Sourcery by Terry Pratchett

A truly unusual happening - the creation of a sorcerer - has set the magic and wizards of the Disc all aflutter. The youngster doesn't really understand his own power, plus, he's being controlled by a not-quite-dead wizard father in the form of a staff. Things will never be the same again.

Rincewind is once again called on, as the worst wizard in the world, to be the hero. He meets up with the daughter of Cohen the Barbarian and together they're forced with the company of a very rich, very bored seriph with literary aspirations.

There's quite a bit of bickering between the crew during their quest, which I found more annoying than smart. I was much more interested in the machinations of the Librarian trying to save the living, magic books of Unseen University. And, in the magic war reforming the Disc.

It ends with things a few things unresolved - but there are 36 more books in the series.

Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett

The Disc's first female wizard was created nine years ago, accidentally, and now Granny Weatherwax is fighting to get Esk the instruction necessary to control her magic. With untrained magic, anything can (and does) happen.

This one's prime Pratchett, as he knocks tradition sideways with a new world order built around a strong, determined girl wizard and her tenacious witch mentor. Esk also befriends Simon, another wizard-to-be who's also got special talents.

Mort by Terry Pratchett

Death takes an assistant: a bumbling kid from nowheresville with no real talent. When he's given a to-do list and a bit of responsibility, things don't go quite right because Mort falls for the supposed-to-die princess and alters the plan. But destiny isn't joking around.

It's a Shakespearean-style story with lots of twists, and fate, and love (or not). Pratchett is always very funny, but giving Death his own story - and mid-life crisis - allows a special kind of dark comedy.

The Con Artist by Fred Van Lente

You see lots of strange things at Comic-Con, and typically all the blood and gore are stagecraft. When a publishing exec dies dramatically in a bloody slide down the front staircase, however, the San Diego con kicks off like no other.

Our hero, fading comics artist Mike M, is a suspect (although he's innocent) and it looks like if he doesn't try to solve this, he may get railroaded. But he's also interested in networking (drinking) and drawing (making money) while he's in town. There's a lot to do, while avoiding trouble at every turn.

The con's like a circus come to town, and it both amplifies and exacerbates the drama of the story: When everyone's a monster or a hero, who can you trust?

I enjoyed this book - it's a fluffy bit of pop culture with a decent mystery element. There's a fun mix of real and fake comics, and true fans will have fun sorting out which is which.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson

A clumsy 13-year-old gets a strange birthday gift from his long-gone parents, which is then stolen. That may be the last "normal" thing to ever happen to Al Smedry.

I picked this up on the recommendation of a former library employee - I'm not sure what he's trying to tell me here?!? Just kidding.

It's a fantasy sci-fi story which reveals to you that we're living in a world of limited information. Turns out the librarians have been holding us back through their throttling of available information, and there's actually a whole big world out there that's way more advanced than we are. And there's a war on to save us.

The book's intended for kids, but it's not written down to them and is just as enjoyable to an adult. It's funny and moves briskly. The omniscient narrator is the main character (just a few years more mature) and he's fond of popping in, breaking the fourth wall to talk directly to the audience, interrupting himself, and generally making a straight-forward battle story into a lively romp where you'll question your own prejudices and perspective.

I'm not sure I'll be reading the whole series, but I did enjoy the exposure to a whole new world.

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

A full-planet reality reset on the Disc causes major chaos, as magic makes sure a failed magician with an important spell stays alive long enough to use it.

This one's an epic quest kind of novel: the guys have a mission (even if they don't know it), and they meet characters and fight battles on their way to the final goal. And Luggage shows what he's really made of!

I'm just sort of getting into the Discworld way of thinking - I've decided to read my way through them in the order they were written. They're funny and smart, with a deep philosophy that bears lingering analysis.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

A classic quest through the fairy world in search of a fallen star - you know, the best kind of Neil Gaiman story!

Read by the author, the story is an epic yarn: A half-fairy boy(who doesn't know he's anything but human) whimsically takes off on a journey to win the hand of his love. There he meets trees, lords, witches, a unicorn, the broken human incarnation of a celestial body, and sky pirates. I listened to this audiobook while quilting, and I have to say I completely lost track of time.

But in looking online, I discover the book version is richly illustrated ... so off to the library to track that down, too. Oh! And there's a movie? The best adaptation of a Gaiman in film?

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I know, stunning, but I had never read this. We chose it for the library's book discussion, which seemed like as good a reason as any to finally commit.

I listened to the audiobook, read by Rob Inglis, and I think that made a HUGE difference for me. Having the dramatization, the accents and all of that really helped draw me into the story.

Suddenly, having read this, much about pop culture makes more sense to me.

Fragile Things: Short Fictions and Wonders by Neil Gaiman

I love everything from Neil Gaiman, and I especially adore the audiobooks where he reads it himself. So pretty much, I loved this collection of poetry and short stories from 2006.

Many of these stories have links to other Gaiman works - one was an early idea for The Graveyard Book, and one that's part of the world of American Gods. Many have won awards. My favorite is a backwards, unwinding of the book of Genesis.

In an audiobook this collection of vignettes could be a bit confusing (I found it hard to hear the breaks between stories, sometimes - to know I was moving into a new world). Also, sometimes I have to review poetry more than once for it to more fully absorb. To solve these challenges, I also kept a paper copy of the book for reference and review.

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Just a book about a lonely guy and his dog with a brain tumor - a little light reading for your enjoyment!

Actually, it's a fantastic book and not as depressing as I thought it might be. Ted's a guy who loves his dog a whole lot. One day he notices something different about Lily (with whom he has entire 2-way conversations) - there seems to be an octopus on Lily's head. Eventually the "octopus" gets bigger, talks to Ted also, and impairs Lily's quality of life.

So Ted does what any sane guy would do: He goes on an octopus hunt! First he tortures the octopus with a visit to the fishmonger, then he rents a boat and goes on an epic Moby Dick quest for revenge. It can't save Lily, but maybe it will help Ted deal with his inevitable loss.

This novel is actually quite funny, and has moments of magical realism (Can the octopus really talk? Can Lily really talk?) I did cry at the end, but it wasn't the big ugly cry I'd expected - more a sweet sad cry about the end of a true friendship.

The Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire

Working in the sea deep below a Canadian oil rig, welder Jack Joseph knows his job: focus on the weld, hold a steady hand. But one day he sees something from the corner of his mask and everything begins to unravel.

He's brought up to the surface, revived, and sent home early from his stint aboard the rig. Going home should be a blessing because Jack's wife Susie is on the verge of giving birth, but Jack's restless to discover what he saw in the deep water outweighs his impending fatherhood.

This black-and-white graphic novel shows through flashbacks and some time travel trickery how Jack's grief for his missing father is affecting his joy for the birth of his own son. In the introduction there's reference to the TV show the Twilight Zone - which is really how this story feels.

It's bleak and sad, but also told very well.

And Again by Jessica Chiarella

Four end-life patients participate in a clinical trial to transplant part of their brain and all their memories into new, cloned, biologically cleansed versions of their own body.

The point to be made is this: how much of our personality/humanity is in our head and how much is body-centric? Are habits part of your brain or in your muscles? Is love in your limbic system or in your heart?

This was a unique audiobook that utilized four narrators - one for each character. The book is told chronologically, but switches from person to person to give multiple perspectives. Each character struggles with the idea of "self" in their new bodies, and they work through some of their concerns in group-therapy sessions. But each also holds secrets - thoughts or actions they can't even share with these few people who might understand.

It's a fantastic story, mostly about internal struggles of self - the author mercifully leaves the science part rather vague and mostly out of the action. My favorite character is the young painter who can no longer make magic with her hands; when you've defined yourself by a talent, who are you when that's gone? I also enjoyed the way each character weighs out the despoiling of their new body: sex, alcohol, cigarettes, food, tattoos, scars and more.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

A chronically bored boy goes on a fantastical adventure in a land of words and numbers.

This 1961 children's novel makes a lot of "best of" lists of children's literature, so I decided to see what I'd been missing. It's a little odd, in that it's a fable about grammar, spelling, logic and math.

In some ways, it reminds me of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll in that there's a lot for an adult reader to comprehend that may be lost on kids. (I'm thinking, for example, the caucus race in Alice, and the Which's tale of the banishment of Rhyme and Reason in Tollbooth). They're both the kind of books that gain new appreciations with rereading - especially if you've aged, learned, matured, or experienced more in the intervening time.

I listened to the first half of the book as an audiobook, then read the second half in paper. I enjoyed both forms, but you miss out on Jules Feiffer's renowned illustrations if you don't have the book. Of course, with the book you miss out on dramatic characterization (my audio version was with Norman Dietz, but there's also a version ready by David Hyde Pierce). Either way you win some and lose some.

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: The Interconnectedness of All Kings by Chris Ryall nad Tony Akins

Everything's related, and if you just wait a minute you'll probably see how. At least, that's what "holistic detective" Dirk Gently believes. The answers will fall right into your lap, if only you let them. Do what you want, it will all come around.

This is a new graphic novel series based on the character created by the late, great Douglas Adams. I discovered Dirk years ago after devouring the Hitchhiker's Guide books, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a new addition to the series in this graphic format.

This Dirk is a little different - leaner, younger, hipper - but that's fine because even Adams was known for contradicting himself and revising, revamping, and otherwise swapping up known characters and settings for new formats and versions.

The time-travelling ancient Egyptian part of the storyline felt a little bit like an episode of Scooby Doo to me, but overall didn't detract from my enjoyment. Other threads - the teashop owners, the murderous tourists, the homeless and their cell phones - wind around in typically absurd ways until they all merge (through interconnectedness) in the end.

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

In this, the final bit of Terry Pratchett's writing (RIP good sir), we make a final visit to the Chalk for a visit with young witch Tiffany Aching - a fifth book in the young adult series set on Pratchett's Discworld.

There's a shift of power in the world as Granny Weatherwax passes from it, but she's made all the arrangements and has left detailed instructions on what she wants - including specifying Tiffany as the beneficiary of her steading, home and gardens.

Running two steadings quickly wears Tiffany thin, and the fairy world has noticed the barriers aren't guarded so well these days. Of course, they have to try and push their luck.

Luckily, Tiffany's just the kind of witch the world needs now - one who's not afraid to try something new, but she's also dedicated to doing what's right even if it's not fun. Along with a motley band of witches and my adored Nac Mac Feegles, Tiffany's determined to put the fairies back where they belong.

In the afterword, it is explained that this book was written and finished by Terry, but didn't get his customary, continuing tweaks and changes right up to publication. Honestly, I don't know that I missed them. It's a wonderful book, a delighting story, funny and sweet, and hits all the right notes.

Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys by Francesca Lia Block

How much trouble can a bunch of teenagers get into, being left alone in Los Angeles for an extended period of time? Turns out, exactly as much as you'd expect.

All the adults in the Bat family have gone to South America to make a movie. They've left Cherokee and Witch Baby home alone, but they can check in with Coyote if they need something.

The kids start a band (the Goat Guys of the title) and are given a boost by the special gifts Cherokee makes with help from their mystical sage guardian Coyote. The wings, pants, horns and boots hold special magic that may be more than they'd bargained on. Also, kids alone always discover sex.

This is the third book in the Dangerous Angels series, and it's maybe the one I've loved best yet. While there's a strong magical realism, it's not a stretch to see the cautionary message applicable to the real world, and even now more than 20 years after the book was written.

Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

When hipster chick Weetzie gets three wishes from a genie, she gets what she asked for and so much more.

This celebrated 1989 teen novel takes place in a slightly fictional version of Los Angeles. Weetzie and her best friend Dirk look for love and adventure in their alternative, retro-punk life.  They dress in vintage and leather, and they speak in their own slang language (though it's easily understood). They form a new kind of modern family with 3 dads, 1 mom, freaky cool babies and a passel of bitty dogs. Life is good.

This is the first in a series (Dangerous Angels), and I'm now really looking forward to the rest. For a bit I thought the book might be dated (it's a little bit Pretty In Pink), but the truth is - hipster cool is universal. And Weetzie and her friends aren't really nailed down to any one era - it's 1950s meets 1980s and still works in 2015.

While it's a quick, light read it's also got some meat: the book deals with the AIDS crisis, this unusual blended family, and the universal desire for love and happiness.

Unicorn on a Roll by Dana Simpson

Phoebe's a slightly awkward kid, who just happens to have a real live unicorn for a best friend.

This is the second book in this awesome graphic novel series, and I can't wait for more. Phoebe's a relatable kid - she's insecure, nerdy-smart, and has a schoolmate frenemy. The unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, is vain and funny - often, the joke is on Marigold about her haughty, self-involved self.

This book's about their friendship; the pair were linked in the first book by a wish, but in this one they take their relationship beyond the obligatory stage into true emotional friendship.

Plus, we get a peek behind the "shield of boringness" into the unicorn world!

Strata by Terry Pratchett

It's hard to surprise or shock a person when they've lived more than 200 years; they've really seen and heard it all. But Kin Arad is intrigued by the invisible man who appears suddenly in her office and his news of a flat planet's existence.

This was one of Pratchett's earliest books, and he's setting up the cosmology that his later Discworld books are built upon. It's captivating and imaginative. But also a challenge.

This book moves very quickly and presents some extremely foreign concepts: So much so, in fact, that I concurrently read a paper copy of the book (in the house) and listened to the audiobook (in the car). I have never used this dual approach before, and I found I really enjoyed it. With the audio I got characterization and pronunciation while the book allowed me to take a moment sometimes to reabsorb and wrap my head around a new and complex philosophy.

Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre

Young Oliver Crisp's explorer parents have decided to settle down in one place. But within minutes of arriving at their new house on Deepwater Bay, his parents row off to investigate islands which are not on their map. And then, they don't return.

So begins a deep-water adventure for chapter-book readers featuring wandering islands, mermaids, a talking albatross, and sarcastic seaweed. Fearlessly, Oliver sets off to find (save?) his parents, and the boy who's seen everything discovers some really interesting new sights while he's at it.

I loved this highly illustrated juvenile fantasy. It's full of fun characters and a quick-moving plot that's just a little different than everything else.