Continuing with our “live like a local” theme, another good way to impress the locals is to demonstrate that you know and love what we love. You can do that with your beach reading material. You move up the ranks in our esteem if we see you reading books by local authors or regional authors we know from their visits here. Books set in the Golden Isles also catch our interest. And while we do recommend Eugenia Price’s St. Simons Trilogy for the wonderful glimpse into our island’s history and characters and island resident Eugenia herself, you might want to read those books in the privacy of your home—they’re a red flag that you’re a tourist, because most of us have already read them. Instead, here are some suggestions:
If you’re a SciFi fan, local author Jack McDevitt’s books are excellent. Jack has been called “one of the leading heirs of Asimov working today” and recently won the 2015 Robert Heinlein Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding published works in science fiction and technical writings to inspire the human exploration of space. His novel, Seeker, won a Nebula award, and virtually all of his other works have been nominated.
For history-based thrillers, NY Times bestselling author Steve Berry is a great choice. Steve, who was once a practicing attorney in Camden County, visits the island frequently for book signings and to discuss his new novels. His style is similar to Dan Brown with historical plots and clues and puzzles to unravel. He has stand-alone novels and a series featuring former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone.
Local author Stephen Brooks follows in the Clive Cussler tradition of fast-paced action and fun settings with his trilogy: Sailing the Circumference of the Earth: A Vision Quest, To the Edge of Darkness, and For There be Monsters. In his most recent novel, A Sunny Place for Shady People, he provides a fictional account of an actual unsolved murder.
For “weather thrillers,” former meteorologist and local author Buzz Bernard’s Eyewall and Supercell are hard to beat. His newest, Blizzard, will help us remember why we love living in this virtually snow-free region of the South.
For a whodunit set on St. Simons Island, pick up Tides of Fear by Dr. Anne B. Jones, an Atlanta area psychologist who now makes her home here too. It’s been described as “Jaws with a serial killer.”
Another book set on St. Simons Island that weaves island history and geography in with a plot involving romance, relationships and a little intrigue, is Sea Change by NY Times bestselling author and Georgia girl, Karen White. She calls the genre “grit lit,” or Southern women’s fiction. Her books are beach reads at their best.
In Leaving Long Beach: An Intimate Account of My Sister’s Murder, local author Mark Jicha shares a compelling yet heart-wrenching true crime tale. Jicha’s account chronicles the shocking murder and subsequent courtroom drama and the intimate details of his family’s experience working with law enforcement and the justice system.
NY Times bestselling author Charles Martin is from Jacksonville area, but islanders have more or less adopted him as our own. He is a frequent “Coffee with the Author” guest. Perhaps it was the fact that he named a character in Chasing Fireflies, one of his early novels, set in Brunswick and the Golden Isles, Tommye, after island resident Tommye Cashin, a feisty lady known and loved by many. His characters are well-written, full of strength, passion, faith, love, and human frailty. Or perhaps it is his skill with vivid description, like this: “To us – those who seek the solace of the marsh – it is a stage where God paints – yellow in the morning, green toward noon, brownish in the afternoon, and blood red toward evening. It is the sentinel that stands guard at the ocean’s edge, protecting the sea from the runoff that would kill it. It is a selfless and sacrificial place. And when I close my eyes, it is also the smell of home.”
To delve into the area’s history, novels about life on Jekyll Island during the days of the Millionaire’s Club by June Hall McCash (Almost to Eden) and Pamela Bauer Mueller (Splendid Islolation) give interesting and different perspectives. Both women have additional works set in the region that are also well worth the read.
If you’re looking for humor, Christopher Hooks (son of Jekyll Island Authority director Jones Hooks), has penned a poignant and hysterical book called Henry, about the dilemma of breaking up housekeeping when age and infirmity take over. Dr. Jon Traer, a retired physician from McIntosh County offers a humorous account of his residency at Grady Hospital in Atlanta in his books Going to the Gradies, and Beyond the Gradies.
That should be enough to get you started! If you find yourself craving more local flavor in your literature, don’t be afraid to stop in the St. Simons Island Public Library; the staff there is both friendly and knowledgeable. They’re fantastic at providing you with reading suggestions based on your personal
