Joe Bonamassa's Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea II: Mediterranean

Bluesman extraordinaire Joe Bonamassa and lots of his pals will once again be plying the Mediterranean as the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea II: Mediterranean cruise has been confirmed for August 17-22, 2021. The cruise will set sail from Athens, Greece and call at Mykonos, Greece and Kusadasi in Turkey. Taking place aboard the Norwegian Pearl, the blues festival at sea will feature Jethro Tull, Johnny Lang, Walter Trout, Ana Popovic, King King, Marc Broussard, Samantha Fish, Jimmy Vivino, Blues Pills, Terry Reid, The Suffers, The James Hunter Six and at least nine other acts. Besides all the live performances there will also be special activities with many of the artists throughout the cruise. Bookings are now being taken here.

"#Wanderlust"

Subtitled "The World's 500 Most Unforgettable Travel Destinations," this book by Sabina Trojanova offers quick (a paragraph in length) recaps of the fun to be had in 500 destinations. Rather than be merely in alphabetical order or by country, Trojanova splits the destinations into six major categories: Beach Escapes, Urban Jungle, Cultural Immersion, Spaces to Roam, Conscious Traveling and Postcards from the Edge. So if extreme is your thing, you'll find info on Zambia's The Devil's Pool while if you'd rather find isolation, Trojanova suggests Munga-Thirri National Park in Australia where you won't be able to use Wi-Fi. The Festival des Roses in Morocco, the Snow Sculpture Festival in China and the Drag Queen galas of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands are some of Trojanova's most-intriguing ideas, of which there are hundreds here. Exquisite photography abounds as there is a shot for each suggested destination. The book is meant to pique your interest in some very cool places or just entertain you if you have no plans to travel. But it is difficult to leaf through "#Wanderlust" without thinking about organizing a trip to one or more of the spotlighted places. Available from Amazon here.

"Fearless Innovation: Atlanta's Food Story"

This book written by Chef Taria Camerino and lushly illustrated with photos by Brittany Wages is without a doubt the most comprehensive book about Atlanta's food story. And as is noted in the opening words of the book's introduction, "This is not your typical cookbook." Opening chapters focus on history, complete with a list of the first Atlanta restaurants to integrate, and a menu from back in the day that will make readers smile --- broiled lamb chops for $4.75, chicken basket for $2.00! The importance of Atlanta's 300 community gardens and 50 urban farms is touched on, coffee houses and bakeries are lauded, and of course cocktails get their due as well. Of course a big part of the book honors those who are making things happen; chefs like Todd Richards, Ron Hsu, Christina Lugo Soto, Linton Hopkins, Jen Yee, Carla Fears and many others are profiled. About half of the pages are dedicated to mouthwatering recipes, whether your taste runs to grilled Spanish octopus, rabbit roulade, japchae, fufu gnudi or something more downhome like short ribs and Sunday biscuits, you'll find all the how-to-do info you need here. Yes this book makes you want to go to Atlanta and tie on the feed bag. Until you can get there though, just take the book and head to your kitchen. Available at Amazon here.

"Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas"