The Dam Keepers: Return from the Shadows

The Dam Keepers: Return from the Shadows by Robert Kondo and Daisuke "Dice" Tsutsumi, 191 pages.

A juvenile graphic novel that quite clearly states on its title page that it is "book three," but I didn't notice that and kept wondering when the backstory would become clear. I am slow like that. Anyway, this tale of a fox, a hippo, a pig, and their friends flying around in an airship, fighting against the waves of fog that threaten their whole world (maybe?) is pretty interesting and extremely well-drawn, so it is  all good. The author's have made a short film of The Dam Keeper, and both of them work at Pixar, so the art is very good. Looking forward to reading the first two volumes to see what was going on before the air adventure.

The Fifth Season

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, 498 pages

The world is ending, both figuratively and literally. When the book opens, a major earthquake has destroyed a large city and the effects are being felt throughout the land, even in tiny Tirimo, where Essun is cradling her young son who was killed by his father, who fled with their older child. As Essun pulls herself together enough to chase after what remains of her family, the narrative switches to Syenite, a prickly young member of the Fulcrum, a quasi-governmental agency that uses its members to mitigate damage from natural disasters (more on that in a bit). Syenite has been tasked with procreating with the most talented member of the Fulcrum, whether either one of them likes it or not. Finally, a third narrative follows Damaya, a young girl who is being torn from her family and initiated into the Fulcrum. Essun, Syenite, and Damaya are orogenes, people who have supernatural connections to the earth and its minerals. Orogenes are generally reviled, even though the world has come to rely on them through services provided by the Fulcrum, which trains and hones these connections.

OK, so that's a LONG description setting up this novel, which is so complex and wonderful that it's flat-out impossible to accurately sum up in any way that does it justice. A third of the book (Essun's chapters) is written in second person, which sounds really weird (and, yeah, kind of is for a bit), but also adds to the novel's sense of the unknown. This was an excellent book, and I look forward to reading the second volume in the series.

Atlas Obscura: an Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders / Joshua Foer, 470 pp.

I loved this book, a compendium of the weird-but-fascinating (and occasionally beautiful) from around the globe.  Organized by continent, most sites are accessible, and contact information is given for those planning to visit.  In Romania, there is a Merry Cemetery, full of colorfully decorated crosses and limericks about the deceased, at the intersection of routes 19 and 183.  Ilha de Queimada Grande, an island off Sao Paulo, is covered in lancehead viper snakes and forbidden to visitors; contact the Brazilian Navy for more details.  If snakes aren't your thing, try the Hotel Sidi Driss in Tunisia.  Star Wars: a New Hope was filmed there, and for $20 a night you can pretend to be young Luke.  A helpful US map indicates the 35 lake monsters to be found throughout the 50 states.

Weird is good.  Read this book!