Because when Caroline heard that i was making an Emo Pirate list, she told me "And I'd throw in a copy of Matthew Kneale's novel "English Passengers." It's about rum smugglers, not pirates, but the themes of colonialism and evolution are very, very, very emo." So here it is!

This is a freaking great book with one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read. It's not a quick or easy read, but it's incredibly thought-provoking as well as hysterically funny. Any book that involves both a silverware heist and a wombat running loose on a rum-smuggling ship is worth a look. For "Pirates of the Caribbean" fans who wanted a little more depth. Only real warnings: 1) can be quite explicit, and 2) virtually no female characters. But that didn't really make a difference to me. The book's too darn good.