Done!

Last night I wrapped up “Soul Music” and have nothing but good things to say about it.  The character Death is so entertaining!  I can fully envision his personality and what this character is like.  Even if I had never seen “The Hogfather”, I’d still be able to recreate the same image in my mind.  The whole universe that Terry Pratchett has created is amazing.

I absolutely could not stop giggling at the wizards at the Unseen University.  Their logic is complete crap and the fact that all of the professors are hesitant (more like terrified) to teach their students just cracks me up.

This is the set up for “Soul Music”.  Imp Y Celyn (aka Buddy) has traveled from his home to Ankh Morpork to become a musician.  Along the way he meets up with a dwarf and a troll and they make a quick decision to form a band.  The Musician’s Guild turn down their application to become musicians because they can’t pay the fee to join the Guild.  Destitute, they formulate a plan to play music in secret where the Guild won’t find them.  While they are planning, Imp’s harp, a one of a kind and not made to be fixed, is sat on by one of the group and broken.  They pick up a guitar at the local music store, which none of them remember having been there, but it must have been, becaue it’s always been there. The guitar takes a special hold on Imp and propels the group into wacky music stardom.

In the meanwhile, Death has become somewhat depressed and goes on his own journey of attempting to forget.  As a result, his granddaughter Susan is plucked from her boarding school and put in charge of all things Death related.  Her companions are the Death of Rats who has a raven for a translator and Binky, Death’s horse.  She becomes wrapped up in her own question of ethics and challenges the way of the world when she learns that Imp is supposed to die.

Throughout the book I caught on to the many references to different artists and songs.  For instance:

“Don’t Tread on my New Blue Boots” is Elivs Presley’s “(Don’t Step on My) Blue Suede Shoes”

“Good Gracious Miss Polly” is “Good Golly, Miss Polly”

“Pathway to Paradise” as Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”

Other parts of it that reflect pop culture is when the Dean paints his room black as a result of going to a rock concert.  You are immediately reminded of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black”.  The entire city goes bananas after hearing Music With Rocks In (the name of Imp’s band).  Virtually everyone decides to create their own band and goes to town playing bad music and the wizards start rebelling against their wizardness.  The wizards and some of the help start wearing leather pants and jackets and beehive hairdo’s and platform shoes.  Basically everybody goes crazy with music on their brain.

I heartily recommend this book because it’s a fun read!

“Good Omens”

Last night I finished the book “Good Omens” and thought it was amazing.  It was everything my husband bragged it would be and more.  I found it incredible that two authors came together and wrote this story.  You would never guess because it was so seamless.

Easily my two favorite characters are the two angels, Aziraphale and Crowley.  I love how they don’t want the world to end because they enjoy it too much.  All of the characters were well rounded and totally believable.  It was a nice thought that the Anti-Christ isn’t necessarily pure evil and will come into his own on his own despite influences.  Like how he was supposed to name his hellhound and then his soul purpose would be whatever his name is.  Then Adam goes and names him Dog and he becomes more and more doglike and less hellish.  The little nips into Dog’s consciousness were funny too.

There are so many good things about this book.  It’s funny and insightful and so enjoyable.  On Sunday night I was so close to finishing it and even waited ’til 1 to go to bed.  Then I finished it Monday night.  You just don’t want to put the book down because it’s so good.  I enjoyed the footnotes that were on most of the pages too.  I’m definitely going to raid the rest of our bookshelves for more books by both authors!