Peter Brown's heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide is now a DreamWorks movie. It is also my favorite book read this year, so far.

-Cindy

This challenge (completed by fewer people than have walked on the moon), and Fedarko's rollicking recounting of it, will now be my go-to example of Type II fun. The gung-ho masochism of the hike itself is exceeded only by the self-flagellation of the author himself, who relishes recounting every miscalculation.

Along the way, it is a masterful guide to this breathtaking and expansive wilderness itself, with great insight into the geology, ethnobiology of the Grand Canyon and the history of both the park and the peoples who have lived there forever and made their marks on it in the past centuries.

A Walk in the Park is now firmly next to Wild and A Walk in the Woods on the shelf of irresistible vicarious hiking books.

-Steven

"The bestselling author of Dispatches from Pluto visits the world’s largest machine-gun shoot; takes a sunset boat cruise with a US Congressman and a group of far-right patriots; rides through the desert with a Border Patrol agent; and goes camping with his family in breathtaking mountain ranges that rise out of the desert like islands in the sky.

Ultimately, Grant arrives at the conclusion that Arizona has always been a scattershot improvisation, with bizarre and extreme behavior in its DNA.

This book is an entertaining, illuminating, and essential guide to understanding modern America at its most overheated." (Simon and Schuster)

-Alan

"It was a very fine day, until something tried to eat him."

Christopher is loved by animals of all sorts, including a baby griffin.

"It was a very fine day, until somebody tried to kill her."

Mal loves to fly with the wind in her great coat.

Welcome to the Archipelago, home of fantastical magical creatures. The magic is fading, the creatures are dying, and no one knows why. So begins the delightful adventure of two children who travel together through uncharted waters in search of answers. They consult with sphinxes, survive a kraken, and negotiate with a dragon. The closer they come to the truth of the problem one thing becomes clear, if the Archipelago is to be saved Mal and Christopher will have to do it themselves.

This book has it all! Maps, immersive writing, a smattering of illustations, and a bestiary. Even better? It is the first book in a new series. I cannot wait to read more!

-Helena