Tag: Terry Pratchett

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The Bookish Owl – Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

Unseen Academicals Terry Pratchett

It’s time for reading Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett!

It’s been a long time since we got a book about the wizards of Unseen University, so let’s see how much mayhem they’ve been holding back on. Seeing as this book seemingly introduces football to the city of Ankh-Morpork, I can only assume that we’ll have at least one explosion, three murders, and one or two angry and/or confused mobs by page 20.

I haven’t been that fond of the books that tried to introduce overly modern concepts (like movies and rock music) to the Discworld, but I have noticed Pratchett’s style maturing a lot over the last 10 books or so, so I’m willing to believe he’ll manage to make football seem less out of place. Hopefully it will also contain fewer pop references, because I know nothing about football.

I’m aware it’s about a lot of men with weird hairstyles chasing a ball around, but I never really bothered to figure out why…

Unseen Academicals
by Terry Pratchett

Football has come to the ancient city of Ankh-Morpork. And now, the wizards of Unseen University must win a football match, without using magic, so they’re in the mood for trying everything else. This is not going to be a gentleman’s game.

The prospect of the Big Match draws in a street urchin with a wonderful talent for kicking a tin can, a maker of jolly good pies, a dim but beautiful young woman, who might just turn out to be the greatest fashion model there has ever been, and the mysterious Mr Nutt (and no one knows anything much about Mr Nutt, not even Mr Nutt). As the match approaches, four lives are entangled and changed for ever. 

Because the thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.

Here we go! Here we go! Here we go!

Unseen Academicals Terry Pratchett

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The Bookish Owl – Making Money by Terry Pratchett

Making Money Terry Pratchett Collector's Edition

Next on the reading list is Making Money by Terry Pratchett.

I’m rapidly nearing the end of Discworld, but at least I know I’ll have to slow down soon, as the last couple of books won’t be released in the Collector’s Edition until November. Guess that’ll give me an excuse to reread some of my favorites!

‘Making Money’ is the 36th (did Pratchett ever stop writing…?) Discworld book overall and the second with Moist von Lipwig as the protagonist. I really enjoyed ‘Going Postal‘ and, after reading the first 50 pages, this one seems to follow the same scenario: Vetinari making not-so-subtle threats, Moist getting a new job, and then everything going haywire.

Making Money
by Terry Pratchett

Amazingly, former arch-swindler-turned-Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig has somehow managed to get the woefully inefficient Ankh-Morpork Post Office running like . . . well, not like a government office at all. Now the supreme despot Lord Vetinari is asking Moist if he’d like to make some real money. Vetinari wants Moist to resuscitate the venerable Royal Mint—so that perhaps it will no longer cost considerably more than a penny to make a penny.

Moist doesn’t want the job. However, a request from Ankh-Morpork’s current ruling tyrant isn’t a “request” per se, more like a “once-in-a-lifetime-offer-you-can-certainly-refuse-if-you-feel-you’ve-lived-quite-long-enough.” So Moist will just have to learn to deal with elderly Royal Bank chairman Topsy (née Turvy) Lavish and her two loaded crossbows, a face-lapping Mint manager, and a chief clerk who’s probably a vampire. But he’ll soon be making lethal enemies as well as money, especially if he can’t figure out where all the gold has gone.

Making Money Terry Pratchett Collector's Edition

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The Bookish Owl – Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett

Wintersmith Terry Pratchett owl

Though I struggled a bit to get through my last book, I’m finally starting on Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett.

I’m looking forward to another Tiffany Aching book, especially because I was dragging my feet with my last read. Discworld is always a good palate cleanser and the Tiffany Aching subseries even more so. Sometimes you just need a not-quite-a-witch hitting things with a frying pan.

And if Granny Weatherwax is around to mess with people’s heads, all the better.

Oh, by the way, if you wanted a photo where you can see the cover artwork, I’m going to have to disappoint. I sat the bird down and then he would not move. Not sure what I did to deserve him freezing in a “Come at me, bro!”-stance like this…

Wintersmith
by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany Aching put one foot wrong, made one little mistake…

And now the spirit of winter is in love with her. He gives her roses and icebergs, says it with avalanches and showers her with snowflakes – which is tough when you’re 13, but also just a little bit… cool.

And just because the Wintersmith wants to marry you is no excuse for neglecting your chores. So Tiffany must look after Miss Treason, who’s 113 and has far too many eyes, learn the secret of Boffo, catch Horace the cheese, stop the gods from seeing her in the bath–

‘Crivens!’ Oh, yes, and be helped by the Nac Mac Feegles – whether she wants it or not.

But if Tiffany doesn’t work it all out, there will never be another springtime…

Wintersmith Terry Pratchett owl

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The Bookish Owl – Thud! by Terry Pratchett

Thud Terry Pratchett Discworld

I’m on a roll this week and already reading Thud! by Terry Pratchett.

I love this book, if for nothing else, then for the name. Thud!

Is it bad that I sort of want to hit someone in the face with it, just to see if that’s the sound it’ll make…?

THUD!

Another reason why this book is probably going to be awesome is because it’s part of my favorite Discworld subseries, the City Watch. Even if the last couple of books have taken a turn for the darker, Captain/Commander/Duke/Blackboard Monitor Samuel Vimes, Nobby Nobbs and the rest of Ankh-Morpork’s Finest will always have a special place in my heart.

(By the way, I can now say for a fact that the sound this book makes when knocked over by a tiny owl is, indeed, Thud!…)

Thud!
by Terry Pratchett

Koom Valley? That was where the trolls ambushed the dwarfs, or the dwarfs ambushed the trolls. It was far away. It was a long time ago.

But if he doesn’t solve the murder of just one dwarf, Commander Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see it fought again, right outside his office.

With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and war-drums sounding, he must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin and brave any darkness to find the solution. And darkness is following him.

Oh… and at six o’clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, he must go home to read ‘Where’s My Cow?’, with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy.

There are some things you have to do.

Thud Terry Pratchett Discworld

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The Bookish Owl – Going Postal by Terry Pratchett

Going Postal Terry Pratchett

I’m already well into Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, so it’s about time you’re getting your owl/book photo.

This Discworld book is the first with the conman by the charming name of Moist von Lipwig. I haven’t quite made up my mind about dear Moist yet, but any book about Lord Vetinari messing with people is a good book. Also, I’m already a big fan of Adora Belle and her killer heels.

Going Postal
by Terry Pratchett

Moist von Lipwig is a con artist…

… and a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork’s ailing postal service back on its feet.

It’s a tough decision.

But he’s got to see that the mail gets through, come rain, hail, sleet, dogs, the Post Office Workers’ Friendly and Benevolent Society, the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer.

Getting a date with Adora Belle Dearheart would be nice, too…

Going Postal Terry Pratchett