G Berton

I have been listening to Terry Pratchett's books while commuting for a couple of years, and this is one of the best. Tiffany, the nine-year-old witch, and the Nac Mac Feegle are hilarious and serious at the same time, and the sense of place, the "Land under Wave" that plays a huge part in the book is wonderfully invoked. I laughed often and loved Terry's reworking of some very traditional fantasy themes as seen through his particular set of cracked lenses. I would recommend this both to adults and older children, particularly girls who need some heros of their own, and especially to the parents of those girls. Just a great read.

Although billed as a novel, this book presents a fascinating insider's knowledge of 50 years of the history of the CIA, including telling portraits of many historical figures. It explains what went on behind the scenes of a list of crucial historical events including the Hungarian Uprising, the Bay of Pigs, and the Russian old-guard pusch against Gorbochov and Yelsen. While the author obviously has some axes to grind, he provides a very insightful look at recent American and World history. While some of the names may be changed to protect the guilty, this is both a fascinating, fast-moving novel in its own right and a source book to, as one of its characters says, show the novelists what spying is really about.

This book had me LOL constantly. If you liked "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe", you will like this book as well. While totally different (and original) in its setup and events, it has the same humorously twisted outlook. Maybe because both authors are Brits. Buy it, you will like it, whether you are a fantasy fan or just looking for some good laughs.