By Susan Vallee

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little bit of 30A magic underneath the tree this year? How about a book about your most favorite place on earth?

We rounded up a few of the best books about 30A, so the beach lovers and architecture aficionados in your life can at least imagine they are spending Christmas morning here at the beach.

30A Style

Written by local author Eleanor Lynn Nesmith, this beautiful coffee-table book features photographs and stories about the gorgeous homes and New Urbanist towns found along Scenic Highway 30A.

Rare Coastal Dune Lakes: Biodiversity and a Sense of Home

Have you witnessed one of the dune lakes breaking through the dune into the Gulf? Did you know these lakes are brackish? Have you ever wondered why? Learn what makes our 15 coastal dune lakes so precious in Ginger Sinton’s new book.

Visions of Seaside

Seaside has been called the most “astonishing design achievement of its era,” by TIME Magazine. Architect Dhiru A. Thadani has written a comprehensive book on the history and development of this astonishing little town.

Rosemary Beach

Photographer Richard Sexton has created a visual narrative of one of 30A’s most charming towns, Rosemary Beach. The town’s iconic beach views, architectural details and hidden courtyards are captured in this delightful photo essay.

Grayton Beach Affair

Author James Harvey imagines a tawdry love affair built on deception in the Grayton Beach Affair. Maggie Neal, a young woman living in Grayton Beach, and Christian Wolfe, a German American who is sent to rescue a WWII German prisoner of war, became embroiled in a tale of adventure, war and intrigue.

These books can also be found at two of the finest book stores in the world, Sundog Books in Seaside and The Hidden Lantern Bookstore in Rosemary Beach.

Did we miss your favorite 30A title? Let us know in the comments section below… Looking for more great 30A gift ideas? Check out the 30A Gear Holiday collection!

SUSAN VALLEE has been writing about the beauty and quirkiness of 30A for longer than she’d care to admit. A transplant from Atlanta, Susan loves the small town feel and tight knit local community here. She’s currently writing a book about this fabulous place, to be published in Spring of 2014.