Jim Butcher!

[Nyssa]

Mouse is my absolute favorite character, even more so than Harry. There is just something I love about him. Butters is awesome and I'm hoping to see even more of him in the rest of the series. Of the supporting cast, Murphy is actually my least favorite, even though I have forgiven her for her "meanness" in the first 2 books. It just took me a really long time to warm up to her.

[Paul]

Go Mouse! (I just get really worried that something is going to happen to him whenever he gets in a fight :)

It took me a while to warm up to Murphy as well, but I really like her now. She's probably had the most complex "journey" and come the furthest out of all the characters in the series.

[Stephanie]

that Skin Game (Dresden Files #15) will be released on May 27th, 2014!

Ok, that gives me time to catch up. I think I got to book 6. Even though I have all the audiobooks, I just wasn't getting to them. So, I started a relisten during the summer and got through book 3 (my favorite so far).

[Paul]

Amazon in the UK is saying July 3rd release date for us. Sadness :(

[Stephanie]

I finished Grave Peril last summer and plan to take up Summer Knight before the end of the month. Gotta catch up before the next one comes out!

[Caleb]

So I'm half way through Grave Peril now...and I love it. Its so absurdly good...

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Is it May yet.....??????.....

[Roger Hawkins]

Nyssa wrote: "Kathy wrote: "15 books? I've just read 1. I guess I have some catching up to do!"

His master plan is 20 "single" books in the series and a trilogy ending, for a total of 23. There are also quite..."

He also has the Codex Alera six book series Furies of Calderon, and is writing a new steampunk series The Aeronaut's Windlass

[Nyssa]

Roger wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "Kathy wrote: "15 books? I've just read 1. I guess I have some catching up to do!"

His master plan is 20 "single" books in the series and a trilogy ending, for a total of 23. There ..."

Yep! I'm looking forward to reading Codex Alera. I hear it is excellent.

[Emily]

Every reading slump I had last year came from trying to read Codex Alera. I could not get into it and thought it was totally predictable/repetitive. I only got through the first 1.5 books though - maybe it got better.

[Chris , cookie guilt]

I read the first Codex Alera and was pretty underwhelmed.

[Roger Hawkins]

I thought it was great. Codex Alera probably has my favorite magical setting and system.

[Roger Hawkins]

I admit the first book was weak, it really changed a lot after that though. The more prevalent that magic became in the story the better the books got.

[alansplace]

Nyssa wrote: Yep! I'm looking forward to reading Codex Alera. I hear it is excellent.

I read Codex Alera a few years ago. I generally don't care for that genre (except for Tolkein) but I gave Furies of Calderon a try just because it was written by Jim Butcher. Well, I ended up reading all 6 of them back to back. Really enjoyed the tale!

[Nyssa]

On February 1st there will be 114 days left until the US release of Skin Game, so I think I may just go ahead and start rereading the series then..It will allow for my reading one book a week, including Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files, having fully caught up on the date of release.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I think a lot of us envy you... I'd advise reading slowly. You still buy Skin Games when it comes out but you can savor.


Is it May yet?

[Nyssa]

:) Thanks! After posting this morning, I decided to pre-order. It should hit my Kindle on release day! Yay!

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I'll probably get mine from Audible...and probably on release day to.

[Nyssa]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I'll probably get mine from Audible...and probably on release day to."

Cool!

[Stephanie]

Finished Death Masks this morning. The only two audios of this series I don't already own are the next two. Since I'm waiting for a deal on those before purchasing, I'm getting the CDs from the library. I'll be able to pick up Blood Rites late today or tomorrow since I am going to be close to the library where it is.

I really like Butters. I hope he's a bigger character in future. Molly too.

[Paul]

I don't think you'll be disappointed ;)

[Nyssa]

Update!

On the Original Post you will find that I've just added a list of the entire Dresden Series to date, including all of the short stories.

Thanks to Alan, I've put the "other" short stories in their correct places,and I've added a link to a timeline posted on Jim Butcher's site.

Enjoy! :)

[Luke]

Chris wrote: "I read the first Codex Alera and was pretty underwhelmed."

Yeah, the first one is a little harder to get through, but it gets significantly better by the second book.

[Kara]

I'll get the audio for Skin Games the day it drops on Audible... am excited, and am occasionally listening to Side Jobs in the mean time.

Loved the ending to Cold Days!

[Nyssa]

[Kara]

*chuckle* I saw some of these before ever reading the books. I think the timing was off for these... probably could have had better screen writers too, but as I hadn't read them yet, I do not know how badly they mangled the books.

Note: guy in the picture not really my type, but Dresden, heck yeah - definitely sexy! ;)

[Nyssa]

Kara wrote: "*chuckle* I saw some of these before ever reading the books. I think the timing was off for these... probably could have had better screen writers too, but as I hadn't read them yet, I do not know..."

Books are much better , but I did like the show and wished it was given a fair chance to improve.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I think it was the TV series that originally alerted me to Dresden (though I'm not sure now). The TV series really only vaguely resembles the books (really, really vaguely). I sort of watch them as a separate entity where some names are the same...

I plan to get Skin Game the day it's offered by Audible.

[alansplace]

Nyssa wrote: "Books are much better , but I did like the show and wished it was given a fair chance to improve. "

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I think it was the TV series that originally alerted me to Dresden (though I'm not sure now). The TV series really only vaguely resembles the books (really, really vaguely). I sort of watch them as a separate entity where some names are the same..."

Double DITTO!

[Stephanie]

Finished Blood Rites. It was a great book, but there were some issues with it that I found aggravating. I'll be going on with the next one in a couple of days.

Spoiler
(view spoiler)[
First, what's with the Murphy Family Reunion? Seemed just like junk popped in to add pages. Other than showing that Murphy's family sucks, I don't know what the point was. Secondly, a man with a burn as bad as Dresden had would not only NOT be wisecracking, but would not then be holding a long conversation with his mentor without any pain treatment. Just wouldn't happen. Maybe I missed a spell there or something, but just wouldn't happen. (hide spoiler)]

[Kara]

Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "I think it was the TV series that originally alerted me to Dresden (though I'm not sure now). The TV series really only vaguely resembles the books (really, really vaguely). I sort of watch them as..."

Triple Ditto ditto.
Feel like I came across the series very late! And only saw a few of the episodes, but they clued me in to the name for later. Strangely, I remember actually trying a few of them shortly after I had bought the Firefly DVD series (without knowing ANYTHING about Firefly - needless to say I was amazed), hoping for another great find, and was disappointed (but also a rather unfair showing).
I liked the IDEA of the show...

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I love firefly and have both series. Admittedly the Dresden series was weak. For some reason the writers didn't actually use the books all that much. I mean, a hocky stick for a staff, a drum stick for a wand?????

[Kara]

LOL!

When I started listening to the series and mentioned to my husband how much I was enjoying it! He was like, "I dunno, seemed a bit hokey, I mean a hockey stick for a staff?!"

I had forgotten that and informed him that "No - Dresden does not actually carry a hockey stick around". That seemed to raise his opinion of things.

=)

[Luke]

NO HOCKEY STICK?!?! Now I'm sad.

I've only seen the TV show. I bought the first book, but I have so many books ahead of it right now.

[Roger Hawkins]

It was much better in the books. The show was ok, but the books are great.

[Luke]

I'm looking forward to them, but there are just so. many. books. that I need to read. I'm holding off on any really long series until I finish a few stand-alones and trilogies first.

[Nyssa]

Luke wrote: "I'm looking forward to them, but there are just so. many. books. that I need to read. I'm holding off on any really long series until I finish a few stand-alones and trilogies first."

But..but..but...This series is sooo good! No pressure though, read it (view spoiler)[(NOW) (hide spoiler)] when you can.

[Luke]

I'm reading book 4 of aSoIaF, re-reading The Way of Kings in preparation of Words of Radiance (so tired of waiting lol), book 3 of The Broken Empire trilogy will be here soon, I'm also reading the Lies of Locke Lamora, and the Blade Itself. Plus, I'm getting beat over the head for not having read Mistborn yet lol.

Plus, I just got more hours at work which really takes away a lot of reading time :(

I wish I could take a 2 week vacation and just read non-stop to make room for some of these other series I want/need to read lol.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I know how you feel, I have more books than I'll ever get to on my "to be read' list. That said I'll back up the folks who recommend you move the Dresden books up. The first is great the second is very good (my opinion) and from there on they just get better as they go.

Among my books when a new Dresden comes out I snatch it up and read it.

Of course not everyone finds these among their favorites, but I'd give them a shot.

[Luke]

One of my top 5 all time favorite series was Codex Alera, so I'm sure I'll love the Dresden Files as well. Butcher is an awesome author.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Again all I say here is my opinion of course, but Dresden is magnitudes better than Codex. Butcher loves Codex, he calls it his "horse fantasy" but he seems to have a give for Harry. Really.

[Emily]

I had to power through the first three Dresden books personally, but that fourth book hit and they seriously just keep getting better. I am really trying to finish the series up to its current point before the new one comes out in May, but we shall see.

Personally, though, Codex Alera wasn't my absolute favorite series. I got 1.5 books through and had to DNF for now. So many people have been talking about loving it lately, I'm afraid I didn't give it a fair shake.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

It's a lot different from Butcher's Dresden books. Has a completely different feel.

[Kara]

Third one really picked up the series for me... although I really enjoyed the first two. Audio is VERY EXCELLENT.

The problem (Luke - this is directed at you) is that once you start it's VERY hard to put the series down. So... I suggest moving it up the reading list, but not starting until you have cleared yourself some space. All my other reading feel wayside... I think maybe I took a break for the latest Kate Daniels, but that was it.

[Luke]

Yeah, since I buy all the books that I actually plan on reading, I'll have to wait at least until April to start. My book budgets for Feb and March are completely tapped out, and I don't feel like getting yelled at lol.

[Mike (the Paladin)]

I've shifted to getting them from Audible...and adding the hardback later...blushes

[Stephanie]

I try not to start the next book in a series right away. I want to spend some time savoring it before moving on to the next. This is only when I haven't read them before. So, I nearly always read or listen to another book or two before going on to the next in a series. Gives me some time to savour what i just read before moving on.

However, because an audio showed up from the library with a ten day return, I'll put my next Dresden off until maybe Saturday. That will be "Dead Beat".

[Stephanie]

Typing on a tablet makes it hard to fix posts before posting!

[Mike (the Paladin)]

Audible just had a sale on "First in Series"...I bought at least 3 "first in series". If I like them all it's like a mixture of "COOL NEW SERIES!!!!" and "How will I ever get all these read?"

[Luke]

Stephanie wrote: "I try not to start the next book in a series right away. I want to spend some time savoring it before moving on to the next. This is only when I haven't read them before. So, I nearly always read ..."

I'm the opposite way generally. If it's a series, I go right onto the next book, sometimes in the same reading session. I generally save my "savour" time for after the series is finished, then I sometimes think about the book for a week before I can read anything else.