kgbooklog

Terry Pratchett, Nation
Harper (2008) ISBN: 978-0-06-143301-6
Score: 3

A stand alone novel about a young sheltered princess and a boy who is the only member of his tribe to survive the tidal wave that shipwrecked her. This is set on a parallel Earth rather than Discworld, and while I can see the author's reasons for doing so, it didn't seem to work quite right; he seemed to want to say something about the meaning and importance of nations and religions but the fantasy elements (which only affect a couple characters) undermined that somewhat, and he seemed to chicken out on challenging customs concerning gender roles and education of children (the epilogue made me wonder if any of the characters learned anything). Still an enjoyable read; it's just when you stop to think about what it's trying to say that things start falling apart.

Next book: Jim Butcher, Princeps' Fury

Terry Pratchett, Making Money
Harper (2007) ISBN: 978-0-06-116164-3
Score: 4

A direct sequel to Going Postal, the post office is running well enough that Moist von Lipwig is getting bored just in time for someone to offer him a job running the mint. I think Pratchett has finally peaked as a writer and is starting to get a tad predictable; this book is exactly the sort of thing you'd expect from him.

Next Book: Keri Arthur, Tempting Evil

Terry Pratchett, Wintersmith
Harper Tempest (2006) ISBN: 0-06-089031-2
Score: 5

The third Discworld book about Tiffany Aching, in which she accidentally dances the part of Summer, attracting the attention of Winter, who falls in love with her. A typical Pratchett book.

Next Book: Lemony Snicket, The End

Terry Pratchett, Where's My Cow?
Harper Collins (2005) ISBN: 0060872675
Score: -1

If you've read Thud!, you're probably imagining a better book than this is. It does include the pages for the animals that were only mentioned in the novel (but no additional animals), and the full Vimes street version (Foul Ol' Ron, Coffin Henry, Dibbler, Detritus, Vetinari, and Vimes) and what you should do when you lose livestock, and that new material is balanced by inconsistencies with the novel. I don't see why they felt a need to publish this instead of just adding a couple paragraphs to the novel.

Next Book: Jasper Fforde, The Big Over Easy

Terry Pratchett, Thud!
Harper Collins (2005) ISBN-10: 0-06-081522-1
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-81522-6 (I guess they're running low on numbers...)
Score: 5

Another Discworld novel (#30 maybe?) in the City Watch sub-series, so it'd be good to read Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, and Fifth Elephant first to introduce significant watchmen and dwarf politics. Because it's that time of year again, time to remember the Battle of Koom Valley. A good, solid Discworld book full of murder, politics, racism, naked women, etc. Also features a picture book Where's My Cow? (to be published separately), and eventually reveals the truth about the original Battle of Koom Valley. I liked it a little less than Going Postal and a little better than Night Watch, and I would have liked it better without the supernatural villain (since there were sufficient mundane ones (I had the same complaint about Amazing Maurice)); but I don't regret pre-ordering it in hardcover.