So I finally got around to reading Martha Wells' Cloud Roads, which is a very fun and creative fantasy adventure novel. I definitely recommend it: the world-building is great, with floating islands and monumental ruins and all sorts of really cool and varied intelligent species running about.

The one thing that makes me laugh is that the POV character is, well, John Sheppard from Stargate Atlantis. I mean, not really: his name is Moon. But he's a laconic loner--an orphan who doesn't know where he comes from, and is skeptical of the motives of anyone who is interested in him. But it turns out that he's more important than he thinks, and during the course of the novel he finds a new home and people to fight for. If you know Wells' background in SGA fandom, it's really quite endearing.

I've read some of her other books and enjoyed them. Can't pull up any titles - the insomnia fairy decided to set up camp in my bed last night (the fact it was about 85 in my apartment was probably a major factor) and my brain isn't braining.

I've read some of her other books and enjoyed them.

Oh, yes, she's really very good. And her fannish stuff is good too--she's written professional tie-in work as well as fannish stuff, and her fanfic is among the best around.

I read the first three Skullduggery Pleasant. Fun! Not so addictive to me that I'll pay for them on amazon.co.uk but very enjoyable. Any idea when they'll get US releases?

Now I need something else addictive to read. I just finished the last two October Daye novels, too, and am jonesing for more addictive fantasy/science fiction, urban or otherwise. Suggestions I might not have read?

ETA: Is there any reason I shouldn't read The Night Watch as my first Discworld book? It happens to be available now from the NY Public Library is my only real reason.

Is there any reason I shouldn't read The Night Watch as my first Discworld book? It happens to be available now from the NY Public Library is my only real reason.

THERE ARE A MILLION REASONS.

By which I mean I agree with the recommendation I was given that you read the Watch books in order. Night Watch in particular is much more effective if you know the history.

Discworld Reading Order.

Night Watch is a good book, but a lot of the effect will be lost without having read the several City Watch books beforehand. If you don't know who Vimes is, seeing where he came from isn't quite as interesting.

Going Postal is a decent first Discworld.

edit: or what Polter said. The Watch books definitely benefit from being read in order. Vimes' progression through the world is magnificent. He's so very Vimes. Or, as Vetinari said, when Drumknott observed that Vetinari would have had to invent Vimes if Vimes weren't around, "I believe I did."

My first was Lords and Ladies, and it hooked me, although it's kind of a weird one to be first, in retrospect, given how it has the Witches AND the Wizards, both four books in.

Going Postal is a decent first Discworld

I would concur with this: it's a good introduction to the city of Ankh-Morpork and some of its issues, while also being quite a great riff on the internet and corporate skullduggery. And it doesn't require a lot of backstory, since Moist is a new character.

Which is not to say that Nightwatch isn't very good--I think you can still get a lot of the social commentary out of it. Especially now, because the bulk of the plot involves protests and the role of the police in handling civic unrest against a corrupt administration. But you'd miss a lot of the (quite awesome) character work if you read it first.

OTOH, it's free, so I would say, give it a try because it's free, and then go back and reread the City Watch novels in order. And then read the Witch novels in order. But skip the Rincewind novels, they're really not very good by comparison. (Except for the Luggage, which I do love.)

Speaking of Pratchett, I just started listening to Making Money; I'm a bit sad, because not counting Snuff, it will be my last unread Discworld book. And I've heard that Snuff isn't up to.

I do enjoy the Rincewind novels, but I would agree they're not as good as the others. The early ones, though, are really rough.

Wait, looking at the chart...I don't actually like the Rincewind novels much at all. I like Unseen University.

Alrighty then. I'll return it and get it later. Here are the Discworld novels that I could get right now without waiting - Will any of these work alone and possibly addict me?

• Carpe Jugulum
• The Fifth Elephant
• Interesting Times
• Lords and Ladies
• Making Money
• Men at Arms
• Thud!
• Witches Abroad

Based on that reading guide, it looks like none of these are great entry points? I'm 2nd on the waiting list for Color of Magic - should I just wait? I'm going to read the fake 6th Hitchhiker's book and a Connie Willis novel, so I can probably make it.