October through to the New Year

Clearly I was so busy reading this fall that I did not have time to write about any of the amazing books I read! So now that I have the time here I go on a whirlwind book describing spree, wheeee!

I would recommend Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett to anyone who enjoys a hilarious telling of the oncoming apocalypse. Filled with the four horsemen up and about after semi-retirement due to the invention of penicillin, Crowley as dry-humoured and witty as ever, and Aziraphale trying to stop the apocalypse.

Next I read books 3-5 (in order of timeline within the story as opposed to publication) of the Chrestomanci Series by Dianna Wynne Jones: Conrad's Fate, Witch Week, and The Magicians of Caprona. Conrad's Fate takes place in a lovely mansion full of deceit and trickery where Christopher Chant finds himself working alongside Conrad, able to make a friend and find one who has been missing all in one go. The world in which Witch Week is set has a certain dislike for magic wielders of all classes, still burning them at the stake. When a class of adolescents is suspected to contain a witch all sorts of trouble ensues until Chrestomanci is called to come sort things right. I think The Magicians of Caprona was by far my favourite of the three, it had many similarities to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet but added many hilarious elements of fun such as a mayor obsessed with puppet shows.

If you have ever read any of The Chronicles of Prydain then you will probably be interested in this collection of short stories: The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander. It is a lovely complement to the adventures of Taran, Eilonwy, and friends. The stories give you a bit more background on how Dallban came to be such an accomplished wizard, how Fflewddur Fflam came into possession of a harp whose strings break when he tells a lie, the origins of the sword of great power that Taran later wields, and many more.

If you are looking for a new series to read The Raven Cycle may interest you. The first installment, The Raven Boys, was a well paced story filled with colourful characters and intriguing bits of supernatural elements. I have never read Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver Trilogy but may give it a go now seeing as I enjoyed this other work of hers so much.

Neil Gaiman
Terry Pratchett
Dianna Wynne Jones
Lloyd Alexander
Maggie Stiefvater