Adventure on the High Seas

When mild-mannered personal chef Owen Wedgewood is violently kidnapped by pirate queen Mad Hannah Mabbot from his late benefactor's residence in 1800s England, he's in for a wild ride aboard The Flying Rose, where he is forced to create exceptional meals with scant ingredients in exchange for his continued survival.  Told through Wedgewood's diary, Eli Brown's Cinnamon and Gunpowder sees our protagonist confront his own shortcomings and prejudices as he slowly assimilates (kicking and screaming) into the pirate crew and becomes closer to the fearsome Captain Mabbot, who is busy trying to upset the entire opium trade and catch her nemesis, The Brass Fox.  HM

Visiting Titanic

Written by director, adventurer, and all-around Titanic expert James Cameron, Exploring the Deep is a fascinating glimpse into the many expeditions that have been made to the Titanic site over the past 20 years.  Including a selection of Cameron's dive journals, never-before-seen photographs, and full color recreations of Titanic's interior and exterior, this book details how the technology used to explore the wreck has informed our understanding of one the world's greatest maritime tragedies.  HM

a sea voyage

Michael Ondaatje is prolific,he has written five novels,a memoir, poetry and non-fiction. His book The English Patient won the Booker Prize and was made into a wonderful film. His new novel, The Cat's Table, is the story of an ocean crossing in the fifties, from the viewpoint of an eleven-year old boy. "As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship,it tells a spellbinding story about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood."(Book Jacket) I have read many novels by this author, my favorite is In the Skin of a Lion, with some of the most beautiful descriptions I have ever read. M.L.