39. Tourist Season, by Carl Hiaasen

Brian Keyes, a former reporter turned PI, is hired to investigate the case of a Cuban man arrested for murder. It turns into a much larger case involving a former colleague, a wealthy Seminole, an ex-football star, and the world's most incompetent terrorist.

This is Hiaasen's first "only in Florida" novel, and one of his best.

40. On the Beach, by Nevil Shute

Nuclear war has come and gone, and the people of Melbourne, Australia, wait for the end as the radiation moves steadily south, killing everyone in its path.

This is honestly one of the most depressing books I've ever read, and the ending is a real tearjerker. It's about nothing less than the end of the world.

"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”

- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland