All Things Jim Butcher discussion
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Savannah
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May 08, 2011 04:40PM

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BTW, having read all of them, I hope that you'll give the rest of Codex Alera the time once you get through Dresden. I certainly love the Dresden Files, but Codex grew on me and I'm now going through them a second time in the form of the audio books as a filler until the next Dresden book releases in July and I think I'm enjoying them more this time through.


BTW, having read all of them, I hope that you'll give the r..."
Booksandcoffee101 wrote: "Hi guys! My name is Savannah and right now i'm absolutely obsessed with all things Jim Butcher right now!!! I've realized yesterday since 2011 started i have read Jim Butcher's books nonstop. Right..."
Oh i loved Codex Alera but i promised my friend id go ahead and read Stormfront just for him but then i was instantly hooked on Dresden and cant stop reading them XD I absolutely LOVE codex alera and Im wanting to go to Dragon Con this year dressed as Kitai :D

HAHA so is my friend CJ. he can't reread them either cuz i have all his books XD


I've already thought about re-reading Dead Beat... Zombie T-Rex! What could be better!!

@Mike - Yes the wait is awful and I haven't pre-ordered it. (Yet anyway!!)


will probably order it from there although it will be tough knowing that it is sitting on a bookshelf at the bookstore just yelling "buy me" "you know you want to buy me NOW!!"

They are how I got to know Dresden. I bought the first several books in omnibus editions that the SFBC put out.
I dropped out a few years ago. I keep considering getting back in, but it never seems worth it anymore. I buy from ABE and Amazon all the time, not to mention the local books stores (new and used). Still I thought they were great "back when". When I first joined all the books were $1 except for occasional "special editions". I still have a couple of the older book club editions.



Years ago my wife and I belonged to most of the book clubs, but then they all ended up owned by the same people. Since she passed I've dropped out of most of them. Hope it works out for you.
One thing, for some reason most used book stores don't like to take book club editions of books. I don't get it, their sturdier than paperbacks and smaller than publishers editions, but if I decide to let books go, the book club editions usually get donated somewhere as the used book outlets won't take a lot of them.




I think i can possibly finish the series by the end of this month, i just finished death masks and wanted to start blood rites but but I had an AP test and soooooo muuuuuuch homework to do so i'm prolly gonna have to hide the books so i wont be so tempted to read until the weekend LOL. Its hard for me to get good used books so i borrow from anybody and everybody. We have a Hastings but their books tend to get a little pricey and the nearest McKays is in Chattanooga. Our little county library i would use but but all their dresden books are (get this) OVERDUED except for Changes and Side Jobs. My school library has no dresden books T.T and only the first Codex Alera series..... Warren County book system is Jim Butcher deprived LOL






I am a library assistant and I am constantly awed at how few people are fantasy/paranormal/urban fantasy/sci-fi type fans! We have 16 libraries in our system and I have only located 2 other coworkers who read within the genre...seems strange to me. It only goes to prove how loyal most people are to their own genre-love.
I love almost anything that falls into the broad SFF scope and swing wildly in my preferences from season to season. Urban fantasy, 'high' fantasy, paranormal, PNR, horror (if it is fantasy-esqe), and sci-fi too. However, I'm the worst for the mystery/thriller genre. I still can't properly pronounce Hercule Poirot! (Shhhh, I'll get booted from the union for that one, I'm sure.) The point being that if I am surrounded by all those choices daily, yet still can't step out of my zone, I can see others having the same trouble.
I just don't understand why when their zone doesn't have Jim in it! LOL :)

I'm pretty much the same. I'm not big into Sci-Fi yet but I do look at some and think maybe I'll try that sometime soon. Do you like Steampunk? I really haven't ready anything too "steampunky" yet. I read Gail Carriger's Soulless but that's as close as I've come. I liked it. I have a friend who absolutely loves mysteries and hates fantasy. She said fantasy makes no sense to her. I do have a co-worker who likes urban fantasy/paranormal not so much fantasy so we can talk about things we've read. I was going to ask when Ghost Story comes out could we have a book discussion like so many of the other groups do? I think that would be fun to see other people's opinions of the book.

I've got an extremely close friend who's the same way your friend is. I've known her for years and we seem to agree on almost everything else, but she says she just doesn't like fantasy. I don't believe she's even read The Lord of the Rings, and otherwise (other than fantasy/SF) she's a well read person. I read fairly eclectically so we've discussed a lot of lit. but not fantasy.
And I find most of my reading is fantasy now...personal preference. I have more time daily that I can allot, but am more and more conscious that my "overall time" is more limited. My wife passed almost 2 years ago and I'm on disability retirement so...budgeting time is a different thing than it once was.
Dana, I've never really been a big mystery fan. My wife enjoyed some so by consequence I ended up reading many. I always found Ms. Christie (sorry, Dame Agatha) a bit slow for my taste...but then considering her opinion of Americans, that might be expected. ;)
But as I said, I read pretty eclectically, History, politics, current events, theology...Historical fiction, techno thriller, most fantasy genres and sub-genres (High, epic, urban, science, plus horror). I've never really like PNR however. Romance as a primary genre isn't my "cup of tea" as they say.
I couldn't post (by the way) without telling you that you've chosen one of my favorite paintings (Flaming June) as your avatar. I'm not an authority on art, but I'm a sucker for the Pre-Raphaelites.

I don't read much sci-fi either, but when I do manage to read something, I really enjoy it. I would try Snow Crash, it had an interesting humor aspect to it and no space aliens/ships or the like. :)
No, I haven't tested out any steampunk fiction yet, but have a few in my TBR. I have a teen daughter and there seems to be a huge following for teen-ish steampunk so I figure I need to get my reading in now. I'm going to try the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare since my daughter really enjoyed the Immortal Instruments series by the same. I'm planning on reading the Parasol Protectorate series, so Soulless is on the menu. If you happen upon any others you enjoy, let me know. It is hard breaking into a new sub-genre since you don't want a 'bad' first experience to turn you off for a long time.

That is my problem with all mysteries/thrillers, they just seem to move to slowly for me. I think that most people that enjoy SFF are 'setting' readers and it makes it hard to transfer over to mysteries since the fans of that genre tend to be 'plot' or 'character' readers. I need my story to start developing fairly quickly, and the world building of SFF has to begin on page one so I am content. Mystery writing is most often in a setting we already know or are familiar with, so the writer spends quite a bit of time introducing you to the characters and basic story. They always feel a bit like a cocktail party where I don't know anyone...dull.
I'm sorry to hear about your wife, Mike. My mother is also a M/T reader. I keep hoping that her enthusiasm will rub off on me. I'm waiting. If your wife couldn't win you over on that though, I won't hold my breath on my mom converting me. :)
I see you have unparalleled taste in art! (hehe) I, as well, am no expert on art, but since the first moment I saw this painting I was hooked. I'm working on having an artist friend do a loose reproduction of it for my house. I have a large, open, 2 story living/dining room area with walls that are begging for art. The space has tons of windows and light and I think this painting would shine as vivdly as the sun there. (It gets all my artistic molecules a-vibratin' just thinking about it!) :)

Actually i think the type of book I like plot, character, setting, etc. varies. There are all types on my favorites list. if force to name one favorite novel i suppose it would be To Kill a Mockingbird, but I'd hate to have to name just one.
As for the painting it's one of several Pre-Raphaelites I love. Hope the one in your room works out well.


(takes a few steps back in the conversation) I beg to differ on the urban fantasy scifi fans :D i love that type of thing and i have loads of friends who enjoy stuff like it such as the Dresden Files and the Mortal Instruments books. I think the reason maybe why urban fantasy is THAT big is maybe people are stuck in the twilight-y vampirish genre but but I also really like paranormal romances not necessarily vampires but there are so many good books on the person who the main character falls in love with isn't your classic vamp or werewolf but something MORE and its awesome because its something fresh and it keeps you guessing such as The Hour Glass Door or Beautiful Creatures :D.


PNR seems to be a love it or hate it area for most I've spoken to. It feeds the sighing, swooning, girlie half of me and is my substitute for television (which I hate). The fantasy that I tend to like has as much or more political/military action in it than romance. The world building, for me, has to be foremost. I've really enjoyed Anne Bishop's Black Jewels books as well as Jacquelyn Carey's Kushiel's series. (Carol Berg and Robin Hobb are good too.) They all have lots of military/political action and some cultural density to them. Bishop's work reminds me of Jim's Alera books which of course means that I love them!
BTW, if anyone else is familiar with the books by Bishop or Carey, please let me know if you have any recommendations of similar work. I just recently noticed that most of the fantasy I read is written by women (this was an unconscious choice). It seems strange to me since the 'romance' aspect, which seems to be primarily written by women, is not why I love the work. Your opinion is highly valued here!
Twilight killed vampires. Vampires used to be the classy and creepy-scary baddies of the 'supernatural world'. (I think of them as panthers and the fey like lions. :P I know, it's dumb...I can't help it!) Twilight is pretty much like The Borg for the supernatural. It took creatures that have held truly frightening roles in different mythos from all over the world and made them all part of the 'hive mind'. Is it PC to call them 'pansies'? Hhhhmmmmmm......

Freakin stephanie meyer took parts from different vampire books and strewn them together DX. You can see that she basically uses quotes from Queen of the Damned and the sparkle idea from The Silver Kiss(where the vamp sparkled as he faded away to his death in the susnet)and and she stole from Tuck Everlasting :O. As my friend says "Vampires who sparkle aren't vampires... Theyre faeries :D"
You can call them pansies :D
Anyhoo, this is one reason why I l absoulutely LOVE dresden files because Mr. Butcher does such an awesome job spinning a lore of these big bad vampires that aren't nice :D.
I like PR cuz just regular romance booooores me P:. Sure, i like realistic fiction books, but its more interesting when you throw some monsters or supernatural beings in the mix.
Speaking of SFF, i have this awesome idea for a book about Zombies and Mafia in the 1920s :D i. must. work. to. bring. it. to. life.

I managed to track him down at NY Comic Con last year. He was featured in the Fantasy Writers panel w/ Joe Abercrombie, Naomi Novik and Brandon Sarenson and others. It was amazing. They all talked about their writing process and it was fun to hear Jim talk about how he puts together his stories. Great panel, great night.

And I am in tune with you completely...I often am in full mouth-gaping awe at the stuff that comes pouring (or kicking and screaming) out of Jim's mind. Truly gifted!



I find it very interesting that some of you do not consider Dresden Files to be in anyway shape or form a mystery novel. I've always considered them to be mysteries in a fantasy setting. The whole hardboiled P.I. shtick is common mystery trope. The story lately has pretty much left that feel behind though, but a lot of the Dresden books are very much a "Case File" type of story. Jim even refers to the non-major story arc books as "Case books". It's a testament to how good these books are that it attracts so many different kinds of readers.

It probably stems from something you have mentioned before about how Jim has his own unique take on the concept. His style is so appealing that it overrides any labels for me. What pressure the man must bear! Being a genius is a burden I'm sure. ;)

When i first started reading Storm Front, I felt like it had that type of mood. The hardboiled P.I. as you say. But as you progress to Fool Moon it seems as if he shifts styles, maybe a little tad less informal than that of Storm Front's, but still informal. Personally, I feel like i read it as if Harry is just talking to me XD

I bet if you take a CAT scan of Jim Butcher's brain, you get a SUPERNOOOVA of energy of awesome :D

So, if you enjoy them for the mystery content that's cool. I think the writing is simply so good and the character so well done that the books will appeal to a lot of people over several genres.

I just love the complexity of the plots and I've never been a big murder mystery fan or whatever but when you add fantasy to it all its just COOL :D

So nice to pop back in here and listen to reason and get talked off the ledge:) Whew. Not usually so combustible. I gotta get out of that book group.
I love that there are such great comments in here. I agree JB has the hard boiled detective mystery element, the fantastic fantasy element (so well crafted) and great, great characters. I love that I am just as taken in Changes with Harry's ability to stand against insurmountable odds as I was in Storm Front. Here we are waiting for book 13 -and there is still no discernible formula.
JB manages to pull me along and it feels so effortless, but it all comes together so well that I am in awe with how JB does it. -- and most important, I am deeply invested in the hero and in the story. I don't think we can ask for anything more.
Books mentioned in this topic
Fortunately, the Milk (other topics)Fortunately, the Milk (other topics)
To Kill a Mockingbird (other topics)
Soulless (other topics)
Snow Crash (other topics)
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