Best ever Discworld reading experience.

[DaveC]

I have strong memories of reading Mort.

I was on The Downs in Bristol, (large, grassy recreational area), leaning agianst a tree on a misty, drizzly, late autumn day. I was reading the section where Mort is standing alone in the square, waiting to be made an apprentice while my girlfriend was meditating on a bench a few metres away, it was my best reading atmosphere ever.

What are everyone elses best reading experiences?

[Tiffany]

It has got to be Equal Rites, the very first TP I read, I picked it up & couldn't put it down, the Family were totally neglected that day.

[Tonyblack]

I'm going to have to think on this one as nothing spectacular is coming to mind at the moment.

[pip]

very interesting. Like tony i'll have a think on it.

[Willem]

Long hot summer, we had been in London where I picked up some Pratchett paperbacks, among which Interesting Times and Soul Music. I couldn't really get into Interesting Times somehow but since it was a long hot summer I had quite some trouble sleeping. So I figured I might as well get up and read something. I don't know why, but then I finally started enjoying Interesting Times. It was a weird atmosphere, hot but dark, and very very quiet outside.

I also remember a mixed feeling of exhileration and disappointment when first reading Feet of Clay. Trying to keep it spoilerfree: I thought I'd cracked the case early on which made me feel good about being smart, but bad since I thought I wouldn't enjoy the book as much after that.
Luckily I was wrong on both accounts

[Tonyblack]

*Slaps forehead!*

Of course I have a special experience from reading the books.

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again.

I was on another Pratchett board and eagerly awaiting Hat Full of Sky to come out. I knew that another member on that board had already had a copy because she owned a bookstore and had been sent an advance copy.

Anyhow, I'd gone to Tesco and was browsing the shelves when I noticed that Hat Full of Sky was on display about two weeks before the release date. I grabbed a copy and paid for it before anyone could realise that they'd made a mistake.

I loved the book but didn't have anyone to talk to about it because no one else had a copy - apart from that woman in Arizona with the bookstore. So I PMed her, we got chatting and the rest, as they say, is history.

That was 2004, I made my first visit to Tucson in 2006 and we got married in 2007.

[DaveC]

A great story worth re-telling!

[Birthday]

Was in Norway in the summer, sitting on a bungalow balcony in the warm humid air reading Guards! Guards!

[pip]

*Slaps forehead!*

Of course I have a special experience from reading the books.

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again.

I was on another Pratchett board and eagerly awaiting Hat Full of Sky to come out. I knew that another member on that board had already had a copy because she owned a bookstore and had been sent an advance copy.

Anyhow, I'd gone to Tesco and was browsing the shelves when I noticed that Hat Full of Sky was on display about two weeks before the release date. I grabbed a copy and paid for it before anyone could realise that they'd made a mistake.

I loved the book but didn't have anyone to talk to about it because no one else had a copy - apart from that woman in Arizona with the bookstore. So I PMed her, we got chatting and the rest, as they say, is history.

That was 2004, I made my first visit to Tucson in 2006 and we got married in 2007.

Brilliant. Love it.

[pip]

Couldn't sleep when i was in Gottingen in germany so i sat in the open porch reading Witches Abroad during a massive lightning storm.
Really added to the atmosphere.

[Poohcarrots]

One December I had a stopover in Amsterdam for a couple of days on my way back to England. The Fifth Nellie-pants had just come out, so I bought it and spent a very pleasent two days blasted in Amsterdam reading it.

[pip]

Sounds fun. I'm sure you had to read it again to make sense of it

[Anilori]

I remember sitting up in bed at half past one in the morning to read Vimes' mad dash home in Thud, and beaming with glee when he finally reached Young Sam's room. "The world went soft." Nothing like seeing a character you care about be so happy, even for a moment (although I'll concur that Tony's post in this thread will be hard to beat! Fantastic story!)

[Jan Van Quirm]

I've read the vast proportion of Terry books between Orpington and Charing X so most of my memorable moments are giggling inappropriately on trains. But probably my best memory is a Pyramids one...

On holiday at a friend of a friend's wonderful 5 bed villa in Portugal, sitting in the shadiest corner poolside, with the scent of thyme and lemon on the BBQ from the spit-roasting chicken, drinking ice cold sangria and laughing like a drain at Pteppic and PTraci riding You Bastard

[Lyssian]

I've read the vast proportion of Terry books between Orpington and Charing X so most of my memorable moments are giggling inappropriately on trains.

My experience as well. I've 'read' most of the series as audiobooks during an hour-long commute to work, and some of the best moments have been me, alone in the car, laughing so hard I almost have to pull over at a well placed pun. Soul Music was the biggest offender, I think.

On the same vein, I remember sitting in my driveway, around 2 a.m., with the car running as I listened to the end of Guards! Guards!, with Vimes and Sybill. I'd read the book on paper before, and knew I couldn't wait until the next commute to get to the "awwww!" payoff.

And she had style and money and common-sense and self-assurance and all the things that he didn't, and she had opened her heart, and if you let her she could engulf you; the woman was a city.
And eventually, under siege, you did what Ankh-Morpork had always done-unbar the gates, let the conquerors in, and make them your own.

Makes me misty every time.