Side Jobs

Upon the second read it's still a damned good collection---but you might find it more interesting/comprehensible if you read the other stories first. Best would be to buy this book and then save it to read the stories after reading the particular book that precedes the action in the particular story.

This is really a 4.5 star book, I enjoyed the variety of stories that Jim Butcher included and they all tie in very well with the established timeline. It was nice to see some characters get some extra TLC in this collection because it's hard to give that many the same amount of love. It was also a pleasure getting to see some more bad guys, Harry Dresden sure knows how to piss off some creepies! There were also two stories included that weren't told from Harry's perspective and that was pretty cool. James Marsters did a good job narrating them and giving them a different "feel." Overall a solid collection varying in length, theme, characters, and hilarity. Now I need another full installment of the Dresden Files. I can't wait anymore!

First off, I think it is hilarious that all the book covers show Harry with a hat, but he doesn't wear one in the novels. This collection of stories give Mr. Butcher the chance to show us some different takes on Harry's world - what a day that isn't part of an "end of the world" conflict might be like. There is some humor, some backstory, and even a couple of tales from other characters view points (Thomas & Karrin).

Not a bad book in the series!

A series of short stories.It was nice to get stories from Thomas and Karrin's point of view. I loved how Karrin struggles to handle things herself.

At first I was only planning to read Aftermath, which takes place a couple of hours after Changes and is told from Murphy's point of view. And then I slowly read the whole Side Jobs book backwards, telling myself I will only read one more story. All the stories in this book are very Dresden-esque, yet I enjoyed immensely the two of them told from other characters' point of view. One, as I mentioned before, is Aftermath, where Murphy is the narrator, and the other (my favourite) is Backup, told from Thomas's POV. It shows the reader how other characters see Harry Dresden and it is a very entertaining thing to read.

I've only read the first three books of the Dresden Files - I intend to continue the series on Audio as I've heard James Marsters does an excellent job. However, I still really enjoyed this anthology of short stories and novellas. Jim Butcher does an excellent job of introducing each story and the stories themselves are excellent.

Harry Dresden is a private investigator and a wizard. His mission is to keep the humans of Chicago safe from supernatural beings. This is a collection of short stories and a novella featuring characters from the series.

A mixed bag of "intertestamental" short stories. Some are early stories, where you can see he's finding himself. A couple are very good. Nice end to the book with the story about what happens in light of the aftermath of Changes.

There are no words for how much I love Murphy. No words at all.

Very enjoyable. Nice background stories, plus the fun of new adventures.

This collection of stories from the Dresdenverse should really be read as a companion to the series as one reads the series. While not all of the stories are good (I very nearly gave this a 2 star until the very last story), there are a couple of standout stories like Aftermath (which should be mandatory reading before Ghost Story), Last Call, and Day Off.

Usually I'm bored by collections of short story collections. They're usually short stories for a reason, but Side Jobs actually was interesting and added some more depth to some of the characters that revolve around Dresden. Definitely fun and exciting to read through until the next book.

Really fun addition to the novels, gives a bit more background and fills on some of the characters.

I'm not a huge fan of short stories, but since these ones were set in a world I was familiar with and featured characters that I already knew, I decided to give it a go. And there were plenty of fun reads here, plus it was a nice way to fill in some of the gaps and see things from a different characters view point - such as Murphy's and Thomas's. Some funny stories, some sad stories and some moving and action-packed moments. A nice gap filler before the next book comes out.

Usually I'm bored by collections of short story collections. They're usually short stories for a reason, but Side Jobs actually was interesting and added some more depth to some of the characters that revolve around Dresden. Definitely fun and exciting to read through until the next book.

This collection of stories from the Dresdenverse should really be read as a companion to the series as one reads the series. While not all of the stories are good (I very nearly gave this a 2 star until the very last story), there are a couple of standout stories like Aftermath (which should be mandatory reading before Ghost Story), Last Call, and Day Off.

So grateful for this one, got my Harry Dresden fix between the last one and the one yet to come out. These are a bunch of short stories that fill in some blanks and show some of the evolution of his other characters in the Dresden Files and I appreciated them greatly. Especially the last.

Fun short stories to spend a plane flight on, but it left me wanting another full length story.

Excellent collection of Dresden stories, fills in some holes in the time lines. Highlights other side stories and characters.

I read this right after finishing Ghost Story. I loved the last story, best. It fit right into the space left between Ghost Story and the next novel in the series. Well worth the read, as one story is from Thomas' p.o.v., the last story is from Murphy's p.o.v., and they are quite true to form.

I was in the mood for Dresden, and this collection did not disappoint -- I like the short story collections that fill in some of the cracks and add a certain humor. This is one of those.

These are delightful. Little snippets filling in between novels. If you are reading the series, don't skip this thinking the short stories are inconsequential.

Excellent compilation of all of the Dresden Files short fiction in one collection. After reading the last story (Aftermath), I now have the courage to read Changes.

This one's a collection of short stories featuring the wizard detective Harry Dresden. They fit into various moments of The Dresden Files' chronology, from a tale of Harry Dresden's training as a private investigator to a story set immediately after the events in the novel Changes. The stories are entertaining, skewing more towards the humor than the crises of the novels. (The last story, "Aftermath", being a notable exception.) It's a good tome for a Harry Dresden fan to have on the shelf for whenever they want a quick foray into Mr. Butcher's fantasy world.--J.

Not my favorite of the Dresden books (I like all the semi-subtle interplay between the characters, which this is largely lacking), but I do like the background information. It's a nice "between" book.

Despite having read only a couple Dresden Files books, this collection of short stories were quite enjoyable. Having read the related books would probably have added to the experience but it isn't necessary as long as you have read at least one Dresden Files book.

These are "background" and "prequel" stories that help fill out the world of Harry Dresden. Some are about the supporting cast, that didn't quite fit in the novel narratives. Each has an explanatory introduction, and placement in the timeline. Some were written for anthologies, by request."Day Off" was deliberate comic relief. No villains for a change.Butcher explores more of the juxtaposition of faith in God and faith in Magic with the story of Michael after his forced "retirement". Mankind lies on a continuum of good, enclothed in an evil "fallen" nature. Most stories explore the difference in deeds that are malum in se v. malum prohibitum.Harry strives to honor, obey, and sustain The Law, not just the temporary statutes of man.One could use the formulation "the end rectifies the means" instead of "justifies" when the means is not itself evil.(As a side note, the books by Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin don't see to have any grounding of right & wrong, just what is expedient or personally advantageous. We have to overlay our own morality on their works, but Dresden's moral code is explicit and traditional.)NOTES: p 101: magic and belief explained an differentiated.p. 112: psychology of magicp. 126: need to knowp. 133: ouch & Oz quote p. 178, 181, 186, 200, 208 (hat tip to Skeeve): all have ties to Story 1.p. 212 the influence of small things (morality fable)p. 221: reationp. 228: the rules of the Magical Council - and who gets to bend thm.P. 232?p. 254: irrational reasoningp. 261: faith, 264 knowledge, 266 choicesp. 313: (topical references will either date a work, or be endearing to later readers for nostalgia; but if it lasts long enough, it's considered a plus so long as the narrative isn't harmed by unknown references)p. 333 ?p. 396: You ARE the magic.

The conversation with Uriel in The Warrior brought a tear to my eye. Butcher has a deft touch for the telling item.

*Book source ~ Local libraryThis anthology contains 11 short stories from before Storm Front to just after Changes.While everyone agreed that it was nice to have a bunch of short stories in one volume, when I mentioned that they aren’t *all* in here the consensus was that there should be a one-stop read (or listen) for all the shorts. At least up to a certain point and then start a new one for any more that follow. Because, you know, the series isn’t over yet.I’m not sure if my title numbering system is correct because I can’t seem to find more than one list with matching numbers, so don’t take the numbers as gospel. And someone needs to clean that shit up. Seriously. It’s annoying to fans to not have books/shorts numbered properly.Restoration of Faith, #0.5 ~ Everyone enjoyed seeing how Harry and Murphy met.Vignette, #5.5 ~ Short and meh. Least favorite.Something Borrowed, #7.5 ~ Jenny Greenteeth. lolIt’s My Birthday, #9.2 ~ That teaches Harry to leave home without his wizarding toys. Liked seeing the cobbler elves. Cobbler not Keebler. heheHeorot, #9.5 ~ A story with Gard. Nice!Day Off, #10.3 ~ Very funny! A favorite with everyone.Backup, #10.4 ~ Thomas tells this story. A & T prefer Harry’s POV though K & I liked this one.The Warrior, #10.5 ~ A’s favorite since she loves Michael, but everyone else really liked it, too.Last Call, #10.6 ~ Third least favorite, but at least Mac is in it.Love Hurts, #11.5 ~ Second least favorite.Aftermath, #12.6 ~ Told from Murphy’s POV immediately following Changes, T didn’t like it because Harry’s not in it at all. Everyone else enjoyed it.