Dresden Files

By: Jim Butcher, Read by James Marsters

You may have noticed that it’s been awhile since I’ve posted, we it’s partially due to the holidays and largely to do with how long and entertaining this series was. I started listening to this about a year ago and would bounce between the Dresden Files, Disc World, and various other shorter audiobooks that would capture my attention. As the Dresden Files series went on it began to grab me more and more. Most recently I have dropped all other audiobooks and have listened straight through to the end. If you have read any of my other audiobooks reviews you may have noticed that I basically listen to an entire series rather than give you my thoughts book-by-book.

Dresden Files is the Story of Harry Dresden, his father was a Vegas-style magician with little skill and his mother who died when he was very young was a powerful Wizard. Harry inherited his mothers skills and used them to keep the streets of Chicago clean of super natural forces, listing himself in the Chicago Phonebook as “Harry Dresden- Wizard” Most took him as a joke, but when certain things just cannot be explained, people find themselves dropping by his office. This series, like most good series follows Harry as he defeats the bad guys and gains more and more power along the way.

I have not watched the Dresden Files tv show, I hear it was pretty bad then immediately cancelled. I think with the right director this series could make a great trilogy. The writer, Jim Butcher is pretty imaginative, throwing out many fun, immature, dry humor jokes and dropping lines from other famous fantasy series’ via Harry such as Lord of the Rings, Disc World, and many others.

I suggest this series to you. It had a little bot of a slow start, but the story gets more interesting as you grow with both Harry Dresden and Jim Butcher. I would recommend making sure you have the audiobooks all read by James Marsters. There are other versions that can really throw you off. Check it out, don’t give up too early. This series will get you through a good month or two of boring work hours.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 4/5 Stars

Length: Over 180 hours.

Recommended Ages: 16-35

Genre: Detective Fiction, Urban Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction

Dresden Files Books Listing

Storm Front

Fool Moom

Grave Peril

Summer Knight

Death Masks

Blood Rites

Dead Beat

Proven Guilty

White Night

Small Favor

Turn Coat

Changes

Ghost Story

Cold Days

Skin Game

To Kill a Mockingbird

By: Harper Lee

I listened to this audiobook years after reading it in High School. It is unfortunate that schools require this book because it ruins it for kids who hate homework and only skim in order to write the required paper. This book is outstanding, even though this book was written in 1960, it still stands out in the 2010s. If you are sensitive to use of the N word more recent audiobook editions have eliminated the majority of the word. This was a partially true story written by Harper Lee, who won a Pulitzer. The story is largely about Scout Finch, daughter to Atticus Finch and sister to Jem Finch. The two children are growing up and learning to see the world through the eyes of an adult and in the shoes of other people, as they see how poorly African Americans were treated, as they continually and innocently spy on mysterious neighbor Boo Radley, Run from dangerous local men, and learn from the random interesting people who live in their town.I recommend this book very much. It is funny at times and ultra serious at times. It’s a good little historical piece as well as a terrific piece of American literature

★★★★☆ 4/5 Stars
Runtime Approximately 12 hours
For ages 10-100
Genre: Fiction, Bildungsroman, Thriller, Southern Gothic

Holes

By Lois Sachar

Holes is a win. It’s a short book that holds your interest from beginning to end. The basic plot is Stanley Yelnats gets falsely inprisoned at Camp Green Lake where he and other troubled boys are forced to dig holes all day to build character. He makes friends along the way that he is more deeply connected to that he first realizes. All along the story of Stanley, there is a back story to his “No-good-pig-stealing-uncle” , a gipsey curse, and an outlaw named Kissin' Kate Barlow. This audiobook is really easy to follow, and very easy to listen to awhile you’re trying to get other things done. It is geared towards a younger crowd, but is a fun story for any age. I recommend that you add this story to your “to-listen” list.

★★★★☆ 4/5 Stars

Run time 4 hours 23 minutes

Genre: Humor, Fiction, Suspense

Book to Movie Rating: A