God, I truly love this author.

He is simply hysterical, and he portrays South Florida with such a jaundiced eye.

I read this during my vacation, and I couldn't help but laugh my butt off while those on the neighboring lounge chairs stared at me.

Hiaasen is indeed a master.

It's important to note that these older books, such as "Lucky You", "Tourist Season", and "Sick Puppy", are better than the latest three books.

It's a sad but true fact.

His writing style in those earlier works is just more engaging and entertaining.

The characters are more vivid, and the stories are more captivating.

Even though the newer books may have their own merits, they just don't quite measure up to the classics.

Nonetheless, I will continue to be a fan of Hiaasen and look forward to whatever he comes up with next.

An easy read that truly engages the reader. The characters are not only well developed but also extremely interesting and quite laughable. It's like opening a door to a world full of unique personalities and humorous situations. This is the second Carl Hiaasen book I have delved into, and I am absolutely certain that there will be many more to come in my reading journey. His writing style has a charm that keeps me hooked from the very beginning. My rating for this book would actually be 3.5 stars. However, I don't believe that is possible to do here. Nevertheless, it doesn't take away from the fact that this is a great read that I would highly recommend to others.

Winning the lottery is generally considered a fortunate event, isn't it? Well, JoLayne Lucks has a noble plan for her lottery winnings. She intends to use the money to prevent 44 acres near her home from being developed.

A newspaper reporter arrives in JoLayne's small town of Grange, Florida, to cover this heartwarming story. In this town, a stigmata man, a stain on the road that resembles Jesus, and a crying Madonna are major tourist attractions. However, Tom Krane has no idea that he will soon become part of this story.

Unfortunately for JoLayne, Chub and Bode also won with the same numbers, so they will have to share the money with her. This doesn't please the rednecks at all. Greedy for all the money, they attack JoLayne and steal her ticket. But JoLayne is not one to give up easily. And so, a thrilling road trip begins as she sets out to find the stolen ticket.

The story is filled with insane characters. There are inept and reckless rednecks armed with AK-47s, turtles painted to look like apostles, a judge with a grudge, and an actress who doesn't want a divorce. Somehow, Carl Hiaasen manages to make you care about these wacky individuals. His writing is not only humorous but also highly inventive. He truly has a talent for constructing crazy stories around the most eccentric of characters.

It's a wild and entertaining ride that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

This was an absolutely hilarious read!

Imagine crossing a street smart woman with a savvy (albeit a bit burned out) reporter and a couple of bumbling, obnoxious self-proclaimed Aryans. The result? Pure chaos!

JoLayne Lucks has just won the Florida lottery. Now, all she has to do is hold onto the ticket long enough to claim the winnings. Meanwhile, Chub and Bode have also won the same lottery and embark on a madcap adventure filled with plenty of beer-fueled episodes, determined to be the only ones to claim the ticket.

Tom, our erstwhile reporter, has his own set of problems. He has agreed to help Jolayne, but he also has an ex-wife who refuses to be served divorce papers and an ex-lover's husband who is hell-bent on making him pay the ultimate price for being the better lover.

Trust me, if you're in need of a good laugh, this book will definitely deliver. And you'll never look at bicycle tire patches and unicorns in quite the same way again. It's pure awesomeness!

I picked up this book as I was in the mood for something light-hearted and effortless to read.

For the most part, it fulfilled that anticipation. It is extremely inventive and clever, presenting several memorable scenes. For instance, there is a deranged newspaper editor who utilizes his cheesy alliterative headlines to speak in tongues at a tacky religious shrine. Then there's a woman in a wedding dress making out with a road stain, or a goon whose hand gets gobbled up by a hungry crab.

That being said, this book likely has a different impact in 2020. Although it is meant to be amusing to witness the idiotic white supremacists fumble around and spout ignorance, it's difficult to overlook the fact that such people now hold significantly more influence in our national discourse, and their insane conspiracy theories are actually given credence by a substantial number of citizens and "media" outlets. Additionally, there are two instances of horrific violence against women employed as plot devices and then somewhat glossed over to make room for more comedy. While the book features two strong female characters (one being a Hooters waitress!), one of them, the heroine, essentially allows a man she just met to take over her personal mission and make all the decisions. Even though it comes from the mouth of a villain, the use of the N word is jarring to me, and there's some awkward banter about race between the two main characters.

Aside from the above caveats, I did enjoy the book, with its zany characters and convoluted plot.

This is an outstanding piece of humor and without a doubt, my all-time favorite Carl Hiaasen novel!

It presents a truly fabulous story that is an absolute delight to listen to.

The author's wit and creativity shine through every page, making it impossible to put down.

The characters are vividly drawn and the plot is full of unexpected twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.

From start to finish, it's a non-stop adventure that will have you laughing out loud and thoroughly entertained.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone looking for a great read or listen.

It truly deserves a perfect 10 out of 10 stars!

Whether you're a fan of humor, mystery, or just a good story, this novel has something for everyone.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab a copy and get ready to be swept away by the hilarity and excitement!

Fun, humorous, and absurd - these are the ingredients that make life truly interesting!

We all need a good laugh from time to time, and what better way to achieve that than through engaging in activities that are both fun and humorous? Whether it's watching a silly comedy movie, reading a hilarious book, or simply hanging out with friends and sharing jokes, there's no shortage of ways to add a touch of absurdity to our days.

Laughter not only lightens our mood but also has numerous health benefits. It can reduce stress, boost our immune system, and even improve our relationships. So, don't be afraid to embrace the fun and humorous side of life. Let go of your inhibitions, be a little absurd, and enjoy the moment!

Remember, life is too short to be taken too seriously. So, go ahead and have some fun! Laugh until your sides hurt, make a fool of yourself, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Because in the end, it's the fun, humorous, and absurd moments that we'll look back on and cherish the most.

The story presents a nice and tight plot that keeps the readers engaged from start to finish.

It is filled with plenty of the author's usual absurdities, which add a unique charm and humor to the narrative.

The absurd elements are carefully integrated into the plot, creating a world that is both strange and fascinating.

Despite the absurdities, the story still manages to have a coherent and logical flow, making it easy for the readers to follow.

The characters are well-developed and their actions and decisions are driven by the absurd circumstances they find themselves in.

Overall, the story is a great example of how to create a engaging and entertaining plot while also incorporating elements of absurdity.

The story wasn't as humorous as I had anticipated.

The humor within it was centered around several idiotic rednecks who couldn't utter a single sentence without being offensive.

This aspect really detracted from the overall enjoyment for me.

However, on the other hand, the good guys in the story were quite likable.

Their characters were engaging enough that it made me want to keep reading to see if they would ultimately win.

It was a very light read, not overly complex or demanding.

While the humor didn't hit the mark for me, the likability of the good guys did manage to hold my interest and keep me turning the pages.

Overall, it was an okay read, but not one that I would rave about.

Perhaps others with a different sense of humor might find it more entertaining.

I have a rather unique relationship with humor, and crime fiction is not a common sight on my bookshelves. However, this particular work truly impressed me. It didn't just work; it worked exceptionally well. So much so that I actually accepted a free copy of another one of his books (I can't quite recall the name at the moment, but I'm certain I'll get around to reading it in the next year or so...

Quotes that really caught my attention include: "Bodean James gazer had spent thirty-one years perfecting the art of assigning blame. His personal credo – Everything that happens is someone else’s fault – could, with imagination, be stretched to fit any circumstance. Bode stretched it."

As it turns out, the hate movement that Bode got involved in strongly advocated fraud as a form of civil disobedience. Militia pamphlets declared that ripping off banks, utilities, and credit-card companies was a just way to repudiate the United States government and all the liberals, Jews, homosexuals, lesbians, Negroes, environmentalists, and communists who they believed infested it.

Chub was astounded by his friend's theory. He couldn't fathom how the lottery could be rigged. If it was, how had he and Bode managed to win even half?

During their brief friendship, Bodean Gazzer had used conspiracies to explain numerous puzzling events. For example, he had a theory about why there was usually a major airplane crash around Christmas time. According to Bode, the Federal Aviation Administration sabotaged an airliner around Christmas to prevent its budget from being slashed.

The downsizing trend that affected newspapers in the early nineties was aimed at maintaining the industry's bloated profit margins. A new breed of corporate managers, lacking a passion for serious journalism, found an easy way to reduce the cost of publishing a daily newspaper by cutting the amount of space devoted to news and, consequently, the staff.

Chub, scratching his neck, wondered if a certain woman was looking for a husband. The clerk grinned and lowered his voice, saying, "No offense, sir, but she’s a little too tan for you."

Pretty soon, Shiner began to see his life in a new light. He was glad to learn that his sorry state wasn't entirely his fault. No, it was the result of a complex and diabolical plot, a vast conspiracy against the ordinary working white man.

The youngest of seven children, Chub was born to Moria Gillespie when she was forty-seven. His father, Greve, was a blunt-spoken man who often reminded him that his existence was the result of a faulty diaphragm and that his appearance in his mother's womb was as welcome as "a cockroach on a wedding cake."

Woozy with apnea, Sinclair thought he might be on the verge of heart failure. He had read many articles about critically ill patients having out-of-body experiences in ambulances and emergency rooms. Sinclair felt that way now, floating above the managing editor's credenza and watching himself being emasculated.

He wondered what types of guns the NATO communists were carrying. Bode Gazzer had speculated that they might be Russian or North Korean. Shiner decided to steal one from the first soldier he shot as a souvenir. Maybe he'd even chop off an ear, just like he'd heard about from a drill sergeant who'd been to Nam.

Both of Arthur Battenkill's secretaries knew something was amiss because he'd stopped pestering them for sex. The women didn't complain; they much preferred typing and filing. The judge's behavior in bed was no different from that in the office – arrogant and abrupt.

The Everglades empties into a beautiful panorama of tidal flats, serpentine channels, and bright-green mangrove islets. However, the balance of life there has been disrupted by human actions. In the 1940s, engineers carved levees and dug canals, without considering the impact on downstream fish, birds, and Indians.

Over time, less and less freshwater has reached Florida Bay, and what does get there isn't very pure. When a drought came, the bay changed drastically. Sea grasses died off, the bottom turned to mud, and algae blooms blanketed hundreds of square miles.

The collapse of the estuary has left bureaucrats baffled. Facing a public-relations disaster and a threat to the tourism industry, they are now scrambling to find a way to revive the bay without antagonizing the farmers and developers who have benefited from the previous changes.

For politicians in South Florida, restoring the Everglades has become both a pledge and a mantra. Speeches are given, promises are made, task forces are assembled, research grants are awarded, and symposiums are convened. However, not much has actually changed.

The condition of the Everglades can be best assessed at remote islands like Pearl Key. When the mangroves are filled with pelicans and egrets, when the sky is filled with ospreys and frigate birds, and when the shallows are teeming with mullet and snook, it means that there is enough good water flowing from the Everglades.

Questions: What are the ‘prayer tabs’ that Bode kicks through in destroying a couple of migrant workers' belongings? (148-49)

Carl Hiaasen has a unique talent for revealing the dark side of life in Florida while simultaneously making readers burst into laughter. In his 1997 novel, Lucky You, he accomplishes this feat time and time again. The story delves into a world filled with religious fanatics, redneck scoundrels, money-laundering gangsters, and the downward spiral of local journalism, all set against the backdrop of Florida's natural wonders. You'll find yourself chuckling throughout the entire journey.

The novel kicks off with a cast of colorful characters. JoLayne Lucks, a registered nurse with a soft spot for animals, has taken a job as a veterinarian's assistant in a small town in northern Florida, which is rife with religious scam artists. A passionate nature-lover, she has rescued 46 turtles known as cooters and feeds them lettuce in a large aquarium at home.

Tom Krome, on the other hand, is a laid-off investigative reporter who has been forced to settle for a job as a features writer at an unremarkable local newspaper in Florida. The paper serves as a prime example of the decline of local journalism. Tom has been attempting for years to serve divorce papers on his actress wife, who is evading the issue by traveling around the country in low-budget road shows. Meanwhile, he is involved in an affair with the wife of a highly jealous local judge.

Then there are Bodean Gazzer, or Bode for short, a racist conspiracy theorist with a lengthy criminal record, and his companion, Chub, a glue-sniffing ex-con with a penchant for violence. The two have decided to form a militia called the White Rebel Brotherhood. Bode is the more imaginative of the two, having convinced Chub that foreign NATO troops are amassed in the Bahamas, preparing to invade America on behalf of Negroes and Jews.

There seems to be no logical reason for these four individuals to cross paths. However, everything changes when JoLayne's Lotto ticket turns out to be a winner, and so does Bode and Chub's. They are set to share a $28 million jackpot. But the two rednecks are not keen on sharing, and they decide to rob JoLayne. From there, Carl Hiaasen takes the story and weaves a hilarious and engaging tale that leaves readers thoroughly entertained. Incidentally, while Carl Hiaasen may have a front-row seat to the decline of local journalism, there is no sign of a decline in American humor in his writing.

Audio read this time while creating an acrylic painting.

It was an extremely entertaining experience. The combination of the audio and the act of painting added a unique dimension to the whole process. The dark humor and dry wit of the content were truly captivating. It made me laugh out loud at times and kept me engaged throughout. Loved this book the second time around.

The more I listened to it, the more I discovered new layers and details that I might have missed the first time. It's amazing how a book can have such a different impact on a second reading. The audio format brought the story to life in a whole new way, allowing me to immerse myself in the world of the characters and their adventures. I can't wait to listen to it again and see what else I can uncover.