Teaser Tuesday (58)

Time for Teaser Tuesday, everyone! This weekly meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Rules for participating:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week, my teaser is from Sourcery by Terry Pratchett.

"Did you do that?" he demanded.
   "Stand aside, oaf," said the wizard, three words which in the opinion of Ardrothy gave him the ongoing life expectancy of a glass cymbal.
   "I hates wizards," said Koble. "I really hates wizards. So I am going to hit you, all right?"

-p. 83

**********

Got a teaser, or thoughts on the book you're reading? Feel free to leave them in the comments!


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Wrap-Up Post

It is the end of September and therefore, Terry Pratchett Month has come to a conclusion here at The Eagle's Aerial Perspective.

Throughout the past month, there were book reviews of The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Nation, Good Omens, Mort, Thief of Time, and The Fifth Elephant. There were discussion posts on Humor and Parody, Anthropomorphism, and World Building. There was a movie review of The Color of Magic.

There were old fans who got to comment on their favorites and share their thoughts, and potential new readers got a taste of what Discworld is like. And I'm sure there were newer-ish readers of the series, too, who--like me--love his writing but haven't read all of his books yet.

(SOURCE)

Terry Pratchett is a master at creating amazing worlds that combine humor and reality at the same time. He turns those little things we don't notice into important details, combines the deadly serious with the funny.

Final note:

At the time when I announced this series of posts, I did not know that Terry Pratchett had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, and wants to die an assisted death. As one of the most well-known Fantasy and Humor writers of today, he will be greatly missed by readers.

But there will always be his books, with their trademark humor, lovable characters, and detailed worlds, from the streets of Ankh-Morpork to Great A'Tuin, from the anthropomorphic personification of DEATH to the Monks of History.

Hope you enjoyed this series, everyone! Thank you all for coming by and reading/commenting on the Terry Pratchett Month posts. I know I had a lot of fun in September.


In fact, I'm thinking I might do this again sometime, not necessarily for Terry Pratchett, but perhaps for another author who's written a series of novels . . . what do you think of the idea, bloggers?


(And an aside: I'm still taking questions as part of my 800 Followers Celebration, so if you've got any of them, please ask away!)


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Fifth Elephant

Title: The Fifth Elephant
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2000
Page Count (paperback): 370
Cover Rating: 3 out of 5. They should have made this covers a bit fancier and a little brighter. They're not bad . . . they just don't pop out at you with all the wonders of Discworld.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5


Summary:

Everyone knows that the world is flat, and supported on the backs of four elephants. But weren't there supposed to be five? Indeed there word. So where is it? . . . 

When duty calls, Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork constabulary answers. Even when he doesn't want to. He's been "invited" to attend a royal function as both detective and diplomat. The one role he relishes; the other requires, well, ruby tights. Of course were cops (even those clad in tights) go, alas, crime follows. An attempted assassination and a theft soon lead to a desperate chase from the low halls of Discworld royalty to the legendary fat mines of Uberwald, where lard is found in underground seams along with tusks and teeth and other precious ivory artifacts. It's up to the dauntless Vimes--bothered as usual by a familiar cast of Discworld inhabitants (you know, trolls, dwarfs, werewolves, vampires and such)--to solve the puzzle of the missing pachyderm. Which of course he does. After all, solving mysteries is his job.

My Thoughts: This was the first Discworld book I read, the second novel by Terry Pratchett, after Nation. I decided to read The Fifth Elephant because of the title, and the tone of the summary: I do love a character with attitude. Sam Vimes has it, too; he's one of the more amusing characters in the series, not just because of the crazy situations he ends up in, but because of the dialogue between him and other characters as well. He's still one of my top favorites. In addition, the supporting characters in this book are hilarious, from Lady Sybil to Colon to Corporal Nobby Nobbs.

Other: References, some violence.

Verdict: With great characters, a fast-moving plot, and an excellent setting, The Fifth Elephant is a Discworld book I recommend.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:
Book Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: The Light Fantastic
Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens
Movie Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: Mort
Discussion Post: World Building Through A Series of Books: How And Why It Works
Book Review: Thief of Time


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Thief of Time

Title: Thief of Time
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2001
Page Count: 324
Cover Rating: 3.8 out of five. I cannot find a good resolution image of the cover that's on the library copy, but anyway, the yellow and purple are a little strange but go together okay. The cover I really like is the Australian one.
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:

Everybody wants more time, which is why on Discworld its management is entrusted to the experts: the venerable Monks of History, who store it and pump it from where it's wasted, like underwater (after all, how much time does a codfish really need?) to places like cities, where harried citizens are forever lamenting "Oh where does the time go?"
   And while everyone always talks about slowing down, one clever soul is about to stop. Stop time, that is. For good. Going against everything known (and the nine tenths of everything that remains unknown) a young horologist has been commissioned to build the world's first truly accurate clock. It falls to History Monk Lu-Tze and his apprentice Lobsang Ludd to find the timepiece and stop it before it starts. For if the Perfect Clock starts ticking, Time--as we know it--will stop. And then the trouble will really begin.

My Thoughts: Out of the 6 Discworld books I've read (of the whole 37 in the series . . .), this one ranks at the top.

First, because Susan Sto Helit is one of my favorite characters, as are Lobsang Ludd and DEATH, other major figures in this novel. Second, because I love stories that play on time and paradoxes. Third, because I thought it was particularly funny, even more so than other Discworld books, which I've always found amusing.

Other: None.

Verdict: The best novel in the Discworld series I have read so far, I highly recommend Thief of Time.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:
Book Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: The Light Fantastic
Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens
Movie Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: Mort
Discussion Post: World Building Through A Series of Books: How And Why It Works


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Mort

Title: Mort
Author: Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1987
Page Count (paperback): 243
Cover Rating: 3 out of 5. Again, compared to the original UK covers, this one is kind of boring, though it does match the story. (See the other one HERE.)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse — especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory.As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.

My Thoughts: I'd really been looking forward to this book, since I knew it was the first that featured DEATH as a main character. It certainly put a new face (beyond the grinning-skull one) onto this anthropomorphic personification, and I loved Mort, the boy who becomes his apprentice. Through him, you get an inside look at the world of DEATH, from his house to his cook to the hourglasses, or life-timers. The other characters were quirky and funny, ranging from the princess who everyone acts as if is dead to the magician who has the job of making sure people remember she's alive. The plot jumped all over the place, crossing realities and moving fast.


Other: According to some sites I found after noticing a reference on Wikipedia, Disney is making an animated movie out of Mort, with John Musker and Ron Clements directing (I've never heard of them before, or at least the names don't ring a bell, but apparently they did The Great Mouse Detective, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, Treasure Planet, and The Princess and the Frog).

They had better get it right, or this will be one irritated Terry Pratchett fan.

(What do you think? Do you look forward to a movie of Mort, or dread it?)


Verdict: Yet another humorous take on death from Terry Pratchett, Mort is an excellent story of a boy who becomes the apprentice of the ultimate reality. Recommended.


Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:
Book Review: The Color of Magic
Book Review: The Light Fantastic
Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens
Movie Review: The Color of Magic


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Movie Review: The Color of Magic

Title: The Color of Magic
Genre: Fantasy/Humor
Released (North America): 2009
Length: 197 minutes
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Cast: David Jason, Sean Astin, Tim Curry

My Thoughts: First off, I loved seeing Terry Pratchett in the opening scene as Astrozoologist #2. At first I didn't know why I recognized the man with the white beard and glasses, but then it clicked. I know who that person is!

But as for the rest of the movie? I don't often laugh at things onscreen, but I did several times during The Color of Magic. It stuck fairly well to the original plot of The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic (it's divided into two episodes), though they cut out a lot of the details and completely left out the Temple of Bel-Shamharoth, which I thought was too bad. That was one thing that bothered me: they left out so many characters and details, just glossing over some of the interesting (or just the funny) bits. Like, for example, there is no card game with Death, they omitted the gods, there are less heroes, and the Wyrmberg was just in-and-out compared to the book.

Nevertheless, the movie was quite enjoyable. It was awesome seeing the Discworld come to life, and I love the cast. Sean Astin was perfect for Twoflower (you know, Samwise Gamgee from LOTR?), David Jason was a great Rincewind (despite the fact I hadn't pictured him in my head as being that old), and Tim Curry was a perfectly disturbing, conniving wizard (though they did expand his part from the book-Trymon).

Other: Some violence (tavern brawl/swordfights/usual Fantasy) and mild swearing (there is one instance where it sounds like something worse than it is--when they're first introduced to Cohen the Barbarian's lack of teeth. You probably know what I'm referring to, if you've read the book.)

Verdict: A great adaptation of Terry Pratchett's The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic.





Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism
Book Review: Good Omens


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: Good Omens

Title: Good Omens
Author: Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Genre: Adult/Fantasy
Published: 1990
Page Count: 369
Cover Rating: 4 out of 5. I like this cover. Though I can't figure out it out. I got one copy from the library that's all black, the one I got on hold is all white, and I guess both are supposed to be set next to each other, since the words at the bottom "The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, witch" line up. Maybe it's supposed to get you to buy a second copy? Okay, probably not.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

There is a distinct hint of Armageddon in the air. According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (recorded, thankfully, in 1655, before she blew up her entire village and all its inhabitants, who had gathered to watch her burn), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, armed with awkwardly antiquated instructions and stick pins. Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring . . . Right. Everything appears to be going according to the Divine Plan. 

    Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--each of whom have lived among Earth's mortals for many millennia and has grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not particularly looking forward to the coming Rapture. If Crowley and Aziraphale are going to stop it from happening, they've got to find and kill the Antichrist (which is a shame, as he's a really nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him . . .

My Thoughts: This one is not entirely Terry Pratchett, but it has enough of his characteristic quirky style (along with being quite funny and co-written with another great writer) that I thought it deserved a mention. Good Omens is not the first Armageddon story, but it's the best I've read. The cast of characters is an eclectic, surprising mix of angels, demons, Horsemen, and practically every other kind of being, the plot moves fast and takes many turns, and, of course, the writing is excellent. For some reason it took me a while to get into it, but farther on I really wanted to know what happened.

Other: Thematic elements, language, some sex, violence.

Verdict: A humorous, original take on the end of the world, Good Omens is very entertaining and worth the read. Recommended.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Posts:

Book Review: The Color of Magic

Book Review: The Light Fantastic

Discussion Post: On Humorous and Parodic Stories
Book Review: Nation
Discussion Post: Anthropomorphism


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Light Fantastic

(SOURCE)

Title: The Light Fantastic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1986
Page Count: 241
Cover Rating: 3.8 out of 5. It's okay. The book matches, as does the chain, and the color isn't bad, but it doesn't exactly pop out at you. Of course, it also says "Conan the Barbarian" on the front cover, which is wrong--it's Cohen the Barbarian. Come now; surely they could have picked that one up! Once again, I have to say I like the more recent cover better.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

In The Light Fantastic only one individual can save the world from a disastrous collision. Unfortunately, the hero happens to be the singularly inept wizard Rincewind, who was last seen falling off the edge of the world . . .

My Thoughts: If The Color of Magic wasn't the best in the series, reading it through to get to the sequel (which picks up at a cliffhanger--rather literally) is definitely worth it. I found The Light Fantastic faster, more exciting, and quite funny.

Other: References, violence.

Verdict: A sequel that's even better than its predecessor, The Light Fantastic is a great Discworld book. Definitely recommended.

Other Terry Pratchett Month Post(s):
Book Review: The Color of Magic


-----The Golden Eagle

Terry Pratchett Month: Book Review: The Color of Magic

Title: The Color of Magic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1983
Page Count: 210 (paperback)
Cover Rating: I'm hard-pressed to say whether I like this version better than the other one, which I believe is the original UK cover (see HERE). The suitcase is nice, but it's a little too red. The one I really like, though, is this one.
Rating: 4.2 out of 5

Summary (from Goodreads):

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet . . .

 
My Thoughts: A strong start to the Discworld series. I cannot say it's my favorite book in the series, compared to the other few I've read, but it's still a fun ride. Rincewind was quite funny, the tourist Twoflower was amazingly naive yet still managed (somehow) to survive, and the plot took plenty twists and turns along the way.

Other: References, some violence.

Verdict: Worth the read, and (fittingly enough, being the first book in the series) a good place to start on Discworld. Recommended.


-----The Golden Eagle

Announcing: Terry Pratchett Month

Yes, you read that right!

Here on The Eagle's Aerial Perspective, for the entire month of September, things will be centered on Terry Pratchett and his books. The co-host of this event is Deepali at Evolving Books, who runs a great book blog.

Of course, there will be other posts for blogfests, the Third Writer's Platform-Building Campaign, other events, and I am part of the Upgrader: Re-Engineered blog tour (see sidebar button--I post on the sixth with an interview with the awesome Terry Tibke).

But for the rest of the month? Pratchett.

(SOURCE)

Here's the plan:

Date: September 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, and 28 (Sundays and Wednesdays): Book Reviews

These will be of not just Discworld, but include his YA books, along with other non-Discworld novels and a movie they made of his books. Of course, I will start with a review The Color of Magic, the first in the Discworld series. Since I have only read six of his books currently, some of reviews will be coming fresh after I read them in sequence this month.

Date: September 8, 15, 22, and 29 (Thursdays): Discussion Posts

For the writerly, or just non-Pratchett readers of this blog, these posts will be like the usual posts I publish on Thursdays. What will I be covering? Posts will be up on personification of the abstract (DEATH, anyone?), world-building, humor, writing style, and other such subjects.

And, of course, Teaser Tuesdays will continue on, well, Tuesdays.

There will also be a poll on the sidebar, once the current one closes, where you will be able to vote for your favorite book(s) in the Discworld Series, along with a separate poll for his other novels.

(SOURCE)

Feel free to jump onboard with your own Terry Pratchett thoughts! This is the month for everything to do with his books, after all.

Deepali has also set up a challenge for readers: for old fans, read 4-5 of his books in September, and for new ones, 2-3. Find out more HERE.

**********

Are you ready?


-----The Golden Eagle

Teaser Tuesday (51)

Book time! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at the blog Should Be Reading.

Rules:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is from The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I read a couple of books in the Discworld series completely out of order, loved them, and since the library had the first I figured I should start at the beginning. :P

(SOURCE)

There was a clink.
   Withel's snarl of triumph died in his throat. He drew the sword out and prodded again at the wizard, who was rigid with terror and guilt. There was another clink, and gold coins began to drop out of the hem of the wizard's robe.

-p. 57

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Have a teaser, or thoughts on the book you're reading? Feel free to share them in the comments!


-----The Golden Eagle

Teaser Tuesday (37)

Hello, everyone! Teaser Tuesday has rolled around again, so here we go:

This weekly meme is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Rules for participating:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week, my teaser is from Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Two of my favorite authors+one book=awesome.

He didn't say "That's weird." He wouldn't have said "That's weird" if a flock of sheep had cycled passed playing violins. It wasn't the sort of the thing a responsible engineer said.

-p. 137

**********

Do you have a teaser, or thoughts on the book you're reading? Feel free to leave them in the comments!


Also, would you say "That's weird" if a flock of sheep cycled by playing violins?


Just couldn't resist. ;)


-----The Golden Eagle

Teaser Tuesday (33)

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

Rules for participating:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser is from The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett. I finished it yesterday, but since this book is so absolutely hilarious I just had share a teaser from it.

(Not the cover of the copy I took out of the library, but I couldn't find a good-quality version of the right one. And besides, I like this one a whole lot better.)

"Good morning, dwarf (indicating miscreant), I am Overseer Vimes of the Look."
   Lady Sybil heard Inigo give a little groan.
   "Krz? Gr'dazak yad?"
   "Hang on, hang on, I know this one . . . I am sure you are a dwarf of no convictions. Let us shake our business, dwarf (indicating miscreant)."
   "Yes, that will just about do it, I think," said Inigo. "Mmm, mhm."

-p. 125

*Italics indicate dwarf language.

*****

Do you have a teaser, or thoughts on the book you're reading? Feel free to leave them in the comments!


-----The Golden Eagle