Tag: Terry Pratchett

WWW Wednesday – August 16, 2023

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

This is How You Lose the Time WarI’m back after a week away! I spent a week in Mexico for my brother’s wedding, and while I was there I started reading This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal Eh-Mohtar & Max Gladstone. It was incredibly hot and spending time with people kept me quite busy, so I only set aside a little bit of time to get any reading done. Still, I was able to get almost 50 pages into this book, which is pretty good for me considering my track record with reading at travel destinations. So far, I’ve just been getting to know Red and Blue more and more as they continue to correspond; I really like how dizzying yet captivating their journeys through time are, with some of their missions lasting for decades before they receive another letter. There are a lot of wonderfully imaginative depictions of periods of the distant past and future that are not over-explained yet are described enough to leave a good impression.

Recently Finished

Carpe JugulumBefore I left last week, I managed to finish reading Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett, the 23rd novel in the series and the sixth book about the Witches. Though I’ve said as much already, I really enjoyed this novel. Since I was so close to finishing it in my last post, I’m not sure what I can say here that hasn’t been said already, except that a nice touch was how it felt like a proper passing of the torch between Magrat and Agnes as the new “maiden” of the coven. Magrat’s absence from Maskerade felt a little too conspicuous for me from what I remember, so getting to see a more mature version of her fully realized and having (presumably) one last adventure with the other witches felt really good. I’m going to try to have a review of this up soon.

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess 5I also managed to finish reading the fifth volume of the manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess by Akira Himekawa before leaving, which gave us an even greater shift in the relationship between Link and Midna. What I especially loved in this volume though were the references to the Hero of Time; there is a flash of imagery when Zelda learns Link’s name, hinting at her knowledge of the events of Ocarina of Time, and later on while on their way to retrieve the Master Sword it is more directly confirmed that the Skull Kid who guards the way is the very same that knew the old hero. I really do wish all of the games greater emphasized their connections like this.

Reading Next

I’ve no concrete plans on what I want to read next, as there are a few candidates now that I didn’t read as much as I might have while on vacation. Stay tuned!

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

WWW Wednesday – August 2, 2023

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?

Much to my irritation, for reasons unknown to me WordPress is not allowing me to resize images as needed in a post, so I’m not including any covers today, even though that bothers me to my very core.

Currently Reading

I’ve been able to make yet more substantial progress in Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett since my last post; I’m just under 70 pages away from completing it. I typically enjoy the novels about the witches a lot simply for the love of the characters, even if the plot lines leave a little something to be desired at times (at least as far as I remember, I’ve read so many Discworld novels now), but I am really loving this one. Nanny Ogg, Magrat, and Agnes are all being given a lot of time to shine as characters, in some cases showing how much they’ve grown, and this is the most vulnerable we’ve ever seen Granny Weatherwax, though her gravitas is still maintained. The vampires continue to be an excellent force to be reckoned with, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how they are thwarted.

Recently Finished

Last week didn’t have much to show for it and my family suffered a sudden loss, so I didn’t bother posting anything. As a tiny turn of fortune though, the fourth volume of the manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess by Akira Himekawa turned up at my library after seemingly being MIA, so we’re back in business as far as making progress on that series goes. I’m surprised with how much this volume sped through certain story beats of the game; by the end, two dungeons are cleared and the subplot with Ilia losing her memory have been resolved. I don’t really mind it, and it does have me curious what the rest of the series will entail, as there are 11 before it wraps up. I like how much more the secondary characters are being fleshed out, so perhaps some of it will have to do with that.

Reading Next

Next week I will be away on vacation, so I won’t be able to post. Still, I have a lot of reading plans between now and when I post again. First and foremost, I plan to read volumes five and six of the Twilight Princess manga so that I can return them to the library before I leave. On my trip I intend to bring This is How You Lose the Time War by by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, which I’m hoping I’ll be able to finish while I’m gone. If I do end up reading through it quickly enough, I will then start Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer. I doubt I will finish both books (there’s a good chance I won’t finish one), but they’re fairly short, so getting through at least one and starting another at least feels doable.

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

WWW Wednesday – July 19, 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

Carpe JugulumI managed to make a lot of great progress on Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett with the newly found reading time I’ve acquired, though it’s only on alternating Mondays. I managed to read well over 150 pages, which is really good for me, so I’ve gone from barely starting the book to getting right in the thick of it. Though I’ve enjoyed many of the others before, this may be shaping up to be one of my favourite novels about the witches, which is surprising considering how relatively little Granny Weatherwax is featured in the story thus far, though she was given one of the best scenes that now stands as one of the most moving in the whole series for me. Nanny Ogg and newcomver Agnes Nitt are getting a lot more of the spotlight, though, and I’m really enjoying their perspectives. The vampires taking over the kingdom of Lancre are also some of the more compelling villains the series has had.

Recently Finished

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess 3Over the weekend I read through the third volume of the manga adaptation of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess by Akira Himekawa, which I was finally able to borrow from the library after requesting that they obtain a new copy. It was a good continuation of the story, though it felt a little less eventful. A lot of it had to do with Link being trained by the Hero’s Shade, and I’m curious if he will be given the same origin as he has in the game. In the game it’s implied he is the Hero of Time, a previous incarnation of Link, and Hyrule Historia confirms this, but I’m not sure if the manga is going in that direction. At any rate, it seems the golden wolf that takes Link to the Shade’s realm may not be one and the same as the Shade, which is not the case in the games, so I have to wonder. I want to read volume 4 asap, but it has been due back at the library since June 3, so I’m wondering if that one too is now MIA.

Reading Next

The Yellow Wallpaper 2I’d really like to read the next Twilight Princess volume, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen as soon as I’d like. Maybe I will finally read my little pamphlet of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, though I’ve grown to resent it a little as I’ve remembered a rather inexpensive copy that includes other stories that I would have preferred. I was a tad too impulsive with picking that up, but I ought to read it anyway. I will maybe try to finally read Tombs by Junji Ito before next week as well, though we will see; I just haven’t been all that excited about checking that out.

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

WWW Wednesday – July 12, 2023

RyanLeave a 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

Carpe JugulumThe other night I started reading Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett, the 23rd Discworld novel. This book sees the return of Granny Weatherwax and the other witches of the Ramtop Mountains, their last novel appearance having been in book 18. I’m excited to read about these characters again, they’re among my favourites in the series, though for some reason I had trouble getting into it during my first reading session, though I’m chocking that up more to me feeling tired than I am anything to do with the book. I’m not very far into it right now, only about 30 pages give or take, but their little kingdom being invaded by a family of vampires and (apparently) little blue men from outer space has me invested.

Recently Finished

The Sea and Little FishesThis was an odd week, because what I did read through I don’t even feel really counts as a book for Goodreads (hence me not adding it there), but I still want to talk about it here anyway, even if I read through it in a notepad file. What I read was “The Sea and Little Fishes” by Terry Pratchett, a short story set between Discworld books 22 and 23. It involved Granny Weatherwax and the Ramtop witches, which made it great for whetting my appetite for Carpe Jugulum. In it, witches are gathering from far and wide to participate in the Witch Trials, which takes on a humorously altered meaning here. It didn’t take me very long to get through, but it was a lot of fun, further emphasizing Weatherwax’s notorious status as a force to be reckoned with, even among other witches.

Reading Next

I’ve got a good idea of a handful of things I want to read next, as per usual, but I haven’t really settled on anything definitively yet. This is mainly because I ought to be able to finish each of them by the following week, so it often comes down to mentally committing to one. As it seems to turn out, however, I leave myself so undecided that I end up choosing none, and then on we move to another week. Stay tuned, I suppose.

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

WWW Wednesday – July 5, 2023

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

Nothing! I’m between books at the moment.

Recently Finished

Jurassic ParkMonday morning I managed to finish my reread of Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton; I’m really happy I was able to follow through on my prediction that I’d be able to do so by this week’s post. It was an excellent book, and I have gained the greater appreciation for it that I was hoping I would compared to when I read it back in middle school or high school. Something glaring about what motivated me to read it though was the fact that I’d seen so much hyping it up as a scarier story than the film, but it really isn’t. It’s definitely darker and a little more violent, but it doesn’t really give a horror atmosphere. Maybe I’m just harder to scare, but it still felt pretty firmly science fiction to me. Still, I’m happy for the refresher, as I want to move on to The Lost World soon.

Reading Next

Vermis II can’t remember how certain I’ve been about what I’ll read next lately, but the other morning I apparently committed to starting Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett, as I brought my copy with me in case I wanted to start it after finishing Jurassic Park. With my new-found reading time, I’m hoping I can finish this book within the month of July, but we’ll see. I’m also really considering reading through Vermis I by Plastiboo, which is a rather unique art book I recently purchased a copy of. It’s a guide book to a dungeon-crawling game that never existed, and it’s full of art that I simply adore. It probably won’t take much longer to read than a comic, and I’d really like to make myself read through it, as it’s something I could easily just let sit on a shelf like any other art book, but I really want to fully appreciate it.

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

WWW Wednesday – May 31, 2023

Ryan1 Comment
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

Jurassic ParkI’ve made some decent progress in Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, though I’m still in the early phases of the story. I have finally met most of the main cast, however, and it won’t be long now until they arrive at the island. I’m actually surprised how much the first hundred pages or so are focused on the effects InGen’s experiments are already having on the world and the corporate landscape in general with respect to genetic engineering. It’s a sentiment I’ve shared already, but I really do appreciate how much the recklessness of all that’s being done is emphasized. I’m so much more familiar with the film adaptation, and while I continue to think it is a great film, I can’t help but find it a little tacky how much more they sideline the more cynical aspects of corporate negligence in favour or wide-eyed naivete.

Recently Finished

Nothing this week; I’m really letting the comics I keep meaning to read languish for some reason.

Reading Next

Carpe JugulumI haven’t solidly made up my mind about what I want to read next, but I’m fairly certain I haven’t read a single Discworld novel in a least a year, which I find troubling the more I think about it, so there is a good chance the next book I read will be Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett. I’m sure Jurassic Park won’t take me as long as American Psycho did too, so hopefully it’ll be sooner than later, but I do still have a ways to go in that book, so it’ll be a while yet. Nevertheless, I think I’d like to start mentally committing now.

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

Book Review – The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

Ryan2 Comments

The Last Continent

The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett is the 22nd novel in the author’s comic fantasy Discworld series and the sixth in the Rincewind sub-series. Following the events of the previous novel, Interesting Times, Rincewind finds himself once again to be a stranger in a strange land, this time in Fourecks (or XXXX), a continent relatively unknown to the rest of the Discworld. It is a desolate and arid place full of surprisingly jovial people and terrifying wildlife. Though at first simply trying to survive as best he can, it would seem destiny once again has a mission for the put-upon, subpar wizard, one that will have him embarking on a odyssey across the landscape, making him a hero among the locals whether he likes it or not.Read More »

WWW Wednesday – March 16, 2022

Ryan5 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

I’m still reading Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, but I haven’t read any more of it since last week. Also, I’m between books, so nothing else to say this week!

Recently Finished

The Last ContinentOver the weekend I finally finished reading The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett, and I should be finished writing the review soonish. I’m generally less enthused about the Rincewind books, especially as they’re often tours of times/places on the Discworld, which involve a fairly formulaic style of humour, but for some reason this one really resonated with me. This is also notable since this seems to be the last one of that type, based on how it ends. Rincewind’s long, strange, multi-novel odyssey is finally over. I suppose the reason might be that this one especially didn’t take itself seriously, with a plot that I’m honestly puzzling over a little. I doesn’t really matter, all things considered, but I keep wondering…why did all this happen again?

Reading Next

A Black and Endless SkyOkay, I’m seriously going to start reading A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons soon. It’s a little harder to set aside time for, because I only have a PDF copy of it, but it’s officially next up for priority reading. It sounds like it’s going to involve possession and a spooky road trip across a desolate American Southwest, and I hope that includes isolated eerie incidents as the characters deal with their own issues along the way. We’ll see. I’m also still thinking a lot about starting The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht, but I’ll try to finish Milk and Honey first.

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

WWW Wednesday – March 9, 2022

Ryan1 Comment
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

Last night I got a little further along in Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, reading through the section of poems called “the loving.” It was enjoyably sentimental, sensual, and positive in contrast to the previous section, which dealt with pain and mistreatment. I don’t have much else to say about it other than I’m continuing to actively enjoy these poems, which is nice.

The Last ContinentSince last week I’ve gotten much further along in The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett as well, thanks to my schedule being a lot freer than I was expecting it to be. I would have preferred I have it finished by now, but I wanted to make sure I got my review of We Were Liars finally posted. I’ve not mentioned before, but this book is very much another novel exploring the world cultures of the Discworld, invariably parodying something in our world (in this case Australia and Australian culture), but this time around it’s resonating with me a lot more for some reason. Rincewind and the Wizards have been on bizarre respective journeys, and while I still can’t tell where it’s leading over 80% of the way into the book, I’m eager to find out.

Recently Finished

Spiritfarer The ArtbookOver the weekend I decided to read Spiritfarer, The Artbook by Thunder Lotus Games, which is an art book put together by the development team behind the video game Spiritfarer. I just recently finished playing it, and I’m really surprised at the emotional impact it had on me. In it, you play as Stella, whose new job is to ferry spirits from a strange spiritual world to the afterlife, helping them move on in the process. I knew it would deal with death and grief going in, but it made me cry a lot more than I was expecting. I bought this ebook as a sort of thank you for the experience, and it included lovely illustrations and earlier concept art behind the characters I’ve gotten to know so well and unveiled more of their backstories.

Reading Next

The Dictionary of Obscure SorrowsOnce again, I still intend to start A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons next, and it’s only a matter of time now since I’m so close to finishing The Last Continent. I have thoughts about some supplemental reads bouncing around in my head too, though, since I’m worried about staying on top of my reading this year. It’s a toss up between The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig and The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht. The former is newer and will likely be more thought provoking, but the latter I’ve had longer and I expect to be fun and light, especially since I’ve actually gotten a little more familiar with local birds. We’ll see if I make a decision over the next week or not. I should probably finish Milk and Honey first.

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

WWW Wednesday – March 2, 2022

Ryan3 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

Unfortunately, I somehow completely neglected to read any of The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett this past week. Better luck next this coming week, hopefully.

Milk and HoneyI did however start reading Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur, which is a collection of poetry. I’d never read any of their work before, but I’m trying to get myself to read more poetry on occasion and something about this book caught my eye. The results from reading Hope is the Thing with Feathers were pretty bad, as I wound up taking half a year to read the whole thing, blitzing through more than half of it at the end of December, but I think that had more to do with my ability to appreciate Emily Dickinson’s writing. When reading hers, I would often read without retaining meaning, though this varied from poem to poem. Kaur’s poems being modern and written in free verse are allowing me to appreciate this book a lot more.

Recently Finished

Hop!Over the weekend I read through Hop! by Joshua Barkman, an independently published little graphic novel by the artist behind the False Knees web comics. It’s not very long and I’d read it all previously when the pages were first posted as part of Inktober in 2021, but I loved going through it again all put together like this. It’s essentially a story about two crows taking a walk through the streets of Montreal, and it’s full of fun little gags, misadventures, and an effective amount of heart. I really love this artist’s work because the illustrations beautifully render the wildlife they depict, making them a pleasure to look at, but they’re also really funny and evocative despite the art style not being more abstract.

Reading Next

I’m still planning to read A Black and Endless Sky by Matthew Lyons next, but it’s still looking a ways off before I start it. I really need to get in gear with what I’m currently reading. My next graphic novel is still up in the air, as I may not start a new one in the coming week to focus more on The Last Continent.