The Wee Free Men

OK, I promised you an occasional reading rave, so buckle up: here’s rave #1.

Terry Pratchett’s 30th Discworld novel, The Wee Free Men, is at the top of my list for the 2006/2007 reading season. Yes, there were other titles I particularly enjoyed -- The Glass Castle, The Book Thief, All Over Creation, Eventide -- but The Wee Free Men really left an impression.

How could it not? There’s 9-year-old Tiffany Aching, of Home Farm, The Chalk, who clobbers a big green water monster with a frying pan. And there’s her horrid, sticky little brother, Wentworth, whose constant cries of “Wanna wanna wanna sweetie!” perhaps explain why Tiffany used him as bait for Jenny Green-Teeth, but do not explain why he gets kidnapped by the Queen of Faerie.

There are the Wee Free Men, masterful brawlers, theivers, and drinkers, blue with tattoos, red-headed, and 6” tall, who’ve come down to The Chalk looking for the new witch. And wasn’t the old witch Tiffany’s Granny? And doesn’t it begin to look like Tiffany herself will be called upon to save Wentworth, the Baron’s son, and the Chalk Hills from the clutches of the evil Queen? Crivens! There are Grimhounds, Nightmares, and Headless Horsemen, a Queen who steals your dreams and traps you in them, and a creeping iciness devouring The Chalk. Will Tiffany, armed only with frying pan, common sense, and steely determination, be able to put things right?.

I guess it’s because I enjoy both fantasy and word play that I am besotted with The Wee Free Men. Tiffany’s tutor in the witchly arts is Perspecatia Tick. Miss Tick gives her a talking toad (he used to be a lawyer) and advises Tiffany to pay attention to her first sight and her second thoughts. The Wee Free Men, aka the Nac Mac Feegle, Pictsies, or “person or persons unknown, believed to be armed” sport delicious names, like Rob Anybody, No’-As-Big-As-Medium-Sized-Jock-But-Bigger-Than-Wee-Jock-Jock, and Daft Willie. And what do those ferocious Feegles shout when things are going badly? “Waily, waily, waily!” of course. Too funny.

If you haven't read Terry Pratchett, I recommend starting with The Wee Free Men. If you like it, there are two more in the series (s0 far): A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith. Yum!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Got an electronic thumb? How about your Sub-Etha-Sens-O-Matic? If you wanna' be a hoopy frood, grab a towel and let Douglas Adams guide you into outer, way outer, space.

Ford Prefect, seasoned traveler and man about space, has one more entry to make in the Hitchhiker's Guide but got stuck on Earth for far too long upon completion (of the entry, not of Earth!) Rescuing Arthur Dent in the nick of time as the Vogons blast the planet into smithereens in order to create their own freeway, Ford and Arthur hitch a ride out of destruction and into the wackiest version of space in sci fi lit.

Meet Zaphod Beeblebrox, galactic president and proud owner of two heads and three arms, his girlfriend, Trillian, former Earthling herself, and Marvin, their depressed, rather intelligent computer who so depresses the policeship computer that it commits suicide, but that's another story. Y'see, it turns out that Earth was really nothing more than an organic computer designed to formulate the answer to the question: "Well, what's the question to the answer, "42?"

Confused yet? Can't imagine why. Get a good night's sleep, tighten your belt, and let us know how you survived. Yes, yes, you clearly had a towel but write us a note anyway.

Startled by His Furry Shorts

If you're keeping up with current teen melodrama, then you will not be Startled by His Furry Shorts, Louise Rennison's latest installment in the hilarious English schoolgirl series. Georgia Nicolson is once more on the "rack of romance" and probably heading to the "bakery of pain." But don't worry, Georgia's antics, which began in Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging, will most likely leave you howling on the kitchen floor. Watch out, that's Angus' tail you just stepped on!

If you can drag yourself off the floor and wipe away the tears of laughter, let me know what you think. Post a comment, please.