The Light Fantastic - Terry Pratchett

Title: The Light Fantastic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Published: 1986 Pages: 241
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

A year ago I discovered Discworld for the first time with The Color of Magic, and I can't believe it has been that long since poor Rincewind was left hanging over the side of the world! I have loved my Discworld journey thus far, but I have to say I preferred The Color of Magic just a tad. Perhaps timing? But now I'm really looking forward to traveling around at leisure (check out this Discworld reading guide the lovely Nymeth introduced me to). I'm thinking about pursuing the "Death" novels or "Witches" novels next.

What is Discworld? Well, I'm probably not the best to describe it to you, but it is a world (flat) that rests upon four giant elephants who stand upon an even more giant turtle, A'Tuin, who floats leisurely through space. The Discworld series contains over thirty novels, The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic being the first two. These two are sequels, but as I understand the rest are pretty much stand alone novels with running themes.

The Light Fantastic is a continuation of Rincewind and Twoflower's journeys across Discworld. Rincewind is a fairly inept wizard who cannot perform magic because long ago a spell lodge itself in his mind. It happens that this spell is an incredibly important spell from a powerful collection of eight and the fate of Discworld rests in all eight of these spells being said at the same time. When a giant red star begins on a crash collision course towards Discworld, the importance of that spell grows exponentially, but can Rincewind stay out of enough trouble to keep himself alive and the spell safe?

Reading this book provided for constant amusement. I love the tongue-in-cheek humor of this novel and the cleverness. Pratchett doesn't always give away his humor easily, and I always felt satisfied when I got it. In one scene, Twoflower is playing a game of cards: "It's a special kind of playing...In your language, it's called a thing you put across a river, for example" he concluded, "I think." "Aqueduct?" hazarded Rincewind. "Fishing line? Weir? Dam?" "Yes, possibly." So, I'm thinking to myself--I know there's a joke here. Ooooh! Bridge! :) As with CoM I felt like I never quite got everything that should have been funny, perhaps because I'm not as familiar with the fantasy genre, but I definitely had a lot of giggle out loud moments.

And then there were the things that made me go "hmmm." Poor Death is so misunderstood, and even though he plays a small role in these two novels, he's one of my favorite characters. "The Death of the Disc was a traditionalist who prided himself on his personal service and spent most of the time being depressed because this was not appreciated. He would point out that no one feared death itself, just pain and separation and oblivion, and that it was quite unreasonable to take against someone just because he had empty eye sockets and a quiet pride in his work" (104). Although the subject matter and humor make these books feel light, Pratchett is always seeming to sneak in more serious food for thought.

One of the qualms that I have with this book, and I fear the rest of the series, is that there are no chapter breaks. Looking back at my review for CoM, it seems that I had a difficult time following that book as well. The focus of the novel shifts frequently and I often had a tough time figuring out what was going on. I've tried to put my finger on what it is that I'm having a tough time with, and I think that Pratchett transitions so quickly that my brain doesn't always have time to process. This works well for me visually (like a movie), but in a book I felt like I always need to backtrack a bit to remember what was going on. Because I was reading this book in short amounts, it was a big pitfall. Other than that I really enjoyed the book. It seemed like this novel was more plot driven than the first, and that helped me focus more on the story. I would recommend this book, but read Color of Magic first.

Have you made the journey into Discworld yet? What are your favorite Discworld novels?

Date Finished: May 27, 2009 #27

The Tales of Beedle the Bard - JK Rowling

Title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Published: 2008 Pages: 107
Genre: Fantasy/Fairy Tale
Rating: 3/5

Has it really been two weeks since I posted about an actual book? Time has gotten away from me, as I suspected it would, ever since the read-a-thon. Or maybe it's just because I'm not keeping with my book a week average since I'm still slogging through Middlemarch and will be for another week or so. Without the pressure of having reviews piling up, I've been taking my time--even though the reviews are piling up anyway. Ah well.

"The Tales of Beedle the Bard is a collection of [five] stories written for younger wizards and witches" (vii). After each story is Dumbledore's commentary on the reception of the tales for the wizarding community or insights into what the tales mean. One of my favorite stories is "The Fountain of Fair Fortune" about a group of ailing witches who make their way to a healing fountain in order to be cured of their pains or losses. Along the way they meet a luckless knight and together they try to decide who is worthy of being healed by the fountain. In the end, they overcome their problems without the aid of magic and lead happy lives. Some of the other stories, such as "The Warlock's Hairy Heart" do not end so happily, but in a way it was refreshing to haves tales that don't always wrap up neatly.

I picked this little book up because I loved the Harry Potter series and I was excited to dive into more magical stories. I have to be honest that I was a little disappointed in this book, mostly because of its length. It is a quick read--will only take an hour or so--and in the end I wanted more. I would have been thrilled if the book contained a few more stories, but maybe/hopefully there will be more in the future. I enjoyed the stories, but everything people have said about Dumbledore's commentary is true--it really does add a lot of depth to the stories and really made this collection fun. Dumbledore's commentary is also humorous and I found myself chuckling aloud at statements such as, "A simple and heartwarming fable, one might think - in which case, one would reveal oneself to be an innocent nincompoop" (11).

I think this book would be great to read to younger audiences and I will hold on to it for when I have kiddos of my own. The stories, while not always ending in "happily ever after," do have a magical and fairy tale feel to them but they stay true to the feel of the Harry Potter books in keeping with the wizarding themes. The tales teach us lessons about being kind to others, lessons about not succumbing to foolishness, and lessons of finding happiness from within. In the end, though, I felt like Rowling teased her readers with hopes of more Harry Potter. I'd recommend this book with a little bit of reservation. Probably not for those who haven't fallen in love with the Harry Potter series, and for those who have,just keep in mind that this is a short little book that will probably leave you wanting more.

On personal note, my grandfather passed away on Sunday night. I went to Salt Lake two weekends ago to visit my grandparents and I feel lucky and blessed to have had that time with them, especially my grandpa, before he passed away. My grandpa was an amazing man and a true fighter. He had a stroke 12 years ago that left him greatly weakened and partially paralyzed. As heartbroken as I am, especially for my mom and grandma, I know that he'll finally find peace. I'll be flying back to Salt Lake at the end of the week for the funeral, so I'll be a little absent from the blogging world yet again this week.

Farworld: Water Keep - J. Scott Savage; Q and A AND Giveaway

Title: Water Keep
Author: J. Scott Savage
Date Finished: July 27, 2008 #43
Pages: 413 (ARC)
Rating: 4.5/5

After I signed up for J. Scott Savage's Farworld Blogtour I almost started to regret my decision--what happens if I don't like the book? What do I say then? Well, lucky for me (and the author), me not liking this book wasn't a problem--not even in the slightest. What a fun and exciting read!! And a breath of fresh air after finishing Tess.

This is going to be a long post--I can feel it. But keep reading to the end for the Q&A and giveaway portion of this post--where I will be giving away (OK...Scott will be giving away) a signed copy of Farworld: Water Keep!!

My Thoughts
When we think of a hero, someone who will save the world and the fate of mankind, we think of one who is strong and brave. Probably someone with some killer muscles. In Water Keep, however, we are immediately introduced to Marcus--an orphaned, wheelchair-bound thirteen-year-old who is about to get butt kicked by a bunch of school bullies. Although he miraculously escapes the bullies, he soon meets a strange man who claims to have come to the school to reunite Marcus with his parents. Something doesn't feel right about the man--something a little nightmarish; Marcus decides he doesn't trust the man or believe his story, so he tries to escape from the situation. But all of a sudden--whooosh--Marcus finds himself in an unfamiliar world. A place of his dreams--and strangely enough with a girl from his dreams. During her magic lesson, Kyja saw Marcus and his plight and brought him to Farworld. Farworld, as we learn, is the sister world of Earth.

Sounds a little crazy, I know. But Marcus and Kyja, although from different worlds, share a deep connection and destiny. A terrible force, the Dark Circle, is gaining control of Farworld, and has been since Marcus and Kyja were born thirteen years ago. As the wizard Master Therapass explains to the two children, together they must find the four elements, water, fire, land, and air, and bring them together to help create a drift between Earth and Farworld to help save the fate of both worlds.

Water Keep, the first book in the Farworld series, is the story of Marcus and Kyja's journey to seek out the water elements for the first piece of the alliance that will help save the two worlds. The story is absolutely magical--there are enchanted forests, mythical creatures and monsters, good characters and evil characters, humor, suspense, and of course the idea that magic is within us all. We simply need to find the magic inside of us to use it. And while the series has a lot of room for development, the groundwork was nicely laid in this book. I got to know a lot about Marcus and Kyja and their different insecurities (particularly Marcus and his disability and Kyja and her inability to perform magic), but Marcus and Kyja also learn a lot about themselves throughout their journeys. I really look forward to the next chapter of the series to find out what happens to Marcus and Kyja next--and whether or not they can continue to fight the Dark Circle.

Q&A with J. Scott Savage
After finishing the book (which I devoured!), I thought up a few questions to ask Scott about this book, his writing, and also the Farworld series. He was kind enough to meet me for an ice cream as we strolled down the Santa Monica boardwalk (alright--I was dying of heat in Texas and he was probably dying of heat in Utah, but a girl can wish, right??).

Trish: Just finished the book and have one immediate question--when is the next one coming out?? :)

Scott: Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. I’m hard at work on book two now.

Trish: I'm dying of heat here in Texas, so I thought we could go somewhere with an ocean breeze--maybe throw in some ice cream. So, I was thinking we could have our little Q&A session on the Santa Monica boardwalk.

Scott: I love Santa Monica. Do they ever have bad days here? It’s like, “the worst day in Santa Monica is better the best day wherever else you might be.” Not completely true. But it is a great place.

Trish: To get this started off--first and most important: what is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Scott: Definitely mint chocolate chip in either the green or white-colored variety. Although I am also very partial to chocolate-dipped soft serve vanilla cones.

Trish: Love chocolate-dipped vanilla! Although, good ole chocolate chip cookie dough is probably my favorite. Got a favorite amusement park ride? I love a good roller coaster, but nothing that spins (queasy stomach).

Scott: I am so with you. I can handle any drop. But not spinning. Not even the teacups. I really like the Tower of Terror, especially the one at Disneyworld. Now that is a drop.

Trish: Oh the Tower of Terror is a great ride--someone needs to build a Disney-park in Texas! In all seriousness onto the questions: 1. What was your inspiration for Water Keep and the Farworld series? How did the idea first come about?

Scott: I’m not sure there is one inspiration. But it’s more like lots of little pieces suddenly coming together. I’ve always like that idea that magic is all around us, we just don’t know it. Everybody has to find their own magic.

Actually, I didn’t choose to write fantasy. It chose me. I started writing this book at 2:00 AM one morning to get rid of a story that wouldn’t leave my head. I knew I couldn’t write fantasy, and yet I kept seeing these characters and hearing their dialog. I figured if I rolled out of bed and proved to myself that I couldn’t write it, the story would go away. That has actually worked for other projects in the past. But this time I found myself still writing five hours and five thousand words later. So I went with it. And I’ve actually enjoyed writing this more than anything I’ve ever written.

Trish: I think we know, now, that you can write fantasy! The story comes out as being very natural, so it's interesting that you didn't necessarily choose the genre. What are your favorite authors/books? How, if at all, did these help influence your writing?

Scott: Stephen R. Donaldson, Tolkien, and Terry Brooks were big influences from the fantasy side of things. I was just blown away by how fertile their imaginations were. Their books really typified entering another world through the pages of a book. As far as authors in general, I like a lot of authors for different reasons. I like Steinbeck’s ability to create a scene. I like Card’s ability to build worlds. I like how JK Rowling can make you care about even the most minor characters in her stories. I love Peter Straub’s amazing way with the English language. I think Stephen King is probably one of the greatest story tellers of the last two centuries. I love reading a good author and being inspired by what they do. I’m reading the Percy Jackson series right now and I love the mix of humor and action.

Trish: Marcus is an unusual hero. On page 336 he tells Kyja, "Who would choose a kid in a wheelchair to save their world?" I think we know the who (You), but why did you choose Marcus as our hero? What can we expect from Marcus as the hero of Farworld?

Scott: I really don’t feel like I choose my heroes. I know that sounds weird, but most writers will tell you they are learning about their characters right along with the reader. I know what Marcus will face in the future, but I really don’t know how he will react or what he will do until I am writing that scene.

Trish: What can your reader look forward to in the next books in the Farworld series? There was an awkward kiss at the end of Water Keep--will there be a romance between Kyja and Marcus? ;)

Scott: Well they’re only 13, so I don’t know if “romance” is the right word necessarily. But they are definitely a team. And occasionally they remember that they are boy and girl.

Trish: Kids nowaways do grow up fast, though! What was the writing process like for this book? Do you know how the series will end or are you taking it one book at a time?

Scott: I definitely know how the series will end. There are things I had to set up from book one, so it’s good SM let me commit to 5 books coming out of the gates. (Trish's note: SM=publisher Shadow Mountain)

Trish: Do you ever suffer from writer's block? What do you do to get past those moments?

Scott: Absolutely. I firmly believe that writers block is your mind’s way of telling you that something isn’t working right. Rather than trying to force my way through it, I try to look back over the story and see where I took a wrong turn.

Trish: What was one of the most frustrating parts of publishing this book? What advice can you give aspiring writers?

Scott: At one point I received a letter for Shadow Mountain stating that they would be unable to consider my novel, as I was under contract with another publisher. This was at a key point in getting my book accepted. And worst of all, I got the letter late on a Friday so I couldn’t do anything but worry all weekend. Turns out it was all a misunderstanding, but for two days I was in a serious funk. I would tell aspiring writers that if they believe in themselves, they should never give up. There are always going to be roadblocks thrown up in your way, but if you persevere you will get past them.

Trish: There are several themes in Water Keep. What would you like your readers to take away from Water Keep and the rest of the Farworld series?

Scott: My number 1 goal is to have the reader come away from reading my book with a feeling that their time was well spent. I think that has to be the goal of any writer worth his or her salt. Secondly, I want to reader to be fulfilled with the story in book one, but also to be anxious to see what happens next. As far as themes, different people are going to get different things out of the story. You may have a person who has been struggling with something in her life, who comes away with a feeling that she can accomplish what she needs to. You may have another person vows to look at the world around him in a different way. I don’t try to “insert” themes in my stories, but I do believe that any good story will create its own themes if that makes sense.

Trish: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions--knowing a little bit about the author certainly helps enhance the reading experience. And thanks for sharing a cone of virtual ice cream with me. :)

Scott: It was great! I think we need to go back for another scoop.

GIVEAWAY
While Water Keep doesn't hit the bookstores until mid-September, Scott has kindly agreed to give away a copy of the book before then to one of YOU! I will draw a winner on Wednesday August 27. All you need to do is leave me a comment here expressing your interest in being entered for the drawing. I'll enter your name twice if you mention this post and the giveaway on your blog (*please leave me the link to your post as I am going out of town next week and don't want to accidentally miss your mention). You don't need to have a blog to enter the giveaway, but you will need to leave me a way to contact you in case you are the winner. *Giveaway open to US and Canadian residents only.

Stardust - Neil Gaiman

Title: Stardust
Author: Neil Gaiman
Date Finished: June 28, 2008 #37
Pages: 333
Rating: 4.5

Yay!! I finally read a Gaiman book! I know I leave comments on y'alls blog and say--ooooh, I'm putting that on my TBR and then it seems that I don't. But I tell you--I do! And, I've recently picked up three of Gaiman's novels (the other two are American Gods and Neverwhere). I had actually hoped to read this one to hubby since we both really enjoyed the movie (read: I LOVED the movie he enjoyed the movie), but the book didn't really lend itself to being read aloud like Ender's Game did (read about our experience here). Oh well! :)

Tristran Thorn is a pretty ordinary shopboy from a small, isolated town called Wall. He lives a pretty ordinary life and, like his town, he is pretty sheltered. Along the side of the village, Wall, is in fact a wall. There is only one day in every eight years that the villagers can pass through a break in the wall to attend a market. Otherwise the gap is guarded and no one passes either way. Poor Tristran is not even allowed to go to the market during the times when the villagers are allowed--instead he is sent away to visit family. Despite all of this, though, there is something a titch different or strange about Tristran--something deep down inside.

One night, when poor Tristran Thorn is attempting to woo the beautiful Victoria--who finds Tristran unbearably ordinary--he sees a falling star and promises to bring the star back to Victoria. She agrees to give him anything he would like if he succeeds. She doesn't believe Tristran's scheme, however, but everyone is shocked when Tristran packs his bags to embark upon his pursuit of the fallen star. Thus begins Tristrans magical journey on the other side of the wall.

I don't want to go into too much detail about the book and its events (because you've either read the book or seen the movie and if you haven't you need to NOW). But, there is a witch seeking youth, a woman enslaved as a beautiful blue bird, seven princes who will stop at nothing to gain their father's crown, a flying ship--did I leave anything out? Oh ya. A very cranky Star (Yvaine). When Yvaine wonders why Tristain is dragging her to meet his love:

'"So, having found a lady, could you not have come to her aid, or left her alone? Why drag her into your foolishness?' 'Love,' he explained. She looked at him with eyes the blue of the sky. 'I hope you choke on it,' she said, flatly" (145).

I laughed out loud, I smiled with my heart, I felt waves of romance and pangs of sorrow. This book was magical from the very first page all the way until the end. I have to admit that I was not swept away with Gaiman's writing as I expected to be, but I was certainly swept away with the story (honestly, I could have easily had another 100 pages of this story--my complaint is mostly that it is too short!!). It is a very sarcastic and satirical fairy tale (and I was thrilled to get the Color of Magic reference--although I'm sure there are others I missed), but Stardust is also everything I expect from a true love story. Why oh why did I let myself miss out on fantasy for so long?

There are a few differences between the movie and the book, of course, but there were parts of the movie that I loved which are not in the book (mostly Robert De Niro's character who only appears briefly in the book and some of the ending is written much differently). I guess that happens and I find myself more and more either not wanting to read the book after I've seen the movie or watch the movie after I've read the book. I can't do either Stardust the book or the movie justice with my mindless rambling--so discover it for yourself. This one is a fantastic story that I hope to revisit again and again.

They read it, too:
Mrs. S at 50 Book Challenge; Valentina's Room; Unfinished Person or Just a Reading Fool; Dewey from Hidden Side of a Leaf; Kim from Big.Blue.Adventure; Bookfool from Bookfoolery and Babble; Raidergirl at An Adventure in Reading; Stephanie from Confessions of a Bookaholic;
Marg from Reading Adventures; Joanna from Lost in a Good Story; Bart's Bookshelf
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On a Side Note:

I'm going to Argentina until next Thursday, so I won't be around bloghopping (and I'm already so far behind). I hope everyone has a great week!

Wicked - Gregory Maguire

Title: Wicked
Author: Gregory Maguire
Date Finished: May 12, 2008
Yearly Count: 25
Pages: 406
Rating: 4/5

"One never learns how the witch became wicked, or whether that was the right choice for her--is it ever the right choice? Does the devil ever struggle to be good again, or if so is he not a devil? Is it at the very least a question about definitions" (231).

I must have seen the movie The Wizard of Oz a million times when I was little and I've read the book once or twice, but how do you ever really know a story unless you hear both sides? This story tells the tale of the Wicked Witch of the West, most commonly known in the book as Elphaba, and how she began the legend that she is.

Born a bright green girl she led a curious childhood and even more curious adolescence as a smart, witty, and deeply understood girl. Elphaba is passionate about Animals and determining what makes someone human, but more important to this story, what makes someone evil or good. Is evilness inherent or is it something that develops? Can someone who is evil become good, or visa versa? These things she seeks to learn as she grows up in the Land of Oz where the country is ruled by a tyrant Wizard.

Wicked is a type of bildungsroman, following Elphaba through her school years at Shiz, her time as a covert spy in Emerald City, and her years in recluse at the castle in Kiamo Ko. The story is very different from what I expected--I think I expected this to be a type of children's book, but it isn't. There is a little bit of language and sexual content, but mostly it contains deep adult themes such as politics, ethics, love, forgiveness, and what it means to have a soul.

Maguire weaves a beautiful story, and I grew to love Elphaba even as she matured into a tortured woman. He does a great job of developing her character, but the final encounter with Dorothy was still a little awkward for me--most of the story was believable, but somehow the ending seemed forced. My only other qualm with the book is there is so much left out and left up for the reader to interpret--such as Elphaba's mysterious childhood in Quadling before going to school in Shiz, her time in Emerald City when she is on a secret mission, and of course I wanted more of the love affair between her and Fiyero. I guess if all of that was included the story could be a thousand pages long. But overall, I heartily enjoyed this story and my next step is to purchase the Wicked soundtrack since the play won't be coming back to Texas until next year (and even then it will be a five hour drive to see it in San Antonio).

*I was hoping to use my Google Reader to find other's reviews, but it didn't work as nicely as it did for The Innocent Man. If you've reviewed it, leave me a little note with your link and I'll include it. I did, however, manage to find Nymeth's review.

Jeane also reviewed this book here.

Happy reading!

The Color of Magic - Terry Pratchett

Title: The Color of Magic
Author: Terry Pratchett
Date Finished: April 29, 2008
Yearly Count: 23
Pages: 210
Rating: 4.5/5

WHAT????? I am so glad that Nymeth warmed me about the cliffhanger ending, otherwise I think I would be in a state of shock right now. I picked up this book for the Once Upon a Time Challenge without knowing very much about the author or the Discworld series other than what I've heard from Nymeth, but I'm certainly glad I did. I loved the wild ride this book took me on and will have to rush out to the bookstore to get the sequel, The Light Fantastic (plus any other Discworld books I can find!).

This short novel follows the travels of Rincewind, a failed wizard, and Twoflower, a foreign tourist--two unlikely companions--after they are forced to leave the burning city of Ankh-Morpork. I wish I could explain the plot, but I'm at a loss for words. They encounter dragons that only kinda exist; a woman who is trying to kill her brothers so that she can rule Wyrmberg, an upside-down mountain; the edge of Discworld where a troll made mostly of water captures them; they are continually cheating Death who by the way has a great sense of humor. This is only a place that could exist if gods are playing the characters as pawns on a giant gameboard--wait! that does happen.

Sounds very strange--and not very much up my alley, but I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud--a lot, but I also did a lot of thinking. I'm certain that if I read this one again I would pick up on so much more. I have always really enjoyed satirical works--Gulliver's Travels being one of my favorites--so I felt right at home with Pratchett's sense of humor and social commentary. I realize that I'm doing a poor job of explaining this book, but how does one adequately describe a world that is shaped like a disc which sits on top of four giant elephants who rotate in a circle around the shell of a giant turtle floating through space. :)

Did I love every part of the book? The chapters were long. Groan. In seriousness, at times I found it difficult to follow the plot. The scenes rapidly change and I had to retrace bits to find what I missed. There were several parts that flew right over my head, such as a strange otherworldly experience when Rincewind and Twoflower find themselves momentarily in an airplane? It took some time to get used to the occassional disjointedness, but it did require a little rereading and close reading on my part.

Would I recommend it? Let's put it this way--hubby saw me laughing out loud; I read him some of the bits and pieces I thought were too funny to be left alone (namely the bit about "inn-sewer-ants"--my profession and hubby's family's profession). When I finished the book with a giant smirk on my face, he proclaimed that we should pick up the follow-up book so that he can read both. And hubby doesn't read [and generally does not encourage my book-buying habit]. Bottom Line: It's a fun book, but it certainly isn't as light as it seems.