It's Here!!!

Amazon.com: Books: Dead Beat : A Novel of the Dresden Files (Dresden Files (Hardcover))

Yes, yes, yes! It’s here! The latest book in Jim Butcher’s “Harry Dresden, Wizard” series is here and I’ve actually got a copy in my hot, greedy little hands! I went to B&N on my lunch hour and miracle of miracles, they actually had a book in stock on its release date! Okay, so I had to go talk to the information desk zombie and she had to get it out of the enchanted vault (aka the back store room) but still…I was able to get it today! And I didn’t have to pay shipping to Amazon.com! Woo hoo! Perhaps the karmic forces of the universe have decided to balance out that whole “kid puked on me” thing? It’s about damn time! Can’t wait to start reading it and if you don’t know about Harry Dresden yet, you can check it out on the official website:

Jim-Butcher.Com: Home

I think one of the things I like about this series so far is that although there’s an over-arching story, each book is a complete unit in and of itself so you don’t go crazy waiting for the next installment NOR do you have to re-read all the previous books when that installment finally comes out because it’s been so darn long between books that you’ve forgotten what happened before. Also, the author hasn’t seen the need to completely RUIN the main character. Are you listening Laurell K. Hamilton? I will NEVER forgive you for what you’ve done to poor Anita Blake – who used to be one of my favorite characters of all time, but now I can’t even stand to buy another book…phooey on you!

In other news, I just finished reading the new Pern book by Todd McCaffrey. I was a little hesitant to buy it at first given that it’s by the son of the original writer, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Although the flow is a little bit choppy due to the various timelines, Todd really captured the feeling of the early books in the series which I felt was missing from some of the later books. In fact, it was good enough to make me want to go back and re-read the originals (for about the zillionth time) except that when I went to my “Anne McCaffrey” shelf, those books are…HORRORS!...missing! Acck! So, I had to content myself with re-reading another of her earlier books, “The Ship Who Sang.” If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it!

It’s funny how I can pick up a book and get a vivid memory of when I first read it. I particularly remember the first Pern book because I found it in the junior high school library at lunch one day. This was during a period when a group of other kids had decided to make me there “tormentee” for the semester (why are kids so rotten?). They’d leave me alone if I was with my friends, but since we had this strange rotating schedule, there would be weeks at time where I didn’t have the same lunch period as any of my friends and I’d be fair game. I took to spending my lunch hours in the library instead of out at the tables because those kids wouldn’t be caught DEAD in a library (plus the librarian wouldn’t let them bother anyone in there anyway). It meant giving up lunch (because you couldn’t take food or drink in there) but it was worth it. Not only did I stay safe, but what had started as a mild interest in sci-fi/fantasy from reading “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” in elementary school blossomed into a full-blown obsession with the genre that continues to this day. During this time I also discovered Andre Norton’s “Witch World” saga as well as Piers Anthony’s “Xanth” books, Roger Zelazny’s “Amber” series and Alan Dean Foster’s “Commonwealth” books. And that was just 7th grade ;-)

That reminds me…I’ve got a lot more re-reading to do!

Take care all!

KJ