Category Archives: Fantasy

Book Reviews, Fantasy, Mystery

Storm Front Group Read, Week Two

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“Your mouth says no,” she purred, but this says yes.”


“That thing is always saying something stupid,” I told her.














We’ve reached Week Two of our group read of Jim Butcher’s first Dresden Files book, Storm Front. I do hope those of you reading it for the first time, like I am, are enjoying it and I hope those of you who decided to re-read it are enjoying it as much or more than you did on your first outing.

We are nearly there.

I’ve been doing really well in the self-control department, spreading the reading out to more closely coincide with the schedule. I must say that at the end of each section it has been hard to put Harry down and wait, but I am enjoying savoring this experience. Especially given the fact that I get to discuss it with you good people.

I came up with this week’s questions, so blame me. 🙂

A reminder to Storm Front virgins, spoilers will arrive after the jump.

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Book Reviews, Fantasy, Gothic/Horror, Mystery, Short Stories

Fragile Things Group Read, Week Three

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I am a fan of Neil Gaiman. If you’ve been around this blog for any length of time, that much is obvious. But I am a fan of him because of his work, not a fan of his work simply because it is written by Neil Gaiman. That is an important distinction. There is (gasp!) work that Neil Gaiman has done that I am not a fan of, for one reason or another. His collaboration with Michael Reaves, Interworld, comes to mind. As do some of the short stories in his collections Angels and Visitations, Smoke and Mirrors, and this one too.

While I do not understand it when anyone says that Neil Gaiman is a “bad writer” (a position I find indefensible) I do understand completely when people say that they cannot connect with him or his stories. I understand that when I read some of his short stories that do nothing for me. I understand it even more when his short stories make me angry (you’ll have to wait for a coming week to find out about that). This week’s selections are far from my favorites. I will readily admit that in my normal re-readings of Fragile Things I often skip these altogether. I am truly hoping I am a rare exception in this and that some of you liked these and will talk them up. If not, please know that the collection does turn around. There are great stories to come. And if you did like these, don’t be shy, tell us all why that is the case.

Do I have to remind you that there might be spoilers ahead? Yes I do, because I want to be a conscientious blogger.

And here we go.

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Book Reviews, Fantasy

The Fellowship of the Ring Group Read: The End

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“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”











It feels as if the journey has just begun and now here we are, at the breaking of the Fellowship. This final section of The Fellowship of the Ring begins in tragedy and continues with a growing air of melancholy and despair. It is as beautiful and as touched with sorrow as the last days of autumn before the coming of winter. By my reckoning it has been at least eight years since I last read The Fellowship of the Ring (for the first time) and if I recall correctly I skipped large sections of the beginning because I was not connecting with it. That was not the case on this occasion. I have cherished every word from Tolkien’s pen and have gotten so much out of the reading, in part because I have been reading it with an eye towards discussing it with you dear folk.

For those who are unfamiliar with the story, the following discussion is filled with spoilers. For anyone who has read the books and/or seen the films, intense gushing will soon ensue. I do hope you will join in the conversation.

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Book Reviews, Fantasy, Gothic/Horror, Mystery

Storm Front Group Read, Part 1

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“My ad looks like this:”

HARRY DRESDEN–WIZARD

Lost items found. Paranormal Investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties or Other Entertainment

“You’d be surprised how many people call just to ask me if I’m serious”.





When I was tossing around group read ideas with friends for the R.I.P Challenge, my friend Jeff mentioned that he really wanted to give Jim Butcher a try. I have said many times that it is pitiful for me to have worked in the city which Jim Butcher calls home for over a decade and not have read one of Butcher’s novels. A number of us experienced the work of Patrick Rothfuss for the first time earlier this year and in a couple of different venues recently he has sung the praises of Jim Butcher’s Dresden books.

Just like fellow bloggers get enticed by the books that other bloggers like, it is easy to be tempted by the books loved by our favorite authors, new and old.

And so here we are, just finished with the first section of Jim Butcher’s first Dresden Files book, Storm Front. While Storm Front does not have the depth of other recent group reads (Dune, The Way of Kings), it is a refreshingly fun, fast-paced novel and I am glad we are reading it together.

As with all group reads, spoilers may be present in the posts and comments.

You’ve been warned. 🙂

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Book Reviews, Fantasy, Gothic/Horror, Mystery

Fragile Things Group Read, Week 2

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“It seemed like a fine title for a book of short stories. There are so many fragile things, after all. People break so easily, and so do dreams and hearts.”

As dawn breaks on this chilly (almost) Autumn Sunday, I sit here with a contented smile on my face, ready to put the finishing touches on Week 2 of our group discussion of Neil Gaiman’s short story collection, Fragile Things. We had a great discussion last week which has me even more excited about this week’s four selected stories.

By way of spoiling my forthcoming thoughts on the four stories for this week, there were no misses for me in this week’s grouping either. I like them to varying degrees, but all were stories I enjoyed the first time I read them and I enjoy them even more now.

And speaking of “spoiling”, the Fragile Things Group Read encourages an in-depth discussion of the stories in question, so spoilers will be present in the posts of participants, to varying degrees, and also in the discussion.

Enough preamble, let’s talk Gaiman!

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