My problem is that my father and I have similar tastes in books (understandably). He is (mostly) retired now, so he reads at a much faster rate than I do – then gives me stacks of books every time I see him.
So I now have dozens of large stacks of books from my father that occupy a significant percentage of the space in my bedroom. There are a couple hundred of them at least. I also have a list of books (in an Excel spreadsheet) that complete series that I’ve started (or series of which I have a few out-of-order books). The list also contains a few books or series that I haven’t started at all (like Discworld) that I would like to read someday based on other people’s recommendations.
But given the fact that I still have a couple hundred unread books or more in stacks in my bedroom, I feel it would be fairly foolish to go buying new books any time soon. So it may be a while before I get to the Discworld series …
(Besides, I’m currently making three simultaneous passes through the archives, each pass at a different point; so it is quite possible, and even probable, that I may repeat myself occasionally.)
🙂
P.S. (mental note) I’ll be finished with Asimov’s Foundation Series on audiobook before too much longer, maybe Discworld could be next on that list … 😉
(Yes, I listen to an audio book in my truck that’s different from the “dead-tree” book I read at home. Or the various web-comics I read online, for that matter … )
Xyon, this is weird. I just picked up Feet of Clay to reread five minutes before seeing your comment, My first time reading the Digger saga. I owe the person who suggested this comic to me. A lot.
And TekServer? First discworld book I read was Guards, Guards-it was a good starting point. Also don’t neglet the Tiffany Aching series, that begins with Wee Free Men.
@Tek- you say you and your father have similar tastes, and that it would be foolish to buy new books. But your father is buying new books all the time… and has similar tastes to yours. SO… maybe suggest to him that he might like the Diskworld books by Terry Pratchett? Even if he just buys the first (The Colour of Magic) and doesn’t like it, you will have given him something new to read, and likely pass on to you. But I am sure, and I know I will be seconded by the others on this forum, that he will love all of them.
Just to clarify, dad doesn’t actually buy “new” books very often … he usually gets used ones from a local book dealer that’s been a family friend since I was very young (30+ years). (And, ironically, I took several boxes of books that we’d both read back to the book dealer as trade-ins a couple of years ago, so dad’s probably still “buying” off of the trade-in account.)
Not a bad suggestion, though; I’m actually rather surprised at myself that I haven’t yet suggested Pratchett to my father. *mental note: suggest Pratchett to dad*
If you do that, Tek, you may add that they’re a bit tricky to find used. I’ve never seen more than one or two…seems that people snap them right back up, according to one bookseller I talked to.
Well, Tek, as it was *you* who pointed me at this comic, I feel it only fair to persuade you to read whatever Pratchett books you’ve got or can get hold of in any order at all, as soon as possible. Damn shame that Terry has contracted an early form of dementia, but thank Gods he’s still able to write. And kudos to him for raising the public profile of demetia, the disease-that-dare-not-speak-its-name… A bit like that excellent documentary that Stephen Fry did on depression…
FIrst Discworld I read was Carpe Jugulum. I got part way through and put it back. I had been expecting a serious read, and the blurb on the back was partially covered with a bar code, so I was mildly perturbed. Than I picked it up again a few months later, and it kicked off a Discworld spree that only stopped because I had to move and I have yet to a Library card for this town.
My favourite Discworld is probably Reaper Man. I started with the original two in a compilation volume, was bored because it was more dry than most of the later books and I didn’t get most of the RPG and game subculture jokes (to this day I am still finding new references and jokes in the books) but loved it anyway, and finally found the series years later at the city library (my local library didn’t get a single Pratchett book until after The Fifth Elephant in 2001, and still has very few). I’m pretty sure that I prefer Nigel Planer’s readings over Stephen Briggs’.
There are several subseries, such as the City Watch, the Wizards and/or Rincewind (the viewpoint character of the first two books, which are really a book in two volumes), the Witches, Tiffany Aching (imagine a nine-year-old human cross between the hag and Digger), Death (and later, his granddaughter), and a few relative standalones. I find that it’s less daunting to read with fewer spoilers if one tries to read the stories in order within each subseries than reading them all in order or at random, but you do lose a bit of seeing the growth of the world of the stories if they are read out of order of publication.
Below is a guide that seems helpful for reading orders (I lacked the funding and foresight to plan out the order in whih I read the series, and in fact had to resort to worn audiotape copies of my now-favourite book in the series): http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/index.html
The guide is somewhat out of date and does not include some of the side books, but it may not be advisable to start with the most recent books, anyway.
…Sorry for the probably-unnecessary infodump. I guess I just got carried away.
I’m happy to report that I’ve digested every Discworld book in audiobook format. I listened to them grouped by subject matter. I will soon be revisiting them in published order with my father, since he has not yet had the pleasure and he and I listen to audiobooks together while I drive him places.
😎
I swear, every single character in this comic, as soon as they reappear I go, “Yes! It’s X again!”
Yep, me too. Totally understand that feeling.
That’s because they’re all awesome. I feel the same way when I’m reading a Discworld book.
I’ve really got to get started on those Discworld books …
😉
TekServer, that’s like the fourth time you’ve said that. Go read them already.
Oh, they’re definitely on my list.
My problem is that my father and I have similar tastes in books (understandably). He is (mostly) retired now, so he reads at a much faster rate than I do – then gives me stacks of books every time I see him.
So I now have dozens of large stacks of books from my father that occupy a significant percentage of the space in my bedroom. There are a couple hundred of them at least. I also have a list of books (in an Excel spreadsheet) that complete series that I’ve started (or series of which I have a few out-of-order books). The list also contains a few books or series that I haven’t started at all (like Discworld) that I would like to read someday based on other people’s recommendations.
But given the fact that I still have a couple hundred unread books or more in stacks in my bedroom, I feel it would be fairly foolish to go buying new books any time soon. So it may be a while before I get to the Discworld series …
(Besides, I’m currently making three simultaneous passes through the archives, each pass at a different point; so it is quite possible, and even probable, that I may repeat myself occasionally.)
🙂
P.S. (mental note) I’ll be finished with Asimov’s Foundation Series on audiobook before too much longer, maybe Discworld could be next on that list … 😉
(Yes, I listen to an audio book in my truck that’s different from the “dead-tree” book I read at home. Or the various web-comics I read online, for that matter … )
I have Feet of Clay in audiobook format. It’s on my hard drive and on CD, so you can have the CD version if you want.
Xyon, this is weird. I just picked up Feet of Clay to reread five minutes before seeing your comment, My first time reading the Digger saga. I owe the person who suggested this comic to me. A lot.
And TekServer? First discworld book I read was Guards, Guards-it was a good starting point. Also don’t neglet the Tiffany Aching series, that begins with Wee Free Men.
@Tek- you say you and your father have similar tastes, and that it would be foolish to buy new books. But your father is buying new books all the time… and has similar tastes to yours. SO… maybe suggest to him that he might like the Diskworld books by Terry Pratchett? Even if he just buys the first (The Colour of Magic) and doesn’t like it, you will have given him something new to read, and likely pass on to you. But I am sure, and I know I will be seconded by the others on this forum, that he will love all of them.
Just to clarify, dad doesn’t actually buy “new” books very often … he usually gets used ones from a local book dealer that’s been a family friend since I was very young (30+ years). (And, ironically, I took several boxes of books that we’d both read back to the book dealer as trade-ins a couple of years ago, so dad’s probably still “buying” off of the trade-in account.)
Not a bad suggestion, though; I’m actually rather surprised at myself that I haven’t yet suggested Pratchett to my father. *mental note: suggest Pratchett to dad*
😉
If you do that, Tek, you may add that they’re a bit tricky to find used. I’ve never seen more than one or two…seems that people snap them right back up, according to one bookseller I talked to.
WEll, Tek, you can always send me the books, I have a feeling I read as fast as your dad…. an average novel is eaten within three days.
How cute is “In the slime?”!
Well, Tek, as it was *you* who pointed me at this comic, I feel it only fair to persuade you to read whatever Pratchett books you’ve got or can get hold of in any order at all, as soon as possible. Damn shame that Terry has contracted an early form of dementia, but thank Gods he’s still able to write. And kudos to him for raising the public profile of demetia, the disease-that-dare-not-speak-its-name… A bit like that excellent documentary that Stephen Fry did on depression…
That first panel is seriously made of win.
@Tekserver, read the Discworld series. read them now
Oh, FFS, people, haven’t you ever heard of LIBRARIES?? Pratchett’s so popular it’s almost a given your local library has Discworld books…
*former junior high librarian throws hands up in despair*
FIrst Discworld I read was Carpe Jugulum. I got part way through and put it back. I had been expecting a serious read, and the blurb on the back was partially covered with a bar code, so I was mildly perturbed. Than I picked it up again a few months later, and it kicked off a Discworld spree that only stopped because I had to move and I have yet to a Library card for this town.
@Prophetic Snail: Not /you/ again.
My favourite Discworld is probably Reaper Man. I started with the original two in a compilation volume, was bored because it was more dry than most of the later books and I didn’t get most of the RPG and game subculture jokes (to this day I am still finding new references and jokes in the books) but loved it anyway, and finally found the series years later at the city library (my local library didn’t get a single Pratchett book until after The Fifth Elephant in 2001, and still has very few). I’m pretty sure that I prefer Nigel Planer’s readings over Stephen Briggs’.
There are several subseries, such as the City Watch, the Wizards and/or Rincewind (the viewpoint character of the first two books, which are really a book in two volumes), the Witches, Tiffany Aching (imagine a nine-year-old human cross between the hag and Digger), Death (and later, his granddaughter), and a few relative standalones. I find that it’s less daunting to read with fewer spoilers if one tries to read the stories in order within each subseries than reading them all in order or at random, but you do lose a bit of seeing the growth of the world of the stories if they are read out of order of publication.
Below is a guide that seems helpful for reading orders (I lacked the funding and foresight to plan out the order in whih I read the series, and in fact had to resort to worn audiotape copies of my now-favourite book in the series):
http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/index.html
The guide is somewhat out of date and does not include some of the side books, but it may not be advisable to start with the most recent books, anyway.
…Sorry for the probably-unnecessary infodump. I guess I just got carried away.
@JET73L: Slug. Not snail; slug.
I’m happy to report that I’ve digested every Discworld book in audiobook format. I listened to them grouped by subject matter. I will soon be revisiting them in published order with my father, since he has not yet had the pleasure and he and I listen to audiobooks together while I drive him places.
😎