not going out

Yesterday we were supposed to be over Bradford way, helping to put up a window display of Bright Side related stuff at The Kirkgate Centre where we do pottery (which we also supposed to be getting back to yesterday).

And today, we were supposed to be at book group discussing  the 'Wintry' themed books we had chosen to read over the last month.

We read Hogfather by Terry Pratchett which we both enjoyed. The more I read of Terry Pratchett, the more impressed I am by his stuff. I think I have had a tendency to dismiss it as 'light reading' in the past (not that there's anything wrong with a bit of light reading) but actually there are some really lovely and interesting and thought and discussion provoking ideas in the books of his that we have read. Hogfather, as well as being funny and entertaining, deals a lot with the ideas of beliefs and why we as humans 'need' to believe in things and with the nature of what it is to 'be human'. My favourite part in it is where Death underlines the subtle, but quite huge, difference between 'The sun rising' and 'a mere ball of flaming gas illuminating the world'. Clever stuff.

It's a lovely book, definitely recommend it, and the film is pretty good too.

This is Chi's review of the book...

HOGFATHER 

BY

Terry Pratchett

The Hogfather is gone and Death has taken over his job. He has left his granddaughter Susan with the job of bringing the Hogfather back. 

I loved this book for its humour and is one of the best books Terry Pratchet has written. 

My favourite part of the book was when Death was talking to Susan about how humans need to believe the little lies in order to believe the bigger ones later in life* 

My favourite character in the book was probably Teatime because of his madness.

I didn’t have a least favourite part of the book. 

I would rate this book ten out of ten and recommend it to people who don’t believe in Santa. 

* "YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES."

"So we can believe the big ones?"

"YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING."

"They're not the same at all!"

"YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET- Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME . . . SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED."

"Yes, but people have got to believe that or what's the point-"

"MY POINT EXACTLY."    

While I have been reading it aloud, Chi has been doing lots of this...

☺☻☺☻☺

...and when I haven't been reading it, I have been breaking toes (hence the 'not going out' and 'supposed to be at's) and consequently doing quite a bit of this...

...and quite a bit of this...