“DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death. JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.”

By now, you probably now that the amazing British author, Sir Terry Pratchett, has died. He was my favourite author and I was deeply saddened to hear of his passing. From the moment I read Small Gods in my early teen years, I have loved Terry Pratchett and his writings. If you have read my blog before, you already know this. I keep on talking about Pratchett when mentioning my favourite books and authors. Because he is, and there is not a single one of his books that I wouldn’t recommend to you. I send all my love and condolences to his family during this difficult time. It is a hard blow for us all, but I cannot imagine what you are going through. You will be missed, but you will never be forgotten.

I have learnt so much from reading Terry Pratchett’s books. I was taught so many life lessons whilst reading his books. I learnt that the most unlikely person can be a hero. We all have magic inside of us and are capable of miracles. I learnt that there is always a happy ending, but sometimes it has to hurt a lot before you get to it. I learnt that we are all capable to deal with the hardships we are dealt, we just have to make the best of the situation. I learnt that friendships are so very important. I learnt that family comes in all shapes and sizes. I learnt so much and I know that there is still more to learn in the books I haven’t had the time to read yet.

So I want to thank you. Thank you for the amazing stories. Thank you for the life lessons I have been taught by reading your books. Thank you for the amazing characters. Thank you for all the laughs. Thank you for writing. Thank you for teaching me that we all have magic inside of us.

Thank you.

Witches Abroad by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #12)

Original Title: Witches Abroad

Year Published: 1991

Published by: HarperCollinsPublisher

Number of Pages: 350

First Sentence: "This is the Discworld, which travels through space on the back of four elephants which themselves stand on the shell of Great A'Tuin, the sky turtle."

Goodreads rating: 5/5

Plot:

Once upon a time there was a fairy godmother named Desiderata who had a good heart, a wise head, and poor planning skills - which unfortunately left the Princess Emberella in the care of her other (not quite so good and wise) godmother when DEATH came for Desiderata. So now it's up to Magrat Garlick, Granny Weatherwax, and Nanny Ogg to hop on broomsticks and make for far-distant Genua to ensure the servant girl doesn't marry the Prince.

But the road toGenua is bumpy, and along the way the trio of witches encounters the occasional vampire, werewolf, and falling house (well this is a fairy tale, after all). The trouble really begins once these reluctant foster-godmothers arrive in Genua and must outwit their power-hungry counterpart who'll stop at nothing to achieve a proper "happy ending" - even if it means destroying a kingdom.

My thoughts:

 I absolutely adore Terry Pratchett like I've said many times before. What I love the most about his books are that you don't need to read them in a certain order to understand them. This is the third book with the witches as main-characters and I've read several of the books that comes after this one before reading this one without any trouble. They are stand-alone books although you can definitely see a "red thread" going through all of them. 

I loved this book. Since it was a "fairy tale" sort of book, there were many parodies on the fairy tales we all know and love. The witches are my favourite in the Discworld-world and once again they prove why. Not everything in life can be fixed by magic, sometimes we need to look into ourselves and find the strength and power to fix things. The three witches are also great role-models, and when I grow up I want to be just like Esme Weatherwax. 

There are of course many other characters that make this book worth reading, and if anything you should read it just to get a taste of Pratchett's use of language and fantastic remarks.

Do I recommend it?

I always have and always will recommend Terry Pratchett's books. This is no exception. 

Mort by Terry Pratchett (Discworld #4)

Original Title: Mort
Year Published: 1987
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Number of Pages: 243
First sentence: "This is the bright candlelit room where the life-timers are stored— shelf upon shelf of them, squat hourglasses, one for every living person, pouring their fine sand from the future into the past."
Goodreads rating: 5/5

Plot (Taken from Goodreads):
In this Discworld installment, Death comes to Mort with an offer he can't refuse -- especially since being, well, dead isn't compulsory. As Death's apprentice, he'll have free board and lodging, use of the company horse, and he won't need time off for family funerals. The position is everything Mort thought he'd ever wanted, until he discovers that this perfect job can be a killer on his love life.

My thoughts:
He does it again. Mort is a brilliant installment in the Discworld book series. It's an oldie but a goldie. You get to meet Mort who by strange circumstances become the apprentice of Death, you get to know Death and his daughter alongside several other grand characters. Mort soon realizes that being the apprentice of Death is even more strange and complicated that it seems at first glance.

The Terry Pratchett humor is great in this book and intervowen with some more serious elements, and that is honestly what makes Pratchett's books so amazing. He entertains his readers with sarcasm and more straightforward humor, but at the same time brings an element of seriousness that grounds the stories in reality.

Do I recommend it?
Yes, just like with any of the other Terry Pratchett books I've recommended :D

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

Original Title: Good Omens: The nice and accurate prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.
Year Published: 2006 (first published in 1990)
Published by: HarperCollins Publishers Inc. (First edition by Workman Publishing Company Inc)
Number of Pages: 398
First sentence: "It was a nice day."
Goodreads Rating: 5/5

Plot:
According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon - both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle - are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist ...

My thoughts:
Loved it! I always love Terry Pratchett's books but team him up with Neil Gaiman and you get one of the most brilliant book's ever written. I usually dislike books with religious themes but this is just fantastic.

There is a variety of brilliant characters who all are extremely important to the plot. You have the dynamic duo, Angel Aziraphale and the Demon Crowley, the four horsemen, the Witchfinder Newt, the Witch Anathema Device, who is also  descendant of Agnes Nutter, and of course, Adam and the Them. They are all lovely, and there are also several more than the ones I mentioned, but the ones mentioned are probably the most important.

Gaiman and Pratchett tell a brilliant story with many twists and turns. You have no idea where the book will end up which is amazing, There is no way you can predict the end, which could have been annoying but in this case is just fantastic. It is probably one of the best books I've read.

Do I recommend it?
Hell yes! Read it! Go on, do it!