Pyramids; Terry Pratchett (HarperTorch, 2001, ISBN 978-0-06-10265-0; cover artist not known).

Pteppic (or Teppic) has a problem. He's escaped from the trap of being part of a dynasty, has spent years training to be an assassin, and had just passed his final exam with the Assassins Guild in the city of Ankh-Morpork when the call comes to return home. His father, the king, has died. He must take his place on the throne!

Back to Djelibeybi (ignore the "D") he goes where he is caught in endless rituals, a life rigidly controlled by the seemingly ageless Dios, high priest of all high priests. There's a handmaiden, Ptraci (or Traci). Or is she his aunt? And how does a camel get involved in higher mathematics?

Toss in a whole string of restless undead, a dimensional accident, pyramid power, and Death (strangely enough, one of the most popular characters in the series) and you have another fun romp on the back of the turtle.

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 07:00 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Fred's Reading Report (March 200

It was the best of times...oh, never mind!

Reading was impacted by a temporary increase in hours worked. So, I feel like I have not done as well as the first two months of the year.

Books read: 7. Bourdain...A Cook's Tour. O'Brian...Master & Commander. Pournelle...The Endless Frontier, Volume 1. Ramsay...Roasting in Hell's Kitchen. Ringo...The Last Centurion. Ringo...Princess of Wands. Whittemore...Quin's Shanghai Circus.

134 short works read. Goal for the year 365; goal for month, to reach 91; goal for next month...121 (so I'm ahead for the year, so far!)

Current reads, on deck, on Mount Toberead...I'm increasingly shuffling the piles, so it is easier just to list what is finished rather than what is being read!

Posted by: Fred Kiesche at 11:45 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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John's Reading Report (March 200

Over the past month I have finished:

Flashman, George MacDonald Fraser. Not sure I've made up my mind whether I liked this or not. It was a fairly easy read.

The Forever War, Joe Haldeman. An interesting contrast to Heinlein's Starship Troopers or John Scalzi's Old Man's War.

In progress:

Virtual Light, William Gibson. I have neglected Gibson for the last 15 years or so. Time to catch up.

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter.

Consciousness Explained, Daniel C. Dennett.

On deck:

Suite Francaise, Irene Nemerovsky.

Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain--and How it Changed the World, Carl Zimmer.

Idoru, William Gibson.

Spook Country, William Gibson.

Posted by: JohnL at 09:17 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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