#read2023
Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer.
Twelve-year-old prodigy Artemis Fowl II acquires and translates the Fairy book of lore — something no human done before — and uses it to extort gold from LEPrecon, which is sort of like an arm of the Fairy FBI.
C chose this as her novel for English at school and I thought I’d read it again so she has someone to talk to about it. I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I did eight years ago. The police procedural but with magic aspect of it made me smile.

A good book to help enrich my understanding of stoicism. The last couple of chapters go a bit off piste, but that’s a minor quibble. #read2023

An unsettling read that traverses some dark themes. The boys’ friendship is a distinct highlight, as is the rendering of an 80s rural Australian town. #read2023

#Read2023
Strata, by Terry Pratchett.

In a distant future (maybe?) humans are in the business of building planets, using machines built from the ideas of a long-dead civilisation who did the same, and Kin Arad literally wrote the book on it. But a mysterious traveller sends her and two new alien friends to something she has never seen before: a flat world where everything the people believe seems to be real.

Much more serious than Dark Side of the Sun, but still funny, and full of interesting stuff. Not all that much actually happened when you get down to it, but the further it went, the more I wanted to know how it would turn out, and know the mystery of the Disc.

The blurb says it’s an early exploration of the ideas that became the Discworld, but it really did not feel like that at all to me. Yes there were a few things here that appeared in Discworld, but it’s not at all about the same things.

Funder unearths the remarkable Eileen, hidden in the passive-voicing of Orwell’s writing and self-absorption. A remarkable piece of work. #read2023

A beautiful and engaging biography, and a revealing insight into those last few difficult years. (Side note: I did enjoy the cameos by my now Vice Chancellor!) #read2023

#read2023
The Dark Side of the Sun, by Terry Pratchett.
In a far future, there are 52 intelligent races in the galaxy, but spectacular artefacts point to a missing race: the Jokers. Dom sets off to chase his mathematically-predicted destiny of finding the Jokers’ World.
I was worried, never having read the high science fiction this parodies (eg Foundation), but actually I quite enjoyed it, though certainly not my favourite of Pratchett’s work. The best parts to me were how Pratchett didn't explain all aspects of future/alien society but just let it be there, and his impressive commitment to making the aliens really alien.

10 Halbjahres - Highlights aus 2023 | Top Ten Thursday №53 - Welche Top 10 konnten mich im ersten Halbjahr 2023 begeistern? Schaut doch einfach mal nach.

https://theartofreading.de/10-halbjahres-highlights-aus-2023-top-ten-thursday-53/

#MarahWoolf, #BloggerAktionen, #AlexandraChristo, #MargaretAtwood, #TopTenThursday, #ShannonChakraborty, #HannahWhitten, #SarahJ.Maas, #Highlight, #JayKristoff, #KerriManiscalco, #KatRoss, #Read2023

#read2023

The Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden.

Chester Cricket is adopted as a pet by a boy Mario who works in his family’s news stand in the Times Square subway station. With the help of Tucker Mouse and Harry Cat, Chester realises his talent for music.

I can see how people who read it as children in the 60s and 70s would remember it very fondly. A couple of scenes in Chinatown were progressive for the time but are full of casual racism. Aside from this it was pretty good.

#read2023
The Water Horse, by Dick King Smith.
A little family hatches a sea egg and looks after a baby loch monster until they release it into the wild when it is grown.
A simple and gentle story with lovely people and a cute creature. Very nice.
I haven’t seen the movie based on this book, but I don’t really feel a need to. The book is just so charming I’m not sure I want it extended into anything more. Though I do admit I can fully understand a filmmaker wanting to animate Crusoe the kelpie.

#read2023
Doctor Who: 100 Illustrated Adventures.

I found this in an op shop and it looked interesting. It’s a description of 100 adventures from across all the incarnations of Doctor Who up to the twelfth, each accompanied by fan art.
Probably not significantly different from reading the Wikipedia plot summary other than the fan art, most of which is cool, and some of which is very good.

#read2023
Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett.

Commander of the Watch, Sam Vimes is sent back in time 30 years and plays the part of his own mentor in order to keep history on its course.

It was cool to see familiar characters when they were younger and learn more about their motivations, but even more cool to get a real insight into Vimes himself as he is in the present.

#read2023

Corby Flood, by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell.

Corby and her family are travelling on the ailing cruise ship SS Euphonia, and during the journey Corby uncovers several mysteries, including the doings of the sinister Brotherhood of Clowns.

A charming little story for younger readers, with of course lovely illustrations by Chris Riddell. I particularly liked the villains all with names that are fonts: eg Mr Times-Roman and Mr Garamond.

#read2023

Starfell: Willow Moss and the Magic Thief, by Dominique Valente.

Willow faces trials to bargain with an ancient beast so she can save Starfell before its magic drains away.

I very much enjoyed this one (thought not quite as much as the previous one): wonderful scenes to imagine, cool people, and a satisfying ending.

#read2023

The Fifth Elephant, by Terry Pratchett.

Sam Vimes, commander of the Watch, becomes ambassador to Uberwald (land of Werewolves and Vampires) to watch the coronation of the new King of the Dwarfs, but also tries to solve the mystery of the missing Stone of Scone, without which the coronation cannot happen. There is also lots of running in the snow being chased by things.

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. Vimes was so excellently Vimesy, and Lady Sybil has some truly awesome moments.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer

#Books #Read2023

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The Fourth Friend by Joy Ellis

#Books #Read2023 #Audiobooks

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The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar and Six More by Roald Dahl

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The Murderer's Son by Joy Ellis

#Books #Read2023 #Audiobooks

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Their Lost Daughters by Joy Ellis

#books #Read2023 #Audiobooks