Alex feels like a fish out of water in her new hometown - the sleepy little lakeside village of Boreen Point where she is reluctantly sent to live with her slightly eccentric aunt for her final year of high school. None of Alex's classmates could care less about the new girl, so Alex couldn't care less about them . . . or so she tries to tell herself. As a distraction from what is quickly shaping up to be a very lonely year, Alex spends her savings on a rundown little yacht and throws herself into restoring it. A curious discovery leads to the beginnings of a friendship, but it's Sam - the sailmaker's apprentice - and his mysterious ways that capture Alex's attention and force her to question what is real and what matters most. A captivating novel about fate, friendship and finding yourself from Young Australian of the Year 2011, Jessica Watson.

Sailors have used ditty bags to carry sewing equipment, toiletries, and other small items for centuries, and now The Ditty Bag Book teaches modern-day sailors the art form of hand-making ditty bags to use on their own seaward travels. Master sailor Frank Rosenow provides complete, step-by-step instructions in the making of a ditty bag—from cutting material to size to decorative touches—and emphasizes the proper maintenance of rigging and sails using the items stowed in the ditty bag. Included in this handy, portable guide is additional information about the essential tools any sailor should have aboard ship, such as a clasp knife, a hand-seeming palm, beeswax, and a serving mallet. Rosenow also offers an array of advice on repairing sails, splicing, palm-and-needle whippings, chafing gear, and much more! Complete with hand drawings by the author, The Ditty Bag Book is essential for any modern-day sailor.

Long regarded as a leading authority in the sailing world, Eric Hiscock provides here a helpful reference for ocean voyaging. Illustrated with numerous photographs and maps, it ranges from tying knots to global weather patterns--the essential resource for any open water sailor.

An indispensible guide to sail maintenance and repair, written by master sailmaker Dan Neri. This book will save you thousands of dollars, and will significantly increase the lives of your sails.

Now in its 17th year, The Mariner's Book of Days is an ever-growing encyclopedia of nautical fact, fiction, and folklore, and has been hailed as the best, most entertaining nautical desk diary and calendar to see print. An invaluable reference, each annual edition is completely different from its predecessors, and all have become collector's items. On every right-hand page is a week of days, with the nautical significance of each explored in brief by the author. On each left-hand page is a collection of nautical miscellany evoking the rich traditions of the sea. Entertaining and informative, illustrated with a variety of lovely etchings, engravings, sketches, and watercolors, The Mariner's Book of Days takes readers on a 365-day voyage through history.

A colorful, magical tale set during the height of the Ottoman Empire, from the acclaimed author of The Island of Missing Trees (a Reese's Book Club Pick) Chosen for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall’s “Reading Room” Book Club In this novel, Turkey’s preeminent female writer spins an epic tale spanning nearly a century in the life of the Ottoman Empire. In 1540, twelve-year-old Jahan arrives in Istanbul. As an animal tamer in the sultan’s menagerie, he looks after the exceptionally smart elephant Chota and befriends (and falls for) the sultan’s beautiful daughter, Princess Mihrimah. A palace education leads Jahan to Mimar Sinan, the empire’s chief architect, who takes Jahan under his wing as they construct (with Chota’s help) some of the most magnificent buildings in history. Yet even as they build Sinan’s triumphant masterpieces—the incredible Suleymaniye and Selimiye mosques—dangerous undercurrents begin to emerge, with jealousy erupting among Sinan’s four apprentices. A memorable story of artistic freedom, creativity, and the clash between science and fundamentalism, Shafak’s intricate novel brims with vibrant characters, intriguing adventure, and the lavish backdrop of the Ottoman court, where love and loyalty are no match for raw power.

A young Englishman embarks on history’s most daring naval assault Thomas Spyre wields his rapier like an expert, but his blade has never drawn blood. A surgeon’s apprentice in Elizabethan London, young Thomas spends his days learning the most modern medical techniques—from amputation to bloodletting—and by night he tries to keep his master from gambling away their earnings at bear fights. When a bad bet leaves their purse emptier than ever before, Thomas fears they are destined for the poorhouse. But a strange stroke of luck is about to whisk them away from England toward one of the greatest adventures of all time. Thomas and his master are called upon by Sir Francis Drake, the legendary swashbuckler, to accompany him on a daring raid of the Spanish port of Cadiz. As a surgeon aboard the ship, Thomas will have to learn the nature of manhood, medicine, battle, and espionage—all while the cannons fire.