The Dresden Files, book 1

Okay, yes, I might have read this book before. And yes, I might have read it a number of times before. Okay, yes, a large number of times before. Sometimes, however, you just want to sit back, relax, and read something you're familiar with. Again.

What I found interesting about this reading of Storm Front is the reminder of how rough Butcher had fleshed out Dresden's world. There are a lot details like how a soul gaze works, and why electronics self-destruct around wizards, that Butcher doesn't have quite worked out. And, of course, this is unsurprising, since this is the first Dresden book, and Butcher was just getting started. The Dresden banter, however, was there, and, oh boy, was entertaining.

And yet, even with the first book, Butcher manages to plant clues that are referenced and revealed ten, twelve books later. Love it.

Another thing I didn't recall about this book just how much Dresden and Murphy were at odds. Their relationship evolves into a better friendship with significant trust, but in this book, the trust hasn't been established.

I will likely keep not reading this book as frequently as the other Dresden books, many which I like more anyway. Still fun as an establishment of the Dresden world.

Of course I recommend the Dresden series. I don't recommend reading this first one more than once, though, unless it's been, say, four or five years since you read it last. Then, yes, reread.

Right.

Scalzi.

Yep.

Along with Kay, Butcher, and maybe R.R. Martin, I'll pretty much read anything this man writes.

Or, in this case, listen to.

The Dispatcher was a free audiobook by Scalzi and offered by Audible free for a month or so. I picked it up, but wasn't going to listen in any rush until Matthew Weier O'Phinney asked me if I had read it yet. I jumped on it, starting it today and finishing it today.

It's a futuristic mystery. Well, maybe. Take one aspect of death and change it up. How does life change?

Enjoyed it. Totally worth the price I paid for it! (I crack me up. Was a fun book! Quinto's reading of it was great.)

Another Mom selected book. At this point, I'm nearing the end of her book list, with the remaining books being not so interesting to me. This is one of the "bottom of the pile" books. Which is somewhat reasonable, given that it is book 3 of a 5 book series. Kinda makes me wonder if I'll read the whole series later, as I did with Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series.

Anyway.

This book tells the story of three brothers Manuel, Angel, and Patrico, from a coffee-growing village, who try to mule drugs. One brother passes away, one brother is in jail, and the story follows the third brother who tries to understand the why of his brothers' choices.

Interwoven with this story is the story of Ann Lindell, who is actually the main character of the series. She's a cop solving a murder in her town, finding the links of the murder to the restaurant Dakar, which is unsurprising, given the victim worked at Dakar.

There are sub-plots and secondary characters who are woven into the story. There's desire and mystery and, hey, a lot of annoyance by Ann Lindell. That was what I took away from this book the most, that Ann Lindell is annoyed all the time. She's annoyed at her coworkers, those around her, the suspects, and the witnesses. Everyone annoys her.

And the ending, wow, something good, something bad, and yay for one part while cringe for another part. Well, not the end-end, there's a smidge at the end that seemed oddly added at the end. Essentially, things sorta work out for the sympathetic characters.