Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

And so it appears we have finished the most recent Arc of the Dresden files. We tied together everything that has come before and just like the previously named book Changes this one changes a whole bunch. We’ve now left the world as it exists to us (the readers) to a new world that’s split off into its own timeline where there was a confrontation with supernatural creatures.

Brief Cases by Jim Butcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Overall, these stories are more relevant to the main storyline than the Brief Cases stories were. Definitely recommend reading where it takes place in the timeline.

A Fistful of Warlocks - Lots of fun with wizards in the wild West. Would like to see Butcher do as he says he wants and set more stories in this part of the Dresden timeline.

Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a way to end a book. Thank goodness I’m reading this when book 17 is already out. That said, I’m not sure the next book isn’t going to have a cliff-hanger based on what’s supposed to happen in that book.

In these reviews I’ve been talking about overarching plot arcs. This appears to be the penultimate story before the third arch finishes. Afterwards, if Butcher maintains his original plot pace - we’ve got about 3 more books worth of setup leading to a trilogy that is all climax. (Total of 23 books)

Skin Game by Jim Butcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Putting aside any feelings you, dear reader, may have about Rick and Morty - I have to say that their episode parodying heists had ruined me any time I come across a heist in any narrative media. That’s right, folks - Harry Dresden is going to be part of a heist!

The plot is mostly a lot of fun. It does continue a few plot threads, including closing one out from the book my wife just finished - I think she’s on book 10). There isn’t too much to say without spoiling the story, but I enjoyed the crew assembly. It was interesting to see their interactions as the plot went on. Butcher is also having fun with the tropes, even having Harry call the item they’re after The MacGuffin.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I won’t know until the next book, but this one seems like the end or Arc 2. We finally learn what was happening with a bunch of loose plot threads. We learn why Rashid has the title he has. Harry and a bunch of his relationships level up to the next level.

Butcher does a good job balancing the overarching book with a more traditional detective plot as Harry has a problem (or 3) to figure out in order to make the right choice at the end. Also, and I’ve been saying this for a few books now - this book REALLY benefits from a reader having read the short stories that take place before this one.

Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor by Peter Reinhart

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reinhart brings his expertise to the topic of whole grain breads. He’s been a champion of these healthier breads for a while, but here he bring his latest knowledge to bear to create tastier whole wheat and whole grain bread.

I’ve made 2 recipes from this book so far - the whole grain naan and the 100% whole wheat sandwich bread. The naan was great. I had no idea that whole grain naan could taste so good. The whole wheat sandwich bread tasted good, but I made some kind of mistake with the shaping and it ended up with a part in the middle of the bread that would easily rip.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The ending of this story saved it from being 2 stars in my estimation. I’d been telling lots of people that I viewed books 1-6 or 7 as the first arc of The Dresden Files. By the end of those books you’ve met all the main characters (both protagonist and antagonist). Book 7 or 8 until Changes was clearly the second arc. All the chickens were coming home to roost. Each story seemed to be building up on all the chaos that Harry had sewed throughout Chicago and the Never Never. This book can almost be read as an epilogue to the second arc.

Side Jobs by Jim Butcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Restoration of Faith” - for all Butcher’s disclaimer that this is amateur hour, it still reads rather well. Enjoyable story with a sort of proto-Harry.

“Vignette” - a fun bit of flash fiction. The only thing that felt weird was Bob seeming a bit meaner than usual.

“Something Borrowed” – from My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding - Fun to see the wedding and how things were able to go awry as a consequence of the fight with the Sindhe.

Changes by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Changes, the title promises us, and changes we do get. As I was reading the story, I told my wife, I think this is the close of another grand story arc. She’s at about book 6, which I considered the be the first arc where Butcher finally finishes introducing us to the key players in the story.

I half predicted the climactic plot twist, but I couldn’t have predicted where that would lead. I certainly did not predict the end of the book. That said, I wonder if Butcher did it because he’d painted himself into a corner with a previous book and wanted to rid Harry of a certain sword of Damocles hanging above his head.

Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 110, July 2019 by John Joseph Adams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was wondering what happened to the novellas in the newer issues - editorial in this issue answers the question - they were taking longer short stories and felt the novella section was redundant.

Science Fiction
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The Null Space conundrum (Violet Allen) - reminds me a lot of the type of story that Charlie Jane Anders would write. Somewhat nonsensical with an irreverent narrator.