2016 Florida Reading Challenge

     I find myself finishing up my 2015 reading challenge. To be honest, many books were types I didn't want to read. Graphic novel? Isn't that just a comic book? Young adult fiction? Not really my interest.  One category that I am disappointed that I didn't read was a book set in my hometown. In my case, Miami. That made me think, what if I put together a list of books that were solely about Florida? And I did. I tried to cover most of Florida's distinct areas. I've included a little humor, some non-fiction, a children's book, and some books that I think are the best ever written about Florida. Will you take my challenge and read one book a month? I have read most of these; some I included from others' recommendations. I will be taking the challenge myself and will give updates and reviews throughout the year. Happy Reading!

2016 Florida Reading Challenge

The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog  by Dave Barry

The Corpse Had a Familiar Face: Covering Miami, America's Hottest Beat by Edna Buchanan (non-fiction)

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

The Everglades: River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas (non-fiction)

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski

The Orchid Theif: a True Story of Beauty and Obsession by Susan Orlean (non-fiction)

The Barefoot Mailman by Theodore Pratt

The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith

The Poetry of Wallace Stevens   (I included Stevens's poetry because some people like poetry; he was one of the best, if not THE best, twentieth century poets; and he loved Florida.)

The Christmas Dime

 The Christmas of 1969 is one that I will never forget. My family had been through a terrible year--my mother died, and my father remarried very quickly. I was just barely fourteen and felt confused, depressed, and isolated. My daddy seemed to love my new stepmother and her daughter more than he did me.

Christmas Day was a disaster. My stack of presents was small compared to my stepsister's. My stepmother was "ill," so I had to cook chili for Christmas supper, instead of our usual ham and all the fixings.

     But then, a bright spot. Usually, we went visiting on Christmas Day--traveling around Miami to see my grandmother, aunts, uncles, various cousins, and, especially, my Great-grandma Crenshaw. This year, it was decided that we would stay at home, but Grandmother and Grandma came to see US. 

     Grandma was an amazing woman. She had experienced so much--from Dixieland to Rock and Roll; from the birth of flight to the moon landing; from the mule wagon to the Model T to the Camero; two World Wars, the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, and the Depression. Births and deaths; gain and loss. Faith and loss of faith. Grandma was barely literate, but she was so wise about life.

    Grandma was poor, so she didn't give us presents. But that year, as she left, she slipped me an envelope. "Shhh, don't tell the others," she said. I took that envelope to my room and opened it. Inside I found a recycled Christmas card with "I love you, from Grandma" laboriously written in pencil. And included in that card was a dime. One dime. I began crying because that small gift, that dime, that widow's mite, showed me that I was still loved by someone. That dime was the most precious gift I have ever received for Christmas.