Discworld/Other novel series

[KittyTheKat]

I haven't read much of anything since I was in middle school, but recently I started reading the Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett and I'm loving them! I've always liked fantasy okay but I think Pratchett does a good job of balancing the satirical angle of the books with a strong emotional core.

I'm curious: has anyone else on the board read Discworld, or do you have other recommendations for light reading when I have free time? 

[formadscience]

I love Discworld! My favorites are the ones about the Watch and the Moist von Lipwig books.

If you also like sci-fi, I'd recommend The Murderbot Diaries. The first four books are novellas so they'd be good for light reading.

[starbreaker]

I'm curious: has anyone else on the board read Discworld, or do you have other recommendations for light reading when I have free time? 

I've read some Discworld, but I'm hesitant to offer recommendations. My wife tells her friends that Clive Barker is my idea of light reading, and she's not exactly wrong. Still, I enjoyed Monkey King, which is Julia Lovell's abridged translation of Journey to the West for Penguin. I'm currently reading Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey, which is a retelling of Kushiel's Dart from a major supporting character in the latter novel set in a fantasy version of France where sex workers are almost holy.

[KittyTheKat]

I've read some Discworld, but I'm hesitant to offer recommendations. My wife tells her friends that Clive Barker is my idea of light reading, and she's not exactly wrong. Still, I enjoyed Monkey King, which is Julia Lovell's abridged translation of Journey to the West for Penguin. I'm currently reading Cassiel's Servant by Jacqueline Carey, which is a retelling of Kushiel's Dart from a major supporting character in the latter novel set in a fantasy version of France where sex workers are almost holy.

Ooh, I've been interested in Journey to the West actually! And honestly I'm not opposed to deeper stuff, I'm just trying to ease myself back in before I escalate into more complex works... said while eyeing the untouched copy of House of Leaves on my shelf...

[starbreaker]

Ooh, I've been interested in Journey to the West actually! And honestly I'm not opposed to deeper stuff, I'm just trying to ease myself back in before I escalate into more complex works... said while eyeing the untouched copy of House of Leaves on my shelf...

I found Lovell's translation very accessible. Most of the book is wall-to-wall monkeyshines, except for the chapters detailing Tripitaka's backstory while Sun Wukong is offstage because he's trapped under that mountain.

Gotta say, though, most of the immortals seem to be assholes (and Tripitaka is pretty much a damsel dude -- or a dudesel?). And if Guanyin is really a goddess of mercy, she has a funny way of showing it.

[siph]

I'm curious: has anyone else on the board read Discworld, or do you have other recommendations for light reading when I have free time? 

If you liked Discworld then you may like the fictional podcast Welcome to Night Vale. If you are fine with podcasts give it a shot. It also has books which you can read. Its absurdist style feels very similar to Discworld.

The works of Salman Rushdie are also somewhat similar except with more of a historical fantasy vibe. He does use some Indian vernacular and sensibilities though so that might make him a bit unapproachable for foreign audiences. Check him out if you like.

[ThunderPerfectWitchcraft]

Read probably around 15 parts when I was younger, and had enough forever afterwards - it started to feel a bit samey after this. On the other hand: There is no novel-series where I've read more, so I guess it supports the case for Pratchett ;).

While I still like humorist books, I prefer ones that are less genre-focused nowadays.

[mostlypixels]

Discworld is amazing. I have them all on my shelves, with the three last ones waiting for me to reread the entire series. Pratchett makes characters comedic while tangibly real.

I read the books in French since Pratchett's English is a bit too advanced for me (some characters have accents or such that made it complicated), but we thankfully have a fantastic translator.

If anyone is interested in starting the series, I'd suggest not starting with the first two books (which IMHO are the weakest), but by either the first in the "City watch" ("Guards! Guards!") or "Witches" ("Equal Rites") arcs, with my warm, glowing, enthusiastic rec for "Guards! Guards!"). My cat is named after Sam Vimes.

As for other recs... Uh, nothing comes to mind. Not in English, at least.

If you speak French, "Brussailes" by Éléonore Devillepoix has a similar vibe, except it's birds investigating criminal events in the bird community.