Book Review: "Storm Front"

I read a lot.

Rather, I like to read. I used to read a lot. That was when I had a life and time. (See every other post this month about how crazy/busy/tired I am.) Time to read is at a premium for me right now.

If my life weren't, well, my life right now, then writing about a book that I've recently read would not be that big of a deal, and I would probably have an entry a week about a book I've recently read.

But since my life is, well, my life right now, reading and actually finishing a book is actually a big whoop-dee-doo deal.

I found out about this book when I was looking for some TV series to stream via Netflix on my iPad. The series was called "The Dresden Files," and was short-lived (12 episodes/half season). I can understand why -- I think it was made before all the current frenzy about vampires and supernatural things in general. It's about a wizard who earns a living as a private investigator, working with the local police department to solve other-worldly crimes.

After watching a couple of episodes, I looked on Amazon to see if there were any books about, since I generally like quirky, unusual things.

The first book in the Dresden Files series is called "Storm Front." The series is written by Jim Butcher.

I enjoyed the book, but I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much if I hadn't watched the TV series. It's a bit more graphic and explicit than the TV show is, which makes sense. But what I did enjoy more about the book was that in only one book (which would have been the equivalent of one episode) there was much more character development and overall exposition than in several episodes.

And while I liked the book, there are people I would recommend it to, and people I wouldn't, based on the topic matter (supernatural) and explictness (if depicted on-screen as portrayed in the book, it would probably be rated R).

Next on my list? Ellen DeGeneres's new book, "Seriously, I'm Kidding." I already own it; just need to find the time to read it.