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)

 

 

Stieg Larsson - "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

     If Dan Brown and Dean Koontz had a literary baby, it would be Steig Larsson.  His writing is fast-paced, highly detailed, well thought out, filled with many layers of mystery, a puzzle of multi-layered plot lines, and  macabre (if not bordering on grotesque).  Once I go to the 1/2-2/3 point, I COULD NOT put it down until it was finished!!!  Of course I had to because at this point in my life, I am only rarely able to dedicate entire days to my favorite hobby, AND although I fancy myself a fast reader, I'm incapable of reading 350+ pages in the space of a few hours.  I digress...

     One of my dearest regulars from work lent me his copy to read, and I'm so glad I did finally get to it.  I resisted reading it at first because it's such a popular series right now, and in my opinion, being popular doesn't necessarily mean it's any good.  I suppose I was waiting for a recommendation from someone I know.  The story begins with Mikael Blomkvist, a respected investigative journalist who is convicted of libel because he had "false" information regarding one of Sweden's wealthiest businessmen.  The other main character is Lisbeth Salander, an emotionally troubled, and very mysterious girl who is not what she seems.  She works for a security company to be a  researcher.  She's hired to find out all she can about Blomkvist for one off her company's biggest clients.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

      The next thing you know, Henrik Vanger, one of Sweden's oldest and wealthiest industrialists hires Mikael to spend a year trying to solve a forty-year-old mystery that has been haunting Mr. Vanger.  It involves the disappearance of his niece, Harriet who mysteriously vanished a lifetime ago.  Henrik gives Mikael the pretense of writing a chronicle of the Vanger family so there are not too many eyebrows raised at all of the research.  As Mikael digs further and further into the case, he finds some literal skeletons in some of the Vanger family's closets as well as some very dark and somber secrets. 

     This is a long and involved story, and it's somewhat "unorganized" in it's delivery.  Don't get me wrong, it's a good story that takes you by surprise time and time again, BUT I had a little trouble sometimes figuring out where I was in the story.  This may be due in part to the fact that it has been translated from Swedish into English, or to the fact that it was published posthumously, or that it's just the way it is.  Maybe I'm just a little slow on the uptake?  The chapters are very long, but have various "breaks" throughout to switch between story lines a la Dan Brown.  All in all, I have some mixed feelings about the book due mostly to the graphic and violent nature of some of the content.  I have found over the years that the stories I read have a way of slithering into my dream life, so I am somewhat sensitive to certain subjects and in order to protect my coveted "sleep time" I have to watch what I read.  That may not be the case for you, but now you know just a little more about me than you did yesterday.

     I do like how involved and engaging the story is, I was constantly wondering, "well what's gonna happen next?!?!?!"  Also, the character if Lisbeth Salander (aka the girl with the dragon tattoo) is so intriguing.  She in herself is an enigma and is, I believe, a truly unique literary character.  She has piqued my interest enough that I'll will most likely be reading the next book, which promises to reveal a little more about Lisbeth's personal history. 

Until next time...

Dean Koontz - "Forever Odd"

 Hello Again Friends,

     I've just finished the second book in Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas" series.  As you can see, I am currently in the throes of many an author's series.  It's a good place to be!  I generally am not one for horrific or scary in any form, but Mr. Koontz does a good job of keeping the reader on their toes, and the pages turning.  Some of his other books ("Hideaway") are a little too full of gore for me, but "Odd Thomas" and "Forever Odd" were more suspenseful then gory.

     Once again our hero, Odd Thomas, is faced with a group of homicidal maniacs who put into jeopardy, ones he loves.  I enjoy the way Odd's character is written to be humble, humorous, and heroic without meaning to be.  He has the special gift of seeing the lingering dead and through it is able to sometimes solve or prevent a crime.  The chase that ensues in this novel keeps the reader constantly wondering "what will happen next?"

                                                   Forever Odd (Odd Thomas Novels)

     Dean Koontz weaves a plot thick with psychotic killers, Elvis, bomb threats, the supernatural, and the need to keep a dictionary close.  He is truly a master of description, and he uses the perfect vocabulary to do so.  I recommend this book and the series that surrounds it to anyone looking for "something different."  Kootz's books are generally pretty morbid (as is this one), but in this series, the focus is Odd, not so much simply the macabre.  Odd's personality, naivete, and depth of character, not to mention his adventures, are enthralling!  I hope you too fall in love with Odd Thomas.

As always, more to come.  Keep reading!