Continuing to reread these. This one was fine? Mostly I thought there were too many new characters and too many plotlines. There are four major plotliContinuing to reread these. This one was fine? Mostly I thought there were too many new characters and too many plotlines. There are four major plotlines interweaving through this, and I think one should have been cut. And I think that one should have been Dryditch fever at Redwall, given it's entire lack of connection to the other three plotlines (which at least converged at the end). Also, because the narrative jumped around so much, I don't know that you spend enough time with any one group of characters to get that invested, particularly in the case of a plotline centred around the outbreak of a deadly illness. I mean, sure there's some tension, but it's hard to get too worked up about how ill ny given character is if you've only spent half a dozen pages with them (at most), none of them particuarly significant.
Basically, entertaining enough, but I think the balance is off in this one....more
3 stars, mainly because these are rereads, and the other two I've reread, I remembered quite a lot of. This one, I apprently only remembered one of th3 stars, mainly because these are rereads, and the other two I've reread, I remembered quite a lot of. This one, I apprently only remembered one of the plotlines, and it wasn't Mariel's. (Mainly I remembered Redwall Abbey under siege and the hares.) The rest of it came back to me as I went, and I enjoyed it, but not a favourite in the series....more
So, I reread this one too. In fact, I almost started the reread with this one. It's always been a favourite. I just feel like this is the origin storySo, I reread this one too. In fact, I almost started the reread with this one. It's always been a favourite. I just feel like this is the origin story of so much of the series, and it's such a fun mix of a quest sub-plot, and the underdogs fighting a tyrant.
5 stars, because it's always been a favourite. And because these books seem to be helping me out of a reading slump (though I may skip Mattimeo if I keep going, because it was never a favourite.)...more
I've read this before and it's more or less as I remember it. I don't like it as well as Howl's Moving Castle, but it is fun.
Charmaine is an interestI've read this before and it's more or less as I remember it. I don't like it as well as Howl's Moving Castle, but it is fun.
Charmaine is an interesting heroine, in that she isn't perfect. She's bossy and easily annoyed, and really spends most of this book frustrated at various people. I enjoy her relationship with the absentminded king. I also like the idea of the House of Many Ways, and the missing castle gold.
Mostly though, I think this book suffers from not being as carefully plotted as Howl's Moving Castle. The ending feels a bit abrupt (though I understand part of this is likely due to the age group it's targeted for). I also think one too many plot points are resolved by Calcifer essentially showing up and fixing things.
I also wish Sophie had a more active role, rather than simply chasing after Twinkle. (view spoiler)[And this may be an unpopular opinion, but I find Howl-disguised-as-Twinkle entirely obnoxious, with very little to redeem him, unlike his charming-slither-outerer personality of the earlier book. Perhaps because the reader seems him get to do more, not to mention a more active Sophie is a better foil. In this one, a lot of his actions seem to be deliberately done just to annoy, which I'm less fond of. (hide spoiler)]
I read this as a teenager, when I read a handful of Mary Stewart novels. I remember liking it at the time, but it... did not really stand up. It's posI read this as a teenager, when I read a handful of Mary Stewart novels. I remember liking it at the time, but it... did not really stand up. It's possible I read another novel, except that I have a fairly strong memory of the secret cabinet. It actually took me months to get through. Admittedly, my memory of the start is a bit hazy, but my overall impression is that nothing happens. The overall dramatic plot twist is telegraphed very early. And there's not enough to hold my interest. I mean, the prose itself is lovely. I'll give it that. The prose itself is the reason for the rounding up to three stars, that and possibly nostalgia?
But Beth, if you're curious, the answer to the question of how I'd feel about this book 15+ years later is fairly blah. I'm now wondering if I should read some of the better Mary Stewart novels, the ones I didn't read as a teenager. My mother seems to own them all, and unlike this one, she hasn't yet given away her copies (I checked the shelves today since I'm home, and the book was conspicuously absent.)...more
For some reason, I was never quite in the mood for this.It's a reread (the last of the Discworld rereads as I pick my way through my complete readthroFor some reason, I was never quite in the mood for this.It's a reread (the last of the Discworld rereads as I pick my way through my complete readthrough, actually). I don't know why. The Nac Mac Feagle are hilarious. The witches are their usual selves. Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax continue to be a hilarious double act, and are particularly wonderful in their capacity as mentors. I adore You, Granny's cat. And Petulia is still my favourite. I love that Tiffany can get all the young witches in the coven to do things if Petulia agrees. Because in the end, for all that Tiffany and Anagramma are the presonalities, Petulia is secretly the glue. I even liked Roland quite a bit in this one, and Tiffany herself is a great character. In the end, I don't know why I struggled so with this, this read-through. But it took me at least a month to make my way through it. Once I got to the halfway mark, it got faster. Might have been mostly mood. Also, at times, especially at the start, it felt a little too... I don't know, neat, planned, self-aware..., something.
Still, objectively, quite a good book. But on the other hand, I remembered literally nothing of the plot (unlike the other Tiffany Aching books)....more
Not changing my rating, but I think I was less into this one on reread.
I liked it, obviously. And I did enjoy Sebastian essentially mentori2020 reread
Not changing my rating, but I think I was less into this one on reread.
I liked it, obviously. And I did enjoy Sebastian essentially mentoring the local squire in crime-solving. I also liked that Hero was more active in this one. And the whole meeting Jamie Knox's family sub-plot was reasonably well-done.
I do stand by my original feeling that there are too many characters in this one, or perhaps too many new characters. I had a bit of trouble following the mystery - it just wasn't really holding my interest. I like a lot of the other details, but this one didn't quite land for me on this reread.
2018
Super into this one. I wasn't sure how I would feel about a mystery set outside of London, but in the end I was pretty into it. Hero and Sebastian are delightful in this one. Their partnership is excellent. And given that at this point Gibson's main plot contribution is about how addicted to opium he is, I was okay with taking a break from that subplot for a book. (Look, I get what that subplot is trying to do, I just feel like it's been stuck in exactly the same place for three-ish books now, and it's getting to the point where I either want it to go away, or I want it to start moving in some direction or other. I'd say it's exactly how I felt about the Kat sub-plot, except I pretty much always just wanted that to go away.)
The one problem with this might have been too many characters. At one point I was getting them confused. Of course, that may have been partly due to the speed at which I read it....more
Slowly continuing the Pratchett read-through. This one is another re-read, but not one that I'd read in many years. The Tiffany Aching universe is preSlowly continuing the Pratchett read-through. This one is another re-read, but not one that I'd read in many years. The Tiffany Aching universe is pretty great. I'm really liking the element of Granny Weatherwax essentially mentoring someone who *could* be her successor, in a way.
This isn't as good as The Wee Free Men, which isn't so much a criticism as a statement, because TWFM is pretty brilliant. Also, I remembered almost nothing about the plot of this book between now and when I first read it. That said, the Nac Mac Feegle themselves might be a case of comedic genius. I love them so. They are so consistently hilarious.
There's also a lot of subtlety in this book, mostly around Jeannie, the new Kelda. Her scenes with Rob Anybody are pretty genius.
I also really enjoy Miss Level (her particular condition is one of the few details about this book I remembered). And Petulia is definitely my favourite, and the type of character that I feel like TP learned to write particularly well. I feel like he's been learning how to do it, since he started with Magrat (there are multiple others who have elements of Petulia, Lady Sibyl being one).
But yeah, this is a very enjoyable sub-universe, and one that seems to really take advantage of what TP has learned and the skills he's developed over the course of the broader Discworld series.
P.S. The glossary of Nac Mac Feegle terms at the start of the book is a joy....more
I was in the mood for something light and fun this week, so I reread this. I continue to adore this book. The world is great, the character2021 reread
I was in the mood for something light and fun this week, so I reread this. I continue to adore this book. The world is great, the characters are engaging and really well done, and I love the idea of the moving castle. Just what I was in the mood for this week.
2017 reread
Felt like rereading this last night, so I did. It's really, really charming. I just think this is such a well-crafted story. I genuinely love everything about it.
2017 Book Challenge - A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile...more
Somehow these have become my no-stress reading. It seems reasonable to me. Ignoring the murder plots themselves, it's really striking m2019 Reread #2
Somehow these have become my no-stress reading. It seems reasonable to me. Ignoring the murder plots themselves, it's really striking me on this reread how very much Strong Poison is Peter's book, and how it's really all about him falling in love with Harriet and how it affects him. It's less about her. (His strolling into jail and promptly proposing is a case in point, as is how obvious it is to everyone around him that he's been profoundly affected.)
I bring it up, because I think this book is Harriet's book in much the same way. She gets to be on far more of an equal footing in this (i.e. she's not being convicted of murder and entirely beholden to him). And while this book doesn't show Harriet developing feelings for Lord Peter (well, perhaps a bit), it does do a fairly good job of showing her becoming, well, accustomed to having him around. We do get to watch her enjoying his company (even as she's determined not to). I particularly enjoyed on this reread the sense of how well they work together at solving the case, particularly in terms of the actually detecting, and how their minds complement each other. Also, enjoy that while his instinct is definitely to go to her when he believes her to be in trouble, hers is to do likewise. Peter is one of the few people in this that she trusts.
Also, when they're walking along the beach in parallel looking for clues. Peter: Oy! Harriet: Hullo! Peter: I just wanted to ask whether you'd given any further thought to that suggestion about marrying me. Harriet (sarcastically): I suppose you were thinking how delightful it would be to go through life like this together? Peter: Well, not quite like this. Hand in hand was more my idea. Harriet: What is that in your hand? Peter: A dead starfish. Harriet: Poor fish! Peter: No ill-feeling, I trust. Harriet: Oh, dear no.
And as always, the fight is excellent.
2019 Reread
Continue to prefer this one to Strong Poison, mostly because Peter and Harriet can interact in less constrained circumstances. Also there is more Bunter. These are also good reading on the train.
2019 Reading Challenge - A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover
2017 Reread I may have liked this one better than Strong Poison this time around. That may mostly be due to the fight (which is still spectacular), but I also find that I enjoy Harriet as narrator, and as fellow semi-sleuth, and I enjoy she and Peter detecting together (off and on). Also, there is dancing.
2016 Reread 4.5 stars, but I'm rounding up. Been reading this one off and on for the last few weeks.
I do really like this one. I think I just like how everything is random and really complicated, and nothing makes sense. I like the ever-more complicated theories to try and make sense of the facts. I particularly like the moment where Harriet points out that everyone's theories are terrible, for that reason. No one would do the things that needed to be done to make the facts (as they stand at any given point in time) work.
And I obviously love the Lord Peter/Harriet interactions. Especially the fight....more
This is a solid mystery novel, very detailed, very well planned, but it didn't work particularly well for me this time around. I like the idea behind This is a solid mystery novel, very detailed, very well planned, but it didn't work particularly well for me this time around. I like the idea behind the book - a man who is fairly universally disliked is murdered, and six people have more or less equally terrible alibis. But something in the execution falls a bit flat. Perhaps it's the reread, but I suspect it's due to a combination of other factors, notably:
1. There's very little Lord Peter being, well, Lord Peter (for lack of a better description). With the exception of the reconstruction of the crime at the end, there's very little fun in the detecting in this one. It's heavy on the detail, and the planning, but light on, well, for lack of a better term, the heart. I missed Lord Peter cavorting around being vaguely charming.
2. Related to the lack of charm, the character interactions in this one are lacking. Lord Peter is on vacation, which has the effect of distancing himself from essentially all familiar characters. Parker pops up a couple of times, but it's hardly a major role. And Lord Peter's dynamic with the plethora of Scottish detectives is not the same. Bunter is there, especially in the first half, but he more or less disappears for the entire second half of the novel. More Bunter would have definitely been a help. But there is also no Dowager Duchess, no Lady Mary, no mention of Harriet (for obvious reasons), there's not even the Right Honourable Freddy. Even an appearance by the Duke of Denver or his wife would have been interesting. But no, it's just Lord Peter and a pack of strangers, which is less effective.
3. The problem with having six equally plausible suspects that are all artists, and all hate the victim is that they become interchangeable, and it's hard to keep them straight. Particularly if you read this book in fits and starts (which I did). Ditto the plethora of Scottish investigators.
4. The Scots dialect... I'm always of two minds when I see dialects written out. I was fine with this for a while, but then I kind of wished there was less of it.
5. The sheer amount of detail required gives this a clinical quality. Beth described it as "the one with all the train schedules," which I didn't remember, and didn't notice the first readthrough. But this time around, when I was already less engaged, the constant rehashing of the timeline, in an attempt to pin down everyone's movements got more than a little tiresome. It's very intricately planned, which I can objectively admire, but impressive planning is not quite enough to sustain my interest in 350+ pages of detecting.
6. The whole time I mostly just wanted to be rereading "Have his Carcase" for Harriet-related reasons. But that one is next, so, win?
To sum up: Objectively solid from a mystery plot perspective, perhaps less so from a character-driven perspective....more
Was in the mood for some re-reading this holiday season. What struck me about this one is that it's still very case-focused. While Pete2019 Reread #2
Was in the mood for some re-reading this holiday season. What struck me about this one is that it's still very case-focused. While Peter and Harriet do interact fairly frequently, most of the focus is still on the case, particularly in the second half.
Also, Miss Climpson is clearly the heroine.
2019 Reread
And I have again reread the Peter/Harriet arc in the New Year. And as the New Year was less than ideal in many ways, it was nice to have an old friend to revisit. Ending is still one of the strongest parts. And I very much enjoy the Miss Climpson section.
2019 Reading Challenge - A book with a two word title (there's a reason I knock out about half of these in the first three months of the year - some of the categories are always ridiculously broad)
2017 Reread
Found I was in the mood to reread these over the holidays (by which I mean, I felt like rereading Gaudy Night, and then decided to just reread the Peter/Harriet arc).
Peter and Harriet are sort of relaxing for me, in a way. On this reread, I particularly enjoyed how everyone else reacts to Peter in love, mostly because quite a few people notice, despite his best efforts. And I continue to really enjoy the ending.
2016 Reread Skipping over The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club because I have reread it fairly recently (i.e. about a year ago), and it's not one of my favourites. Besides, I think after the Gaudy Night reread/Busman's Honeymoon read, what I really wanted to do is read the Harriet books. This is helped by the fact that I apparently don't own the short story compilations (worth reading?).
This one is really quite solid. And I was pleased to notice that Peter's original proposal was much less creepy than I remembered, which was nice. I do have a distinct recollection of thinking "WHAT? What are you doing? How do you think this is appropriate?" when I first read this. And of course, it's not appropriate, but it is fairly in character. And kind of saved by his rambling thoughts after he speaks with her the first time.
3.5 stars. This one is not one of my favourites. I don't think it's as good on reread. Although, I do like Mrs. Climpson, and her letters with all of 3.5 stars. This one is not one of my favourites. I don't think it's as good on reread. Although, I do like Mrs. Climpson, and her letters with all of her italics. And I mean, Lord Peter is always fun. It's a solid read, just not one of my favourites....more
Read this on the train. I enjoy it for the family stuff, and the character stuff (the Hon Freddy!), so it's probably one of my preferred no2019 Reread
Read this on the train. I enjoy it for the family stuff, and the character stuff (the Hon Freddy!), so it's probably one of my preferred non-Harriet books in this series. Lady Mary came across as a bit tiresome in this reread, although she rallies well in the end. And smitten Parker is kind of adorable. I always enjoy the scene where Sir Impey Biggs points out to Peter that clearing up a lot of the unknowns in the case is actually bad for the defence, because it makes it harder to show reasonable doubt.
2016 Reread
Continuing with the Wimsey reread, I really enjoyed this one. Clearly the take-home is that the Dowager Duchess of Denver is the best. And also, I really wish we got to see more of the dynamic between Mary and Peter, especially moving forward....more
Still not a lot to say about this one. It's an intriguing mystery. I prefer the later ones when you get to know the characters a bit better2019 Reread
Still not a lot to say about this one. It's an intriguing mystery. I prefer the later ones when you get to know the characters a bit better. I did enjoy the heck out of the Dowager Duchess in this one upon reread. Particularly how she just rolls with Peter's schemes without really knowing anything about them.
2019 Reading Challenge - A book with a question in the title
2016 Reread
Been rereading these lately. I don't have a lot to say about this one, other than I think it's a good introduction to some of the key dynamics of the series. And obviously, the high point is the dynamic between Wimsey and Bunter, who is the best....more
This is another solid one. I found it a bit slow at the start, otherwise the setting up of Anhk-Morpork's first newspaper is a good story.
It did feel This is another solid one. I found it a bit slow at the start, otherwise the setting up of Anhk-Morpork's first newspaper is a good story.
It did feel like a bit of a proto-Moist Lupwig, with William de Worde not being quite as awesome (but still pretty good). And his dynamic with Vimes was fun (but then, Vimes is awesome with pretty much everyone). I did like how the Times and its staff resolved all of their perpetual problems. Cleverness is fun.
Also, I continue to enjoy that the weather in Uberwald is psychotropic.
One small quibble: the sheer number of Discworld novels whose plot centres around someone trying to overthrow Vetinari. The percentage is particularly high when you consider he isn't even in the first few books, and another chunk aren't even set in Anhk-Morpork. And yet, it's central to the plot in about five of them. Another source of plot would not go amiss, is all I'm saying.
Generally enjoyed this though, even if it does suffer slightly in comparison to the Moist von Lupwig books. But on it's own, it's certainly solid....more
Another reread. This one may be my least favourite of the Witches books (except for Equal Rites, which almost doesn't count). There's something about Another reread. This one may be my least favourite of the Witches books (except for Equal Rites, which almost doesn't count). There's something about it that doesn't quite work for me, and that I remember not working the first time I read it.
There's a lot that's great. The dynamic between the four Witches is excellent, particularly with Magrat growing into herself a bit with her marriage. I particularly like the dynamic between Magrat and Agnes. Agnes in particular shines in this. And some of the scenes between Granny and Mighty Oats are excellent, as are the scenes between Igor and Nanny Ogg.
But the thing is, Vampires really aren't my thing. I tend not to like them in any guise, with very few exceptions. This is not an exception. It's something about the first half of this book taking away all of their weaknesses. I have no interest in a next-to-omnipotent villain. And as I said, I really don't like vampires. There are just too many consent issues floating around.
Oh, and I'm glad the Wee Free Men's dialect evens out in the later book. It borders on incomprehensible in this one, while I didn't have a problem in the Tiffany Aching books.
My favourite line (if it's not "Note Spelling!?" by Agnes and Magrat after the poor princess' name is read out) is Death's "THERE'S A SATISFACTORY DOG." And that's probably telling in a book about the Witches....more
Back to the TP readthrough. Read this over the course of about a month. It was a reread. I remember really liking this the first time through. And theBack to the TP readthrough. Read this over the course of about a month. It was a reread. I remember really liking this the first time through. And there are some delightful bits. Hence the 4 star rating. I'm rating high, because part of me feels that I should have enjoyed this more, but I didn't. I feel like it might have been mood. This one has a lot of good stuff in it, but I struggled on this readthrough. And I don't know why....more
2.5 stars. This is another one of the first TP's I read (after Discworld 1 and 2), and I can't say it worked any better for me this time around. I get2.5 stars. This is another one of the first TP's I read (after Discworld 1 and 2), and I can't say it worked any better for me this time around. I get what TP is trying to do, and the story has its moments. Brutha is an interesting character, but as a whole the book just doesn't work for me. It took me ages to get through, because I find it difficult to sustain interest....more
This is good. But it took me a long time to get through it this time. Partly because I'm travelling, partly because I couldn't quite get into it. I thThis is good. But it took me a long time to get through it this time. Partly because I'm travelling, partly because I couldn't quite get into it. I think it's because I'd read it before. I also think it's because Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax work really well as a duo, and the third point of that triangle is stuck acting as a foil, and essentially being belittled.
On the other hand, I do like what it says about stories, and how you can't force others to be characters in stories of your own design....more
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