The Teleportation Accident by Ned Beaumont

This novel is exactly the sort of novel I love to read: it's witty, self-referential, aware of its own status as a novel, and a lot of fun. Egon Loeser is the painfully self-absorbed anti-hero whose world is crumbling around him (he's an artist in Berlin in the 1920s)--but he doesn't see the political dangers because of his personal problems (an inability to get his show produced or to win over the charming Adele Hitler [no relation to Adolf]). He serendipitously leaves Berlin for Los Angeles (via Paris) chasing Adele, but he doesn't have any better luck in either place either with Adele or with his show. Yet, as the novel progresses, we learn more and more about Loeser's obsession with Adriano Lavinci, an Italian set designer who died in what is known as the Teleportation Accident (one of Lavinci's sets destroyed a theater in Paris). The novel teases readers: was Lavinci a theatrical genius, or a scientist centuries ahead of his time, or a magician? I definitely want to re-read this book; it may have been my favorite entry on the 2012 Booker Long List.

Cold Days by Jim Butcher

In this book Harry Dresden is back from the dead and stronger than ever--thanks to his agreement to serve as Queen Mab's Winter Knight. Harry has got to figure out how he can serve in this role without letting it corrupt him--but in the meantime, Chicago is likely to be at Ground Zero of a magical explosion of apocalyptic proportions (centering on Demonreach, of course) and Mab has given him his first assignment: kill her daughter, Maeve (an immortal, for those of you keeping score at home). I like the way that this book doesn't shy away from tough questions, or asking Harry to do morally questionable things. I think Butcher has done (and continues to do) a great job increasing the stakes so we see what's going on with the series long term (it's not just one adventure after another) while making each book individually great to read.

Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P.N. Elrod

This collection of nine short stories is united by its protagonists: they're all somewhat morally ambiguous protectors of the weak (by choice or by compulsion). The Jim Butcher story ("Even Hand") features John Marcone instead of Harry Dresden and was really excellent. I also loved "Even a Rabbit Will Bite" by Rachel Caine about the last dragonslayer in an age that doesn't really need her anymore. "Rookwood and Mrs. King" by Lillith Saintcrow, "Dark Lady" by P.N. Elrod, "The Beacon" by Shannon Butcher, and "A Questionable Client" by Ilona Andrews were all intriguing--I'd especially be interested in the series associated with Elrod's and Andrews's stories. Some of the other stories (apparently part of stories) were really opaque: the magical systems, worlds, and rules were weird and not clearly explained and the characters had lots of missing backstory.

Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

This volume collects most of the short stories, novelettes, and novellas set in the Dresden Files universe (the only currently available stories not in the collection are "Curses," "AAAA Wizardry," and "Even Hand"; obviously the forthcoming "I Was a Teenage Bigfoot," "Bigfoot on Campus," "B is for Bigfoot," and the untitled Molly POV story from Dangerous Women are also not included). I enjoyed the collection. I particularly liked "Backup" (told from Thomas Raith's point of view), "The Warrior" (a great story about Michael), and "Aftermath" (told from Karrin Murphy's point of view, about her actions after Harry's apparent death in Changes). Butcher generally does a good job selecting subjects for these stories that work for the length--I enjoyed most of the stories in this book as much as the full-length novels (and it was easier to put down in the middle). I'll be tracking down the remaining stories as I can.

Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

This book finds Harry dead--but his work is not done. He must face the same kind of problems he usually does (that is to say, insoluble ones) without the ability to practice his magic as usual. I really like the way Harry both learns to live with his limitations and the way that he learns about choices and his own moral abilities in the face of some scary (and overpowering) foes and allies. This series continues to grow in an organic and impressive way--things that happened earlier fit into a larger picture seamlessly. Can't wait to see what happens next!

Changes by Jim Butcher

In this book Harry Dresden faces a lot of new information really quickly: he has a daughter and she's in danger. Dresden must make some compromising decisions in order to protect his daughter. While usually I would find this kind of retconning suspicious (convenient that all of a sudden he has a daughter), I found the book to work surprisingly well. This series continues to impress.

Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher

This graphic novel is an introduction to Harry Dresden (it happens before the first book in the series) and is a compilation of about four issues. I found the illustrations to be well done, and while the story was short compared to most of Dresden's adventures, it worked (and introduced the character, his way of acting, and his limitations well).

Flashback by Dan Simmons

For the most part, I enjoyed this book, which is a noir-style detective story set in the dystopic future. The technology is awesome, the drug flashback (that lets you relive your past) intriguing, and even the family drama is handled pretty well. I also found the mystery really compelling. What was less exciting was the book's political stance--not necessarily its side, but its extremism and its desire for screed instead of thoughtful consideration of the topics. I thought the politics took away from the book as a whole.

White Night by Jim Butcher

I thought this book was one of the better Harry Dresden books I've read. I really enjoyed seeing Elaine appear, I loved watching Harry teach Molly, and I especially liked Harry's moral quandries. I think that the Denarian plot was wrapped up really nicely here. I also thought the vampire court machinations were a real treat to watch unfold. This series has been moving along at an excellent pace. I'm looking forward to the next entry.

Blood Rites by Jim Butcher

In this book Thomas Raith, a vampire of the White Court, calls in a favor from Harry Dresden. As it turns out Raith and Dresden are half-brothers, and there's a major power-struggle about to go down for control of the White Court--a struggle which plays out in part over the production of an upstart adult film. I really liked seeing Harry get some family in this book (even if it's family with baggage), and I thought the White Court stuff worked really well. On the other hand, there was a real clunker of a scene between Murphy and her mother at a family reunion picnic. I think this scene surprised me because Butcher usually writes more effectively than that. I'm interested to see where this series is heading.

Death Masks by Jim Butcher

In this book Harry Dresden finds himself up against the vampires (a vampire of the Red Court challenges him to a duel) while he's called on to find the Shroud of Turin which has been stolen from a church in Italy and which seems to be on its way to Chicago. I think the key point of this novel was when one of the spirits that Harry has summoned asks him--why do you do it? He doesn't really have an answer to hand, and I'm hoping that in future books he'll explore his motivations more.

Low Town by Daniel Polansky

This book throws a lot of balls in the air but manages them well. I found myself surprised by several twists. It took a little bit of time to figure out how the imaginary world of the novel works, and how the main character fits into that world, but I ended up really liking the main character, who fits into the noir mold of a detective struggling to do what's right in spite of his troubled past. I'm hoping there's more to come from this story!

The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Mildred Pierce, and Selected Stories by James M. Cain

I reviewed the major parts of this collection separately, but I thought I might say a few words about how it works all together. I particularly enjoyed Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity. The stories are generally more of the same, with the same bleak outlook, as the first two novellas. I think the novella length is better suited to the material though.

Double Indemnity by James M. Cain

In this novella an insurance salesman plots with a dissatisfied wife to help her murder her husband and collect double on the insurance policy (since the accident will happen on a train). This story works really well as a picture of what might drive an ordinary person to commit a crime, while also surprising the reader with a really ruthless character. I think this story was the best noir-style story in the collection.

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain

In this novella we get the story of a drifter who spends some time at a small gas station in California, commits murder to get the wife of the owner of the station, and the repercussions of the murder. The style reminds me of Hemingway and the characters are all hard-boiled. The story was bleak, but enjoyable if you like noir style.