Randy Wayne White does Sanibel and Pine Island Sound proud with his novel Dark Light, #13 in the Doc Ford series.  Now I’ve loved Randy’s work since I came across it almost a decade ago in a small downtown bookstore in Fort Myers, but it’s been a while since I’ve picked up another book in the series, and my time for reading has been so compressed of late, it was a joy to tote this book through airline terminals and the Ozarks as a way to wrap each evening. With a storyline that is firmly fixed on his local stomping grounds, and a genuine sense of post-hurricane trauma (I know, I saw what happened to Pineland just a few weeks after Charley), this book is highly charged with suspense. I love the intertwining of history, of the rich and famous, industrialists and authors, who were a major part of Sanibel and Fort Myers during the 1930s and 1940s.  If you haven’t read a Doc Ford novel yet, you’re missing out. 

Talk about a high-energy concert! I’ve always loved Tom Jones’ singing, and to see him perform in person at the Florida Strawberry Festival … well, that was a Christmas present worth waiting for (thank you, Connie, Nicki, and Robert!).  He may be 68, but you sure can’t tell from his lively dancing, jumping, and prowling across the stage. An amazing show, and true to his image - cultivated carefully by song selections and struts - still sexy to boot. He doesn’t need to be touring for the money, so it’s obvious he’s doing this for fun, and having a blast.