Tag: Reading

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The Bookish Owl – Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Coraline Neil Gaiman Owl

I just started reading Coraline by Neil Gaiman. It’s technically a children’s book, but I’ve heard so many people talking about it, so I gave it a shot anyway.

Besides, after reading the first 5 chapters, I think I can safely say that those button-eyed people would have scared the crap out of me as a child.

It’s like a horror-version of Alice in Wonderland. All the same weirdness (and the feeling that the child protagonist is probably on drugs), but it’s all creepy instead of whimsical. It even got a cat that talks but refuses to give clear answers!

After reading Good Omens during my Pratchett bender, and having followed Gaiman on Twitter for years, I have wanted to read some of his non-cowritten work for some time. If you’re a Gaiman fan yourself, what do you think I should read next of his?

Coraline Neil Gaiman Owl

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The Bookish Owl – Night Watch by Terry Pratchett

Night Watch Terry Pratchett Owl

Phew, been a few weeks since I did one of these, huh? It’s been a little too busy for me to get some proper reading done. But now things are calming down, so it’s time for me to get back to tackling my to-read pile!

Right now I’m reading Night Watch by Terry Pratchett, and despite it being a huge-ass mofo compared to the previous Discworld books, I doubt it will take long for me to finish it. I think I have stated this in previous installments of my Bookish Owl posts, but I love Pratchett’s City Watch books! I’m almost looking forward to finishing the whole Discworld-series (almost), just so I can go back and reread the ones with the Watch.

…and after that, the ones with Death. And then the ones with the Witches. And then most of the Rincewind ones.

Let’s face it. I’ll probably never be done with Discworld.

And, of course, here’s your owl photo!
I keep thinking Artemis will run out of weird poses for these, but he keeps surprising me. I would try to get him to perch on the book, if it didn’t mean I would have to switch to portrait framing for the photo (and if it didn’t mean he would shit down the back of my books…)

Night Watch Terry Pratchett Owl

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The Bookish Owl – The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Terry Pratchett Owl

Yep. I’m reading a book about a talking cat.

Nothing wrong with that, per se, but I went straight from a rather gritty Witcher novel to this, so I’m getting a bit of literary whiplash.

The book in question is The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett, the first Discworld book to be aimed at children. But, of course, it wouldn’t be all that unusual to see talking cats and tap-dancing rats in the novels he wrote for adults, either…

But I must say I didn’t expect this amount of cannibalism and people getting stabbed in the eye with frozen herrings in a children’s book.

Honestly, I don’t think I ever expect anyone to be stabbed in the eye with a frozen herring when reading a book, but that’s besides the point.

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents Terry Pratchett Owl

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The Bookish Owl – The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett

The Last Hero Terry Pratchett owl

This one barely qualifies as a novel, considering it’s about 170 pages and every page is illustrated, but since it’s about Cohen the Barbarian and his quest to blow up the gods of the Discworld, I’m sure I’m in for a ride with The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett (and illustrated by Paul Kidby).

If you haven’t read the Discworld books, you won’t know about how Cohen is the hero we all need. I think it’s a travesty that he’s not featured in more of the books, so I’m glad that he gets to be the star of this one…

…even if he’s trying to blow up the gods and end the world out of spite.

We’ve all been there.

The Last Hero Terry Pratchett owl

 

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The Bookish Owl – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms George R. R. Martin

I have been putting off reading this book for a long time, but now it’s time for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (collection of the Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas) by George R. R. Martin.

Why have I been putting it off, you might ask? After all, “A Song of Ice and Fire” is one of the greatest Fantasy series out there and a prequel could ease the withdrawal until the next book is released.

Yes, indeed ASoIaF is a truly great series.

It’s also insanely detailed and filled with more characters than you can keep track of, and I wish I had been taking notes when I read it.

Committing to books where I actually have to utilize brain power is not something I have felt up to doing in a long time, so anything that says “George R. R. Martin” on the cover has seemed daunting, even a collection of novellas. There’s even illustrations in this one!

I can do this, people… I’m almost caught up on Game of Thrones as well, even though I delayed watching the TV-show for ages, because I wanted to finish the book series first. Clearly the TV-show is winning the race and will finish at least a decade before the books, and nothing short of total social media blackout and disowning all my friends will prevent me from getting spoiled, so I caved.

It’s all planned out, so I will have finished both this book and watched season 7, before the premiere of the last season in April.

So tell me (without spoiling season 7, ya bastards!): Who do you think is going to end up on the Iron Throne?

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms George R. R. Martin
No, Artemis is not a candidate for the Iron Throne…