Thursday, May 03, 2012

Off the Shelf...

Knocking out some vacation reading...

The first in the queue was Carpe Jugulum, which I knew I would enjoy, being a Discworld book starring the Witches of Lancre. It was a particularly poignant read, however, as it was the last Discworld novel I had left unread. I'd been saving it and finally decided not to put it off any longer.

No telling how many more Sir Terry has left in him, but one can always hope...

Currently finishing up You Are Not So Smart, an entertainingly written, but pretty entry-level, guide to the ways your brain works. In a couple of places, the author lets his politics show through a bit blatantly, so if you're the kind of person who discovers you're reading a book written by a pinko and throws it against the wall, I'd avoid the Kindle edition.

16 comments:

Wayne said...

Ahhh, Granny Weatherwax, don't piss her off.

og said...

Just did that week before last. Very good.

Anonymous said...

The scene where she's thrown into the street is straight out of the film"Lawrence of Arabia."

One of his better ones. Builds slowly. Granny Ogg and Igor in Castle Magpyr are just brilliant.

Bubblehead Les. said...

Best Line in that Book to me was "End it in Rope."

sobriant74 said...

Love it. I actually just started all over again, I'm on the 4th book, I have been downloading them from the local library onto my smartphone and reading when things are slow at client locations.
Since I started reading them so many years ago, the re-reads feel new in so many ways. I know he announced he is suffering from brain issues, alztheimers or parkinsons cant remember which, heres hoping he gets a few more stories out.

Old NFO said...

Yep, great book and well put together with enough twists to keep you interested :-)

JFM said...

I read an interview Prattchet gave where he described his Alztheimers and how it affects him. He can't remember what he reads. He can understand what he reads, but when he's done with a page, he's forgotten it. He's writing books by dictating them, and having someone read to him.

Tam, you should read the Tiffany Aching books. They're marketed as YA, but they read like all of the Discworld books. The Wee Free Men is first.

New Jovian Thunderbolt said...

The problem with Discworld is there aren't 200 more books as good as the ones we've read.

Paul, Dammit! said...

I'm digging on David Weber's stuff right now. Getting my space opera on.

Also, reading anything by E.O. Wilson makes me want to do ballistic testing on my books, too. He's the most brilliant evolutionary biologist alive, very possibly of all time, but the ivory tower effect when he talks politics makes me want to sacrifice him to Moloch.

Noah D said...

EO Wilson - for a philosopher, he's a really good biologist.

trevalyan said...

I must be the worst sort of heretic. I've read all the Discworld novels except the ones with the Lancre Witches. I guess I just liked the stories of the Night Watch, Death, and UU more... how bad am I missing out with not having read about Granny Weatherwax?

JFM said...

trevalyan, read 'Lords And Ladies'. An invasion of Elves is stopped by the Witches. Women with minds like...Iron.

tweell said...

I am worried about Pratchett since I read "Snuff". He basically retired Colon and Nobbs with the goblins. Giving long term characters a 'happily ever after' has an ominous tone to a book lover like myself.

Anonymous said...

trevalyan -

The early books in the witch series aren't my favorites, but I liked "Lords" and "Carpe".

mikee said...

I have presented my teen daughter with every witch book by Pratchett, and hope she learns something from them.

Will said...

Tam,
"Thinking Small", by Andrea Hiott. The story of the genesis and rebirth of the "peoples car", the VW Bug.
Not a lot of technical type info, more a story of the people involved in getting it into production, which includes the British Army Occupation Board of Control(!).

Includes the Porsche 356 beginning.

Also includes the story of the marketing people here in the US, and how they changed the advertizing world with the VW ads.

I found myself skipping over the political bias sections of the author.

An enjoyable afternoons reading.