Tag: Terry Pratchett

WWW Wednesday – September 18, 2024

Ryan2 Comments
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WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The TruthI’m still making my way through The Truth by Terry Pratchett, though I haven’t made especially good progress this past week. With the story presenting newspapers as a novelty in the city, I can’t help  but feel oddly compelled to read a newspaper myself. It’s something that’s never been a habit for me, but the way it’s being presented is hearkening back to a time before widespread online media, and it’s making me feel that reading a paper for precisely local news, where I live, would hold much more appeal. This is probably a fleeting whim, but it’s amusing to be so self-aware of fiction’s influence. The mounting conflict seems to be about the Patrician of the city being replaced by an imposter, with the end goal of usurping him, but with the shadowy group’s insistence he not be killed, I wonder what more they have planned.

Recently Finished

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The HorseI ended up coming across another shelf of graphic novels at my local library, so I brought a number of them home, relishing the opportunity for more brisk reads that I wouldn’t pick up under other circumstances. One was Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Andersen, a “Sarah’s Scribbles” collection of comic strips. It was an amusing outing, but I’m glad I didn’t buy this book when it came out, as I think I’ve outgrown the style a little; it’s millennial humour that was better suited to me when I was in my 20s. I also read The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy, which caught my eye because of its lovely ink art. Essentially an all-ages picture book, it was full of nice, thoughtful sentiments, though at times they felt more like saccharine platitudes. Still, it was a moving work that made for a nice, relaxing read. Lastly, I finished reading Stung with Love: Fragments and Poems by Sappho. I haven’t got much more to say on it, other than I’m happy that it was more enriching for me than other ventures into reading poetry, which I struggle with sometimes.

Reading Next

Suddenly, the end of September feels like it is coming up really fast, so I’m starting to shift into thinking about October reads. I haven’t fully settled on what horror book I want to start with just yet, but I’ll be taking part in Frighteningly Good Reads again this year, so I’ll have a post at the start of next month detailing a selection of books I want to get through.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

WWW Wednesday – September 11, 2024

Ryan1 Comment
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WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The TruthI made some decent progress on The Truth by Terry Pratchett this past week, sitting at well over 120 pages in now. It’s still in what feels like the “ramping up” phase of the story, but I’m enjoying it well enough so far. In the past, I found this formula a little played out, but it receded into the background as his books started to focus more on building on the characters from their respective subseries. Now, he’s come back around to it in what feels like a more refined way so far. I really liked how the story itself does a little nod to these older stories, like Moving Pictures, with the Patrician grilling the dwarf who runs the printing press about the likelihood of this new innovation wreaking similar havoc on the city/reality, bringing up several other incidents from across the series’s many books. Moving Pictures was well over ten books ago now, so it was sobering to be reminded that it really wasn’t that long ago for the people of this world. They really do deal with a lot of crazy crap.

I also made some decent headway reading Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments by Sappho. I should have it done soon, I just want to take my time a little instead of plowing through so I can appreciate it better. The translator’s notes alongside the fragments are very helpful, especially the one about a fragment that has acquired “cult status” in academic circles, simply reading “A handkerchief; Dripping with…”

Recently Finished

Batman Hellboy StarmanSometime over the past week I decided to finally read Batman/Hellboy/Starman by James Robinson and Mike Mignola, a two-issue crossover comic featuring the two iconic characters and some guy I’ve never heard of before. The story is non-canonical, so it just has fun with the idea of Batman and Hellboy meeting up. This crossover is from 1999, so it felt especially informed by the TAS version of Batman, but I could have just been projecting. It was a fun little outing involving them trying to thwart Nazis from reviving an elder god. It wasn’t especially deep as a story, but it didn’t have to be; while the Hellboy novels have their problems with that, these more basic plots thrive better as comics. Interestingly, I think the Kindle version I bought for about $4 was technically a scam? It’s not listed anymore, and there are banner ads within about it coming from a free comic book site. I think somebody made a quick buck listing somebody else’s work.

Reading Next

Once again, I’m not really sure what I’ll be reading next, but I do have a bunch of books in mind, so it’ll just be a matter of settling on one.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

WWW Wednesday – September 4, 2024

Ryan2 Comments
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The TruthIt’s feeling rather late in the year for this considering I used to try to read one every quarter, but I’ve finally started the next Discworld novel I need to get to: The Truth. I’m expecting this one to feel a little refreshing because it’s been a long time since I’ve read one that wasn’t a part of a subseries like the Witches or the City Watch. This follows a similar yet more open-ended structure to some of the previous ones, about the world being effected by the arrival of a new innovation in some way. This book sees a machine printing press coming to the city of Ankh-Morpork and with it widespread print media. This would have a profound effect anywhere, so I’m really curious about what will unfold in this unique setting. I’m only 30 pages or so in so far, but I’m hoping I can get a lot more done soon.

Stung with Love Poems and FragmentsI also started reading Stung with Love: Poems and Fragments by Sappho, a book collecting all of the surviving poems and fragments by the well-known Greek poet. I’ve only read a section on poems about Goddesses so far, as there was actually a good deal of front matter to this book giving more context to what we know about Sappho as a figure. I found this most interesting as a look into just how fragmentary surviving art and history can be. There are plenty of references to her work and skill as a great poet throughout histoyr, but comparatively little of her actual work has survived up to now. It’s surreal to see ancient Roman sources cited, who would’ve had direct access to her work, and having to base our understanding of it off of theirs. I don’t know how quickly I’ll finish this, it’s not very long, but I likely won’t give full updates like this each week if my progress is slow.

Recently Finished

AuthorityLast week I finally finished reading Authority by Jeff VanderMeer, the second book in the Southern Reach trilogy. Things finally came to a head in the story in the final chapters, and in true Southern Reach fashion I had only a vague understanding of what was really going on, except for a few certainties that were quite apparent. I really liked that a prevailing feeling I had throughout the book without a single explicit indicator to it was made to be right. I know it’s a 10-year-old book, but I don’t want to ruin it for anybody who may be interested, so I’m being vague myself. Despite the fact that I had trouble finding good momentum with reading this book, I did really enjoy it, and I’m happy with how it concluded. I’m wondering if Acceptance will hold any real, concrete answers or if I should resign myself to being in the dark about a lot of it, even at the very end.

Reading Next

I’ve not decided anything that I want to read next with certainty, but with October just around the corner I am starting to consider what horror books I think I can get through. My reading speed has been a little stunted this year, which is really bothering me, so I’m worried I won’t be able to do more than one average-sized novel. We shall see.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

Book Review – The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

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The Fifth Elephant

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett is the 24th novel in the author’s Discworld series and the fifth novel in the “City Watch” sub-series. Sam Vimes, commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, lives a life fraught with danger, pursuing hardened criminals throughout his notorious and modern city and dodging assassins sent by those with distaste for such a committed man of the law. He is about to face his toughest challenge, however, when made to step into his role as a Duke and play ambassador to the mysterious and filthy-rich country of Uberwald, a place that follows its own rules in deference to the various figures who hold power there. Politicking may not be his forte, but with a sacred dwarf artifact going missing and murders piling up, a no-nonsense policeman may be just what the place needs, if only he can keep the wolves from snapping at his heels.Read More »

Top 5 Books I Read in 2023

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It’s that time of year again where I start reflecting on the past year’s reading endeavours and determine which among them were my favourites. As always, this isn’t about books that came out in 2023, just the ones that I enjoyed the most among all the books that I finished, listed in no particular order.

Surprisingly, I found this list a little more difficult to put together than normal, as somehow I didn’t really have the pool of books to pull from that I thought I did. Though I made a great effort to get a lot more comics read, I didn’t actually read much more novels than last year, and unfortunately I think there were a few more middling books than is usual for me. In any case, let’s get to this year’s list.Read More »

WWW Wednesday – December 20, 2023

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The Fifth ElephantThough I had the reading time I expected this week, I only read about another 100 pages in The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett; I was really hoping I would get through more of the book than that, but I was exceptionally sleep-deprived that day, so I only had the capacity for so much. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about this outing regardless. At almost 200 pages in, it doesn’t really feel like the story has gotten started, it just feels as if we’re still building up to something. Maybe I will come to better appreciate the slow burn later on, but right now I wish I had a firmer understanding of what’s going on and what’s at stake. So far, the only thing with any real substance is the subplot surrounding Fred Colon serving as acting captain while Vimes and Carrot are gone, resulting in the other members of the Watch forming a police union.

Recently Finished

Paper Girls 6I’m happy to report that over the weekend I finished reading the sixth and final volume of Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn and Cliff Chiang. I really enjoyed the way this wrapped up, especially in how it felt a little more subdued. There was plenty of spectacle to be had, but by far the most tension I felt was after their time travel adventure had already been concluded. I was desperate for any and all signs indicating what might be in store for these girls after the conclusion of the book. All in all, it was really bittersweet and ambiguous. I don’t tend to get emotional while I’m reading very often, but this ending definitely had an effect on me. In some ways it rehashed some of the events of the first volume, which I’m happy to say I remembered enough about to spot some differences, but I’m also especially determined to read through the series a second time now to better appreciate it.

Reading Next

All My Friends Are CreepsI think I might read All My Friends Are Creeps by Count D., a poetry collection that a friend of mine let me borrow after I talked to them about how I often struggle with reading poetry. I can already tell it’s poetry I’m going to enjoy, and the art is really appealing to me too. Though it’s a pretty monster-oriented book overall, I’m thinking I’m going to try and count this as a Christmas ghost story of sorts, since I’ve not really committed to anything else for the holiday. I expect that this won’t take me long to finish either.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

WWW Wednesday – December 13, 2023

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The Fifth ElephantI’ve made a fair amount more progress in The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett; I’m nearly at 100 pages in, though it still feels like the story is in its preliminary stages. Vimes has finally set out for Uberwald with Sybil and his retinue in tow, but it’s not gone much further than that yet. It seems the city watch back in Ankh-Morpork will still have plenty to do while he’s gone though, as a robbery and a strange murder remain unsolved. I’m curious how it will all tie together with Vimes’s diplomatic mission. Some detail has been given on what the fifth elephant is supposed to be, which seems to be dealing more with it as an idea than something literal, though there does seem to be a suggestion that one actually did exist. I don’t know why, but I assumed the story would be about it more actively, like as an active, existing entity. I’m sure this is a lot more interesting. Knowing more sure does make the cover funnier too.

Recently Finished

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess 11Over the weekend I finished the 11th and final volume The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess by Akira Himekawa. The final fight against Ganondorf made for some great moments, especially with some more fan service involving the Hero’s Shade, aka the Hero of Time. There was also more attention paid to the romantic angle between Link and Midna without deviating away from the ending of the game, which I also appreciated. A marriage between narrative elements of this and the quest in the game really would be something. I couldn’t help being a little disappointed with this though, as it was really just the final fight and then the story quietly wrapping up. I can’t help but feel it would’ve been more impactful if all of this had been included in volume 10 for a grander finale (and a nice round number of volumes).

Reading Next

I still have plenty of time to finish reading Paper Girls, and I may have time to squeeze in a final small book too, I just want to prioritize The Fifth Elephant before I commit to anything. With the year winding down part of me is fine with just quietly finishing what I’m already working on with reading. We’ll see.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

WWW Wednesday – December 6, 2023

Ryan2 Comments
www_wednesdays

WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The Fifth ElephantThough I didn’t give myself quite as much time with it as I was hoping, I started The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett on Monday, the next novel in the Discworld series that I need to read. I’m only about 50 pages in, so the story has barely started, but so far this book sees us back with Vimes and the City Watch of Ankh-Morpork. It seems Vimes is going to have to play diplomat more than copper in this book, however, as he is being sent as an ambassador to Uberwald. I’m really excited that Uberwald is a part of this story after being featured so heavily in the previous novel. I don’t expect things to be too referential, but its giving some enjoyable connective tissue between the two.

Recently Finished

Paper Girls 5Over the weekend I read through the penultimate volume of Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn and Cliff Chiang. Thankfully, I’m reading it close to the last volume, so I’m having no issues following what’s going on. This volume has us seeing greater and greater signs of all of the elements of the story weaving into each other, which has really got me wanting to do a reread at some time in the near future. I especially have a feeling that reading the beginning of the story will be significantly different the second time around. With the way things are coming together, I can’t help but hope some of these girls are able to change their fates, even though everything points to that being outside of possibility. Hopefully by next week I’ll know how everything pans out.

The Lost WorldOn Monday I finally finished reading through The Lost World by Michael Crichton, which continued to be weaker than the first novel, though the final third of the book had enough action going for it that it was at least fun. I think it’s hilarious that Ian Malcolm ends up with a messed up leg and high on morphine for a significant portion of this novel too. Also, compared to the film, Sarah Harding is really badass in this novel and all around had stronger characterization than the other characters; though the novel isn’t really “about” any one person, I wish it had spared more focus on her. Overall, I think this book’s problem is that the plot was just too weak; this may be a little ungenerous, but I feel Crichton didn’t put much effort into contriving a reason for people to be mucking about on a dinosaur island again.

Reading Next

I’ve gone over my near-future reading plans a lot now, so expect more Paper Girls and Twilight Princess manga soon, maybe by next week. I don’t want to state the last book I might read this year, in case I have to push it to January.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

WWW Wednesday – November 22, 2023

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WWW Wednesday is a weekly book meme run by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. Check out her post and others over on her blog!

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading

The Lost WorldI got a respectable 100 pages or so further into The Lost World by Michael Crichton with the extended reading time I had available to me earlier in the week. I really need to start putting more time into this book at other points throughout the week though so that I can get it finished up sooner. I’m liking this novel fine, but the dryness of Crichton’s writing style is more apparent here than it was with the first book, which definitely had its own moments with that. I’m honestly finding myself a little bored with it so far, as the characters spend of lot of time lecturing to each other and there isn’t much conflict to speak of at the moment. Hopefully things will pick up as different parties presumably start to clash. There’s a lot of emphasis on the topic of extinction and how the dinosaurs allow them the opportunity to study it as a natural phenomenon, and I’m curious about how this may work into the narrative.

Recently Finished

Shut Up Slow Down Let Go BreatheOver the weekend I made myself read through Shut Up Slow Down Let Go Breathe by Marcus McCann; that sounds a lot more harsh than I mean, though, as I had trouble getting into it as I predicted. This is no fault of the poet, I just have trouble getting into a lot of poetry. I had the same problem reading an Emily Dickinson collection. I was determined to read through the whole thing, however, as it wasn’t very long and I want to push myself outside of my comfort zone at least some of the time. Overall, I enjoyed it well enough. Some of the poems managed to break through and resonate with me too, so I’m glad I was able to take something away from the experience despite how I struggle with the medium. I even took a photo of a couple of pages so I can revisit them.

Reading Next

The Fifth ElephantI’m realizing that there really isn’t a lot of time left in the year, so I’m going to have to make some concrete decisions about what I want to finish before 2024. So, I know that the next full-length novel I want to read is The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett. I may not meet all the goals I set for the remainder of this year, but I want to at least achieve this one (catching up on all the Discworld novels I owned at the time I set the goal). There are some other shorter books I’m going to try to squeeze in too, but I definitely want to make sure I read this one.

Until next time, thank you for reading! Feel free to share your own post down below.

Book Review – Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

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Carpe Jugulum

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett is the 23rd novel in the author’s Discworld series and the 6th book in the “Witches” subseries. It’s a time for celebration in the kingdom of Lancre, as King Verence II and Queen Magrat are celebrating the birth and naming of their first child. Everybody and their mother is invited, from far and wide, though it seems a certain Granny’s invitation has gotten lost in the mail. More’s the pity, as the guest list includes a family of vampires from nearby Uberwald, invited in the name of good diplomacy. Only a fool would invite a vampire into his home, no matter how modern their sensibilities; an invitation from a king into a kingdom puts nearly everybody at the mercy of their influence, meaning the witches of Lancre may have finally met their match.Read More »