Monday, April 20, 2009

Hogfather

by Terry Pratchett

Grade: To Own

So, I think I'm getting over my dislike of Terry Pratchett! Well, maybe not totally. I'm still not as into them as Ben, but this one, Reaper Man, and Going Postal are marvellous.

Examples of marvellousness:
Bananas = fish. Read it and find out why.

Ridcully. Ridcully!!! He's sooo funny. I'm not sure what he reminds me of, but he reminds me of whatever it is very strongly.

Death is awesome:
"This shack had an iron stove, with a pipe that went up through the thick cabbage-leaf thatch.
Voices echoed faintly within the pipe.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY STUPID."

"I HAVE ALWAYS CHOSEN THE PATH OF DUTY.
'Right, master.'
The sleigh sped on.
I AM THOROUGHLY IN CONTROL AND FIRM OF PURPOSE.
'No problem there, then, master.'
NO NEED TO WORRY AT ALL.
'Pleased to hear it, master.'
IF I HAD A FIRST NAME, 'DUTY' WOULD BE MY MIDDLE NAME.
'Good.'
NEVERTHELESS...
Albert strained his ears and thought he heard, just on the edge of hearing, a voice whisper sadly.
HO. HO. HO."

Awww!!

Oh, and Susan. Love how she can do THE VOICE.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Before Midnight

by Cameron Dokey

Grade: All right

Yeah...she has a bit too much "follow your heart" kind of thinking, once you've read a bunch of hers. And her main characters are all pretty similar. And the books are too short!
But I still love Beauty Sleep, and I'll still read the rest of hers.

Friday, April 17, 2009

The Ballad of Mulan

by Cameron Dokey

Grade: All right

Really the only one in this series I've loved so far is Beauty Sleep. Although Sunlight and Shadow really helped with The Magic Flute. I'll read the rest of Cameron Dokey's, because they are interesting and they don't have the kind of romance I can't stand, only the kind of romance I find boring.

INSERT: Special Topics in Calamity Physics

by Marisha Pessl

Grade: Unfinished
Read: To page 130, plus a bunch of the end.
Inserted: After Shadowplay

The beginning of the next chapter looked...ominous. That was mostly why I stopped. And then, I read some negative reviews. So...
However, it was quite interesting. And the love of books and learning is always terribly inspiring for me.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Going Postal

by Terry Pratchett

Grade: To Own

Wow! Moist von Lipwig! Lord Vetinari! Adora Bell Dearheart! Pins! Postal restoration! Heroic rescue of cats! Conmen! Benelovent tyrants! The Princess in the tower! Whispering letters! Golden suits!

Mostly Moist and Vetinari, though. I loved them. They made everything else awsome. I would have disliked everything else, just as I usually dislike Terry Pratchett stuff, but they made it awsome.

I still like Death better. But his books are usually too filled with boring people.

Here's some Lord Vetinari:

"'Oh, please sue the University!' Ridcully bellowed. 'We've got a pond full of people who tried to sue the University--'
'Silence,' said Vetinari.
It wasn't a very loud word, but it had an effect rather like that of a drop of black ink in a glass of clear water. The word spread out in coils and tendrils, getting everywhere. It strangled the noise."

"'The Grand Trunk will remain closed in the interim,' said Lord Vetinari.
'It's private property!' Greenyham burst out.
'Tyrant, remember,' said Vetinari, almost cheerfully."

Shadowplay

by Claire Asquith

Grade: Good

Hard to read, though. It took me forever.
And I'm not totally sure about the validity of her claim. It seems to me about as reasonable as most Shakespearian theories, but most of those seem a little bit far fetched. But then, I'm no scholar. I don't properly know what makes theories reasonable. And I think she did have some good points. That era was so full of contraversy, that even if Shakespeare was a universal genius above contraversy, he would have realized that everyone watching his plays would have taken them as contraversial.
I need to read Joseph Pearce's book. I think that will cement my opinions in my mind more.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Reaper Man

by Terry Pratchett

Grade: Good/To Own

Wow, the Death parts were cool. I LOVE Death! In fact, if I find a lovely cover, like the one I read this time, I might even place this in "To Own".

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Not Even Wrong

by Peter Woit

Grade: Unfinished
Read: To page 22

I have to admit it. I cannot read super dense physics books and understand them at this time. So I am willing to give up reading this book, and feel very un-genius-like.