Lords and Ladies
Terry Pratchett
[Yes, a lot of Pratchett, but before too soon I will have caught up and will have to actually read something else, you know.]
The witches of Lancre are returning after their godmothering episode, and Magrat is returning to find that her king is ready for their marriage. Unfortunately, there are crop circles popping up everywhere, in the fields, in a small, homegrown present for Nanny Ogg, on top of the Archancellor's head... And now Magrat must balance her personal issues, witching, and becoming a queen while Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg prepare to face off with one of the most deceptive foes to be found in the multiverse. They are creatures of no special power or beauty, but if you cannot keep your head, they will tell you all sorts of things about themselves, and about you. Lancre no longer remembers the other times, and allow themselves to smile, foolishly, at the thought of the elves coming.
Nothing special to comment on here--finished it last night, enjoyed it. I actually adore Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg at times, if I am a little iffy on Magrat. I also enjoyed the threads of the Discworld intersecting as the Archancellor, Ponder Stibbons, Bursar and the Librarian trek off to attend the King's wedding. Death has a cameo, and because it was so small, I did miss him...but Pratchett continues strongly onward in his craft.
Next in the Discworld: Men At Arms
On the non-Discworld docket: A Christmas Carol [Dickens], Connecticut Yankee [Twain, yes I'm still stumbling through in spurts], and quite possibly Wind in the Willows [Graham], Lost World [Doyle] or one of my other numerous new books...
Friday, November 20, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Small Gods
Small Gods
Terry Pratchett
Burtha was the lowest of the low, a novice in the service of the great god Om. Unbeknownst to him, Om is actually a small god and is currently residing in the form of a tortoise against his will. When Om is dropped into the same garden as Burtha, the god must rely on a novice with a knack for nothing but memory and guardening to regain his power and proper placement as the Omnian's god, against the will of the church itself.
Terry Pratchett is not a Christian. His views are not Christian. This does not offend me. On the contrary, I frequently appreciate his points. One very large element of the Discworld is that all of the gods are, in fact, created by people and living beings--the gods originate in the belief of an individual and gain strength as others begin to believe. Inasmuch, there are a number of major gods that have representations throughout a number of cultures on the Disc such as Blind Io, the thunder god and so on and so forth.
So when Small Gods comes forth and addresses a small, localized religion steeped in the control of a church of title if not belief of the god of the country. Om is the god, but he's come back as a tortoise because of a lack of beliefs. This is how we discover that the church is not praying from faith but rather from habit, and that they are going on crusades to...shall we say...bring surrounding countries to the "light," it is not difficult to see similarities between this situation and some in our own world. Some in my own religious background, in sharp enough contrast that one might get the sense that the author is being somewhat derisive.
But I am not offended.
Actually, I take what he says with serious consideration, though I don't necessarily agree. I would need to reread the book to decide where I stand with any firmness. But still, the story of young Brutha becoming the man he is to be, and Om growing from just another small god diminishing, is quite a good read.
Terry Pratchett
Burtha was the lowest of the low, a novice in the service of the great god Om. Unbeknownst to him, Om is actually a small god and is currently residing in the form of a tortoise against his will. When Om is dropped into the same garden as Burtha, the god must rely on a novice with a knack for nothing but memory and guardening to regain his power and proper placement as the Omnian's god, against the will of the church itself.
Terry Pratchett is not a Christian. His views are not Christian. This does not offend me. On the contrary, I frequently appreciate his points. One very large element of the Discworld is that all of the gods are, in fact, created by people and living beings--the gods originate in the belief of an individual and gain strength as others begin to believe. Inasmuch, there are a number of major gods that have representations throughout a number of cultures on the Disc such as Blind Io, the thunder god and so on and so forth.
So when Small Gods comes forth and addresses a small, localized religion steeped in the control of a church of title if not belief of the god of the country. Om is the god, but he's come back as a tortoise because of a lack of beliefs. This is how we discover that the church is not praying from faith but rather from habit, and that they are going on crusades to...shall we say...bring surrounding countries to the "light," it is not difficult to see similarities between this situation and some in our own world. Some in my own religious background, in sharp enough contrast that one might get the sense that the author is being somewhat derisive.
But I am not offended.
Actually, I take what he says with serious consideration, though I don't necessarily agree. I would need to reread the book to decide where I stand with any firmness. But still, the story of young Brutha becoming the man he is to be, and Om growing from just another small god diminishing, is quite a good read.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Palace of Laughter
The Palace of Laughter
Jon Berkely
Milse is an escaped orphan living an unremarkable life in a barrel outside of the town of Larde. Unremarkable, that is, until he rescues a tiny girl with wings from a sinister circus and embarks upon a long journey to help her fiend a missing friend. Along the way they run into all sorts of unexpected troubles, friends and...tigers?
I picked this book up for three dollars at the grocery store. To be fair and honest, I had few hopes for it, assuming the quality of the text was proportional to the price and location. So imagine my surprise when I picked it up and was almost instantly engrossed by the story of young Miles and his companion Little! For future reference friends, I would like to take now to point out that price and location have virtually nothing to do with the quality of a book, seeing as how many craptastic books there are for more than a little money and, I'm sure, more than a few in the other categories. Price tags are less telling than covers. I will forever hold this lesson in my mind.
Moving along, as I am wont to try...oh! Somewhat possible spoilers here.
As previously mentioned, I was easily taken in by this book. Miles is a very straightforward boy, and we meet him as he is getting up and around to find some food. He works for what he gets, and cleverly manages to take that and make it into a proper meal. We see he is an honest boy, as well, because though he sneaks into the circus uninvited [how else would a homeless kid see it?], he knows that something is wrong for poor Little, bound and locked up in a wagon. And we get to see him go on this journey with very little to gain from it, other than assuring himself that Little's task is done and she remains safe. I like Miles.
Little is a bit of an interesting creature. She is not just any child with wings. She is an angel--a song angel, part of a heirarchy I cannot begin to understand [partly because we only get a very small glimpse of it]--who has come to earth on accident when following her friend who is now missing. She is unaware of the way things work on earth, unaware of humanity and it's many...facets. Little is sweet, but because she is essentially a higher being, there isn't as much to connect with as a character. In a way, she serves as a reminder that all around us is wonderous, all of the bees and birds and plants and animals, and in this she is a success. She is pleasant simplicity and laughter, things often missing from journeys and lives.
It is your basic journey plot. They know where they are going but, for one reason or another, are unable to get there like all of the others. They must walk and meet people along the way, learning and gaining and losing so as to emerge on the far side grown and prepared for the final battle, as it were. And while, no, you don't see any obvious growth or change in Miles' character [aside from a haircut, but you'll have to find out about that from the book!], you see him stepping into his roll as Little's friend and guardian when it comes to the dangers from the trip and the villain.
And the villain? An evil ringmaster seeking to destroy free laughter and harness its power for his own devious means. I'm not even kidding. He's kind of awesome in his overall unpleasantness, an unsympathetic power-mongering bad guy who wants to, in the end, rule. How can you like a villain who wants to destroy, essentially, happiness?
I don't know, but should this book ever become popular, there will be those who try. Someone will humanize him. Give him a broken past from a broken home that warped him into what he has become today. Bah humbug.
On the whole, The Palace of Laughter was a lot of fun. Apparently it is Berkely's first full-length novel, and I would not have thought so while reading it. The plot is appropriately intricate, so as to allow connections throughout, and also allow the reader to wonder here and there about someone that seems to have been forgotten but shows up when needed. I think that this book will be a favorite for any number of children who partake of it, with danger, journeys, friendships and tigers. Give it a go. I'm pretty sure I'll be investing in the other two books of the trilogy at one point or another.
Jon Berkely
Milse is an escaped orphan living an unremarkable life in a barrel outside of the town of Larde. Unremarkable, that is, until he rescues a tiny girl with wings from a sinister circus and embarks upon a long journey to help her fiend a missing friend. Along the way they run into all sorts of unexpected troubles, friends and...tigers?
I picked this book up for three dollars at the grocery store. To be fair and honest, I had few hopes for it, assuming the quality of the text was proportional to the price and location. So imagine my surprise when I picked it up and was almost instantly engrossed by the story of young Miles and his companion Little! For future reference friends, I would like to take now to point out that price and location have virtually nothing to do with the quality of a book, seeing as how many craptastic books there are for more than a little money and, I'm sure, more than a few in the other categories. Price tags are less telling than covers. I will forever hold this lesson in my mind.
Moving along, as I am wont to try...oh! Somewhat possible spoilers here.
As previously mentioned, I was easily taken in by this book. Miles is a very straightforward boy, and we meet him as he is getting up and around to find some food. He works for what he gets, and cleverly manages to take that and make it into a proper meal. We see he is an honest boy, as well, because though he sneaks into the circus uninvited [how else would a homeless kid see it?], he knows that something is wrong for poor Little, bound and locked up in a wagon. And we get to see him go on this journey with very little to gain from it, other than assuring himself that Little's task is done and she remains safe. I like Miles.
Little is a bit of an interesting creature. She is not just any child with wings. She is an angel--a song angel, part of a heirarchy I cannot begin to understand [partly because we only get a very small glimpse of it]--who has come to earth on accident when following her friend who is now missing. She is unaware of the way things work on earth, unaware of humanity and it's many...facets. Little is sweet, but because she is essentially a higher being, there isn't as much to connect with as a character. In a way, she serves as a reminder that all around us is wonderous, all of the bees and birds and plants and animals, and in this she is a success. She is pleasant simplicity and laughter, things often missing from journeys and lives.
It is your basic journey plot. They know where they are going but, for one reason or another, are unable to get there like all of the others. They must walk and meet people along the way, learning and gaining and losing so as to emerge on the far side grown and prepared for the final battle, as it were. And while, no, you don't see any obvious growth or change in Miles' character [aside from a haircut, but you'll have to find out about that from the book!], you see him stepping into his roll as Little's friend and guardian when it comes to the dangers from the trip and the villain.
And the villain? An evil ringmaster seeking to destroy free laughter and harness its power for his own devious means. I'm not even kidding. He's kind of awesome in his overall unpleasantness, an unsympathetic power-mongering bad guy who wants to, in the end, rule. How can you like a villain who wants to destroy, essentially, happiness?
I don't know, but should this book ever become popular, there will be those who try. Someone will humanize him. Give him a broken past from a broken home that warped him into what he has become today. Bah humbug.
On the whole, The Palace of Laughter was a lot of fun. Apparently it is Berkely's first full-length novel, and I would not have thought so while reading it. The plot is appropriately intricate, so as to allow connections throughout, and also allow the reader to wonder here and there about someone that seems to have been forgotten but shows up when needed. I think that this book will be a favorite for any number of children who partake of it, with danger, journeys, friendships and tigers. Give it a go. I'm pretty sure I'll be investing in the other two books of the trilogy at one point or another.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson has been having a hard time of late. The Yancy Academy, his sixth school, didn't go so well, what with fighting and failing and having a math teacher turn into one of the Furies and try to kill him. Things do not improve when he discovers that he is actually the son of one of the Greek gods, who are not only real but living in Olympus right above the Empire State Building, and is now thought to have stolen Zeus's master lightning bold. Now he must embark on a quest with his friends Grover and Annabeth to clear his name, find his mother and figure out what in the world is actually going on in his life.
Okay, let's have a bit of a campfire here. I have to be fair and honest and say that I started out extremely disappointed in this book. Percy's a kid, twelve, and he's having troubles. He's dyslexic, ADHD and has issues with his peers. He's been through all of this trouble and it turns out that it's all because of some supernatural part of his life, about which he knew nothing! How convenient!
Yes, that was supposed to sound snotty. When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued. Then I had it recommended to me by three people, two of whom are readers [which is saying a little, because they are experienced readers] and one who is hit and miss on reading [which is saying a lot for him on one hand but also not much because he is not as much of an experienced reader]. So I picked it up and finally got around to reading it, as you may have already gathered. And eventually, I did come to really enjoy the book. It is just that when I started, Percy wasn't so much a literary archetype as a whiny cliche. And he really was, for the first, what, three or four chapters? I was having massive flashbacks to Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, of which I wasn't a huge fan. Especially when I realized it was first person. And he starts out by telling me not to read the story.
Augh. It annoys me. A lot. Seriously. I almost stopped reading.
But that's just a pet peeve, and I had paid for the book and told three people that I was reading it. So I continued.
And once we got to Camp Half-Blood [though I must admit that I have issues with the name because of HP and other things, but again--personal hangups to be gotten over], it stopped being quite the same. And then the quest came and the book stepped into its own, becoming quite a fun text. Percy filled out as a character and his interactions with Annabeth and Grover are more realistic.
Honestly, though, before I say more I want to reread the book. It was fun, with some twists and sideways mythological references [as in Greek mythological figures shunted into modern life] that made it a book that could keep you interested. Give it a try.
And do it before February 12, 2010, when the movie comes out. It looks like it is going to a lot of fun and has a fabulous cast.
Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson has been having a hard time of late. The Yancy Academy, his sixth school, didn't go so well, what with fighting and failing and having a math teacher turn into one of the Furies and try to kill him. Things do not improve when he discovers that he is actually the son of one of the Greek gods, who are not only real but living in Olympus right above the Empire State Building, and is now thought to have stolen Zeus's master lightning bold. Now he must embark on a quest with his friends Grover and Annabeth to clear his name, find his mother and figure out what in the world is actually going on in his life.
Okay, let's have a bit of a campfire here. I have to be fair and honest and say that I started out extremely disappointed in this book. Percy's a kid, twelve, and he's having troubles. He's dyslexic, ADHD and has issues with his peers. He's been through all of this trouble and it turns out that it's all because of some supernatural part of his life, about which he knew nothing! How convenient!
Yes, that was supposed to sound snotty. When I first heard about this book, I was intrigued. Then I had it recommended to me by three people, two of whom are readers [which is saying a little, because they are experienced readers] and one who is hit and miss on reading [which is saying a lot for him on one hand but also not much because he is not as much of an experienced reader]. So I picked it up and finally got around to reading it, as you may have already gathered. And eventually, I did come to really enjoy the book. It is just that when I started, Percy wasn't so much a literary archetype as a whiny cliche. And he really was, for the first, what, three or four chapters? I was having massive flashbacks to Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, of which I wasn't a huge fan. Especially when I realized it was first person. And he starts out by telling me not to read the story.
Augh. It annoys me. A lot. Seriously. I almost stopped reading.
But that's just a pet peeve, and I had paid for the book and told three people that I was reading it. So I continued.
And once we got to Camp Half-Blood [though I must admit that I have issues with the name because of HP and other things, but again--personal hangups to be gotten over], it stopped being quite the same. And then the quest came and the book stepped into its own, becoming quite a fun text. Percy filled out as a character and his interactions with Annabeth and Grover are more realistic.
Honestly, though, before I say more I want to reread the book. It was fun, with some twists and sideways mythological references [as in Greek mythological figures shunted into modern life] that made it a book that could keep you interested. Give it a try.
And do it before February 12, 2010, when the movie comes out. It looks like it is going to a lot of fun and has a fabulous cast.
Witches Abroad
Witches Abroad
Terry Pratchett
Somewhere far away from their home, a witch that Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat knew was a fairy godmother. On the Discworld, fairy godmothers come in pairs--good and bad, though they both always claim to be good. When this fairy godmother dies and bequeaths her wand to Magrat [Weatherwax and Ogg are unimpressed by this notion], the three are set in battle against another witch who has steeped herself in the powers of mirrors and stories. Now they must make their way to the city and pry their way into a story to which they do not belong.
It is an interesting combination to watch these three--much like it's interesting to watch a handful of friends who more or less like each other suddenly have to share a hotel room for a week. Essentially, that is what it is. Magrat is the youngest of the three, and the most inclined to dream about magical things while trying to catch onto new ideas. She enjoys her occult jewelry and a lot of ideas and stereotypes about witches that the other two simply do not hold. Nanny Ogg is a family woman, living with her familial hordes and angry cat named Greebo. Her time around people have made her observant and kept her a touch wild, but her time as a witch makes her a simple woman without a lot of frippery. Granny Weatherwax is the lone witch. She lives in the woods by herself, is feared and respected and knows that there is no reason to be anything other than herself. She does not believe in using magic unnecessarily, or even at all if she can get away with it.
Essentially, there are two completely different women who are friends [at a stretch] traveling with a young woman who still has her head in the clouds. Magrat has the wand and wants to use it, but the other two prefer using their "headology" which seems, to be honest, just day-to-day cleverness and the ability to completely psych people out [well illustrated when Granny Weatherwax has to win their money back from some rather unseemly card players].
In Witches Abroad, Pratchett does not just go for the obvious with Cinderella [Emberella to be acurate, and yes the umbrella connection is made at one point]. No. As mentioned with either Reaper Man or Moving Pictures, Pratchett loves to build a story out of metaphorical legos, adding a strut or keystone here, slipping in some fun colors and never quite building the same way you might expect. On their way to intervene with a bastardized Cinderella scam, they come across a big bad wolf, a sleeping kingdom and a witch with a hut that has legs. He dips his pen into the pot of stories to show their power and sets his three witches to wander through or discuss a good number of them. Being a fan of a lot of fairy tales, I have to say it was worlds of fun to see where they were going to spring up next. I have to admit I giggled a little when they are discussing the power of stories and Nanny Ogg references a witch she once knew getting shoved into her own oven by a pair of children.
This book is awesome, hilarious and a lot of fun. Next to The Hogfather, I think this might be my favorite of the non-illustrated books thus far. I do not expect anything to top my illustrated Last Hero.
Terry Pratchett
Somewhere far away from their home, a witch that Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat knew was a fairy godmother. On the Discworld, fairy godmothers come in pairs--good and bad, though they both always claim to be good. When this fairy godmother dies and bequeaths her wand to Magrat [Weatherwax and Ogg are unimpressed by this notion], the three are set in battle against another witch who has steeped herself in the powers of mirrors and stories. Now they must make their way to the city and pry their way into a story to which they do not belong.
It is an interesting combination to watch these three--much like it's interesting to watch a handful of friends who more or less like each other suddenly have to share a hotel room for a week. Essentially, that is what it is. Magrat is the youngest of the three, and the most inclined to dream about magical things while trying to catch onto new ideas. She enjoys her occult jewelry and a lot of ideas and stereotypes about witches that the other two simply do not hold. Nanny Ogg is a family woman, living with her familial hordes and angry cat named Greebo. Her time around people have made her observant and kept her a touch wild, but her time as a witch makes her a simple woman without a lot of frippery. Granny Weatherwax is the lone witch. She lives in the woods by herself, is feared and respected and knows that there is no reason to be anything other than herself. She does not believe in using magic unnecessarily, or even at all if she can get away with it.
Essentially, there are two completely different women who are friends [at a stretch] traveling with a young woman who still has her head in the clouds. Magrat has the wand and wants to use it, but the other two prefer using their "headology" which seems, to be honest, just day-to-day cleverness and the ability to completely psych people out [well illustrated when Granny Weatherwax has to win their money back from some rather unseemly card players].
In Witches Abroad, Pratchett does not just go for the obvious with Cinderella [Emberella to be acurate, and yes the umbrella connection is made at one point]. No. As mentioned with either Reaper Man or Moving Pictures, Pratchett loves to build a story out of metaphorical legos, adding a strut or keystone here, slipping in some fun colors and never quite building the same way you might expect. On their way to intervene with a bastardized Cinderella scam, they come across a big bad wolf, a sleeping kingdom and a witch with a hut that has legs. He dips his pen into the pot of stories to show their power and sets his three witches to wander through or discuss a good number of them. Being a fan of a lot of fairy tales, I have to say it was worlds of fun to see where they were going to spring up next. I have to admit I giggled a little when they are discussing the power of stories and Nanny Ogg references a witch she once knew getting shoved into her own oven by a pair of children.
This book is awesome, hilarious and a lot of fun. Next to The Hogfather, I think this might be my favorite of the non-illustrated books thus far. I do not expect anything to top my illustrated Last Hero.
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