in the Kingdom of Disgruntledom

in the Kingdom of Disgruntledom i am queen.

argh.

i think i would rather be in the Kingdom of Silk.

however, something that has been making me less disgruntled today is...

the bindup i borrowed from the library of my work placement that contains 2 fabulously mad stories from Eva Ibbotson, creator of Which Witch, one of my most favouritefavouritest childrens books ever!

sadly most of her stuff including Which Witch is now out of print, out of stock or indented, however if you can get your hands on it, it is well worth it (don't even think about it, your grubby paws will be going nowhere near my copy-mostly because it is hiding in a box out of easy reach due to wet paint and bits of missing wall in my room-and also cos i love it too much to release it into the World of Borrowing, from whence it most likely will never return... err, not that i don't trust you...)

anyway, i just finished the first story in the bindup- Not Just a Witch- and it really did make me very pleased to be alive, so much so that i almost evacuated the Kingdom of Disgruntledom. almost, because a minute later i was severly irritated by a moronic waiter. still, it is an example of the healing powers of books.

Heckie is a Good Witch. so is Dora. when Heckie and Dora have a fight at their witch graduation (they are both wearing the same snake hat and each witch is convinced the other did it to spite them) 10 years of friendship ends in a squabble, and their plans for Doing Good together are finished.
so, miserable yet determined, Heckie sets out on her own to band together a group of witches, wizards and three children, and forms the Wellbridge Wickedness Hunters. what follows is very, very entertaining, and involves a sad russian wizard who makes air balloons fly by using the hot air talked by politicians, another wizard who spends his time teaching cheese to walk, and a death-dealing cauliflower, not to mention the extremely villainous villain Mr Knacksap (what a delightfully stupid name). there is also a rather pace quickening finale comprising of 300 snow leopards, a gas canister and two very displeased (yet reunited) witches.
i can't wait to curl up with Dial A Ghost, the next story. hurrah for the Eva Ibbotson! i might try reading some of her YA stuff next, but then again I might not as they don't look as silly. and i like silly.