Side Jobs filled in the time

So, I'm patiently awaiting...ok semi-patiently awaiting, a few different new releases.  I'm waiting on the novella that Kevin Hearne has coming out next month, as well as the next full length IDC book that will be hitting the shelves in November, the third installment of Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller epic trilogy and Jim Butcher's newest Dresden Files release, which I'm hoping will be no later than Halloween. 

Hearne's Atticus and Butcher's Dresden are two of my favorite book characters at the moment.  I catch myself wondering what is going on with Harry. You're right, it's sad and I know it, but I am still hooked on finding out how Butcher is going to terrorize Harry's life next. 

You see, he has built an entire universe surrounding the detective wizard(or wizard detective, not sure), and after a dozen full length novels, there is a lot going on, with a lot that CAN go on. It has become a soap opera for me.  I GOTTA find out what is happening next.  The beauty of the series is that you not only get literarally(is that a word?) involved, even attached to the main character, you also become engrossed with several other characters and you also want to know more about them.  This has given the Butcher the opportunity to be able to spin off some short stories that center around other characters. 

Side Jobs, his collection of short stories does just that.  The stories all involved Harry and most of them are still from Harry's perspective, but they do a good job of filling in some details between novels and they also give you a more intimate look at some other characters.

There were 2 stories that really stood out to me.  I'll not reveal much of anything here because I don't want to be a spoiler leak to anyone who hasn't read it, but you get a story from Thomas' perspective that is really enlightening in a few ways. You find out more about the vampire White Court and you also find out more about what makes Thomas click and how he views his younger half-brother.  I really enjoyed that story.

Another story that really stood out to me and I enjoyed a lot was the short novella at the end. It was written from Murphy's view and takes place immediately after the tragic ending of Changes.  It sheds light on a lot of what was going on in the next full length book and fills in some blanks for you.  Also, getting to see inside Murphy's head was an interesting revelation.

So, if you're a Dresden fan, I definitely recommend picking up or downloading Side Jobs. Its worth the few bucks and the few hours you'll spend reading it, and it's a nice way to feed the appetite if you're starting to get a bit restless waiting for the next Dresden adventure.