Making Money
The second Moist von Lipwig book is a very entertaining romp. Not as powerful or as moving as the very top echelon of Pratchett's work can be, but very much worth a read.
Previously reviewed in 2007 and 2009. This re-read was prompted by a showing of the Sky production of Going Postal over xmas. It's probably the best of all the Discworld adaptations so far, with the performance by Claire Foy as Adora Belle Dearheart a particular standout.
Agent ToThe Stars
Scalzi's first novel (written first, published later) is a fun romp set in Hollywood. Drawing on his experiences as a film critic and insider knowledge of the film business to tell the story of a showbiz agent who becomes the representative for visiting aliens.
It's funny in the same sort of way as The Android's Dream and at the same time has brilliant, genuinely SFnal, aliens. While being utterly different it kind of reminds me of Pratchett in that it uses humour as a foundation in order to philosophically explore real issues with a light touch.
Totally recommended if you're looking for a fun, pacy bit of science fiction.
See here for my original review
Snuff
The latest Discworld novel finds us once again in the company of Pratchett's greatest character - Sam Vimes.
Snuff finds Vimes rather reluctantly on holiday with his wife and son at her country estate. Of course, being the true copper that he is, Sam finds himself in the middle of a mystery.
What makes Pratchett great, of course, is his ability to capture the complexities and messiness of being human and part of the greater animal that is society.
His clear eyed humanism is a treasure we should cherish.
Snuff starts slowly and doesn't spark into life until Vimes relaxes into his inquiry and feels like he's on familiar ground. The main body of the story is typical Pratchett, beautifully told and utterly involving. However the ending is weirdly muddled, with uneven pacing and too many things left off screen and just related to the reader.
As I always say when reviewing Sir Terry - if you haven't read his stuff please do; they are more than worth your time.
This isn't recommended as a place to start, though. Read a few more of the Vimes books, starting with the first perhaps (Guards! Guards!), and you'll be ready to come back and enjoy this one.
How To Leave Twitter
Grace Dent is a columnist for the Guardian. She took over from Charlie Brooker as one of their TV critics. She's a very funny person and also happens to be utterly addicted to Twitter.
This book is a light hearted look at the whole twitter phenomenon and user experience.
There's not much to say about it other than Dent really does know what she's talking about here. However to be honest, unless you're in the market for a mildly funny book about twitter and happen to like Grace Dent's style, there's not much about this book that's going to appeal to you.
The Hell Of It All
This is the third volume of Brooker's collected Guardian columns.
I'm very much a fan of his sense of humour and I thoroughly enjoy his work.
I was already familiar with about a quarter of the book as I'd read the columns as they appeared on The Guardian's website.
A couple of the pieces in this book are among the best things he's ever written, and yet, it also has some of the bleakest which can be disquieting among his firework displays of invective.
I'm happy to recommend this (and Brooker's other collections, particularly if you come from a vaguely lefty, media obsessed and net savvy background.
Wyrd Sisters
This, the 5th Discworld book, is the first where Pratchett really finds the style and tone that he would use for the majority of the rest of the series.
A brilliant parody of Shakespeare, Witch stories and fantasy in general it also happens to be the first book in the Witches sub-series (Granny Weatherwax appears earlier in Equal Rites but that's more of a standalone DW book).
If you've never read it before I very highly recommend it.
It's a great wee book that I've knocked down the score of because there are better Pratchett books out there now and I'm way too familiar with the book now and have rung much of the humour out it - even though I've not read it in at least 7 years.
Agent To The Stars
What if, instead of making first contact by arriving on the White House lawn and demanding to see the President, friendly TV-informed aliens decide they need a Hollywood agent to boost their image before they make proper contact.
A very readable and enjoyable book from Scalzi. It doesn't quite hit the heights he reached later but still well worth reading.
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