Recommendations based on Insane Cityby Dave Barry

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Big Trouble

    by Dave Barry
    A madcap comedy of errors involving a diverse cast of characters in a chaotic adventure.

    Eliot Arnold is a divorced, recently-fired newspaper reporter trying to start his own advertising and public relations agency. His teenaged son, Matt's nighttime attempt to " kill " his high-school ... (Wikipedia)

  2. Star Island

    by Carl Hiaasen
    A pop star's life is in danger when a crazed fan mistakes her for a lookalike. A hilarious satire on celebrity culture.

    Ann DeLusia, the " stunt double " for habitually intoxicated and drug-addicted pop star "Cherry Pye", is mistakenly kidnapped by an obsessed paparazzo . Now, the star's entourage must find a way to ... (Wikipedia)

  3. Nature Girl

    by Carl Hiaasen
    A woman takes a man on a wild and dangerous adventure through the Florida Everglades.

    In his latest New York Times bestseller, Hiaasen introduces impassioned, possibly bipolar, self-proclaimed queen of lost causes Honey Santana, who schemes to help rid the world of irresponsibility, ... (Goodreads)

  4. Bad Monkey

    by Carl Hiaasen
    A comedic mystery involving crime, corruption, and a talking dead monkey.

    In mid-July, a sportfisherman tourist off the Florida Keys reels in a severed human arm. The Monroe County Sheriff Sonny Summers, who is hyper-sensitive to any publicity threat to the Keys' tourist ... (Wikipedia)

  5. When the Lion Feeds

    by Wilbur Smith
    Epic adventure of two brothers in the African wilderness, facing danger and learning life lessons.

    The novel begins in Natal in the 1870s, with the introduction of twin brothers Sean and Garrick, the sons of ranch owner Waite Courtney. After one of Sean's hunting accidents results in Garrick ... (Wikipedia)

  6. Necessary Lies

    by Diane Chamberlain
    A young social worker in 1960s rural North Carolina uncovers a dark secret that threatens to upend the lives of those around her.

    It is 1960 in North Carolina and the lives of Ivy Hart and Jane Forrester couldn't be more different. Fifteen-year-old Ivy lives with her family as tenants on a small tobacco farm, but when her ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. The Art of Racing in the Rain

    by Garth Stein
    An uplifting story of a race car driver and the bond between humans and animals.

    Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Ghost War

    by Alex Berenson
    CIA agent John Wells is sent to Thailand to investigate a mysterious outbreak of a deadly virus. He uncovers a plot to start a war between China and the United States.

    As former deep cover Afghanistan agent John Wells does what he does best, a CIA mole prepares to light the final fuse that will propel an unsuspecting world toward open war and annihilation. A power ... (Goodreads)

  9. Leaving Time

    by Jodi Picoult
    A young girl's quest to uncover the truth behind her mother's disappearance.

    For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe she was abandoned, Jenna ... (Goodreads)

  10. Monsoon

    by Wilbur Smith
    A tale of adventure, love, and betrayal set in colonial India during the monsoon season.

    Monsoon, a Courtney Family Adventure from Wilbur Smith One man. Three sons. A powerful destiny waiting to unfold. Monsoon is the sweeping epic that continues the saga begun in Wilbur Smith's ... (Goodreads)

  11. Black Cherry Blues

    by James Lee Burke
    Detective Dave Robicheaux investigates a murder while confronting his own demons in the Louisiana bayou.

    BACK IN THE UNDERWORLD HE TRIED TO LEAVE BEHIND Haunted by the memory of his wife's murder and his father's untimely death, ex-New Orleans cop Dave Robicheaux spends his days in a fish-and-tackle ... (Goodreads)

  12. Revival

    by Stephen King
    A dark, supernatural tale of a small town's fight against an evil force.

    When Charles Jacobs, a new minister, comes to town, young Jamie Morton is excited. Almost everyone in the tiny Maine hamlet comes to love Jacobs, his beautiful wife, and his young son. Things change ... (Wikipedia)

  13. Gorky Park

    by Martin Cruz Smith
    A thrilling murder mystery, set in the Soviet Union, uncovering secrets and conspiracies.

    The story follows Arkady Renko , a chief investigator for the Moscow militsiya , who is assigned to a case involving three corpses found in Gorky Park , an amusement park in Moscow. The victims - two ... (Wikipedia)

  14. The Storyteller

    by Jodi Picoult
    A storyteller's quest to restore faith in the power of storytelling and to mend the wounds of her past.

    25-year-old Sage Singer lives in the small town of Westerbrook, New Hampshire . , A couple of years before the story began, Sage and her mother were in a car accident while Sage was driving. Sage's ... (Wikipedia)

  15. Dog on It

    by Spencer Quinn
    A private investigator and his canine partner search for a missing girl.

    ONE I could smell him – or rather the booze on his breath -- before he even opened the door, but my sense of smell is pretty good, probably better than yours. The key scratched against the lock, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  16. Innocence

    by Dean Koontz
    A suspenseful tale of a young girl's courage in the face of a relentless killer.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER •, Includes Dean Koontz’s short story “Wilderness”—first time in print!,In, Innocence,, Dean Koontz blends mystery, suspense, and acute insight into the human soul in a ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. The Serpent of Venice

    by Christopher Moore
    A comical adventure of a merchant who is tasked with finding a mystical creature to save a city from certain doom.

    New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore channels William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe in The Serpent of Venice , a satiric Venetian gothic that brings back the Pocket of Dog Snogging, ... (Barnes & Noble)

  18. Have Space Suit—Will Travel

    by Robert A. Heinlein
    An adventurous teenager embarks on a thrilling space mission to save the future of the human race.

    The novel is set in the near future, when the Earth has established a few small scientific bases on the Moon. Clifford "Kip" Russell, enters an advertising jingle writing contest, hoping to win an ... (Wikipedia)

  19. A Week in Winter

    by Maeve Binchy
    A tale of friendship, love, and unexpected connections in a small Irish village.

    Stoneybridge is a small town on the west coast of Ireland where all the families know one another. When Chicky Starr decides to take an old, decaying mansion set high on the cliffs overlooking the ... (Goodreads)

  20. The Marriage of Opposites

    by Alice Hoffman
    A historical novel exploring the life of the mother of Impressionist painter Claude Monet.

    From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things : a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman ... (Goodreads)

  21. Peter and the Starcatchers

    by Dave Barry
    A prequel to Peter Pan, following Peter and Molly as they protect a magical substance from pirates.

    In 19th century London, an orphaned boy named Peter and fellow orphans James, Thomas, Prentiss, and Tubby Ted are shipped out on the decrepit Never Land , under the command of First Mate Slank and ... (Wikipedia)

  22. Two Graves

    by Douglas Preston
    A detective investigates a cold case with a hidden agenda and discovers a dark conspiracy.

    Pendergast's bloodlust continues as he chases those responsible for the abduction of Helen, who was revealed to have been alive and well for the past twelve years at the climax of Cold Vengeance . ... (Wikipedia)

  23. The Silver Star

    by Jeannette Walls
    Two sisters embark on an epic journey across the U.S. in search of their long-lost mother.

    It is 1970 in a small town in California. “Bean” Holladay is twelve and her sister, Liz, is fifteen when their artistic mother, Charlotte, takes off to find herself, leaving her girls enough money to ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Orchardist

    by Amanda Coplin
    A story of a reclusive orchardist and his unlikely friendships that help him find redemption.

    Set in the untamed American West, a highly original and haunting debut novel about a makeshift family whose dramatic lives are shaped by violence, love, and an indelible connection to the land. You ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Rosie Effect

    by Graeme Simsion
    A professor's unexpected journey of self-discovery, learning to embrace change.

    Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are back. The Wife Project is complete, and Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they're about to face a new challenge because - surprise - Rosie ... (Goodreads)

  26. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

    by Tom Robbins
    An eccentric story of freedom and adventure, exploring themes of identity, fate and love.

    Sissy Hankshaw, the novel's protagonist , is a woman born with enormously large thumbs who considers her mutation a gift. , The novel covers various topics, including free love , feminism , drug use ... (Wikipedia)

  27. The Three Musketeers

    by Alexandre Dumas
    An adventurous tale of friendship, courage, and battle in 17th century France.

    In 1625 France, d'Artagnan leaves his family in Gascony and travels to Paris to join the Musketeers of the Guard . At a house in Meung-sur-Loire , an older man derides d'Artagnan's horse. Insulted, ... (Wikipedia)

  28. 'Salem's Lot

    by Stephen King
    A small town's battle against an ancient evil that threatens to consume its inhabitants.

    Ben Mears, a writer who spent part of his childhood in Jerusalem's Lot , Maine , has returned after 25 years. He quickly becomes friends with high-school teacher Matt Burke and strikes up a ... (Wikipedia)

  29. The Time Keeper

    by Mitch Albom
    A man is sent on a journey to discover the true meaning of time.

    From the author who's inspired millions worldwide with books like, Tuesdays with Morrie, and, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, comes his most imaginative novel yet,, The Time Keeper,—a compelling ... (Barnes & Noble)

  30. 61 Hours

    by Lee Child
    An ex-military cop races against the clock to uncover a sinister plot and protect a witness in small-town South Dakota.

    Jack Reacher is hitching a ride on a senior citizen's tour through South Dakota in the middle of winter when the bus skids out on the interstate, disabling it. Together with the bus driver and the ... (Wikipedia)