids. The jokes probably aren’t for everyone but sometimes life in the Sunshine State is downright funny and it gave me quite a few chuckles! If you enjoyed the format of The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green but wished it had been about wacky stuff in Florida, this book is for you! More info →

Author: Jane Gloriana Villanueva

Any Jane the Virgin fans out there? This sweet historical romance novel “written” by the show’s main character, Jane Gloriana Villanueva, is a tie in for the absolutely fantastic telenovela series. Set in Miami in 1902, Snow Falling is filled with details about old Florida hotels, homes, and railroads. As a huge fan of the show, I think listening to the audiobook version is a must since it is performed by actors Ivonne Coll and Anthony Mendez, who played Alba and the Narrator in the series. It made me swoon and tear up a number of times! While that title about snow may seem out of place for a book set in South Florida, it is the perfect reference to the show. (Closed door.) More info →

Author: Tyler Gillespie

I am so happy I stumbled across this excellent nonfiction collection in my local library and have been reading a chapter a day lately. Gillespie, who was once embarrassed to be Floridian, interviews all types of Floridians including storm chasers, Civil War re-enactors, cattle ranchers, drag queens, python hunters, and pet smugglers in an effort to make his home state less misunderstood. His writing delves into deep topics and issues with hilarious wit and quick pacing. And as a bonus, the book led me to discover Gillespie’s engaging and descriptive poetry from his Florida Man collection. More info →

Author: Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Growing up, my mom always had a paperback copy of this classic memoir in essays on her nightstand. After reading this true gift of a book myself recently, I finally understand why. Written by Lindberg while vacationing on the west coast of Florida, her descriptions of shells, the beach, womanhood, life, and peace are a balm to a weary reader. Lindbergh’s musings written almost 75 years ago feel as touching and current as America Ferrera’s monologue from the recent Barbie movie. Short and beautiful, I plan on taking a page out of my mom’s book and keeping a copy on my own nightstand. More info →

Author: Chanel Cleeton

I have a Florida readerly confession that may shock some of you. I have never read a Chanel Cleeton book! Over the years, many of my family members and friends have raved about her historical novels that take place in Florida and Cuba. So when I heard about this upcoming gothic mystery releasing in early April 2024, I knew I would be adding it to my TBR immediately. Told in a dual timeline, The House on Biscayne Bay is a suspenseful tale about two women and the glamorous waterfront Miami estate that intertwines them. I’m looking forward to sinking into this atmospheric read later this spring! More info →

Author: Zora Neale Hurston

I am so grateful to the MMD Book Club for choosing Their Eyes Were Watching God back in March 2021, prompting me to finally read this fabulous classic. As a native Floridian living near Belle Glade and Palm Beach, I was embarrassed to have not done so sooner! Janie’s tale set in the 1920’s is utterly captivating. Hurston writes so beautifully about Janie’s life and loves. Plus, the detailed descriptions of Florida landscape, life, and weather are spot on. The audiobook narrated by Ruby Dee is so very entertaining and lively. Their Eyes Were Watching God is truly a masterpiece. More info →

Author: Alicia Thompson

Florida is known for its many thrilling theme parks, big and small. Who hasn’t visited a theme park and thought it would be the perfect setting for a rom-com? Alicia Thompson’s lovely romance set at a kitschy winter snow theme park in humid Orlando does just that. Lauren and Asa are Cold World workplace rivals whose relationship goes from frosty to steamy (pun intended!) after being tasked to come up with some new ways to revitalize the attractions. Things really start to heat up when the two get locked in Cold World overnight. I really enjoyed the more touching aspects that deal with the foster system and mental health. Plus, I just adore the beautiful and very fitting cover. Set around the holidays with a secret Santa exchange and office decorating challenges, With Love, from Cold World is a great read anytime of the year. (Open door.) More info →

Author: Lauren Groff

Anne recommended this intriguing short story collection as a book flight pairing with Their Eyes Were Watching God to Elyssa in What Should I Read Next Episode 237: When the library is closed, what’s a reader to do? Groff weaves interconnected tales using the state of Florida as one of the main characters. I truly felt transported to every location by her nuanced renditions of the land, the towns, the homes, and most of all the wildlife. While I did not connect with all of the short stories in the collection, I was really fascinated by her masterful writing and play of words like describing a dog as the color of “dryer lint.” More info →

Author: Jeff Lindsay

If you are looking for a darker and more gritty side of Florida, this first in the Dexter series that inspired the popular Showtime adaptation fits the bill. Dexter is a blood spatter expert for the Miami Police Department who moonlights as a serial killer who only kills bad people. This gory mystery thriller is not something I would normally pick up nowadays but when I read it years ago, I remember being impressed by the details about Florida life and the unique premise. Perfect for fans of true crime podcasts and Butcher and Blackbird. The haunting audiobook is narrated by the author and Florida resident, Jeff Lindsay. Content warnings apply. (Check out 19 fiction audiobooks narrated by the author for more recommendations.) More info →

Author: Jeff VanderMeer

A dear friend recommended this sci-fi environmental horror about a possibly doomed scientific exploration to me years ago and I am so glad to have finally read it! This is the first in The Southern Reach Trilogy set in the wild and haunting Area X, a fictionalized version of St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge located about 25 miles south of Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city. VanderMeer, a Tallahassee local who has been called “the weird Thoreau” by The New Yorker, is also known for rewilding his own backyard, which he documents on YouTube. His vivid descriptions of Area X’s stark landscapes, sometimes frightening creatures, and active ecosystems paint a spot-on picture of how uniquely strange areas of Florida can be. I was completely enthralled by this tense and short novel on audio, chillingly narrated by Carolyn McCormick. Highly recommended to fans of books with unnamed narrators: think Rebecca and The Pit and the Pendulum. More info →

Author: Travis Beaudoin

My ears perked up when MMD Team member Leigh brought this angsty contemporary romance to our annual team’s best books of summer episode. Set in a small town with a strong sense of place, I was hooked by the very first line: “Florida was hot and wet and I already hated it.” Too Like the Lightning is about Andrew, a down-on-his-luck professor who drives to a small town outside St. Augustine to spend the summer at his friend’s rental house where he meets the groundskeeper full of sunshine, Coley. What starts as a fling develops into an emotional and touching romance. (Open door.) More info →

Author: Meg Cabot

I adored this bookish and fun rom com from Key West resident, Meg Cabot. (Yes, The Princess Diaries Meg Cabot!) Set at a literary festival on a fictional island in the Keys, this follows middle grade author Jo Wright and her writing nemesis, bestselling author Will Price, who made horrible comments about Jo’s books in the past. Now they are stuck together at the same book festival! Inspired by a similar real-life situation and the lack of book festivals during the pandemic, Meg Cabot crafts a cute and swoony tale filled with authentic Florida keys vibes. (Closed door.) More info →

Author: Rebecca Renner

This fast paced narrative nonfiction about alligator poaching reads like fiction. National Geographic writer Renner’s debut novel follows Jeff Babauta, an undercover Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer, alligator poacher Peg Brown, and the agency’s Operation Alligator Thief. This fascinating story could only happen in Florida, and dives into the fragile Everglades ecosystem and those who are trying to protect it from harm. Think Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief with a dash of Tiger King. More info →

Author: Raquel V. Reyes

Calling all cozy mystery fans, the first book in the Caribbean Kitchen Series is fabulous! Mango, Mambo, and Murder features Miriam, a Cuban-American food anthropologist turned cooking show star who also happens to be a plucky amateur sleuth and loves Murder, She Wrote. After recently moving back to Florida with her husband and young son, Miriam finds herself too close to her in-laws in their small wealthy Miami village and extremely close to two very suspicious deaths. The audiobook narrated by the talented Frankie Corzo (who also performed Mexican Gothic) is so entertaining. And of course, there are delicious recipes at the end! More info →

Author: C. Chilove

I just heard about this second chance romance from a list of 2023 Florida author releases shared by Carmen of @tomesandtiles. Once I found out it was set in gorgeous Mount Dora, I knew I had to locate a copy. A Lakeside Reunion follows Reese Devlin who returns to Mount Dora after 10 years for her sister’s debutante ball and runs into her former flame, Duncan. It sounds like this title is angsty and steamy! I hope reading this will be like taking my own literary tourism trip back to one of my favorite Florida towns, filled with antique shops, the cutest bookstore, delicious restaurants, and a lovely lakeside. (Open door.) More info →

Which books set in Florida have you read and loved? Please tell us all about them in the comments section!

P.S. 17 recommended reads for those traveling to Hawai’i, 15 recommended reads for those traveling to Michigan, and more literary tourism. 

About the author

Brigid Misselhorn is our MMD Book Club Community Administrator. Her go-to genres are mystery, romance, and sci-fi. You can find Brigid on Instagram @brigid_emily.

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