Woman who died a lot

The Woman Who Died a Lot: now with 50% Added Subplot by Jasper Fforde, 366 pages

This is the seventh book in Thursday Next series. A fair number of fellow staffers who saw me reading this all had the same two questions. One "Does she die a lot?" and two "Is that possible?". Well let me say yes she dies a lot and it is possible.

This book is a must read for anyone who works in a library. There are tons of jokes and everyday library problems addressed. Sadly this book takes place entirely in the real world. Not that it looses any of its funniness but it does lose some of the weirdness. This is a great continuation to the series and now I just have to wait on the next one.

One of the highlights of this one are the puns and one liners. The one that comes easily to mind is "Do I have to deal with crazy people?" "Of course your a librarian".

One of our Thursdays is missing

One of our Thursdaysis Missing: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde, 362 pages

 This is the sixth book in the Thursday Next series. Unlike the rest of the series this book is entirely from the perspective of the written Thursday from Thursday's revised book series. This novel again almost entirely takes place in the bookworld.

There are several things that I really enjoyed about this book. First we get a map of how book world is structured. This is both useful and interesting to look at, due to genre placement. Secondly being that the story takes place in fiction, and fiction is a strange world, there was plenty of strange and funny stuff. And lastly everything to do with the hard to place oversize genre.
This book is action packed and quite humorous even without the mime field or the clown army. If you have read the rest of the series read this one too.

First Among Sequels

Thursday Next in theFirst Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde, 363 pages

This is the fifth book in the Thursday Next series. This book is mainly based in the fictional world as Thursday meets her written forms. With the adding of two more Thursdays comes more mayhem and silliness that is becoming the standard for Fforde. Since Thursday is training one of the written Thursdays we get to see more of the book world and the behind the scenes. We also learn more about the ruling structure of bookworld and how the genres fit together.

While this book is still humorous to read, I did not find it as good as some of his previous books. It almost comes across as being forced to be silly.

Something Rotten

Thursday Next in SomethingRotten by Jasper Fforde, 385 pages

 

Something Rotten is the fourth book in the Thursday Next series and could be my favorite so far. This is due to the appearance and duel by the Cat formerly known as Cheshire. The duel itself is pure silliness with both sides summoning various literary champions to fight for them. There are very few rules with the only notable one being no summoning krakens.

 

This book also has an underworld like place, a company trying to become a religion, the threat of nuclear war, croquet, and some strange after-death stuff. Did I mention the Neanderthals and the possible returning of a prophet? Of course it also still has all the stuff we enjoy like Pickwick, the dodo, and Thursdays various fictional adventures.

 

I know I have enjoyed the series, and through my description of it my brother has also started reading it. This is one of those series that will never get boring or old.

_{This post brought to you by the Toast Marketing Board. Eat More Toast!}

Well of Lost Plots

Thursday Next in the Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde, 375 pages

This is the third book in the Thursday Next series. In some ways these books get more and more confusing as the series goes on, but that only helps the awesomeness of the series.¹ Like all series it is very hard to give any sort of review without revealing anything that happens in the book, or the books that come before it.

In this book Thursday is on extended maternity leave and is living in an unpublishable manuscript. All of these manuscripts are kept in the Well of Lost Plots, hence the name of the book. This book is also has the reappearance of Granny Next and some of her life story.

 

This series is a must read in my opinion as it is very well done and will have you at least chuckling at some of the puns/jokes/literary humor used in the book.² The Unitary Authority of Warrington Cat, or the cat formerly known as Cheshire, is still my favorite character. But Pickwick is a very close second, despite being a dodo who cant talk.

_{1 “Hello? Can anyone hear me?”}

_{2 “Is this thing on?”}