What’s better than a good book? A good book written by your neighbor (past or present). Brew up a batch of your favorite cup of tea or coffee and get ready to meet your next read, because we’re talking about locally written books in Tampa Bay.
Fiction
- “The New Couple in 5B ” by Lisa Unger | Release date: March 24, 2024 | The Burg’s own NYT bestselling author’s latest thriller follows a woman’s quest to figure out how her neighbor died — attend the launch party at Tombolo Books.
- “All the Broken Girls ” by Lisa Hurtado Bond | Release date: August 23, 2022 | A Cuban American crime reporter races to figure out a serial killer’s clues. This is the fourth novel from local Fox 13 anchor Lisa Hurtado Bond.
- “Let the Lover Be ” by Sheree L. Greer | Release date: August 19, 2014 | Local LGBTQ+ author Sheree L. Greer tells the story of a functioning alcoholic who travels to New Orleans trying to reclaim her life.
- “Lickety Split ” by Mary Kay Andrews | Release date: 1996 | Things start to go wrong quickly for a former Associated Press reporter living at the Fountain of Youth Residential Hotel in St. Petersburg.
For the family
- “Henry’s Tech-Free Trip: A Family Adventure ” by Kylen Ribeiro + Michelle Zofrea | Release date: Sept. 1, 2023 | Take a literary camping trip to Blue Pond with Henry Parker to see if he can enjoy the weekend sans technology.
- “Tampa Bay from A to Z ” by Noelle Schneider | Release date: Aug. 10, 2011 | Teach your kiddo the alphabet using beloved local landmarks — with illustrations by patients at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital in Tampa and All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg.
- “Stitch by Stitch ” by Rob Sanders | Release date: Oct. 12, 2021| The latest installment in the local author’s historical LGBTQ+ series for kids chronicles San Francisco’s Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt.
- “Kyler Treks to Ghana ” by Stephanie Claytor | Release date: Feb. 1, 2022 | An African American family travels to Ghana to learn about their ancestors. The picture book explores West African food, landmarks, Kente Cloth, and the area’s role in the slave trade.
Learn something new
- “John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community ” by Raymond Arsenault | Release date: Jan. 16, 2024 | TBAY’s own historian just released the first full-length biography of the civil rights hero and congressman, delving into the six decades of Lewis’ life.
- “Oh, Florida!: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country ” by Craig Pittman | Release date: July 5, 2016 | Long-time Florida environmental reporter Craig Pittman digs into some of the state’s contradictions — and how they influence the rest of the America.
- “St. Petersburg’s Historic African American Neighborhoods and St. Petersburg’s Historic 22nd Street South ” by Rosalie Peck and Jon Wilson | Release date: Feb. 13, 2006 | St. Petersburg residents Rosalie Peck and Jon Wilson tell the stories of the city’s 22nd Street South, which was once a bustling street full of Black entrepreneurship during segregation.
- “Florida’s Carnivorous Plants ” by Kenny Coogan | Release date: Oct. 1, 2022 | Local plant nurseryman Kenny Coogan explains how to identify Florida’s native carnivorous plants + grow them in your own backyard.
Part of a series
- “Eat, Pray, Hex ” by Tara Lush | Release date: Oct. 13, 2023 | The first book in the “Crescent Moon Mysteries” series takes you on a journey as cookie shop + spooky Florida inn owner Amelia works to solve the inn’s mysterious murder.
- “Florida Roadkill ” by Tim Dorsey | Release date: 1999 | The legendary spinner + former long-time Tampa Bay resident’s first novel in the “Serge Storms” series is full of action. In it, a Sunshine State history aficionado attempts to get his hands on a suitcase full of $5 million stolen dollars — chaos ensues.
- “Live and Let Grind (A Coffee Lover’s Mystery) ” by Tara Lush | Release date: Oct. 11, 2022 | The third installment in the “Coffee Lovers” series takes readers to Devil’s Beach Island, Florida — and on a hunt for a murderer.
- “Tampa Bay Noir ” edited by Colette Bancroft | Release date: August 4, 2020 | Local authors give you a taste of the dark side of the Gulf Coast in this collection of short stories.
Personal stories
- “The Girl in the Window and Other True Tales: An Anthology with Tips for Finding, Reporting, and Writing Nonfiction Narratives ” by Lane DeGregory | Release date: April 5, 2023 | The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist takes you behind the scenes and breaks down stories from her tenure at the Tampa Bay Times.
- “If You See Them: Young, Unhoused, and Alone in America ” by Vicki Sokolik | Release date: Feb. 13, 2024 | Tampa’s own Vicki Sokolik tells of the story of young unhoused Americans, starting with the time her son brought home a classmate who was living on her own.
- “For Cuba — for Freedom! ” by Raul Andres Villamia with Rhonda J. Villamia and Paul J. Guzzo | Release date: Dec. 11, 2023 | Villamia shares his experience as an advocate for Castro in the United States + the efforts to oust Batista.
- “Juniper: The Girl Who Was Born Too Soon ” by Kelley Benham French and Thomas French | Release date: Sept. 13, 2016 | Two award-winning journalists tell the story of how their micro-preemie fought for her life, while shedding light on medical issues for babies that are born prematurely.
- “Accidental First Lady: On the Front Lines (and Behind the Scenes) of Local Politics ” by Kerry Kriseman | Release date: Oct. 29, 2021 | Kerry Kriseman shares a behind the scenes look at St. Petersburg’s political scene. Kriseman’s husband, former mayor Rick Kriseman, left office a couple years ago, wrapping up 22 years of public service.
- “Lil’ Colored Rascals in the Sunshine City ” by Archie Boston | Release date: June, 24, 2009 | Archie Boston shares what it was like to grow up Black in St. Pete from 1948 to 1958.
Need more recommendations? Stop by Oxford Exchange , Tombolo Books , Book & Bottle , or Mojo Books & Records to get expert advice from Tampa Bay local booksellers.
City Guides are sponsored by Water Street Tampa .