This is the book for February in the 4D challenge.

9. Mrs Frisby and the rats of NIMH

Robert C. O'Brien

I had heard of this book, yet I had never seen the catoon adaptation (I hear it's pretty good) or ever picked it up, and if Kateri hadn't nominated it I suspect I would have gone my entire life never reading it. All that being said or done I'm glad that whatever thought process Kateri was going through during her selection is what we ended up with. This book was very readable, and this is often true of children's book but sadly it doesn't always transfer to adult readers. If (by some miracle) you don't know the story of Mrs Frisby then I really don't want to spoil it!

The plot wasn't hugely difficult to work out- after all it is about super clever rats in a children's book. But saying that the plot wasn't as straightforward as the usual children's book, it has some depth to the characters, there are heroes and villans- but even the heroes have flaws and the villains are not exactly evil. The events are entirely predictable but the what we learn through each of these events is more interesting.

I can see me reading this to the girls (or at least getting them to read it to themselves as our "to read" pile is ever growing. Since this is a book about some exceptionally clever rats I thought I'd share a picture of some rats of my personal acquaintance, although I'm sorry to say they are not on quite the same level as the rats from NIMH.

No I haven't taken up a popular hobby from the Victorian era. I'm talking about

8. Snuff, A Discworld Novel

Terry Pratchett

Although I wait eagerly for the release of each Terry Pratchett book, and Discworld ones particularly so I don't actually read them very soon after they are released. Basically we buy a copy and Christopher gets to read it first, and that usually takes a week or so at best- depending on how tired he is it could take a month. Then it goes on the stash and it takes time to slowly come to the top of the pile. But I digress, it makes it to the top of the pile eventually...

This was one of the best type of Discworld books- A Watch book. Specifically, it is based around Commander Vimes (and His Grace Vimes and Blackboard Monitor Vimes) and his family. I found it harder to get into the book as there was so much focus on this little group of four or five characters- one of whom is a child with little part of the plot. Normal Discworld books switch from perspective to perspective and have loads of different threads that don't always seem related to the plot (and they aren't always strictly related) and I love that style as he jumps to something new to consider before you get the full story of what was happening. The multitude of Characters really started to join in by around the half way point and the second half is definately better than the first half.

All that being said, I enjoyed the story and the new characters certainly added a bit of interest and I hope we get to see one or two of them again in future books. Pratchett has given us little insights into Commander Vimes before and he is probably the one character who has developed the most over the books and is a more rounded figure and this book was like opening the doors of Vime's mind and his life and his loves. I loved little Sam's obsession with poo. Perhaps it reminds me a little too much of my real life.

Plot wise it's a simple crime novel- who dunnit with deep thought about where the law and justice comes from and even some thoughts on human rights, or at least goblin rights- but as always with Pratchett he makes a lot of sense in the real world when talking about a very skewed other fantasy world.

And I laughed out loud. It wouldn't be Pratchett without an inappropriate snorting moment.

Just fiction reading makes Clair a dull girl.

Sold as a Slave- Olaudah Equiano

Part of the Penguin travel series. The probably partially fictional story of a slave in the 1800 who worked on ships crossing the Atlantic, serving in the Royal Navy and then in the Caribbean on plantations. The picture he paints is certainly one of relative priviledge compared to the experience of his fellow slaves in the Caribbean- he is well fed, allowed to lean to read and count and is baptised. I didn't particularly enjoy this one, it didn't capture my imagination in the way some of the others did. Interesting but not readable.

Wishful Drinking- Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher = Princess Leia. She is also child of Hollywood royalty who has suffered drink and drug addicitions and is bi-polar. Phew. That's a lot for anyone to live with. Wishful Drinkings is the book version of her stage show on her experiences in living with her addicitons and mental health problems. She recounts anecdotes of Cary Grant (yes, that Cary Grant) calling to talk about her LSD problems. I couldn't put this book down- the book was honest, funny and enlightening. Go read it.

Fiction reading in January 2012.

Smut- Alan Bennett

I borrowed this from the library on a whim, it was on the recent returns shelf as I walked to the issues desk and its bright yellow cover and red text grabbed my attention. I don't know that (despite the title) I had any preconceived ideas what it would be about. Unsurprisingly, in hindsight, it was about sex. Two short stories which were strangely entrancing with characters that were real with flaws and imperfections and even sometimes a little unpleasant. I will definately be keeping my eye out for more of Alan Bennett's work- can't believe I haven't before.

The Yorkshire Pudding Club- Milly Johnson

Another one picked up on a whim at the library. I haven't had much cause to read good old fashioned chick lit lately and this one was particularly topical with the number of pregnancies and babies around in my life. It was a nice variation on the normal girl meets guy - girl and guy split up - girl and guy get back together and live happily ever after with extra children and three girls some of whom already have the guy. I did find some of the characters a little to sterotypical and lacking in dimension but overall a nice read for a tired mind after a long day at work.

Endless Night- Agatha Christie

What a strange story. Told in the first person by the husband of the murder victim- an American heiress. I found myself disliking the husband intensely from the get-go and couldn't put my finger on it. Despite knowing from the first page that the wife is going to be murdered I kind of hoped that somehow she wasn't murdered, which makes no sense knowing that Christie bumps them off with easy regularity. An interesting story told from an unusual perspective kept me off kilter right until the end.