A collection of three short novellas that take place throughout the Dresden Files series. Harry is called out to the forest by Rivers Shoulders at three different points to help Irwin, Rivers Shoulders' son. "B is for Bigfoot" sees Irwin in middle-school being bullied but these aren't just ordinary bullies and Harry needs to do some talking to keep things from escalating badly. "I Was a Teenage Bigfoot" means that Irwin is now in a private high school but he has all of a sudden been struck with illness for the first time in his life. The doctors think it's mono but when Rivers Shoulders sends Harry out, he finds that there is something draining his life force and it's definitely not mono. Lastly, "Bigfoot on Campus" has Irwin in college and having found happiness with a beautiful girl until the girl's vampiric nature comes to the fore. Good think Harry knows a thing or two about vampires.
In all, it was a fun collection and I enjoyed returning to Harry's world.
Page count: 136p/4,521p ytd/278,996p lifetime
Showing posts with label Dresden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dresden. Show all posts
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Thursday, September 22, 2016
New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 4th Quarter 2016
My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
So I'm not entirely sure where the heck July and August went but they certainly did not contain much in the way of reading and so I'm staring down the fourth quarter of the year over 10 books behind pace to make my goal, 5 books behind my new author goal, and about 10,000 pages behind that goal. So yeah, I seriously need to get reading done in the next few months. At least I shouldn't be seeing my To Read pile growing crazily as there are only a few books coming out this quarter that I will definitely be picking up.
The first is Otherworld Chills by Kelley Armstrong. This is the last of the promised trilogy of short stories and novellas that was promised in her Otherworld series. Apparently this one wraps up several of the story lines that were not fully resolved. I can only hope she will continue to play in this world moving forward as while I enjoy her other work, I really really enjoy this universe and the characters in it.
Release Date: October 4
Shadowed Souls is an anthology of stories where things are not always as black and white as they appear. It contains stories from Seanan McGuire, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Tanya Huff, and several others I'm not as familiar with but looks to be a fun read.
Release Date: November 1
Also being released that day is Curse on the Land by Faith Hunter. This is the second of the Soulwood books that are set in the Jane Yellowrock series but follow Nell and the PsyLED team. This takes place after Nell has completed her training. She returns home only to find that the land itself is sick and evil is spreading. I am a book behind in the Jane Yellowrock series and haven't gotten to the first book in this series but considering how much I like her work in this universe, I will definitely be picking it up.
Release Date: November 1
I haven't fully made up my mind about The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. The first book was ok but not spectacular and had many issues. My book club read it (my pick) and several people had more issues with it than I did but several others seemed to enjoy it but also expressed issues with the writing and such that I did. Two people went on to read the second book, one was enjoying it and the other actually gave up half way through. Based on this, I think I'm going to read the second book before deciding whether or not to buy this one. It does sound from the description that things will get wrapped up which is not surprising since it's a planned trilogy which is one good thing and I do like to see things finished but it really depends on if the writing gets better in the second.
Release Date: November 29
So just four books and one of those is a maybe. Hopefully this means I can get some of the other reading caught up but the way the school reading is going this year, that may just be a pretty dream. We shall see.
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
So I'm not entirely sure where the heck July and August went but they certainly did not contain much in the way of reading and so I'm staring down the fourth quarter of the year over 10 books behind pace to make my goal, 5 books behind my new author goal, and about 10,000 pages behind that goal. So yeah, I seriously need to get reading done in the next few months. At least I shouldn't be seeing my To Read pile growing crazily as there are only a few books coming out this quarter that I will definitely be picking up.
The first is Otherworld Chills by Kelley Armstrong. This is the last of the promised trilogy of short stories and novellas that was promised in her Otherworld series. Apparently this one wraps up several of the story lines that were not fully resolved. I can only hope she will continue to play in this world moving forward as while I enjoy her other work, I really really enjoy this universe and the characters in it.
Release Date: October 4
Shadowed Souls is an anthology of stories where things are not always as black and white as they appear. It contains stories from Seanan McGuire, Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, Tanya Huff, and several others I'm not as familiar with but looks to be a fun read.
Release Date: November 1
Also being released that day is Curse on the Land by Faith Hunter. This is the second of the Soulwood books that are set in the Jane Yellowrock series but follow Nell and the PsyLED team. This takes place after Nell has completed her training. She returns home only to find that the land itself is sick and evil is spreading. I am a book behind in the Jane Yellowrock series and haven't gotten to the first book in this series but considering how much I like her work in this universe, I will definitely be picking it up.
Release Date: November 1
I haven't fully made up my mind about The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. The first book was ok but not spectacular and had many issues. My book club read it (my pick) and several people had more issues with it than I did but several others seemed to enjoy it but also expressed issues with the writing and such that I did. Two people went on to read the second book, one was enjoying it and the other actually gave up half way through. Based on this, I think I'm going to read the second book before deciding whether or not to buy this one. It does sound from the description that things will get wrapped up which is not surprising since it's a planned trilogy which is one good thing and I do like to see things finished but it really depends on if the writing gets better in the second.
Release Date: November 29
So just four books and one of those is a maybe. Hopefully this means I can get some of the other reading caught up but the way the school reading is going this year, that may just be a pretty dream. We shall see.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
74:120 Skin Game by Jim Butcher
The 15th book in the Dresden Files series. Things have been different since Harry's return as the Winter Knight. Rather than policing Chicago, he has been hanging out at Demonreach trying to figure out what is going on with the thing growing in his head and how to get it out. Mab has been content to let him be but now it's time for her Winter Knight to pay off one of her debts with his services. Unfortunately for Harry, this means he is being loaned out to Nicodemus, someone who is most definitely on Harry's *hit list but equally unfortunate is Mab's displeasure should he fail to uphold her end of the bargain. With that, Harry is thrust from one tight spot to another as he tries to play a very dangerous game and keep his head at the same time. But really, what can go wrong when you are working with a psychopath who is trying to steal from Hades?
I admit, I still have issues with the fact that Dresden is alive and his life is not superchanged from before he died but as far as Dresden stories go, this was a fun one. It was nice to see Murphy and Michael and Butters again although I'm very curious as to what is going on with Molly since she was hardly part of things in this one. It also needed more Bob because seriously, Bob the skull is just awesome.
Page count: 454p/18,343p ytd/199,381p lifetime
I admit, I still have issues with the fact that Dresden is alive and his life is not superchanged from before he died but as far as Dresden stories go, this was a fun one. It was nice to see Murphy and Michael and Butters again although I'm very curious as to what is going on with Molly since she was hardly part of things in this one. It also needed more Bob because seriously, Bob the skull is just awesome.
Page count: 454p/18,343p ytd/199,381p lifetime
Sunday, May 11, 2014
New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 2nd & 3rd Quarters 2014
My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
Yeah, this is kind of late for the second quarter so I figured I'd combo it with the 3rd and be early on that one. 2nd quarter is pretty slow in terms of the authors I put up on my calendar so it just sort of slipped my mind until now when I had a few minutes to sit down and update it so here goes:
With nothing on my book release calendar for April, May started off in a lovely way with Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire. A new book that may be a standalone or may eventually be part of a series, we follow the tale of Rose, a 16-year-old girl killed in 1952 who has been searching for a way to be free of her haunting existence for 60 years.
Release Date: May 6
That it pairs up with Authority by Jeff Vandermeer makes for strange looks at the bookstore since honestly I'm not sure they could be that much different from each other. Authority is the second in the Southern Reach trilogy and I'm hoping it answers at least some of the questions that Annihilation brought up because that was one incredibly freaky, disturbing, but amazing book but dang it, I want some answers!!!
Release Date: May 6
On a weird Wednesday release, my friend Amy Sprenger's new book came out. Yes Mommy: The Mayhem and Madness of Not Saying No is her story of going an entire month without saying no to her three children (ages 7, 5, 3) and how everyone survived.
Release Date: May 7
Odin's Ravens is the second in a YA series by Armstrong and Marr. I haven't read the first one yet but my third son completely loved it and bought this one with his own money so he could have it NOW! I think that says something. He is also insisting that I read both of them so that will be on my summer reading list but hey, any book where you combining Thor's hammer, modern day kids, and a whole lot of Valkyries to start the description sounds pretty awesome and with those authors I'm quite happy to accede to my kid's wishes.
Release Date: May 13
Skin Game by Jim Butcher is one where I'm on the fence about it. I mean, I know I'll buy it and read it but I still can't get over my disappointment that he brought Harry back completely from the dead. I get that you can't have Dresden's Files without Harry Dresden but I get a little tired of books where they keep making the baddies bigger and bigger but you always know that the hero is going to win through some deus ex machina. Butcher had the balls to kill off his main character and bring him back as a ghost for a whole book and Holy Cow that was BRILLIANT!!! And then he ruined it all by bringing him back fully although in service to the Winter Fae Queen. There's only been one book since that happened so I'm reserving judgement on if this series has just become unreadable for me (as the Drizzt books did after Wulfgar was brought back) or if Mr. Butcher will find a way to keep my interest.
Release Date: May 27
June is quiet again but July opens HUGE with Night's End by Yasmine Galenorn which sees the end of the Indigo Court series. Cicely and Rhiannon have been crowned and in charge but Myst is by no means willing to roll over and die. She is gathering her power and her army and there will be more blood spilled before this war is over.
Release Date: July 1
And to pair up with that is How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland. This series is just fun but it looks like sh*t's about to get real as it's zombie v. zombie when Saberton tries to take on the Zombie Maffia and Angel will end up in the middle, we can be sure.
Release Date: July 1
Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy will wrap up with the release of The Book of Life. The last one was a little slow with a lot of time travel stuff going on but apparently this one is back in present day with a lot more action as Matthew and Diana have to find the missing pages of Ashmole 782 in order to protect not only the present but the future as well.
Release Date: July 15
Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep comes out just a week later so I've got something light to read mid-summer. Gin is always a great character (if she could just stop with the constant repetitive monologueing) and I continue to enjoy the series. I'm really hoping that things are going to go somewhere with Owen as well because I loved them together. While the write-up for this one is all about some new drug coming into Ashland I'm also hoping that there is more development in the mysterious villain that has been being hinted at for several books now.
Release Date: July 22
July ends with as big a bang it started with Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews. The first time in hardback for this series and it looks to be amazing! Kate's relationship with Roland is out in the open and that battle seems to be coming down the pipes fast, probably not in this book but my guess would be sooner rather than later.
Release Date: July 29
August is another big month and kicks off with Revenant by Kat Richardson. I admit that I'm a few books behind in this series so again, that is a project for this summer so I can be ready to read this when it comes out because it looks to be intense with secret cults and bone yards and ghost armies.
Release Date: August 5
Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells is the sequel to Dirty Magic which came out earlier this year and was just fantastic. A gritty world where magic is all around but there is both legal and illegal magic and now with a rare Blue Moon about to occur, magic will be unpredictable and it's up to Kate and her team to help the local law enforcement keep things from exploding....literally.
Release Date: August 12
Robin Hobb has a new trilogy starting up with Fool's Assassin which means I need to step it up and finish reading the Fool's trilogy this summer (hmmmm...there are apparently several series that need my time, darn you Game of Thrones!) as it looks like this series will take place after that one (and I seriously hope has nothing to do with the Dragon series she just finished up or I'm SERIOUSLY behind). I loved the Farseer trilogy and the first book in the Fool's trilogy as Ms. Hobb has such a rich world and the characters are wonderfully flawed and believable.
Release Date: August 12
Visions by Kelley Armstrong also comes out and is another one where I'm behind in the series but in my defense, I wasn't sure I was going to start this series before my Book Pusher/Dealer at the local bookstore said the first one was wonderful and I would like it. I'm hoping to have the first one read before this one comes out to see if the series is one I'm going to like. It looks interesting enough and I've loved her other works that I've read so here's hoping.
Release Date: August 19
September starts with three great new releases and I'm going to have a hard time to figure out which to read first. My guess is it will be The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire as it's been almost a year since I last got a Toby fix and I'm jonesing. Not much in the way of details has been hinted at about this one except that Toby is going to have to learn the truth of her own past and considering what has been hinted at about that, oh boy!
Release Date: September 2
Next I'll curl up with Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs. I just got a Mercy and Adam fix so I can hold off briefly but this short story collection looks to be wonderful and I hope that we get to learn more about other characters as well...so long as I still get some Mercy and Adam (let's not get crazy and cut them out completely).
Release Date: September 2
Then I have to hope I can find the time for Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer as the Southern Reach trilogy is closed out. Since I have just barely gotten the 2nd book in the trilogy and haven't had a chance to read it yet (darn end of school stuff getting in the way of my reading time!) I don't even know what to hope for with this one. The Amazon write-up talks about a new expedition into Area X and the threat to the world being greater than they imagined so it sounds just dreamy.
Release Date: September 2
And as if those weren't enough, it's recently been revealed that the last of Kim Harrison's the Hollow's series will be coming out in September as well instead of torturing us all and making us wait until next year. The Witch With No Name will finally see Rachel getting her happily ever after but we all know that it can't be simple with Rachel and really, what will that even end up meaning for her? Settling down to play Suzie Homemaker doesn't seem quite her style.
Release Date: September 9
I get a few weeks off to try and catch-up with all those new releases before the release of Priestess Dreaming by Yasmine Galenorn comes out and I get my dose Camille and her sisters. The war has been heating up big time and it looks like Aveal is sending Camille on a mission to wake up Merlin with Morgaine as a traveling companion. Camille's not so sure if that is a good idea and I'm with her on that one since they have not exactly been buddies to this point.
Release Date: September 30
So you can easily see why the 2nd quarter round-up didn't happen since there were only a few books in May but good golly there is a lot of reading to be done in the 3rd quarter (and 4th too since I just looked at how that is shaping up) so I need to get cracking on catching up with some of these series in June when it's quiet and school is out if I'm to have any hope because I know me and I'll want to be reading every book on this list as soon as I get my hands on it!
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow. I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading). Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.
Yeah, this is kind of late for the second quarter so I figured I'd combo it with the 3rd and be early on that one. 2nd quarter is pretty slow in terms of the authors I put up on my calendar so it just sort of slipped my mind until now when I had a few minutes to sit down and update it so here goes:
With nothing on my book release calendar for April, May started off in a lovely way with Sparrow Hill Road by Seanan McGuire. A new book that may be a standalone or may eventually be part of a series, we follow the tale of Rose, a 16-year-old girl killed in 1952 who has been searching for a way to be free of her haunting existence for 60 years.
Release Date: May 6
That it pairs up with Authority by Jeff Vandermeer makes for strange looks at the bookstore since honestly I'm not sure they could be that much different from each other. Authority is the second in the Southern Reach trilogy and I'm hoping it answers at least some of the questions that Annihilation brought up because that was one incredibly freaky, disturbing, but amazing book but dang it, I want some answers!!!
Release Date: May 6
On a weird Wednesday release, my friend Amy Sprenger's new book came out. Yes Mommy: The Mayhem and Madness of Not Saying No is her story of going an entire month without saying no to her three children (ages 7, 5, 3) and how everyone survived.
Release Date: May 7
Odin's Ravens is the second in a YA series by Armstrong and Marr. I haven't read the first one yet but my third son completely loved it and bought this one with his own money so he could have it NOW! I think that says something. He is also insisting that I read both of them so that will be on my summer reading list but hey, any book where you combining Thor's hammer, modern day kids, and a whole lot of Valkyries to start the description sounds pretty awesome and with those authors I'm quite happy to accede to my kid's wishes.
Release Date: May 13
Skin Game by Jim Butcher is one where I'm on the fence about it. I mean, I know I'll buy it and read it but I still can't get over my disappointment that he brought Harry back completely from the dead. I get that you can't have Dresden's Files without Harry Dresden but I get a little tired of books where they keep making the baddies bigger and bigger but you always know that the hero is going to win through some deus ex machina. Butcher had the balls to kill off his main character and bring him back as a ghost for a whole book and Holy Cow that was BRILLIANT!!! And then he ruined it all by bringing him back fully although in service to the Winter Fae Queen. There's only been one book since that happened so I'm reserving judgement on if this series has just become unreadable for me (as the Drizzt books did after Wulfgar was brought back) or if Mr. Butcher will find a way to keep my interest.
Release Date: May 27
June is quiet again but July opens HUGE with Night's End by Yasmine Galenorn which sees the end of the Indigo Court series. Cicely and Rhiannon have been crowned and in charge but Myst is by no means willing to roll over and die. She is gathering her power and her army and there will be more blood spilled before this war is over.
Release Date: July 1
And to pair up with that is How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back by Diana Rowland. This series is just fun but it looks like sh*t's about to get real as it's zombie v. zombie when Saberton tries to take on the Zombie Maffia and Angel will end up in the middle, we can be sure.
Release Date: July 1
Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy will wrap up with the release of The Book of Life. The last one was a little slow with a lot of time travel stuff going on but apparently this one is back in present day with a lot more action as Matthew and Diana have to find the missing pages of Ashmole 782 in order to protect not only the present but the future as well.
Release Date: July 15
Poison Promise by Jennifer Estep comes out just a week later so I've got something light to read mid-summer. Gin is always a great character (if she could just stop with the constant repetitive monologueing) and I continue to enjoy the series. I'm really hoping that things are going to go somewhere with Owen as well because I loved them together. While the write-up for this one is all about some new drug coming into Ashland I'm also hoping that there is more development in the mysterious villain that has been being hinted at for several books now.
Release Date: July 22
July ends with as big a bang it started with Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews. The first time in hardback for this series and it looks to be amazing! Kate's relationship with Roland is out in the open and that battle seems to be coming down the pipes fast, probably not in this book but my guess would be sooner rather than later.
Release Date: July 29
August is another big month and kicks off with Revenant by Kat Richardson. I admit that I'm a few books behind in this series so again, that is a project for this summer so I can be ready to read this when it comes out because it looks to be intense with secret cults and bone yards and ghost armies.
Release Date: August 5
Cursed Moon by Jaye Wells is the sequel to Dirty Magic which came out earlier this year and was just fantastic. A gritty world where magic is all around but there is both legal and illegal magic and now with a rare Blue Moon about to occur, magic will be unpredictable and it's up to Kate and her team to help the local law enforcement keep things from exploding....literally.
Release Date: August 12
Robin Hobb has a new trilogy starting up with Fool's Assassin which means I need to step it up and finish reading the Fool's trilogy this summer (hmmmm...there are apparently several series that need my time, darn you Game of Thrones!) as it looks like this series will take place after that one (and I seriously hope has nothing to do with the Dragon series she just finished up or I'm SERIOUSLY behind). I loved the Farseer trilogy and the first book in the Fool's trilogy as Ms. Hobb has such a rich world and the characters are wonderfully flawed and believable.
Release Date: August 12
Visions by Kelley Armstrong also comes out and is another one where I'm behind in the series but in my defense, I wasn't sure I was going to start this series before my Book Pusher/Dealer at the local bookstore said the first one was wonderful and I would like it. I'm hoping to have the first one read before this one comes out to see if the series is one I'm going to like. It looks interesting enough and I've loved her other works that I've read so here's hoping.
Release Date: August 19
September starts with three great new releases and I'm going to have a hard time to figure out which to read first. My guess is it will be The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire as it's been almost a year since I last got a Toby fix and I'm jonesing. Not much in the way of details has been hinted at about this one except that Toby is going to have to learn the truth of her own past and considering what has been hinted at about that, oh boy!
Release Date: September 2
Next I'll curl up with Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs. I just got a Mercy and Adam fix so I can hold off briefly but this short story collection looks to be wonderful and I hope that we get to learn more about other characters as well...so long as I still get some Mercy and Adam (let's not get crazy and cut them out completely).
Release Date: September 2
Then I have to hope I can find the time for Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer as the Southern Reach trilogy is closed out. Since I have just barely gotten the 2nd book in the trilogy and haven't had a chance to read it yet (darn end of school stuff getting in the way of my reading time!) I don't even know what to hope for with this one. The Amazon write-up talks about a new expedition into Area X and the threat to the world being greater than they imagined so it sounds just dreamy.
Release Date: September 2
And as if those weren't enough, it's recently been revealed that the last of Kim Harrison's the Hollow's series will be coming out in September as well instead of torturing us all and making us wait until next year. The Witch With No Name will finally see Rachel getting her happily ever after but we all know that it can't be simple with Rachel and really, what will that even end up meaning for her? Settling down to play Suzie Homemaker doesn't seem quite her style.
Release Date: September 9
I get a few weeks off to try and catch-up with all those new releases before the release of Priestess Dreaming by Yasmine Galenorn comes out and I get my dose Camille and her sisters. The war has been heating up big time and it looks like Aveal is sending Camille on a mission to wake up Merlin with Morgaine as a traveling companion. Camille's not so sure if that is a good idea and I'm with her on that one since they have not exactly been buddies to this point.
Release Date: September 30
So you can easily see why the 2nd quarter round-up didn't happen since there were only a few books in May but good golly there is a lot of reading to be done in the 3rd quarter (and 4th too since I just looked at how that is shaping up) so I need to get cracking on catching up with some of these series in June when it's quiet and school is out if I'm to have any hope because I know me and I'll want to be reading every book on this list as soon as I get my hands on it!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
104:66 Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
The 13th full novel in the Dresden series by Jim Butcher. Harry Dresden is dead. Shot through the chest and fallen into deep lake dead. Really, really dead dead. But hey, sometimes a ghost's got to do what a ghost's got to do. And in Harry's case, that's go back and help his friends. Oh, and figure out who killed him. Little details like that.
I liked the way Mr. Butcher handled having his main character die by bringing him back as a ghost and one that has a hard time interacting with the living since, well, he's a ghost. Lots of good action, same Harry. A good read and I loved up until the last chapter. I won't spoil it except to say, it wasn't a shock but it was a disappointment.
Page count: 477p/20,094p ytd
I liked the way Mr. Butcher handled having his main character die by bringing him back as a ghost and one that has a hard time interacting with the living since, well, he's a ghost. Lots of good action, same Harry. A good read and I loved up until the last chapter. I won't spoil it except to say, it wasn't a shock but it was a disappointment.
Page count: 477p/20,094p ytd
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