If you haven't yet read Jim Butcher's Dresden Files novels, I heartily recommend them to you. He is an excellent writer who crosses genres between various pulp fiction traditions: hardboiled PI, mystery, science fiction, horror, fantasy (both dark and high; Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft would both be proud), and advenure. It's pure escapist reading, and it's lots of fun!
Harry Dresden is a wizard, sort of a grown-up Harry Potter. Harry Dresden has a dark side that's violent and smashes things and more than a little mysterious, but he also has a weakness for maidens in distress and for doing the right thing. He may be tempted, but he fights the good fight and we're all grateful when he has small victories. The supporting cast of characters include a female police lieutenant, a fairy godmother, a White Knight, a Chicago crime boss, various and assorted spirits, demons, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, and other creatures that go bump in the night, and a cat named Mister and a dog named Mouse. Mouse isn't any ordinary dog, however. He's a Tibetan Temple Dog, specially bred to guard temples against demons. There's also an intrepid girl reporter who gets in as much trouble as Lois Lane.
Like I said, it's lots of fun!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Jim Butcher and The Dresden Files Novels
I plan to attend DucKon18, the Science Fiction convention in Naperville, tomorrow and Saturday. Jim Butcher, author of the 11 Dresden Files novels, is the author guest of honor at Ducky. I'm looking forward to meeting Butcher and getting his autograph on a few copies of the books.
Summer Semester begins on Monday
It was great while it lasted: I actually had three weeks to read fiction of my own choosing.
But classes begin on Monday, and I am taking a children's lit class and a digital permissions class and I have lots of non-fiction and tons of K-12 fiction to devour in the next four to six weeks.
Actually, I'm excited about my new classes. Both are topics near and dear to my heart, and I can't wait to get started. I love learning new things, and I love adding those new things to the accumulated knowledge that is the sum total of my consciousness.
I'm also excited about attending my first ALA conference. Believe it or not, I've never been to an annual ALA (not even a mid-winter). I've been to ILA conferences numerous times, and I've even been a guest at the ILA Author's Luncheon. But ALA is different.
ILA is like being in middle school. ALA is like being in high school.
Golly, gee-whiz! I feel all growed up all of a sudden!
I couldn't afford not to take advantage of the student registration fees for ALA. Though Rockford Public Library has no money in this year's budget to send staff to ALA, I can afford the student fees from my own pocket and Chicago is only 90 miles away (about 2 hours driving time each way).
But classes begin on Monday, and I am taking a children's lit class and a digital permissions class and I have lots of non-fiction and tons of K-12 fiction to devour in the next four to six weeks.
Actually, I'm excited about my new classes. Both are topics near and dear to my heart, and I can't wait to get started. I love learning new things, and I love adding those new things to the accumulated knowledge that is the sum total of my consciousness.
I'm also excited about attending my first ALA conference. Believe it or not, I've never been to an annual ALA (not even a mid-winter). I've been to ILA conferences numerous times, and I've even been a guest at the ILA Author's Luncheon. But ALA is different.
ILA is like being in middle school. ALA is like being in high school.
Golly, gee-whiz! I feel all growed up all of a sudden!
I couldn't afford not to take advantage of the student registration fees for ALA. Though Rockford Public Library has no money in this year's budget to send staff to ALA, I can afford the student fees from my own pocket and Chicago is only 90 miles away (about 2 hours driving time each way).
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