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Aug 03, 2011

Regina rated it:

I love Harry. I love Bob. I love Molly. I love the new and improved Butters. I loved seeing Daniel Carpenter. I love this series. It just is such a comfort read for me. I had forgotten how much I love this series until I started to read this book. The mystery and quest were interesting and unlike much urban fantasy, it was unique – nothing I have read before. Maybe a little of Harry Potter, but I am okay with that. One of the things that is so fantastic about this series is that there More...

16 comments like (19 people liked it)

Jul 31, 2011

Dan rated it:

Six months after his death, Harry Dresden returns to Chicago to solve his own murder. Can he keep his friends safe in the process?

I've got a lot to say about this. I'll cover the good points first.

The Good: Having a ghost come back to solve his own murder isn't a new idea but Butcher did a fairly good job with it here. The supporting cast, Molly in particular, developed quite a bit in Harry's absence. The new character of Fitz has potential, as does Mortimer, who I d More...

61 comments like (48 people liked it)

Jan 30, 2012

Mike (the Paladin) rated it:

Okay...so I'm a Dresden junkie. I got the book yesterday and finished it (this time LOL) at 1:30 this morning.

The book picks up pretty much as the last book ends and.....****************** NOTE: THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE LAST BOOK, CHANGES. I WILL BE ASSUMING THAT IF YOU ARE READING GHOST STORY YOU HAVE READ CHANGES...........

Okay, as I was saying, the book picks up pretty much as the last book (Changes) ends, though time doesn't run in death More...

9 comments like (9 people liked it)

Oct 23, 2011

Faith rated it:

If I wasn't married, I'd take this character home to meet mama and her sister.
Course, they might scare him off...

7 comments like (14 people liked it)

Aug 04, 2011

Callista rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (9 people liked it)

Oct 06, 2011

Carol ~ I'm A Voracious Reader rated it:

*April 5~ moved to 7/26

Be sure to read 'Aftermath' in 'Side Jobs' after completing 'Changes'.
I hope that Demonreach plays some role in 'Ghost Story' since it has intrigued me.

Jim Butcher has yet to disappoint me. He is one sneaky bastard and I say that with utmost respect. After so many novels and shorts he STILL manages to get me. Bring on the next Dresden!

1 comment like (6 people liked it)

Jan 21, 2012

Melindeeloo rated it:

My hubby who got to this before me subtitled Ghost Story, "Harry Takes a Dirt Nap" :) Ghost Story was an oddly paced book, and without the forknowledge that there was an interesting twist(the hubby restrained himself from saying more than that), I wouldn't have given up, but I'd have probably put this down for a bit about halfway through before finishing.

There is a lot of introspection here on Harry's part as he learns how to function in his new role, because 'life' has d More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 10, 2011

Fonzie rated it:

Wow.

After the 4 plus months Butcher needed to write this I expected something epic. So I was a little fearful of finally reading the book - I mean I usually read them in one night and then have to wait a whole year for the next one.

Not this one, though. This book is a huge disappointment. I have been trying to read it for 3 days now, and couldn't get further than half of it. I keep drifting off to wash the dishes, collect laundry, read a better book even.

Gone More...

3 comments like (6 people liked it)

Aug 27, 2011

Kerry rated it:

Can't wait to get my hands on this one. Do you think Mab will be a little pissed? :)

August 2011
Well, well, well..... That was definitely worth the wait. I'm not going to say anything you're going to have to read it and decide for yourself what you think. Anything I say would be a spoiler and I'm sorry I don't do those :) very much worth the wait.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 26, 2011

Stacey rated it:

*bibble* *flail* *wibble* [This does not reflect my review for Library Journal. This is merely a statement of how completely broken my brain is after finishing this book at about 3 am last night.]

*FLAIL*

- - -
The below review appeared in Library Journal, June 17, 2011.
- - -

Death won't stop Harry Dresden. In Changes, book 12 of Butcher's "Dresden Files" series, the title promised and Butcher produced. By the end, everything in Harry's wo More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 28, 2011

Dana rated it:

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Some things, my friends, are worth the wait.

Ghost Story is a prime example of why I love Jim Butcher's books. They are good books. They are great books. They rock like an 80's 'big-hair' band. They are the books that everyone wishes their book could be. They are the Six Million Dollar Man of books. They are the MacGyver of books that can build a repelling harness out of a hair scrunchie, 3 earrings, and the elastic from a pair of boxer briefs. God is More...

2 comments like (9 people liked it)

Sep 26, 2011

Chichipio rated it:

Not as epic as the previous one, but I still enjoyed seeing Harry handling himself without his usual powers. At this point in the series, there's not much left to say. Butcher has stayed true to his characters and maintained a certain standard for the past several books, so anyone having problems with Harry's behavior or Butcher's style has left the boat long ago. And those who stayed don't need any convincing.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jul 28, 2011

Siobhan rated it:

I lucked out and got this one a bit early. Moral of this story: Preorder from your local indie store!

I was a latecomer to this series, having finished all 12 in the past year or so. As such, I was able to read Turn Coat and Changes immediately after, but had already been spoiled for the ending. I think reading the two most epic of the series so far did affect my opinion of Ghost Story, which, while definitely good, was decidedly less epic in comparison.

What also may affec More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 20, 2011

Christopher rated it:

Harry has his "It's a Wonderful Life" moment as he returns to Chicago as a ghost and sees how the Scooby Gang has been faring for six months without him. It doesn't look good and he of course generally blames himself.

Luckily Jim Butcher doesn't dwell on the observation side and kicks Harry into some ghostly action pretty early on. Much experimentation with spirit-world powers and the nature of magic when dead ensue.

This is definitely not the book to start this s More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Aug 08, 2011

Wicked rated it:

Really a 4.5 and that is hard since this is my favorite urban fantasy series ever. I understand that this story needed to be told, it's like a bridge I suppose, I just think I wanted more. I should have held off longer and waited until the next was available to read, maybe then I wouldn't feel the way I do. I'm very interested in the characters, I'm also annoyed (even if I understand why they are the way they are)that they are in the place they are in. I want some peace for Murphy, Molly, Th More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Aug 13, 2011

Richard rated it:

Not what I expected, and that's a good thing. Based on how the previous in the series ended, I thought I could see what was coming. And while I wasn't completely wrong, Butcher threw in quite a few twists.

He still occasionally talks too much. He had Dresden spending a few paragraphs pondering what style of dwelling he might want while at the same time the guy was rushing into battle. Not too likely, but I don't really expect five-star quality.

The mere fact that this serie More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 31, 2011

David rated it:

Disappointing! This was a waste of time and a manipulative mind-jerk. This entire book except for the final chapter should have been a short story or just the opening chapter of this book. Yes, we did learn some of Harry's back-story. But you know what? This Harry, I didn't really care about. OK, maybe it was because he was a shade and it "wasn't really Harry" or maybe it was just lazy writing and a lack of respect for one's audience? The main thing I came away with from this book is t More...

4 comments like (7 people liked it)

Nov 30, 2011

Whittney rated it:

Perfect.

Simply and purely perfect. If you're a fan of the Butcher series, this book is exactly what it needs to be, exactly what it should be. Butcher's prose has become even cleaner and more evocative, the plot moves along crisply, and being - you know - doesn't stop Dresden from being Dresden, in all the best and worst ways. This book feels like Butcher has distilled the spirit of the series, what all the previous Dresden books were meant to be, and has brought it to life more precis More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 22, 2011

Annmarie rated it:

This was a good book, but it didn't not top Changes. I'm not sure anything could have though, that was such an intense turn of events in Harry's life that it would be hard for any follow up to compete with it. I am very curious to see where Butcher takes Dresden next. I'm a little sad that I am all caught up. It was nice to be able to keep jumping right into the next book. I hope a new one comes out soon!

Best Quote Ever: "it was like the lord of the rings and all my children More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 29, 2011

Mark rated it:

For the first time in a long time I finished a book in one day. (There are minor spoilers for previous books in this blog post).

Yay me!

Unfortunately it means I am now probably going to have to wait something like 18 months for the next Dresden Files novel :( At least this book didn't end on the cliffhanger that Changes was.

Butcher continues his masterful job of building a world in which magic lives and breathes. The fallout from the destruction of the Red Cour More...

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Feb 13, 2012

Kasey rated it:

What a terrible book. This series had been heading down hill for quite some time. I would have completely given up on the Dresden Files if the last book hadn't been just interesting enough for me to try one last time. Harry dies at the end of the last book, and to be honest if he had stayed dead it would have made up for a lot of the weakness of the previous few books.

This book on the other hand just re-enforced how bad these Butcher books have become. All of the things that were in More...

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Jan 25, 2012

Kwoomac rated it:

ok, I'm only giving this three stars because most of the time when I was reading it, I had no idea what was going on. Totally my own fault as I started this series with the thirteenth book. Oops. As a result, I missed all the world-building, all the character development.It made my head hurt. I'd constantly be thinking why doesn't he just turn invisible? or hey, I thought she couldn't enter a human body without permission? and other stuff like that. I couldn't keep track of the plot. Frustrat More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jan 20, 2012

Stuart rated it:

I've read all of the Dresden books, and while I liked this one, it was not my favorite. If you've never read any in the series, this is NOT the book to start with. So much of it depends on knowledge derived from being on the ride. While that's great for someone like me, it would be off putting for anyone else, imo.

There are some points in the book that felt, for the first time, like there was some padding. Jim Butcher is normally a great read, but I found I had to slog through certain More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 08, 2012

Alytha rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like

Dec 28, 2011

Louis rated it:

So, Harry is dead. But apparently not quite. He is now a ghost. And he knows nothing about how to survive as a ghost. Fortunately, he soon meets some guides to mentor him along the way.

Along with the rest of the story, Ghost Story is the story of the training of the young. While Dresden has been spending years training an apprentice. But throughout the series Dresden has had a problem with trusting others. He has made a practice of hiding the truth of dangers and the realities More...

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Dec 26, 2011

Sheila rated it:

We succumbed. We finally bough a Harry Dresden novel without waiting for the paperback edition. And now we’re wondering how long we’ll have to wait for the next one.

Ghost Story has a different feel from earlier novels in the series. I guess that’s to be expected. After all, Harry Dresden was shot and killed in the previous installment, making him distinctly incorporeal now. A fascinating take on the afterlife fuels the earlier scenes, appealingly imagined, perfectly in tune with the wo More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 19, 2011

Kate rated it:

After the wall-to-wall action of "Changes," Harry Dresden is back for a more contemplative ride in "Ghost Story." He has much to contemplate: for starters he's dead, and he's back as a ghost to solve his own murder and save three of his friends (but which three?) from destruction. He's cut off from his magic, cut off from his friends, decimated by the memories of the things he did in the last book, but he still struggles to do the right thing, and it's why we love Harry. More...

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Dec 18, 2011

Sarahlynn added it

For next month my book club is reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. And that was my choice. But there's another reader inside me, too. And that reader likes to read fun books that are quick and consumable and exciting and pulpy and fun. Also, did I mention, fun?

That reader discovered Harry Dresden a few years ago. What's not to love? In Jim Butcher's contemporary urban fantasy series, Chicago looks much as it does today. Except that, in the Yellow Pages, the More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 13, 2011

Johnny rated it:

When Jim Butcher killed off his wizard protagonist, Harry Dresden, at the conclusion of Changes (I’m presuming that anyone interested in Ghost Story isn’t going to take that “revelation” as a spoiler.), it felt abrupt, senseless, and disruptive. Why would anyone attempt to kill off one of the iconic characters of modern fantasy? Certainly, the character always stood on the cliff of becoming a comic book legend with larger-than-life emotions and actions, but the emotional depth of Harry’s feeling More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Dec 08, 2011

Clinton rated it:

"Ghost Story" was a transitional book. "Changes", the previous Dresden novel, closed a long arch in Harry's personal story. Butcher used "Ghost Story" to push all the important characters in Harry's life forward. Some of characters have been heavily affected by Harry's death, and not in a good way. Seeing Murphy, Butters, Bob, Molly and the gang beaten down by his death was heart-breaking as much as it was real. That is a testament to Butcher's writing ability, he's More...

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