Jim Butcher Bio/AOM Challenge

[Kelley Anne]

The author that we are spotlighting for May is Jim Butcher. He has two series that he currently writes, Dresden Files and The Codex Alera. According to his website:

Jim Butcher is a martial arts enthusiast with fifteen years of experience in various styles including Ryukyu Kempo, Tae Kwan Do, Gojo Shorei Ryu, and a sprinkling of Kung Fu. He is a skilled rider and has worked as a summer camp horse wrangler and performed in front of large audiences in both drill riding and stunt riding exhibitions.

Jim enjoys fencing, singing, bad science fiction movies and live-action gaming. He lives in Missouri with his wife, son, and a vicious guard dog.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990's when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

Check out his website on www.jim-butcher.com Also for the story of how he first got published, click HERE

This thread is for anyone that wants to discuss Jim in general. Also, this thread doubles for the Author of the Month Challenge for May.

AOM CHALLENGE Here's the challenge! Read one book by Jim Butcher. It can be a new one for you, or a re-read, or even a short story. Here's the list of all of his books!

Storm Front
Fool Moon
Grave Peril
Summer Knight
Death Masks
Blood Rites
Dead Beat
Proven Guilty
White Night
Small Favor
Turn Coat
Changes
Furies of Calderon
Academ's Fury
Cursor's Fury
Captain's Fury
Princeps' Fury
First Lord's Fury

On this thread let us know if you want to participate in the challenge and what book you are planning on reading. Then when you are finished, let us know how it was!

Any questions, please let me or Jess know! Thanks and have fun!

[image error]

[Kelley Anne]

Participants

Archer
Chrissy315
Darcy
DarkHeart "Vehngeance"
Dawn
Jess
Kelley Anne - Finsihed!
Sarah ~Sehrenity~
Tara

[Kelley Anne]

Yeah! This month we are focusing on on author that I am at least a little familiar with! I've ready Storm Front, really enjoyed it. So I plan to read Fool Moon for the challenge!

[Sarah]

I've got the Blood Rites audio on hand, so I'll read that after I finish the one I'm listening to now.

[Jess]

I think I am up to Death Masks, but I wasn't a big fan of Summer Knight. But I might give the next one a chance and read it for this month.

[Darcy]

I'm in, I am in the middle of the Dresden files with audio books and am waiting on new copies to be ordered, so I will give his other series a try. I'll read Furies of Calderon.

[Melodie]

Jess wrote: "I think I am up to Death Masks, but I wasn't a big fan of Summer Knight. But I might give the next one a chance and read it for this month."

I wasn't nuts about SUMMER KNIGHT either. But even bad Harry Dresden is pretty damn good......unless it's STORM FRONT and that's even okay as long as it's the audio version. I just finished CHANGES a little over a week ago and it's the best book I've read this year. I know it will be in my Top 10 at the end of the year. I grade on a 1-10 scale and CHANGES and SHIVER are the only books I've given 10s to this year. I usually only have one 10 ranked book a year and this year I already have 2. The Codex Alera books aren't my cuppa.

[Tara]

OOH!! I'm in! I just started reading Jim Butcher this year, but I'm already a fan! Grave Peril here I come.

[Archer]

Kelley Anne wrote: "The author that we are spotlighting for May is Jim Butcher. He has two series that he currently writes, Dresden Files and The Codex Alera. According to his website:

Jim Butcher is a martial ar..."

I'm in.. I'm reading Changes now.

[Jess]

Melodie wrote: "Jess wrote: "I think I am up to Death Masks, but I wasn't a big fan of Summer Knight. But I might give the next one a chance and read it for this month."

I wasn't nuts about SUMMER KNIGHT either..."

Okay that made me feel a little better, I will definitely try to get to Death masks this month! Thanks Melodie :)

[Reading]

I've read all the Harry Dresden books. They are all fabulous, though some are better than others. Changes is phenomenal! Butcher definitely is the master of urban fantasy.

[DarkHeart "Vehngeance"]

I've already "read" (listened to James Marsters' dulcet tones on the audiobook) Blood Rites this month and loved it - my favorite of the series so far. I plan to finish up Dead Beat this month as well.

[Jess]

I really wish I could hear one of the books. I love Marsters!!!

[Melodie]

Jess wrote: "I really wish I could hear one of the books. I love Marsters!!!"

He really is perfect for this series. I read CHANGES a couple of weeks ago, but a friend of mine is sending me her audio of it so I can listen, too.

[Leslie]

There is a B&N podcast, that you can download to your ipod, with an interview with JM.
It's really good. There are also a ton of other interviews with some of our favorite fantasy authors.
Ex. Charlene Harris, Molly Black, Richelle Mead, to name a few.

FYI: Jim Butcher, and his wife have been together since they were sophmores in high school.

[Jess]

His wife also has a really good series out! this is the first book in the series. The most recent is the 3rd.

I wonder if they help eachother out with their writing.

[Chrissy315]

I'm in I'll read Storm Front. I've been wanting to try his books. This is one of my husbands favorite series.

[Sarah]

Aargh! I keep thinking this month is going to get away from me before I get the chance to start this challenge. I am going to listen to Blood Rites on audio, but at the same time, I asked my library to buy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on audio for me. Dragon Tattoo came in--a whopping 13-disc set--this week, and I feel obligated to read it first since I asked them to buy it.

Blood Rites keeps taunting me, though... :P

[Dawn, Desperately seeking new worlds]

I am still new to Dresden files but today I picked up . I will start it this weekend and let you know what I think!

[Melodie]

Dawn wrote: "I am still new to Dresden files but today I picked up . I will start it this weekend and let you know what I think!"

This is one of my favorites in the Dresden series!

[DarkHeart "Vehngeance"]

Sarah ~Sehrenity~ wrote: "Aargh! I keep thinking this month is going to get away from me before I get the chance to start this challenge. I am going to listen to Blood Rites on audio, but at the same time, I asked my librar..."

Not to try and sway you, Sarah, but I listened to Blood Rites at the end of last month and it was hilarious and brilliant - the best one yet!

[Darcy]

I tried reading Furies of Calderon and just couldn't get into it.

[Leslie]

Jess wrote: "His wife also has a really good series out! this is the first book in the series. The most recent is the 3rd.

I wonder if they help eachother out with their writing."

I bet they do. Steven King's wife is an author too. I guess, couples who write together, stay together. SMILE

[Sarah]

No fair, DarkHeart! I'm trying to be good and finish my library stuff on time. LOL

[Kelley Anne]

First off - sorry that I haven't been updating the info on who is particpating in the challenge. I've been out of town for most of the month, got back a few days ago and this thread sorta got burried for me!

I'll update that later today!

Also, I finally finished my book for the challenge! I listened to Fool Moon. The audio books are great, but I've had a really hard time getting through this one. This particular story never caught my attention. Last night at work, I had 5 hours left in the book and I just had to force myself to keep listening to it, just so that I could get through it! I am really looking forward to the next book though, because I've heard that it's a lot better than #2.

[Kelley Anne]

Anyone else finish the challenge yet?

[Darcy]

I finally got my hands on the audio of Blood Rites so I am listening to that.

[Jess]

I'm a bad moderator... I forgot! :(

[Sarah]

Not yet, but I just started Blood Rites on audio today, too. Finished disc one and loving it, Darcy! The intro was classic Harry.

[Darcy]

Sarah ~Sehrenity~ wrote: "Not yet, but I just started Blood Rites on audio today, too. Finished disc one and loving it, Darcy! The intro was classic Harry."

I know what you mean the whole giant monkey and their weapons had me laughing.

[Sarah]

I like Thomas's definition of an errand. I wish I had the book in hand (and not the audio) so I could put that line in my favorite quotes! :)

Ladies, you seriously need to try this series if you haven't already.

[Jess]

I'm up to book 5, my bf has it so maybe I can squeeze it in next week.

[Jess]

Okay I have Death Masks, but I don't know when I'll be starting it. Definitely before the month is over LOL

[Sarah]

I think I'm finally going to finish Blood Rites today. I love the Dresden series!

[Gemma]

I finished Small Favor as part of a June challenge on another board. I love these books. So very film noirish and I love Harry.

Little threads from previous books seem to come back and bite harry on the bum!

[Darcy]

Sarah ~Sehrenity~ wrote: "I think I'm finally going to finish Blood Rites today. I love the Dresden series!"

I finished a couple of days ago. This is the book that finally has made me really like this series. There was so much good stuff in this one.

I have the next one on the way from the library.

[DarkHeart "Vehngeance"]

I finished up Dead Beat in May and enjoyed it - although not as much as Blood Rites. I'll be carrying on with the series this month. =)

[Teresa]

Grave Perilwas not my favorite read, I loved the first two, and just started Summer Knight. Looking back at Grave Peril, it seems to be a set up for future actions in other books.