I’m reading Terry Pratchett’s Snuff and finding myself being drawn deeper and deeper into the story. It’s been a long time since I actually held a paper book and read with my eyes open; these days I prefer to listen to someone reading to me, usually people with great voices that make the characters come alive, and I can rest my eyes all the while. My friend pushed the Pratchett upon me. I’ve had it for ages, and the fact that she mentioned it the other day means that I’d better get it read. It’s great, and a very adult story which feels real world and not fantasy makes it very different from his other works.
The shelves are stuffed with possibilities but my sleeping patterns are so bad at the moment that I can’t always trust that my eyes will be able to keep up. I want to read all my book, and every week I add at least one to the collection from the charity shop when I pop into Alexandria. There are favourite authors and referred books, all waiting for me to pay them some attention. New writers (to me) caught my eye and thought they were going to be introduced to a lovely and enthusiastic reader, languish, as yet unread.
Choice is my middle name. Imagine the horror of not having anything to read! Talking on the phone the other day to a friend who is ill, I was amazed when she said that she had nothing to read. So I searched my shelves and found three books that she might enjoy (we have very different reading tastes) and posted them down to her. My book shelves are better stocked than my cupboards or freezer and I like to have the world at my fingertips.
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I finished Snuff in two days. Very glad I read it. It’s interesting how much Pratchett’s writing is changing just at the end of his career. That might be because of the Alzheimer’s, he’s writing with someone else and they are tightening his prose and keeping it more realistic – well as far as reality goes in a world sitting on top of elephants on the back of a giant turtle floating through space!
In my ears I have the second book following The Game of Thrones. It’s full of wonderful voices and great stories of struggle and strife for power. But, I am also reading paper again – still testing to see which one will grab my full attention.
Irene Cunningham Inside-out 
I love Pratchett, mainly because the books are so fun. i came across this interview with him the other day: http://culturenotebook.wordpress.com/2012/04/06/interview-with-sir-terry-pratchett/
so good.
Also I’m so excited to get into the Game of Thrones series!!
Thanks for the link, psharma. Great interview, and he sounds as if he will be going on for quite some time! So I’ll be looking forward to the next book…and the one after that 🙂
I love him. He seems like such a fighter.
Have you ever read Terry Patchett’s young adult novel ‘Johnny and the Dead’? It is so funny, I was in pain laughing.
I’m watching ‘Game of Thrones’ (Series 2) on telly. Some people have said George R.R. Martin’s novels are hard work to read and his style rather dry. I don’t know, as I haven’t tried. Must give him a go.
Hi Sarah. I can’t remember if I read that – I’ve read loads of his stuff over the years. I think the biggest problem with Martin’s work is the huge cast of characters. All those names and titles and descriptions are mind-boggling – it’s an editor’s dream! No wonder the story has to be split into five or six books. But I’m kind of hooked now so will continue 🙂