I found this softcover in this Little Free Library in Westford MA while dropping off some books of my own, and nabbed it for another release copy.

I've adored the book ever since first discovering it via comments on BookCrossing. It's a marvelous collaboration between Terry "Discworld" Pratchett and Neil "Sandman" Gaiman, and is thoroughly good fun (as near-apocalypses go!). There's even a warning up front: "Kids! Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Do not attempt it in your own home."

From the interestingly uneasy relationship between Aziraphale ("an angel, and part-time rare book dealer") and Crowley ("An angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards") to the howlingly funny baby-swapping incident [I'll never be able to see "The Omen" in quite the same way] to the classically Pratchett-ian footnotes to the assembly of the Four Horsemen (with a little help from the delivery person in the big brown truck) to Agnes Nutter's "Nice and Accurate" prophecies, it's very entertaining. I admit I was in considerable doubt as to exactly how things were going to turn out, but was quite pleased with the result - though of course there's nothing to stop it all starting up again next day... The story blends humor (from slapstick to deeply ironic) with some surprisingly heartwarming moments, and some rather chilling scenes as well - and then there's the truly epic climax, in which the world will end - or will it? Very funny, very charming, and I adore it, even though - or because - I get a little sniffly here and there...

The entire book is quotable, and it's too hard to choose a few select items, but one line that did impress me was this one, about organized religions: "If you stopped tellin' people it's all sorted out after they're dead, they might try sorting it all out while they're alive." [For more, see the Wikiquote page.]

There's an amusing writeup on TV Tropes - but beware of spoilers; maybe you should save that 'til you've read the book.

[The TV mini-series adaptation is quite fun. And there's a marvelous unabridged-audio version of this book available, read by Martin Jarvis; recommended! And don't miss the foreword and the afterwords - Gaiman and Pratchett contribute their viewpoints on how the book came about, what it was like to write, and how they first met. Very charming and funny, though quite poignant since Pratchett's passing.]

Guidelines for safely visiting and stocking Little Free Libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, from the LFL site here.

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

** Released for the Movie challenge. **