Well this was worth waiting for ....I couldn't put it down until it was finished. It's amusing and yet still gripping, and the trial is hilarious! David Zinc's escape from the slavery of a busy law firm to the complete opposite makes a great story and a believable one. I only hope John Grisham is still writing madly because now I want another one!!

Powered by WebRing.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett

Hi all! This is DiscworldDiva, guest blogging for Bookworms Marketplace...

This may actually be a surprise, but this will be my first ever Discworld book review... it's not really something I do.. although I had planned to start sometime in the future... so the first one will be here...
I guess it would be appropriate if my first review was about the first Discworld book I ever read, which I am now currently re-reading for the first time since then...

Witches Abroad... and I may be a bit biased,but I think it was a great place to start...
...however, If you are wanting to read them in order I would suggest reading Wyrd Sisters beforehand...

 

In Witches Abroad the dysfunctional Lancre coven, Nanny Ogg (the mother), Magrat (the maiden) and Granny Weatherwax (the... other one), head off to foreign parts after Magrat inherits a Fairy Godmothers wand. Before they even get there the three witches are embroiled in stories that object to going differently to expected, cause a riot after waking a sleeping castle, and another after interrupting a bunch of young men chasing bulls (or rather, interrupting the bulls). They are alternately chased out of some villages, and celebrated as hero's in others, Nanny gambles away all their money and her broom, they meet an unaccompanied little girl in a red cloak and are inundated with pumpkins.

All this before they even arrive at Genua, where they have to attempt to stop the prince from marrying the cindermaid. An impossible feat you may think, but Pratchetts' story-telling genius make for an incredibly fun and very easy journey as we join the witches of Lancre as they battle against terrifying odds and weird foreign food.

I sincerely love this story and would recommend it to anybody who also enjoys fantasy, oddball characters, stories about stories, or fractured fairytales (a particular favorite of mine) spectacular wordsmithing, humor and pathos! Actually I would recommend it to anyone, whether you profess an interest in the above or not.

Blogging generally

I'm in awe of the interesting and very attractive blogs I've been looking at! This was to be a blog where we could write about the good books we've been reading, but our reading seems to be getting less and less. Mind you, I'm still very much a bookworm. Wherever I go if I see books for sale, or libraries, I can't resist browsing. The trouble is I'm losing my sight and reading is becoming difficult. Whereas I used to read a book in a few hours, now I need a few months! Hubby is not a bookworm but he reads more now than he used to though.

I've recently bought an old favorite Mrs Tim of the Regiment (D E Stevenson) and I might make that my next review. It's been republished in 2010, though originally published back in the 1930s or so. Brought it on Easter break wih us, and I'm about to the third chapter!! So give me another month and I might have it finished. It's the diary of an officer's wife .. amusing and true to life.

A new Dick Francis novel!!

Dick Francis' hero can always get himself out of some impossible situations, and this novel is no exception. A very entertaining story of a young man who, after losing his foot in the war in Afghanistan, goes 'home' to his mother's house and horse training business, and there becomes involved in a dangerous investigation into blackmail. Just imagine waking up chained to a ring on a wall in a deserted stable, with your foot missing, all doors barred on the outside, and noone missing you or looking for you! This book was my requested Christmas present and I wasn't disappointed! It's a great pity Dick Francis won't be writing any more novels - maybe my collection will become very popular.