Terry Pratchett: Carpe Jugulum

Hi everyone

Carpe Jugulum is the 23rd book in Terry Pratchett's wonderful, amazing Discworld series.
I've had my copy for years, it's an older edition but I so love their covers.
This was my third time reading Carpe Jugulum.

"Mightily Oats has not picked a good time to be priest. He thought he'd come to Lancre for a simple ceremony. Now he's caught up in a war between vampires and witches.
There's Young Agnes, who is really in two minds about everything. Magrat, who is trying to combine witchcraft and nappies, Nanny Ogg ... and Granny Weatherwax, who is big trouble.
And the vampires are intelligent. They've got style and fancy waistcoats. They're out of the casket and want a bite of the future. Mightily Oats knows he has a prayer, but he wishes he had an axe." 

I adore the Nac Mac Feegle. They are a wondrous, hilarious and genius addition to The Discworld. And their interaction with the witches especially never ceases to make me laugh out loud. 

Carpe Jugulum's plot is not my favourite; I find it to be a bit too slow.
But I love the witches, I adore the Nac Mac Feegle, Perdita is amazing, Magrat as a mother is quite an emotional read, everytime any Ogg is in a scene I can't help but smile, the humor is out of this world, the writing flows easily and I wanted to keep reading. I love the scenes where Nanny becomes 'the other one/witch' those were out of this world fantastic. 
Pratchett's take on religion (through the character of Oats) was once again thought-provoking, respectful, funny and introspective all at the same time.

It's not my favorite Discworld novel, but with so many to choose from (there are 41 Discworld books, not counting the little extra ones in between) I couldn't name one favorite, there have to be 10 number one books in my opinion. And this isn't one of those because of the pace, but it is amazing nonetheless.  

So. 
Go read some Discworld novels!  

Happy reading.
Helena 

 

Terry Pratchett: The Last Continent

 Hi everyone

Terry Pratchett's novel The Last Continent is his 22nd book in the Discworld series.
This is my third time reading it and I can't really remember where I got it, but you can surely buy the series here.

"IT'S THE DISCWORLD LAST CONTINENT AND IT'S GOING TO DIE IN A FEW DAYS, EXCEPT...

Who is this hero striding across the red desert? Sheep shearer, beer drinker, bush ranger, and someone who'll even eat a Meat Pie Floater when he's sober.

A man in a hat whose luggage follows him on little legs. Yes, it's Rincewind, the inept wizard who can't even spell wizard. He's the only hero left."

The Last Continent is not my favourite Discworld novel, but it is great nonetheless.
It's fun, full of references, it's a crazy story, fastpaced, lots happening and very enjoyable.

Not an ideal book to get to know the Discworld series though.
I'd recommend The Colour of Magic, Equal Rites or Mort.

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Jingo

Hi everyone

Jingo is the 21st book in the best series of all time; DISCWORLD. Written by the inimitable Sir Terry Pratchett. I think this is my third read.

"DISCWORLD GOES TO WAR, WITH ARMIES OF SARDINES, WARRIORS, FISHERMEN, SQUID AND AT LEAST ONE VERY CAMP FOLLOWER.
As two armies march, Commander Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch faces unpleasant foes who are out to get him... and that's just the people on his side. The enemy might be even worse."

As usual, this was fantastic. Vimes, Nobby, Carrot, Angua, Detritus, Sybille, Vetinari, Colon, ... I adore them all. The story is hilarious, on pointe, full of references and just perfect in every way.

Highly recommended!

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: The Shepherd's Crown

Hi everyone

With great sadness and hesitation I finally read Terry Pratchett’s 41^st and last Discworld novel.
My copy has 332 pages and I got it in Amsterdam.
The Shepherd’s Crown was left unfinished and still needed revising and editing but it was published nonetheless and I am very happy with it.
The book received the 2016 Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book.
You can find all my Discworld novels here and my Terry Prachtett reviews here.

It took me some time to write this.

                                                *    SPOILERS    *

I loved it.
The last book of Terry Pratchett, one of my favorite writers (if not THE favorite writer) and it made me so sad realizing that this is it. Never again will I read a Discworld book for the first time. Breaks my heart.
I started reading the Discworld novels as a teenager, and before that, my dad read them to my brother and I because we loved being read to but we were tired of children’s books.

The first third of the book is devastating.
I cried within a few pages and I just couldn’t stop. It’s obvious Terry Pratchett knew this would be his last book and he wanted to make it an important and memorable one.

The book is written very well and Pratchett manages a great balance in emotions.

It doesn’t feel finished because it isn’t. 

The pacing isn’t right, some of the subplots felt underdeveloped, some conversations felt off or unreal, the finale is a bit rushed.

The Shepherd's Crown isn’t as refined or polished as we’re used to but I’m happy it’s here nonetheless. It’s the perfect ending to the Discworld series. It’s full of acceptance, death, life, growth, love, magic, friendship, empathy, change and perseverance. It is thought-provoking and very moving.
Tiffany has grown into her own and she is ready to be Tiffany Aching, a true witch in her own way.

Goodbye, Sir Terry Pratchett.

5 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Mrs. Bradshaw’s Handbook

Hi

Mrs. Bradshaw’s Handbook is a companion novel to the Discworld series (specifically Raising Steam) by Terry Pratchett. It’s the so-called 40.5th Discworld novel.
My copy has 141 pages and I got it as a gift from my parents.

“Authorised by Mr Lipwig of the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway himself, Mrs Georgina Bradshaw’s invaluable guide to the destinations and diversions of the railway deserves a place in the luggage of any traveller, or indeed armchair traveller, upon the Disc.

*From the twine walk of Great Slack to the souks of Zemphis: edifying sights along the route

*Ticketing, nostrums and transporting your swamp dragon: essential hints on the practicalities of travel

* Elegant resorts and quaint inns: respectable and sanitary lodgings for all species and heights.

* From worm-herding to Fustic Cake: diverting trivia on the crafts, foods and brassica traditions of the many industrious people for whom the railway is now a vital link to the Century of the Anchovy
Fully illustrated and replete with useful titbits, Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook offers a view of the Sto Plains like no other.”

This is a book for the readers who truly love Discworld.
Why?
Because there’s not much to it. It’s not really written by Terry Pratchett, it’s not that funny or witty, there’s a lot of useless information and it’s honestly quite boring.

But the illustrations are great, there are funny tidbits throughout the book and it’s always nice to know a bit more about Discworld.

So, read this if you love Raising Steam, love Discworld in general or if you just want to read everything Discworld-related. It’s one of those books you read only once (maybe twice) and it’s good and you’re happy you’ve read it, but it’s just not that special.

3 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Raising Steam

Hi everyone

Raising Steam is the 40th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett.
My copy has 475 pages and I got it at the Fnac.

“To the consternation of the patrician, Lord Vetinari, a new invention has arrived in Ankh-Morpork - a great clanging monster of a machine that harnesses the power of all of the elements: earth, air, fire and water. This being Ankh-Morpork, it's soon drawing astonished crowds, some of whom caught the zeitgeist early and arrive armed with notepads and very sensible rainwear.
Moist von Lipwig is not a man who enjoys hard work - as master of the Post Office, the Mint and the Royal Bank his input is, of course, vital . . . but largely dependent on words, which are fortunately not very heavy and don't always need greasing. However, he does enjoy being alive, which makes a new job offer from Vetinari hard to refuse . . .
Steam is rising over Discworld, driven by Mister Simnel, the man wi' t'flat cap and sliding rule who has an interesting arrangement with the sine and cosine. Moist will have to grapple with gallons of grease, goblins, a fat controller with a history of throwing employees down the stairs and some very angry dwarfs if he's going to stop it all going off the rails . . .”

At the time Pratchett wrote this, he was a dying man and it shows in this book. The story is about change, improvement, hope, progress, never giving up and believing in the future. It’s more out there too. His messages aren’t as veiled as they used to be. Not that I mind, it’s just a change I’ve been noticing in the last couple of books. It’s as if he wants to make sure we understand what he’s trying to say because he knows he won’t be able to do it much longer.

There were a few things I didn’t really like.
The story was too long and rather boring to be honest. It’s not as funny and witty as his previous books, it’s not as clearly worked out too because there are much more descriptive parts and meandering instead of characterbuilding or plot.
I felt like I was sitting on the outside and the book was narrated to me, not like I was part of it. It didn’t suck me in.
Vetinary felt off too. He wasn’t his usual self.

But I did enjoy it even though it took more effort then usual to read the book.
Pratchett's criticism and social commentary in this novel is wonderful and made me think about a lot of things in our world.
I loved it that so many of his most wonderful characters made an appearance in this book though some much loved characters (Captain Carrot) were strangely absent.
It was so much fun to read how so many people on Discworld got sold on the trains and how fascinated they became by them. This made me smile a lot.
I loved the goblins and how they really have their own place in society now. It’s heartwarming.
I liked the revelations the Lower King of the Dwarfs did at the end. Very nice touch.

Raising Steam is great, just not as great as his previous works.

Because it’s Discworld, I can’t give it less then
4 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Snuff

Hi

Snuff is Terry Pratchett’s 39th Discworld novel.
My copy has 476 pages.
You can find all my Terry Pratchett reviews here and my Discworld reviews here.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.
And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder.
He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment.
They say that in the end all sins are forgiven.
But not quite all...”

Snuff is a wonderful book.

The story starts and ends slower than his other books but I didn’t care because the slower parts only meant more pages to tell the story. Something I can only applaud. Wholeheartedly.

Sam Vimes and his family life really made this such a wonderful book. They’ve always been some of my favorite characters and especially since the birth of Young Sam they make me feel all warm and fuzzy. There is so much love between them. Not in the dramatic way but in the knowing one another so well, not having to say anything to understand each other, the jokes they share,... Like I said; all warm and fuzzy.

As to other characters; Feenie is great and he added a lot of fun and interesting ‘philosophical’ discussions. The Goblins are amazing too. No one else than Terry Pratchett could make me care about creatures like them. And Wee Mad Arthur is hilarious.

The moral or critique is a bit too straightforward for my liking but I’ve got a feeling that all of Pratchett’s latest stories are a bit less subtle then they used to be. It didn’t bother me but it’s not really something I enjoy when it’s that obvious.

Snuff is a really entertaining read and I enjoyed it a lot.

5 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: I Shall Wear Midnight

Hi again

This is the 4th Tiffany Aching novel and the 38^th Discworld novel.
The cover art fits perfectly into the series and my copy has 423 pages.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here, my Discworld reviews here and my Tiffany Aching reviews here.

 “A man with no eyes. Not eyes at all. Two tunnels in his head …
Somewhere - some time - there’s a tangled ball of evil and spite, of hatred and malice that has woken up.
And it’s waking up all the old stories too - stories about evil old witches …”

I Shall Wear Midnight is a lot darker than the previous Tiffany Aching novels.

Tiffany is a wonderful character. She is smart, ignorant about some topics and wise about others. She’s strong and opinionated. I absolutely love her. She has grown a lot and she has become an amazing woman and witch.
The Nac Mac Feegle are hilarious as ever.
The Cunning Man is an amazing villain. He’s terrifying with his power to turn everyone against someone else. It’s absolutely horrifying.

This book has quite a lot (more or less) hidden meaning or messages. It’s about, prejudice, the role of women in society, gratitude, mass hysteria and finding friends. I appreciate this side of Pratchett’s novels a lot.

Since the very beginning Pratchett has made us aware of the witch and her tasks. There’s no cackling involved, nor stirring in big cauldrons or dancing naked. Instead we have a young girl who’s changing bandages, clipping toenails and burying the dead. But when someone is in need of a true witch, she can be that too.

Loved it.

5 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Homemade rocky road fudge to share.

Book and tea just for me.

Terry Pratchett: Unseen Academicals

Hi everyone

Unseen Academicals is Terry Pratchett’s 37^th Discworld novel.
My copy has 540 pages and the cover is amazing and hilarious.

“Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork. And now the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they're in the mood for trying everything else.
The prospect of the Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt (and no one knows anything much about Mr Nutt, not even Mr Nutt, which worries him, too). As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed for ever.
Because the thing about football - the important thing about football - is that it is not just about football.
Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!”

I enjoyed this novel a lot but not as much as a lot of Pratchett’s other works.

I liked how we got one story from multiple points of view; the Patrician, the Academicals and the men on the street. The same story is told from those who make the changes and those who are subjected to them.
We get to know the Patrician in a new way and I loved that because he is a truly amazing character.
Mr Hix is one of my favorite characters in this novel. Nutt is absolutely adorable and definitely my favorite (as is the librarian) and I loved Trev and Glenda. But those two feel like I’ve met them before on Discworld. They don’t feel unique or new and it’s not only these characters. The Last few novels all had the same format where something from our world is introduced into theirs (Moist von Lipwig’s novels especially) and expanded upon.
It’s rather disappointing because it felt formulaic and too familiar.
Naurally, after 36 books it’s hard to make every book completely new and different and some events and characters will always remind us of others, but it was too much ‘same old, same old’ in this book.

But aside from that, the novel is really funny, pretty absurd, satirical, full of allusions, optimistic and heartwarming.

And even though I have no interest in Football whatsoever (I honestly couldn’t care less about it), I felt like cheering during the match at the end; it was written so well, it was thrilling and it felt so real.

Unseen Academicals is about acceptance, race, prejudice and stereotypes. And Romeo & Juliet. Although you might find this farfetched, I also think it’s about how we might lose the contributions and unique talents of people because of our prejudice and the way we perceive others.

4 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Dessert!

Terry Pratchett: Making Money

Hi

Terry Pratchett needs no more introduction if you’ve been reading my blog for some time.
I read one every other month and Making Money is the 36^th Discworld novel.
It won the Locus Award for Fantasy and my copy has 474 pages.
You can find all my Terry Pratchett reviews here.

 “It's an offer you can't refuse.
Who would not to wish to be the man in charge of Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint and the bank next door?
It's a job for life. But, as former con-man Moist von Lipwig is learning, the life is not necessarily for long.
The Chief Cashier is almost certainly a vampire. There's something nameless in the cellar (and the cellar itself is pretty nameless), it turns out that the Royal Mint runs at a loss. A 300 year old wizard is after his girlfriend, he's about to be exposed as a fraud, but the Assassins Guild might get him first. In fact lot of people want him dead.
Oh. And every day he has to take the Chairman for walkies.
Everywhere he looks he's making enemies.
What he should be doing is . . . Making Money!”

I like Moist von Lipwig a lot. He’s witty, sarcastic, street-smart and a bit of a rebel.
Because this is the second novel with Moist, this isn’t the ideal book to start with when you want to read Discworld. As always, I would recommend you to just start with the first novel.

Making Money isn’t as fast, hilarious and satirical as Going Postal, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.
It is pretty suspenseful, funny and action-packed. 

As with a lot of the other books, I am amazed at the amount of research Pratchett must have done to write this book. His head must be a beehive full of thoughts.

This is also a quite philosophical novel about the worth of stuff and assigning worth to something. Pretty amazing. I absolutely love that about Pratchett.

4 STARS

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Wintersmith

Hi everyone

I read the third Tiffany Aching novel in The Discworld series by the late Sir Terry Pratchett.
It has 375 pages and it won the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book in 2007.

“Tiffany Aching is a trainee witch — now working for the seriously scary Miss Treason. But when Tiffany witnesses the Dark Dance — the crossover from summer to winter — she does what no one has ever done before and leaps into the dance. Into the oldest story there ever is. And draws the attention of the Wintersmith himself.
As Tiffany-shaped snowflakes hammer down on the land, can Tiffany deal with the consequences of her actions? Even with the help of Granny Weatherwax and the Nac Mac Feegle — the fightin’, thievin’ pictsies who are prepared to lay down their lives for their big wee hag.”

I loved this book so much.

Wintersmith pokes fun at some of the classic tropes in Fantasy like the god falling in love with an earthly woman.
Miss Treason is another perfect example. I loved her even though she ‘scared’ me at first. But she’s so lovable (as most Discworld witches are), weird and a strong female character in general. She knows that you cannot be a witch if others don’t see you as one. So she decided a very long time ago to just play along.
If there is one thing we can never blame Pratchett for it’s a lack of strong female characters.

Tiffany is a brilliant character. She’s smart, willful, she knows what she wants, and she’s brave, confident, competent and brassy.
The ‘love story’ of Tiffany and Roland made me smile in its innocence and their denial of it.
Roland is clumsy, smart, sweet and funny. He’s an excellent match for Tiffany and a great character even without her. And Pratchett still shows her as a 13-year old girl. He made me care so much for her.
Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax (I want to be her when I grow old) make this novel an absolutely amazing read. They are both spot on. They are ruthless as always, a charming couple of witches, memorable, headstrong, smart and just generally, truly incredible.
And how could I not mention the Nac Mac Feegle? They made me laugh so hard my husband had to laugh about me laughing about the book.
Lastly, there’s Horace. You’ll have to see for yourselves what he/that’s about.

The plot is good, solid, fast and unpredictable. Well, it’s Pratchett so you know it’s going to be ok, but you so wonder sometimes. It’s full of action from start to finish, it just doesn’t stop.

And there’s a bit of wisdom for the reader as well. There always is ‘stealth philosophy’ and it’s never boring, meandering, blaming or harsh. He teaches us about superstition, death, blame, responsibility, duty and the consequences of our actions.

It’s engaging, the prose is easy, rich, without fluff and bright. The characters are real, fully realized with merits and flaws, they grow, they are complex and they are all my friends.
And it is filled to the brim with Pratchett’s typical sense of humor. 

I loved it. I absolutely adored this book.

Happy reading.
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Thud!

Hi everyone

I was in the mood for another Discworld novel.
It’s been more than a month of bed rest so far (not counting the two days I did work) and I’m bored out of my mind. Books like this are helpful because even if I’m feeling bad, I know I’ll love the book.
This book has 438 pages and you can find all my reviews of Terry Pratchett's novels here.

“Koom Valley? That was where the trolls ambushed the dwarfs, or the dwarfs ambushed the trolls. It was far away. It was a long time ago.
But if he doesn't solve the murder of just one dwarf, Commander Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see it fought again, right outside his office.
With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and war-drums sounding, he must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin and brave any darkness to find the solution. And darkness is following him.
Oh . . . and at six o'clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, he must go home to read 'Where's My Cow?', with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy.
There are some things you have to do.”

As always I would tell you to start with the first novel in the Discworld Series though you can read a lot of the novels without reading the ones before. However, this novel is not a good one to start with because you’d miss a lot of references and stuff in the past.

I absolutely loved Thud!

The story definitely is about a lot of recurring and new important themes. What makes art, art? It’s about war, religious intolerance, extremism, losing and keeping traditions, prejudice, racial intolerance, the dangers of drug use and new technology.
As always, Pratchett does a pretty amazing job of keeping the story light and funny while still giving a moral message to the reader. It never becomes boring or preachy.

Vimes is one of my favorite characters in the Discworld. And in this book he shows us a whole new side of him in his love for Young Sam and his fabulous wife Sybil. His interactions with Gooseberry are laugh-out-loud funny and this clearly refers to modern technology on our Round Earth. He is a truly, deeply conflicted man; wanting to do what’s right and believing himself to be scum and not wholly worthy of his luck and happiness. He has an amazing sense of right and wrong and he refuses to be a part of foul play in any sort of way. He actually is someone to admire or at least someone I would love to have as a friend.
And I love Vimes and Sybil as a couple.

Every character is very well worked out and we get to know them better in this stressful period of Discworld history. We know them all so well, it’s like they’re my friends. Pratchett shows us what it’s like to be a vampire or a werewolf, we understand the hatred between dwarfs and trolls, we admire Sybil for her actions and we fall in love with Carrot’s charm and sweetness.
Detritus has really surprised me in a good way in this book whereas Angua shows us a petty side of herself.
And Wilikins! And sweet Cheery! And courageous Pessimal! And Colon! And Nobby!
So many characters I love.

The whole troll/dwarf argument, war or way of life was spectacularly, clearly and believably written. Seeing how it even creeps into The Watch and influences everyone is amazing. It’s difficult for the non-dwarf and non-troll characters to stay clear of taking sides and even as a reader you want to just knock their heads together and start working as a team and living in unison.

The amount of details about the city and daily life in Ankh-Morpork make me feel like I’m a fly just watching over everyone’s shoulder. Such a real and believable world.

The children's book ‘Where's My Cow?’ has also been released and is on my wish list.

Happy reading!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Going Postal

Hi

Time for the 33^rd Discworld novel, this one has 474 pages.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

“Moist von Lipwig is a con artist...
... and a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet.
It's a tough decision.
But he's got to see that the mail gets through, come rain, hail, sleet, dogs, the Post Office Workers' Friendly and Benevolent Society, the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer.
Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too...”

This is a really BRILLIANT book. I loved it.

Our hero is a con artist but he’s also a good guy.
I love these kinds of characters; they still see themselves as bad guys when they are actually changing into the role they are given (in this case, the Postmaster General) and become a good person.
The novel is fast, very original, full of sharp, strong dialogues, with brilliant humor and truly fantastic characters.
It is simply amazing how Pratchett is able to recreate a real institution or company on Discworld and make it a Discworld institution. I love that. He has done that before and it’s so interesting, so fitting in the story and so enticing. It is marvelous!
Pratchett is either a genius (which I’m sure he is) or he spends half the time researching every little detail to make such brilliant satires. Or both. Could be both.

As in so many other novels; Going Postal has an underlying message. Again, the issue of racism is brought forward. Secondly, it makes us think about the evolution of technology and the way business is done. About monopolies, big business, small businesses, working men and Right and Wrong.

This is a perfect novel to start with and I loved it.

"A man is not dead while his name is still spoken." GNU Terry Pratchett.

I hope you liked this review!
Helena

Terry Pratchett: A Hat Full of Sky

Hi

This review is about the 32^nd novel in TP’s Discworld series.
I bought my copy in the Fnac and it has 357 pages. The cover has the same theme as the other Tiffany Aching novels and I like it when writers and publishing houses stick to the theme.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

“We see you. Now we are you.
No real witch could casually step out of their body, leaving it empty. Tiffany Aching does. And there’s something just waiting for a handy body to take over. Something ancient and horrible; the Hiver.
To deal with it, Tiffany has to go to the heart of what makes her a witch. Get past the ‘I can’t’.
But even with the help of the Nac Mac Feegle – the rowdiest pictsies on the Disc, who like facing enormous odds – she still might not be able to win herself back …

Tiffany leaves the Chalk to learn witching from Miss Level. An ancient evil called the hiver goes with her and Tiffany doesn’t realize just how dangerous being as good as Granny Weatherwax supposes she is, can be."

I really enjoyed this novel.
It’s the second Tiffany Aching novel and the sequel to The Wee Free Men and it’s even better than the one before. Though I would recommend reading that one first.
Tiffany is in some ways a typical 11-year old. But she’s smart, precocious, realistic and she has her very own and unique personality. And she’s a witch. What’s not to love?
I love the Nac Mac Feegle even more though. They’re smart in their own way, they’re endearing, impossibly funny, witty, strong, drunk, loyal and foolishly brave. They all have their own distinct voice, which must have been hard for TP because there are a lot Feegles.
The chapters wherein the Feegles learn to read and write are hilarious!
It is simply amazing how TP is able to write about human nature in a teenager book full of fun and magic. It’s one of the things I admire most in him. In this case, TP makes us think about identity, personal development and image without even realizing it.

I hope you liked this review!
Helena

Quality Time!

Terry Pratchett: Monstrous Regiment

Hi

Monstrous Regiment was the next Discworld-novel waiting in line to be read by me.
My copy has 494 pages.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

“It began as a sudden strange fancy …
Polly Perks has to become a boy in a hurry. Cutting off her hair and wearing trousers was easy. Learning to fart and belch in public and walk like an ape took more time...
And now she's enlisted in the army and is searching for her lost brother.
But there's a war on. There's always a war on. And Polly and her fellow recruits are suddenly in the thick of it, without any training, and the enemy is hunting them.
All they have on their side is the most artful sergeant in the army and a vampire with a lust for coffee. Well...they have the Secret. And as they take the war to the heart of the enemy, they have to use all the resources of...the Monstrous Regiment.”

I loved this one. LOVED it.

The Monstrous Regiment is not only a parody of life in the army; it is so much more. It is a critique on racism, patriotism, prejudice, equal rights and sexism.
It is a novel full of subtleties and laugh-out-loud humor at the same time. It’s witty and clever, but it’s also sad at times.
Every character has his/her own story with its own distinctive voice. I had no trouble whatsoever keeping them all apart. There’s another Igor, a coffee addicted vampire and a troll. Every single one of them has their own well-rounded character.
TP’s genius really shines throughout this novel.

This is a perfect stand-alone novel. Some old characters make a short appearance, but you don’t have to know about them to enjoy Monstrous Regiment.

I hope you enjoyed this review.
Helena

Terry Pratchett: The Wee Free Men

Hi

Another Terry Pratchett novel!
The Wee Free Men is the first novel of four about the young witch Tiffany Aching. These novels are aimed at teens, but I can guarantee you that I enjoyed it very much.
Completely new cover art for this series, and I like it!
My copy has 327 pages.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

 “Every land needs its own witch …
Up on the Wold, there’s a monster in the river and a headless horseman in the drive. And now Granny Aching has gone, there's only young Tiffany Aching left to guard the boundaries. To stop … things getting through.
It's her land. Her duty.
But it's amazing how useful a horde of unruly pictsies can be - as long as they are pointed in the right direction and can stop fighting each other first …”

I LOVE Tiffany. She’s witty, smart, a bit of a potty-mouth, she’s proud but she’s also a bit troubled by her own feelings.
The reason she wants her brother back is because he is her brother. It has nothing to do with love because he’s a drooling, sticky toddler, it has everything to do with him being her brother. I love that about her. She’s so honest.
Her wit and the situations she encounters are just excuses are fantastic.
And The Wee Free Men! Oh, they are just brilliant! Hilarious!
Together with her ‘wise mentor’, the toad, they are a perfect team to help Tiffany.

The Wee Free Men is a very funny and intelligent book, recommended for everyone.
This is a perfect novel to start with because of the new cast of characters and the ease with which it reads. And from here you can move on to the almost 50 other books!

I can’t say enough good things about this one.

Happy reading.
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Nanny Ogg’s Cookbook

Hi

I read this companion novel in one sitting and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It only has 175 pages and some beautiful illustrations.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

“They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach which just goes to show they're as confused about anatomy as they gen'rally are about everything else, unless they're talking about instructions on how to stab him, in which case a better way is up and under the ribcage. Anyway, we do not live in a perfect world and it is foresighted and useful for a young woman to become proficient in those arts which will keep a weak-willed man from straying. Learning to cook is also useful.
Nanny Ogg, one of Discworld's most famous witches, is passing on some of her huge collection of tasty and above all interesting recipes, since everyone else is doing it. But in addition to the delights of the Strawberry Wobbler and Nobby's Mum's Distressed Pudding, Mrs Ogg imparts her thoughts on life, death, etiquette ('If you go to other people's funerals they'll be sure to come to yours'), courtship, children and weddings, all in a refined style that should not offend the most delicate of sensibilities. Well, not much.
Most of the recipes have been tried out on people who are still alive.”

This book is set up as a cookbook and a book about etiquette by Nanny Ogg. Throughout the book we get the sense that this is still a draft because there are notes from the publisher and the managing director about certain not so innocent topics discussed by Nanny.
It’s put together very well. It makes sense that Nanny has the recipes from other characters mostly by some sort of blackmailing. The same kind she uses on her daughter-in-law for example.
The short introductions to the recipes are very funny. So much so I had to read some parts to my husband.
The illustrations by Paul Kidby are amazing.

This book is not meant for people who want a real novel. This is something for real Discworld fans, for those readers who want more than the next novel. It’s nice to have and to look through but definitely not essential. Perfect as a gift though since I surely wouldn’t have bought it myself but I love having it.
The recipes are real, and based on the ingredients they should all work just fine. I will try them some day.

Happy reading.
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Night Watch

Hi

Here’s another review of one of TP’s novels. Night Watch is the 29th Discworld novel and it counts 474 pages. This is the first Discworld novel without a cover by the late Josh Kirby. The new artist (Paul Kidby) does pay him tribute by placing him in this picture.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

My grandfather died so I had a hard time concentrating on anything. Luckily I was reading two books at the same time so I decided on something I knew I would like and is fairly easy to read. TP never disappoints.

 “Truth! Justice! Freedom! And a hard-boiled egg!
Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch had it all. But now he’s back in his own rough, tough past without even the clothes he was standing up in when the lightning struck.
Living in the past is hard. Dying in the past is incredibly easy. But he must survive, because he has a job to do. He must track down a murderer, teach his younger self how to be a good copper and change the outcome of a bloody rebellion. There's a problem: if he wins, he's got no wife, no child, no future...”

Vimes gets send to his own past while pursuing the murderer, Carcer.
However, this past is very different from what I thought it would be. Ankh-Morpork is on the verge of revolution. And these Men of the Watch are not his men. Some of them are corrupt, others are lazy, some still have to join and some have to learn to become the ‘best’ they can be. Vimes can see how different they were before and what needed to happen to stop de laziness and the corruption in The Watch.
Learning about our ‘old’ characters and how they became who they are now was a really fun ride. I love Vimes. This novel deepened his character and I loved that. The part where he puts on these old shoes and walks around the city is just genius. And Nobby Nobbs is brilliant! Every word out of his mouth and every sentence about him makes me laugh.
This novel shows us how a revolution or a war can get glorified very easily by losing sight of the men fighting it. These ordinary people are the real heroes. Not the ones making the decisions way up.
Vimes already knows the outcome but he doesn’t always see the way to it. Our Vimes has matured and learned by his past. The past he sees now happening to his younger self. And his younger self really needs help to be able to get where Vimes will be in later life. It’s getting weird huh.

This is definitely not a Discworld novel you should start with. You won’t be able to understand the people he’s meeting in the past that we already know from previous books. And to understand how he traveled in time, you should read Thief of Time first.

I loved it, even though it is a bit harder to read then some of the others. You should definitely read this, but you’d better start with some older novels.

Happy reading.
Helena

Terry Pratchett: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents

Hi

It is time for another TP review!
The Amazing Maurice is actually a children’s book. But as an adult, I enjoyed it very much because of the layers of the story and the humor.
It is also a perfect standalone novel. It has 278 pages and is very easy to read.
You can find my other reviews of Terry Pratchett’s novels here.

“It’s not a game anymore …
Every town on Discworld knows the stories about rats and pipers, and Maurice - a streetwise tomcat - leads a band of educated ratty friends (and a stupid kid) on a nice little earner. Piper plus rats equals lots and lots of money.
Until they run across someone playing a different tune.
Now he and his rats must learn a new concept: evil … “
Maurice is the cat behind the group of speaking rats and a stupid little boy.  They stage a plague in towns along the way in order to get their accomplice, Keith, paid good money to play the pipes and usher them away.
Something has got to go wrong, right?

This story is a new spin on the classic story of The Pied Piper. It’s not the first time TP writes his version of an old tale, he did this in Wyrd Sisters and Lords and Ladies for example. If you read the original story, you notice how well his story is fabricated around the original. How he makes it into a Discworld story that’s entirely new and original.
As most Discworld novels, The Amazing Maurice tackles major moral questions. And this time it’s the rats who question Life, the Universe and Everything. TP is always able to make us think about these big themes without losing pace, fun and action in his novels.
It’s a wonderful, cheeky novel, very entertaining, funny and a light and easy read.
The evolution of the rats parallels that of the humans and once you realize this, it’s even more interesting.
The names of the rats are hilarious and I won’t even name one for you. Just read the novel, be surprised and laugh. A lot. I’m serious.
BUT even though this is a really funny (one of his most hilarious) novel, it is a haunting novel. Spider, the evil rat-king in this novel is truly frightening. He is pure evil and you can feel it in every word about him.

Happy reading.
Helena

Terry Pratchett: Thief of Time

Hi again

Thief of Time is Terry Pratchett’s 26th Discworld novel.
This is, sadly, the last novel with a cover by Josh Kirby because he passed way in 2001.
My copy has 430 pages.

“Time is a resource.
Everyone knows it has to be managed.
And on Discworld that is the job of the Monks of History, who store it and pump it from the places where it's wasted (like underwater -- how much time does a codfish need?) to places like cities, where there's never enough time.
But the construction of the world's first truly accurate clock starts a race against, well, time, for Lu Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd. Because it will stop time. And that will only be the start of everyone's problems.
Thief of Time comes complete with a full supporting cast of heroes and villains, yetis, martial artists and Ronnie, the fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse (who left before they became famous).”

There's a whole cast of amazing, quicky characters, a very original, philosophical story, Pratchett's typical humour, wonderful writing, and amazing dialogue.
Though it's not as great or special as other Discworld novels, it certainly is a very enjoyable book.

4 stars

Happy reading!
Helena

Tea and TP after my first day at work!