The Dresden Files

I've never been to Chicago.

But now that I've read Jim Butcher's series of novels called The Dresden Files, I feel as if I know the Windy City already. This series is a fascinating and compelling collection of stories told from the point of view of Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, Chicago's only private investigator/wizard officially listed in the yellow pages under the category of "Wizard". His name is an amalgamation of Harry Houdini, Harry Blackstone Sr, and David Copperfield, all magicians. Set in the streets of Chicago, this fantasy/mystery series has recently been translated onto the small screen via a TV series on the Sci-Fi channel, The Dresden Files.

Now I've watched the series and I've read the novels (yes, all 8 of them!) and I must say that the series has managed to portray the character fairly accurately within the limits of the medium. Novels almost always trump TV as a medium, in my opinion, so it was no surprise that I found the books fascinating. I can't wait for book 9 of the series to be released.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Cheers!

Birthday Bash(es)!

Two good friends had their respective birthday bashes last night.

The first one was held at Good Earth Roast in Rockwell, a nice open-air type place that served Chinese-style roasted dishes. Not to mention cheap beer. The atmosphere was very relaxed and the weather was perfect. We had roast platters, fried rice, noodles, and siomai.

The second one was an after-dinner affair at Bamboo Lounge in the Fort. Not much eating here, mostly drinking and chatting. The great thing about this place was the music as it was fairly unobtrusive yet atmosphere-creating house beats and rhythms. Coolness.

Cheers!