Jim Butcher - "Storm Front"

     Question: what kind of story do you get when you add 15 years to Harry Potter's age, mix in a little sci-fi, stir in some strange murders, gently fold some of Dean Koontz style + dry humor in, and set it in modern-day Chicago?  Answer: The Dresden Files, a series by Jim Butcher.  I knew I would like the book a) when one of my best girlfriends (who openly admits that Star Trek is cool) thrust the book into my hands AND b) when I read the mini-bio about the author on the back flap... "A martial arts enthusiast whose resume includes a long list of skills rendered obsolete at least two hundred years ago, Jim Butcher turned to writing as a career because anything else probably would have driven him insane.  He lives in Independence, Missouri, with his wife, his son, and a ferocious guard dog."  along with this photo:

Go ahead, admit it... YOU LOVE HIM!!!!!  I know, I know, I do too :D  and you may not have even read the book yet.  Is your appetite whetted yet?  Oops, did I just let my inner-geek show????

     Harry Dresden is a wizard who has literally set up shop in Chicago as, well, I'll just let you read for yourself:  "HARRY DRESDEN – WIZARD  Lost items found. Paranormal investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates. No love potions, endless purses, parties, or other entertainment."  He's serious and dry witted with a side of quick thinking and honesty to boot.  The story opens with a brief introduction to our main character, Harry.  The next thing you know, he is called in by the Chicago P.D. to help investigate a pair of gruesome and certainly paranormal murders. 

     This is a geniusly written novel, and I love how Mr. Butcher mixes the extra-ordinary in with the ordinary to create a tale that is comfortable and doesn't force tooooo many mental exercises, but also allows the reader to expect the unexpected.  Even though it's a pretty serious story, I found myself giggling too.  It was the kind of book that kept me thinking about it when I was at work, and all I wanted to do was be at home in my fuzzy socks with my nose firmly in place within the pages of this book.  There were twists and turns, trolls and mob bosses, potions and VW Beetles, faery's and Chicago pizza; I told you, this tale has it ALL.  The author does an astounding job of placing the supernatural into the mundane.  

     Although it contains faeries, wizards, and the like, I would not by any means call it a kid's book!  It's most definitely a grown up "fairy tale."  It's got the elements of the classic white magic vs. black magic, but is much more complex that just that.  As I mentioned above it hints at Koontzesque elements of the macabre.  I highly recommend this book (maybe even the whole series, I bought the next 2 novels the day after I finished book one) for a quick, exciting, "something out of the ordinary" kind of read.

Cheers Mr. Butcher!

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

 

 

Janet Evanovich - "Fearless Fourteen"

     At this point in my literary life there are only two more Stephanie Plum novels available for my viewing pleasure.  (Three if you count the "seasonal" novels.)  So until I find out that Mrs. Evanovich has written another for my consumption, I'm trying to make these last two Plum-tasty books last, and I find that to be a bit of a challenge as I tend to begin reading them and find that they're over in a mere matter of days :(

     Stephanie, Morelli (yum), Ranger (sigh), Lula (of course), Rex, Bob, Connie, Grandma Mazure, and a few other zany characters find their way into "Fearless Fourteen."  This episode starts when Stephanie goes to apprehend an FTA (failure to appear - to court) named Loretta.  Loretta, who also happens to be one of Morelli's cousins, is willing to go in without a fight, but only if Stephanie promises to collect her teenage son from school while she's going through the process of getting re-bonded.  For sake of ease, Stephanie commits to do so.  Guess how long the paperwork process lasts for poor Loretta?  Guess who's now stuck "parenting" a teenage boy who is obsessed with an online RPG (role-playing game) called Minionfire?  You guessed it, 1. a long time, and 2. Stephanie.

Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum)

     In the midst of all of the "usual" in Steph's life, she find herself helping Ranger and his cronies to work private security for one of the biggest entertainers and Divas of all-time, Brenda (think of a Cher + Dolly Parton in Paris's wardrobe).  Brenda is a handful to say the very least!  She's got a bad attitude, a crush on Ranger, a nasty temper, and a penchant for hogging the spotlight, and not being on time.  While juggling all of these items, Stephanie and her crew are thrust into solving a ten-year old bank robbery.  She is involuntarily involved in the solving of the case because the robbers (and the rest of Trenton, for that matter, seem to believe that the money is buried in Morelli's house)  Does this poor girl EVER catch a break?!?!?!

     I was a little disappointed that not one car got blown up.  I suppose the fact that Bob the hungry dog got spray painted will suffice.  Overall this was much better than the previous few books in the series.  I was giggling quite a number of times throughout Ms. Plums escapades.  I find these books comforting to me like a favorite pair of shoes.  You know, the kind that aren't too dressy, they're not too casual, and even though they may not always be practical or all that "flashy", they're the most comfortable one's in your closet, and sometimes you are simply compelled to wear them despite their lack of appropriateness for the outfit.  Okay, maybe you don't know what that's like, but it's the best I can do for now.

     Check out this book if you need a quick read with a few laughs and are expecting the unexpected.  Bye for now...

Louisa May Alcott - "Little Women"

     Long time, no blog, I know, but here is the latest edition, and it's hot off the press too!  I've just finished Louisa May Alcott's famous classic, "Little Women."  I read it when I was a kid, and have enjoyed the movie over and over so I figured it was time to revisit this much beloved book.  I don't even know if I can do this book justice here in my humble blog.  It's so good, and I'm afraid there's nothing I can say here that will express the greatness that is this story.  Seriously?!?!?! What does one write about "LITTLE WOMEN"??? I'll give it a go regardless...

     This lovely little gem tells the story of four sisters: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March.  It is both written, and set in the 1860's during the Civil War.  The story starts in the winter while their father, Mr. March, is away doing his duty with the Union army as a chaplain, and the five March women (the four girls and their beloved mother, "Marmee") are home waiting for his return.  The family is suffering financial poverty, and the book tells of how they all learn to make do with what they do have.  The story begins when the girls are young, Meg is about 16, Jo 15, Beth 13, and Amy is 10 or so, and it follows their lives throughout their, "coming of age." 

    Each of the girls has their own passions that are explored throughout the length of the novel.  Meg is a very prim and proper young lady who longs to have a carefree life, and to be able to "live in the lap of luxury" as some of her wealthier friends do instead of have to work as a governess.  She's very conscious of others' view of her.  Jo is a tomboy who fancies herself a playwright, actress, "man of the house," adventurer, poet, and author.  Beth is quiet and caring; she's a homebody, the mother to a family of dolls, the care-taker of cats and their kittens, and a gentle domestic servant of the household.  Beth is the musician in the family; she loves to play her piano, and continually longs for new music to learn and play for the family.  Amy is a precocious little blond girl who wants to marry a wealthy man and be a gracious and elegant gentlewoman in the upper echelons of society as well as a great artist.

Little Women (Oxford World's Classics)

    The story tells of both the public and private lives of all of the characters, and I found myself getting attached to them all.  Each girl's story is about their own struggles they face as they experience the rites of passage one encounters on their journey to womanhood.  It's an interesting peep into what life was like for girls in that era.  So much has changed since then, some things for the better, and others...not so much. 

     There is a very strong "message of morality" woven throughout the book, and for the most part it is truly, "woven into" the story as opposed to being preached outright.  The girls all make decisions throughout their coming-if-age and are all experience the consequences.  These little women are encouraged to live rightly and to become good women. 

     As I said before, there's no way I can do justice to such an enduring classic, and I haven't really, so I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the past, and what it was like to live as a woman then.  As cliche as it may sound, reading this made me want to be a better person.  It contains a truly heartwarming tale, and I'm so glad I re-read it to refresh my memory.

     Enjoy the classics; they're "classic" for a reason ;)