The best Florida books of 2023

‘Be Serious’ Essays by Stephanie Hayes

The Tampa Bay Times columnist is known for her witty, hilarious and absurd hot takes about news and culture, especially when it comes to the stranger-than-fiction stories coming out of Florida. Her columns are syndicated by Creators Syndicate, which compiled the best ones into this collection. Featuring topics such as hair parting debates, Kohl’s Cash, asking what books should get banned next and if Mickey Mouse can ever be stopped. (Creators Publishing)
Photo by Scott Keeler

‘Christmas Presents’ By Lisa Unger

A thrilling holiday crime novella sees a bookshop owner haunted by her past have those secrets and trauma brought back to life by the arrival of a relentless true crime podcaster. It’s a chilling small town tale of murder, cold cases and obsession over finding the truth and justice. (Mysterious Press)
Photo via Mysterious Press

‘Eat, Pray, Hex’ By Tara Lush

In Crescent Moon Mysteries Book 1, a perimenopausal woman inherits a supposedly haunted Florida inn and has to use newfound psychic powers to help a deceased relative solve a murder. Journalist and crime fiction author Tara Lush delves into the cozy paranormal mystery featuring a middle-aged protagonist and a cat named Freddie Purrcury. (Independently published)
Photo via taralush.com

‘For Cuba—for Freedom!’ By Raul Andres Villamia with Rhonda J. Villamia and Paul J. Guzzo

Cuban politics are a divisive issue in Tampeño households where the word “Castro” can either be a call for a toast or an invitation to flip the dinner table over. This new book from Cuban professional minor leaguer Villamia—pictured here with Rhonda Villamia (L), Habana City Historian Eusebio Leal Spengler (center) at Convento Santa Brigida In Old Habana, Cuba in August 2010—won’t assuage the intensity over the hot topic, but it will arm the reader with a treasure trove of research and anecdotes about the revolution. Paul Guzzo, Tampa reporter who is also the dean of history when it comes to the city’s lost Black cemeteries, contributed research to this must-have book for any self-respecting Tampa-phile. (McFarland)
Photo c/o McFarland/McFarlandbooks.com via the collection of Rhonda Villamia

‘Foraging Florida: Finding, Identifying and Preparing Edible and Medicinal Wild Foods in Florida’ By Roger L. Hammer

A guide for any Floridian—Tampeños and St. Petians included—who want a starting point for recreational foraging, and to make sure they go about things legally, ethically, and in a way that honors the generations of Native American land stewards, many of whom discovered these medicines and food preparations several centuries ago. The book opens with a stark disclaimer that unambiguously, and repeatedly, reminds readers that the work is a reference and that there are dangers when it comes to eating collected from the wild. It contains 261 pages of herbs, wild fruits, useful plants that are commonly deemed as weeds, palms, root vegetables and berries that grow in every nook and cranny of the Sunshine State’s unique ecosystem. Some of these edible plants are even common trees or flora you may drive by every day. (Falcon Guides)—Kyla Fields
Photo via Falcon Guides

‘Gator Country: Deception, Dangers, and Alligators in the Everglades’ By Rebecca Renner

Journalist Rebecca Renner’s debut is a twisty Florida true crime descent into the under-swamp world of illegal alligator poaching in the Everglades. The good and bad guys aren’t clear cut, though, as the book combines investigative reporting with narrative storytelling to showcase the beautiful and terrifying world of Florida’s swamps and the people who live there. (Flatiron Books)
Photo via RebeccaRennerFL/Twitter

‘The Girl in the Window and Other True Tales: An anthology with Tips for Finding, Reporting, and Writing Nonfiction Narrative’ By Lane DeGregory

The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist shares behind-the-scenes details about some of her most famous stories—how she found and built them, showcasing her process and providing essential tips for journalists and nonfiction writers. This book is a craft guide and “forensic reading” of DeGregory’s work and perfect for those who want to improve their writing and just appreciate a good true story. (University of Chicago Press)
Photo via University of Chicago Press

‘Good Day Sunshine State: How The Beatles Rocked Florida’ By Bob Kealing

John, Paul, George, and Ringo’s connections to Florida go far beyond one of their “Ed Sullivan Show” appearances taking place in Miami, you know. In this tell-all, Emmy-winning music historian and ex-radio broadcaster Kealing dives deep into tales of how the Fab Four took over the lives of future Florida-bred music icons like Tom Petty and The Allman Brothers in the blink of an eye. He also covers a few tidbits about Miami-based journalist Larry Kane—the only person who got to cover every single show on The Beatles’ first U.S. tour—getting verbally berated by John Lennon and hit on by manager Brian Epstein, and of course, the boys fighting for an integrated audience at their show at Jacksonville’s Gator Bowl, which turned out to be their only non-televised appearance in Florida. (University Press of Florida)—Josh Bradley
Photo via University Press of Florida

‘Happy Neighborhood’ Essays and poems by Thomas Hallock

My family has a new bedtime ritual where we take three deep breaths and each share, in detail, our favorite part of the day. The practice is lifted from Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor Dr. Hallock (a literary doc, not an M.D.) who theorizes that the archiving of a good memory might erase a painful one. His bare-all collection of essays and poems about Tampa Bay and fatherhood is full of tender stories and reminders to fly close to the things that make you happy. (Mercer University Press)
Photo c/o Katherine Betzer

‘Image Breaker’ By Mark E. Leib

For 17 (!!) years, Mark Lieb’s Creative Loafing Tampa Bay byline set its gaze on the Bay area theater scene, delivering glowing reviews and pull-no-punches criticism. Over the summer, the playwright and author unleashed his own work for review in the form of a new novel, “Image Breaker,” about a know-it-all writer whose confidence takes a backseat to hallucinations about how he’s wasting his life. (Vine Leaves Press)
Photo c/o Mark E. Leib

‘Incidental Art‘ By Joshua Pearson

With a big focus on self-care, Pearson—a longtime Tampa artist with work all over the city—has assembled a hardcover collection of essays and photos that is a little bit memoir, part journal, and not just a must-read for local art lovers interested in learning about the process/story behind one of the city’s longest-running creative shops, but required reading for anyone hoping to make a living—and stay alive—in the creative-for-hire world. (Independently published)
Photo by Jaxon Major Pearson

‘The Infinite Loop / El lazo infinito’ By Oneyda Gonzalez

For the first time ever, Gonzalez—a Cuban poet who, per the Harvard Crimson, “is the most recent winner of the Paz Prize for Poetry, a biennially awarded prize presented by the National Poetry Series and Miami Book Fair at Miami Dade College”—presents poems both in her native Spanish and English. Side by side, whether you’re bilingual or not, the collection is a reflection on love, pain and hope that finds itself resurfacing hours and weeks after you read the poems as you move through everyday life. (Akashic Books)
Photo via Akashic Books

‘Label Me’ By Ronnie Wyche

In a new book of poetry that’s the follow-up to 2020’s “Lilblkbook” Tampa author Ronnie Wyche shakes off the stress and anxiety of the Covid years and turns in another collection of work that he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay feels more like himself. “Those poems just had a lot of angst and anger in them. And I was like, ‘I'm not typically an angry person. I'm mostly kind of calm and jovial,” he added. The final product isn’t any less introspective, but feels lighter in the conscience and easier to recite thanks to the lyrical poems that read like mini vignettes of Wyche’s life watching Tampa grow around him. (Independently published)
Photo via Ronnie Wyche

‘Learning From Birmingham: A Journey into History and Home’ By Julie Buckner Armstrong

English professor and Civil Rights scholar, Dr. Julie Buckner Armstrong’s newest book is part historical nonfiction and part memoir of her and her family’s connection to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. She digs deep into her own family’s history and the city’s local narratives to trace connections to the larger Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and lessons that can be applied to 21st century America. (University of Alabama Press)
Photo c/o Tombolo Books

‘The London Seance Society’ By Sarah Penner

Another historical dual-POV thriller from the author of “The Lost Apothecary.” The novel follows two women searching for answers and justice through the occult practice of seances, only to find themselves entangled in a criminal mystery with the exclusive Seance Society. (Park Row)
Photo via Sarah Penner EPK

‘Newb Squad: A Big Brother’s Guide to Surfing Etiquette’ By Dr. Jason Old

Tampa historian of 20th-21st century Latin America Jason Old is also known as “The Surfing Historian,” and his kids book illustrated by Gabi Moraes is an introduction to the sport of surfing, but also a guide to help groms (of all ages, really) safely partake in the sport. (Sea Foam Books)
Photo via jasonold.com

‘Once Upon a Time in Florida: Stories of Life in the Land of Promises’ Edited by Jacki Levine

This anthology features 50 stories drawn from the archives of Florida Humanities’ Forum magazine (stylized “FORUM”). Authors include scholars, journalists and other literary movers and shakers, including Gary R. Mormino, Eric Deggans, Dalia Colon, Lauren Groff, Craig Pittman, Edna Buchanan, J. Michael Francis and more. As a celebration of Florida Humanities' 50th year, the collection includes myth busters, deep dives into the state’s history and lore and narrative journalistic pieces about the space race and Walt Disney World in Florida. The hardcover tome is also as pretty as it is informative, with artwork and 150 photos—including this one below showing early Miami real estate developer Carl Fisher in 1927 marketing his Miami Beach golf course, using Rosie the Elephant as a caddy. (Florida Humanities)
Photo via Florida Humanities

‘Path of the Panther: New Hope For Wild Florida’ By Carlton Ward Jr.

A supplement to his Leonardo DiCaprio-produced film about the Florida Wildlife Corridor (“Path of the Panther” is now on Disney+), this gorgeous 240-page large format National Geographic hardcover collects Ward’s jaw-dropping photographs of the elusive Florida Panther, still fighting for survival in a world where development continues to encroach on its natural habitat. Locals should also head to the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts’ new Ybor City location to see an exhibition (on view through St. Patrick’s Day) featuring the photographs. (Disney Books)
Photo by Carlton Ward Jr.