Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Just when I thought that this series couldn't get any better, it goes and knocks me for six!  The brilliantness of Jim Butchers writing makes me wonder if he has all this planned in advance or whether he wings it from book to book (the nerd in me really hopes that he has big charts everywhere with all the story arcs, characters and twists all planned out book by book...) The best book yet, in my humble opinion, we see a more thoughtful and insightful Harry which is kinda understandable given his current predicament.  Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of Changes, we learn what has been going on in Chicago with Murphy, Molly and the gang plus some of the story arcs from previous novels are starting to pull together nicely.  I am left with the impression too that there is still a lot more in store for Harry, i think that there were some interesting points made in Ghost Story that made me look at Harry in a slightly different way, that maybe he is an unwitting bad guy after all if you think about some of the things that he has done?  I have to eke by last couple of Dresden Files out now, as goodness knows when the next will come...

Song of the Day: Therion - Lemuria

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Not quite the story that I had imagined it to be but was still an interesting tale set during the 17th century Dutch Golden Age, a setting that is so far removed from where I live now.  It was scary to read people's reactions and beliefs at the time and prejudices that were around.  I just wish there was more involvement with the Miniaturist, or maybe that was the whole point of their being, to cause our heroine Nella to think more about the choices she makes in her life.  There were some nice touches to details, such as lack of sanitation, lack of heat and the scandal that could be caused by a woman wandering through the streets of Amsterdam alone.  It was also interesting to read about the different personalities and ambitions of the various female characters, some happy to be wedded and looked after, Nella who was very young and naive and married off by her family to a rich merchant, and some who were more of a force of nature who did not have the desire to be tied to a man but happy to be an independent woman (not an easy task in the 17th century apparently). Plus more reminders that religion can be scary thing...

Song of the Day: Solefald - World Music with Black Edges (2015)