Books and Books is quite possibly the only real book store on Miami Beach. Sure, everybody's got newspapers and magazines. A quick read on the beach is the Miami way. But literature on South Beach? You'll find it here.

The bookstore stocks an eclectic blend of bestsellers and weightier works, gay and lesbian fiction and non-fiction, even newspapers and magazines for those of you that just want to blend in.

There's also a light lunch menu at the Miami Beach and Coral Gables locations that works well any time of the day. The Gazpacho is to-die-for on a hot summer afternoon and we'd stand on line for the tuna salad alone. There are tables on Lincoln road or sit in the air-conditioned indoor picture window, sip some Cuban Coffee and watch the people milling around Florida's most incredible outdoor mall.

The scene is similar in Coral Gables and Bal Harbour. Authors hold frequent book signings. Occasional passage and poetry readings keep the place lively.