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.

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.

I've been following the blog The Broke and the Bookish for a while and I love the weekly post "Top Ten Tuesday" all about books (ooh, books and lists in one place= happy times) so I thought I'd start joining in from time to time. This week the title is:

(Ten) Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

I don't re-read. Ever. I never have done to be honest- there are very few exceptions to this rule so really this list is almost "books worth reading more than once"

1. Moving Pictures- Terry Pratchett.

If I hadn't yet read this book I wouldn't have read any of the Discworld books, I would have this whole world to discover again and to appreciate the humour, creativity and the warped mind of Terry Pratchett. Such a fantastic thought- I guess I'll just have to make the most of his new book "Snuff".

2. Gone With The Wind- Margaret Mitchell

I love this film and I remember the shock of discovering that the book was not the same as the film (you would think in 4 hours they could have covered everything) and I loved and hated Scarlett even more than after the film.

3. The Wasp Factory- Iain Banks

Actually, I wish I could go back to the point in time where the "twist" wasn't spoiled for me by an accidental slip of the tongue by someone. I was halfway through the book and I went from loving it to waiting for the twist to be revealed, so disappointing.

4. His Dark Material's trilogy- Philip Pullman

I was entralled by these books, the worlds, the people, the creatures, the ideas. The images I created in my head (and I've never gotten around to seeing the films). To meet Lyra for the first time again and Mrs Coulter and her monkey. Oh, that would be a treat.

5. Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud- Ben Sherwood

This book was beautiful and sweet and a lovely way to escape. Writing this list has just reminded me that I've loaned my copy to someone...

6. I know why the caged bird sings- Maya Angelou

This is one of my favourite books of all time. I'd love the chance to read it again for the first time and enter that world of hardship and beauty with gorgeous lyrical poetry and descriptions.

Okay, really that's only six but I don't re-read and books are so tied up in my memory with the time I read them (I'll often say "I read that when I was pregnant with Charlotte" or "I read that in 2nd year at uni on the train") so the idea of reading something again for the first time is a strange concept, I'm impressed I came up with six. Want to see what other people wish they could read again for the first time then head on over to the Broke and the Bookish.

I'm still on my quest to read 100 books in 2011...

Stephanie Plum has quickly become my favourite heroine. I love lying in bed/ sitting on the couch/ lying in the bath/ waiting on a train reading the exploits of Stephanie and her maurauding band of friends, family and foes. I managed to get books ten to sixteen out of the library at the same time and I basically sat down and read them one after the other- no sooner than I had finished one was I opening the next one.

I firmly accept that these are not great literature- they are firmly somewhere between chick lit and crime novel. But even as I'm reading them I can't help get sucked into them. I know that Lula will be on some crazy diet that will end in some sort of fugitive apprehension fiasco, that picking up bail absconders in their eighties will prove ridiculously hard and in fact they will inevitably involve Stiva's funeral parlour and Grandma Mazur. I know that Bob the dog will eat something ridiculously large and that Stephanie won't be able to settle down with Morelli any more than she can throw herself into a full blown night of lust with Ranger. All these things are like the in jokes in your favourite TV programme (akin to Sheldon shouting "Bazinga" on The Big Bang Theory) and only serve to make me smile and put me in the right frame of mind when Evanovich eventually delivers the punchline to a long brewing joke. There aren't many books that have me laughing out loud or snorting in a most unattractive fashion. These do.

Although the plots are becoming ever more ridiculous- just how many mobsters can Trenton have exactly? Just how many people can have a vendetta against one not very good bounty hunter? and how many times will Stephanie and Morelli be on again off again? But somehow I don't really care. I read a review of Smokin' Seventeen that was less than stellar but do you know what? I think I'll read it anyway, I bet I laugh out loud. Shame on me.

Janet Evanovich

47. Ten Big Ones

Stephanie accidentally gets involved in gang trouble. It wasn't even her fault. Now she has to hide out in Ranger's apartment.

48. Eleven On Top

Stephanie quits as a bounty hunter but it turns out civilian life doesn't really cut it when a maniac is trying to kill you.

49. Twelve Sharp

Ranger turns out to have a wife. Who ends up dead. Stephanie works to clear Ranger's name and save his daughter's life.

50. Lean Mean Thirteen

Stephanie is the main suspect in the suspected murder of her ex husband and slime ball lawyer Dickie Orr.

51. Fearless Fourteen

Is there $9million buried under Morelli's basement? And does Morelli have a lovechild?

52. Finger Lickin Fifteen

Lula witnesses the murder of a BBQ champion. The obvious solution to catching the killers is to become BBQ queens- right?

53. Sizzling Sixteen

Vinnie's been kdnapped and the ransom is $1.3million. How can Connie, Lula and Stephanie come up with that kind of cash to save their jobs and Vinnie.

Now where can I get Sizzling Seventeen...