It's Like Riding a Velocipede!

Over the weekend, I read Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett (yay!) and Neil Gaiman. It was a really fun comedy about an angel (Aziraphale; who guarded the gates of Eden) and a demon (Crowley; the snake who tempted Eve) who have been notified that the end times are coming. Having been on Earth for 6,000 years (the age of the planet), they have become quite fond of it, and actually work against their masters' wishes in an attempt to preserve it (is it really against the plan, though? It is ineffable).

Unbeknownst to them, the child that they thought was the antichrist (named Warlock; they have both been influencing him) was switched at birth due to a misinterpretation on the part of the Satanist nurse. The true antichrist, Adam Young (other suggested names included Wormwood and Damien), has been raised as a normal English boy.

Meanwhile, the four horsemen, War, Famine, Pollution (Pestilence quit after the discovery of Penicillin), and War, ready themselves to ride.

Unsurprisingly, this was a great book, with some laugh out loud moments (it was written by Terry Pratchett, after all).

I also learned a few things (which I suppose I should do with any book, but I noted this time specially). For example, the definition of "velocipede," who Azrael is, and the fact that, in England, many highways are named M# (or was it "H?"). I also found out about this Saturday's poem in the book (I like it; the only problem is that it is easy to fall into the meter of the "London Bridge is Falling Down" song at times).

This message has been brought to you by Rex Cosgrove at 1am (so don't be too critical).

My next book is The Adept, by Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris. All I know about it right now is that an adept is skilled magic user in fantasy stories, the Adept of the books has been reincarnated several times, and that it takes place in England.

Imagine that there's an "a" before "skilled."