Who doesn't wish that Elvis was alive and well and living on some secluded ranch, perhaps secretly planning to make a comeback album when we least expect it, as soon as he can find some decent songs? Isn't that hope what contributed to "sightings" of The Pelvis for so many years? Well, maybe Elvis is forever out of reach, but in a curious  book of fiction by The Doors keyboard player, Ray Manzarek, Doors lead singer, Jim Morrison is alive and well... alive, and living on a remote island, somewhere in the Indian Ocean (could it be Mahe Island?). The Poet In Exile takes a reader on an "I wish it was true" journey, and doubtless will appeal to fans of the singer and the era.

Lonely Planet  Mauritius Reunion and Seychelles by Jan Dodd and Madeleine Philippe checks out all the amenities and attractions of Mahe Island and gives you the lowdown on accomodations, activities, and essential-stuff-to-know. A great book for underwater enthusiasts (not manequins) is Scuba Diving and Snorkeling for Dummies by John and Michael Newman.

When you think of pirates, probably the first names that come to mind are Long John Silver or Blackbeard, and the image is of a bearded, one-eyed or one-legged prince of the sea. But picture this: the clean-faced, soft-featured, high-timbered voices of pirates Anne Bonny or Mary Read, real women who dressed as men to serve on sailing or pirate ships. In Iron Men, Wooden Women: Gender and Seafaring in the Atlantic World 1700-1920, editors Margaret S. Creighton and Lisa Norling have compiled an interesting collections of material from ship's logs, poetry, diaries, fiction, and public records to bring you a fascinating history of female involvement in the bygone days of shipping and piracy in the Indian Ocean.

A book that will appeal to the biologist and/or the herbalist is Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Indian Ocean Islands by Amina Gurib-Fakim and Thomas Brendlar. The book contains information on over 350 medicinal and herbal plants found on Mahe Island and others of the Seychelles Republic.