Sometimes I fantasize about getting away from it all. Grow a beard, don floral prints, and become a bartender in some hidden dive with a thatched roof and lounge music. And yet, Fever Beach is the first Carl Hiaasen novel I've ever read. Did I realize that he writes hilarious and engrossing crime novels about wacky Floridians and the state's breathtaking wildlife? I do now! I've also been binging Bad Monkey on Apple TV+, and I look forward to diving headlong into Hiaasen's long backlist any time I want to escape.
And speaking of Florida, Palm Beach resident and fellow crime novelist James Patterson talked with us about The #1 Dad Book, a major departure from his oeuvre but one he considers to be especially consequential for today's culture. "You just look around and see so many lost, overwhelmed, angry, unmoored, vulnerable guys," he remarks. His hope is for this short, easygoing guide, based on personal experience, to encourage other fathers to show a bit more tenderness and affection.