Wee Free Men

The Wee Free Men Terry Prachett

So I'm approaching Discworld a bit oddly-- the first one I read was Wintersmith, which is the third book in the Tiffany Aching arc. This is the first book in that arc. Eventually, I'll even read some of the adult Discworld books! I want to read the whole series.

This is the book in which Tiffany first meets the Nac Mac Feegles, those blue pictsies, with their drinking and shouting. I love the Nac Mac Feegles. It's also where she first meets a witch and the witches discover her.

Another world is colliding with this one. Tiffany first sees it when Jenny Green-Teeth first comes up from the river and Tiffany bashes her with a frying pan. Then, the Queen of Fairies kidnaps Tiffany's little brother. With a talking toad and the Nac Mac Feegles, Tiffany ventures into the darkness and nightmare of Faerie in order to save her brother, and the world.

HILARIOUS! I feel like I'm the last person in the universe to discover the genius that is Pratchett. He captures such profound truths of the human experience and makes it hilarious and moving all at once. I'm not sure how.

While there are many things that struck me when reading this, the one that stayed with me is the fact that Tiffany is from the chalk. Witches take their strength from the earth, they're born onto hard rock, not chalk. But Tiffany is from the chalk and has the Nac Mac Feegle on her side... she's one to keep an eye on...

Book Provided by... my wallet

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A Hat Full of Sky

A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men by Terry Prachett.

This book is hard to review because all I really want to say is "Terry Prachett is the bomb."

So, this is a Tiffany Aching book from the Discworld series (is series really the right world for Disworld? It doesn't quite fit, but I can't come up with a better one.) Tiffany's excited to start learning how to be a witch, but it turns out her apprenticeship has more chores than magic. The one bit of witch-y stuff she does get is flying, which makes her horribly ill. But, an hiver is after Tiffany. An hiver that possesses her and controls her body, and tries to take over her mind.

Seriously guys, Terry Prachett is the BOMB. He writes this quirky and hilarious books set in this crazy universe, but at the same time, raises really deep points and makes you contemplate the larger questions of the universe, all while laughing your head off.

In this book, I especially enjoyed the other apprentice witches and the high school girl dynamic you get with them and how Tiffany sees through it without seeming cynical or over-mature. Plus, lots and lots of MacFeegles trying to help and create as much mischief as possible.

I do recommend Discworld even to those who aren't fantasy readers. I only picked up my first one because it was assigned reading, and I'm so, so glad I did.

Must read more Discworld. MUST.

Book Provided by... my wallet

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Oh no! It's the pursin' o' the lips and the tappin' o' the foot!

Wintersmith Terry Pratchett

Ok, this is my first Tiffany Aching and, in fact, first Discworld book. While it was obvious it's the third in a series, I think it stands alone fairly well.

Tiffany is an apprentice witch who goes to see the Dance of the Seasons. She can't help herself, the music is in her feet, and she throws herself into the dance. As a result, Winter falls in love with her. Winter sets out to find what makes a man so that he can be human for her. Meanwhile, the world is trying to turn Tiffany into Summer, because Winter partners with Summer. Summer isn't overly happy about this.

Winter's attempts to woo Tiffany are disastrous to those Tiffany loves (it never stops snowing flakes that look like her, giant iceberg sculptures of her likeness cause ships to be lost) and his attempts are humanity always miss the mark.

But the Feegles are there to help and Tiffany won't let Winter bully her into never-ending cold.

Hilarious! I loved it (especially the Feegles). It's funnier than Nation (which I found to be really funny.) but still meditates on the fear of the unknown, the changing of the seasons and what makes a man. I've only read the two books by Pratchett, but am so impressed with his ability to have deeper meditations on the meaning of life and what makes us human while still making me shoot milk out my nose.

I'm so excited for Pratchett 2010 Reading Challenge!


Book Provided by... my local library

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Color of Magic

The Color of Magic: A Discworld Novel Terry Prachett

This is the first-ever Discworld novel. I’ve read most of the Tiffany Aching books and Nation and fell in love with Prachett, so I thought I’d read more Discworld.

Rincewind is a failed wizard who gets stuck playing tourguide to a naive, but eager, tourist named Twoflower. Hijinks and chaos follow them wherever they go to Rincewind's dismay and Twoflower’s sheer delight.

Overall, I was a bit “eh.” It was enjoyable but wouldn’t tempt me to pick up any more in the series. I will pick up more, but that’s just because I love the Tiffany Aching books and everyone’s told me that Color of Magic is one of the weaker books and you really shouldn’t start with that one anyway.

My main problem with it was that while it retains the silly absurdity of Prachett’s other work, it lacks the GREAT TRUTH that underpins it. My favorite thing about Prachett is his dark humor, the way he takes some GREAT TRUTH and cracks wise about it, but still really gives you food for though on the deeper meanings of life, religion, and everything. This one just cracks wise and didn’t make me think much.

So, if you’ve been meaning to pick up some Prachett, don’t start with this one!

Book Provided by... my local library

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Weekly Geeks

Everything changes. Weekly Geeks is ending after this week. I didn't always participate and always wished I did it more regularly, but it was a fun meme.

It was started by Dewey, an energetic book blogger who passed away in 2008. She had hinted to health problems and pain on her blog a few times, but I don't think any of us realized how serious it was or even if they were related. One day there was a post from her husband telling us that she was gone. But she left her mark. Weekly Geeks lived for 3 more years until participation has slowed to the point where it's now ending. But Dewey's biannual 24-hour Read-a-Thon is still going strong. She was big on connecting bloggers to other bloggers and I think she'd be happy that 3 years later, she's still succeeding in getting us all to play together.

And now, one of my favorite weekly geek memes, which has been repeated a few times, is when I post my list of unreviewed books, and you ask me questions about those books, so it's easier for me to write my review. They're in order I read them. It does not include books I've already written preliminary reviews for (so, that's huge Cybils backlog from 2009 isn't included.) It may make you feel better about your reviewing backlog to note that my backlog starts way back in April 2007. Oiy vey. I obviously need your help.

2007:


Midnight at the Dragon Cafe Judy Fong Bates
Name Me Nobody Lois-Ann Yamanaka
Chicks with Sticks: (Knit Two Together) Elizabeth Lenhard







2008:

The Murder Of Bindy Mackenzie Jaclyn Moriarty
The Spell Book Of Listen Taylor Jacyln Moriarty
Shopgirl Steve Martin
An Order of Amelie, Hold the Fries Nina Schindler
The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds Pual Zindel
Feeling Sorry for Celia Jaclyn Moriarty
The Year Of Secret Assignments Jaclyn Moriarty
Toning The Sweep Angela Johnson
Nothing But The Truth Avi
Cathy's Book: If Found Call 650-266-8233 Sean Stewart, Jordan Weisman
Shooter Walter Dean Myers
Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff Jennifer Holm
The Winning Element (The Specialists) Shannon Greenland
Native Tongue (The Specialists) Shannon Greenland

2009:

Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case Dan Elish
A Girl, a Boy, and a Monster Cat Gail Gauthier
A Girl, A Boy, and Three Robbers Gail Gauthier
Ballet Shoes Noel Streatfeild
Winter's Child (Once Upon a Time) Cameron Dokey
Snow (Once Upon a Time) Tracy Lynn
Midnight Pearls (Once Upon a Time) Debbie Viguie

2010:

The London Eye Mystery Siobhan Down
The Nine Pound Hammer (The Clockwork Dark, Book 1) John Claude Bemis
Wild Things Clay Carmichael
The Shrouding Woman Loretta Ellsworth
Ransom My Heart Meg Cabot and Mia Thermopolis
The Birthday Ball Lois Lowry
Posh and Prejudice (Diary of a Chav) Grace Dent
A Whole Nother Story Dr. Cuthbert Soup
Only the Good Spy Young (Gallagher Girls) Ally Carter
Zombies vs. Unicorns Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

The Unsinkable Walker Bean Aaron Renier
The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker (Strangely Beautiful) Leanna Renee Hieber
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3) Suzanne Collins
Bad Kitty Gets a Bath Nick Bruel
e Squared: A Novel Matt Beaumont
Fables Vol. 14: Witches Bill Willingham
Free-Range Kids, How to Raise Safe, Self-Reliant Children (Without Going Nuts with Worry) Lenore Skenazy
A Hat Full of Sky: The Continuing Adventures of Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men Terry Prachett

2011:

Shades of Grey: A Novel Jasper Fforde
Celebrated Cases of Judge Dee Robert van Gulik (translator)
Paul Is Undead Alan Goldsher
Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker (Book #2) Megan McDonald
Sideways Stories from Wayside School Louis Sachar
The Popularity Papers: Book Two: The Long-Distance Dispatch Between Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang Amy Ignatow
Wolf Mark Joseph Bruchac
Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan Shaun Tan
Hush Eishes Chayil
Twilight of Avalon: A Novel of Trystan & Isolde Anna Elliot
Queen of Babble Meg Cabot
One of Our Thursdays Is Missing: A Novel Jasper Fforde
Jack of Fables Vol. 8: The Fulminate Blade Bill Willingham
Fury of the Phoenix Cindy Pon



So, any books you want me to review first? Any burning questions? ASK AWAY!

Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.