Book Review: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett

Author: Terry Pratchett 
Title: I Shall Wear Midnight 
Narrator: Indira Varma
Previously Read By the Same Author:

• The Carpet People
• The Discworld Graphic Novels
• Good Omens : The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (with Neil Gaiman)
• A Hat Full of Sky 
• Monstrous Regiment
• Terry Pratchett: The BBC Radio Drama Collection
• The Wee Free Men
• Wintersmith 

Publication Info: Clarion Books, 2023 [Originally published in 2010]
Summary/Review:

Tiffany Aching, now 15-years-old, is facing new challenges as the witch of The Chalk.  Her old friend and sometime love interest Roland is marrying a noble woman Letitia whose mother the Dutchess makes things even more miserable for Tiffany.  There’s a growing fear and prejudice against witches in the land even though the people still rely on her to care for the sick and elderly.  And she is being pursued by the Cunning Man, the demonic spirit of a witch-finder with no eyes and a foul smell.  As always, the Nac Mac Feegles follow Tiffany wherever she goes to protect her but inevitably end up causing her more trouble.  The novel is more mature than it’s predecessors reflecting Tiffany’s age and experience, and touches on themes such as domestic violence, teen pregnancy, prejudice, burgeoning sexuality, death, and grief.  With a visit to the city of Ankh-Morpork, Tiffany’s story also crosses overs with characters from the City Watch stories of Discworld.

Recommended books:

• The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Rating: ****

Book Review: The Puzzler by A.J. Jacobs

Author: A.J. Jacobs
Title: The Puzzler: One Man’s Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life
Narrator: Greg Pliska
Previously Read By the Same Author:

• The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World
• The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible
• It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree

Publication Info: Books on Tape, 2022
Summary/Review:

A.J. Jacobs, an entertainingly geeky writer and journalist with a penchant for immersing himself deeply into his topic of research, takes on the topic of puzzles.  Each chapter investigates the history and playing style of a different kind of puzzle including crosswords, Rubik’s Cubes, jigsaws, mazes, Sudoku and KenKen, chess problems, riddles, puzzle boxes, and scavenger hunts.

Jacobs did a lot of work for this book during the isolation period of the COVID pandemic which is appropriate as the need to pass the time while staying at home lead to an increased interest in puzzles among the general public.  Jacobs interviews a number of  puzzle creators (such as New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz) and some of the world’s greatest puzzle solvers.  He also attends competitions, most memorably when he brings his family to Spain to represent the United States in an international jigsaw puzzle competition.

Each chapter includes a sampling of puzzles for the reader to try out themselves. For the audiobook, Jacobs provides some clever alternates to the more visually-oriented styles of puzzles. I never considered myself a diehard puzzler, although I do enjoy them from time to time, but I found this a fun and entertaining book that stoked my interest in doing more puzzling.

Rating: ***

Book Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There by Catherynne M. Valente

Author: Catherynne M. Valente 
Title: The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There
Publication Info: New York: Feiwel & Friends, 2012.
Summary/Review:

In the second volume of the Fairyland series, September returns to Fairyland only to discover that her shadow, along with the shadows of many other inhabitants, has been stolen by Halloween, the Hollow Queen. This theft is causing chaos and imbalance in Fairyland-Above, leading September on a journey to Fairyland-Below to restore equilibrium. Along the way, she faces new challenges, encounters old friends, and discovers deeper truths about herself and the interconnectedness of both realms. Valente’s richly imaginative prose and whimsical yet profound storytelling continue to enchant, making this sequel a compelling continuation of September’s adventures.

Recommended books:

• The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
• Uprooted by Naomi Novik
• The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Rating: ***