Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

Equal Rites is the 3rd installment in the Discworld series. This one introduces us to all new characters, and a few new places on the Disc. This book takes us to the town of Bad Ass and tells the story of Esk, the first girl wizard. It starts when a dying wizard went searching for the 8th son of an 8th son to pass his wizardy powers to, but found a little too late that Esk wasn't a son after all. It's well known that women are never wizards and, likewise, men are never witches. So the town witch, Granny Weatherwax, tries to raise Esk and help train her to be a witch, while never letting on that Esk is supposed to be a wizard. Eventually Esk discovers that she's a wizard, and Granny realizes she can't help Esk alone. So they make the journey from Bad Ass to Ankh-Morpork and Unseen University(which we heard about in the first 2 books). And we get to enjoy reading about all the fun that crops up when a girl goes against the wizard lore to try and be the first female wizard.

As usual Pratchett is funny and entertaining. I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to book 4, Mort.

What's So Great About the Doctrines of Grace? by Richard D Phillips

My first non-fiction of the year and a very good choice indeed. In this book, Mr. Phillips goes through the 5 steps of the grace doctrines that create the anagram TULIP: Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of the saints. For anyone who is interested in learning more about the doctrines of grace and Calvanism, I suggest this book. It breaks it down in an easy to understand way that I haven't really experienced before. I thought this was a very eye opening book and highly suggest it to anyone. At less then 100 pages, it won't even take that much of your time. (Unless you're like me and you slowly poured over it, asking questions and going to scripture.)

So in conclusion, you really should read this book.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

The Penelopiad is a less then 200 page novella that tells the story of Penelope and Odysseus from Penelope's perspective. This mythological story is often told, most well known by Homer, but not from her perspective. Therefore, this book isn't as epic, with the details not being focused on the cyclops or the sirens or any of the other exciting adventures. If you have any interest in mythology, then you'll enjoy this book. Even if you don't, you may like it too. It was a quick, easy read and just feels like a recanting of histories that's enjoyable to learn about. It's written from a first person perspective, and Atwood does a really good job of taking on Penelope's voice and making you see and hear Penelope's tale.

It starts at the begining of her life, where you learn of her father's attempt to murder her, and her mother's never being there as she was a naiad. And of course she speaks of her cousin Helen, as she's the reason that Odysseus is dragged off to war in the first place, therefore leaving Penelope on her own to run Ithaca for 25 some odd years. And of course, the whole culmination leads to the return of Odysseus and the slaughter that ensues. So really, if you like mythology, give this a go. It's easy enough to get through, that even if you end up not liking it, it wasn't really a waste of time. I enjoyed it, but I'm not blown away either. If not for Atwood's amazing talent, I don't know that I would have liked it as much. She really is an amazing story teller.

Next up, Equal Rites, book 3 in the Discworld series, by Terry Pratchett.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

I finished Oryx and Crake a couple of days ago, but thanks to demanding kids and other hobbies, I was unable to post right away. As will be the case with just about every book I post about. Anyways, the book was great. Atwood knows how to weave a wonderful post-apocalyptic yarn that keeps you wanting to read. I was actually not ready for it to be over. Which left me feeling a slight disappointment. Which led me to wondering if I just wanted more or if the ending was less then desirable. Either way, I loved it.

Here's the basic rundown. The world as we know it is no more. The main character, Snowman(AKA Jimmy), is the last human being on earth. It's his tale of survival and his memories with Oryx(his love) and Crake (his best friend) that weave the story of how humanity came to it's ugly end. It's thought provoking, gripping, and slightly disturbing. Definitely not a light, breezy read. Definitely worth your time!

I'm still not done with The Doctrines of Grace book. That's one I'm pouring over slowly. The next fiction novel on my plate is The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

The 2nd book in Terry Pratchett's Discworld series is fantastic. Once again we join the trio, Rinsewind, Twoflowers, and Luggage, on their adventures on the Disc. This time around, our trio is increased to a quintuplet with the addition of the old, but still rugged Cohen the barbarian- the Discs greatest hero, and the virgin druid maiden, Bethan. This book takes us through the adventures that happen as this ragtag bunch tries to save the Discworld from pending doom as a giant red star appears in the path that the Great A'tuin is traveling, and the funny and touching relationships that evolve from it as well. This book is equally, if not more, exciting and enjoyable as the first. I am very excited to continue on in the series and can't wait to see what else Pratchett throws into the mix!

Next on the reading list, Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood and What's So Great About the Doctrines of Grace? by Richard D. Phillips.

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett.

Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage into Discworld was a fun, entertaining romp. To sum it up, it's about a failed wizard named Rincewind and the adventures that happen when he meets the first tourist to the Discworld, Twoflowers. Twoflowers is a bit bumbling and seems to be a magnet for trouble. Rincewind is pretty much a coward and is promptly thrust into many uncomfortable situations upon being hired by Twoflowers as his guide around the Disc. Everything from hired hit-men, to angry trolls, to dragons, talking swords, and aggressive luggage. All of this happens on a disc that's resting on the backs of 4 gargantuan elephants, who are riding on the back of a giant sea turtle, and under the watchful eyes of many game-playing gods.

It's funny, exciting, and wildly entertaining. I suggest this book for anyone who likes to read lighthearted books full of magic and dry humor. Even though this is a light read, there is plenty to compute. Pratchett's world has many philosophical topics woven throughout. Some Christians may find offense in the things Mr. Pratchett says, but keep in mind it's just a fictitious story.

I loved the book and am very excited to be starting the 2nd book in the series, The Light Fantastic.

Boldly going where many readers have gone before!

So I've made my resolutions for this new year and one of them is to keep a book blog. I read so much and never keep track. My husband is irritated constantly by the amount of rambling I do about my most recent book conquests. And I am always looking to share my love for books with others. So what's a more convenient way to track, babble about, and share my book adventures, then a blog?

I ended 2009 by reading Graceling by Kristin Cashore, A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris, and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I'll just give a quick run down of my thoughts on them, sans book description, since these were last years reads.

Graceling was a good read. One of those books that gets better the longer you read. It's something I would suggest for the not-so-serious-reader and the reader who just can't get enough to read. While guys MIGHT dig it, I consider it to be more "chick-lit". It wouldn't have been nearly as appealing if not for the great little romance story woven in it. And speaking of the romance, what made it good was that was just a thread in a much fuller story. Unlike other YA books of the time, where it's all about the romance and the story itself doesn't start until half way through the book.

A Touch of Dead was a disappointing collections of short stories from the world of Sookie Stackhouse. Granted, Mrs. Harris does give a disclaimer that short stories are not her strong point. I read the whole book in a few hours, and while I enjoyed the time spent with the book, it was just a disappointment that it went by so quickly and didn't give me enough of all the things I've come to love about Sookie and her world. So unless you've read everything there is about Sookie and you need something to hold you over until the release of the next book in the series, then pass this one up.

Now The Graveyard Book was fabulous. It was everything I love about Gaiman's story telling. (Just a heads up. I love Neil Gaiman and think that everything he does is gold.) It was exciting, addicting, and the characters were likable. If you want something to read that isn't too long, is easy to get through, and is highly entertaining. Then get your hands on this one.

My first book for the year is The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. The first book in the huge Discworld series. I have the first several books and am hoping to read all 30some-odd books this year. I really enjoy Mr. Pratchett's writing and humor and am so far enjoying the book. I'm almost done, so the next post to this blog will be my summation and opinion of The Colour of Magic.

So to no one in particular (and probably, most likely, to no one at all) I hope you can find at least one good thing to read with me this year. Comment with your own opinions and suggest your own reads! Thanks for stopping by and hope to see you around!