The Jim Butcher Files: Dresden . Codex Alera . Cinder Spires & More

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by jgaiser

Already love Mouse (see my avatar) and Butters is growing on me....

Originally Posted by alansplace

Wow! I guess I never viewed your Avatar in the correct scale! That and there's a color mis-match with Mouse. Is your dog really a Tibetan Mastif?

Originally Posted by mbovenka

Looks like a Great Pyrenees to me.

Click on each image to view it in a larger format.

Jerry's Avatar --- Great Pyrenees --- Tibetan Mastif

Notice that the Tibetan Mastif (on the far right) carries its tail differently than the other two.

[jgaiser]

Dead Beat finished. It's a good thing Harry's a Wizard, because he takes way too much abuse.

On to Proven Guilty. May have to wait a while, as I've got a couple other books I really want to finish.

[alansplace]

Quoted from jim-butcher.com

Sample Chapters Begin

Oct 31, 2012


It’s October 31st, and you know what that means: Happy Birthday, Harry!

This Halloween, we have no tricks–just treats! Read chapter 1 of Cold Days, right here at Jim-Butcher.com!

The schedule for the next sample chapters is as follows:
11/06: Chapter 2
11/13: Chapter 3
11/20: Chapter 4 and Reddit AMA
11/27: The book’s release!

Preorder Cold Days from your local independent bookstore or through our web store, or get an autographed copy from Dog Eared Books’ virtual signing.

I'm gonna' re-read the next three Dresden Files books (#11, #12 & #13) right away.

[Joy736]

Thanks for the link to Dog Eared Books Alan. Since I had some money on Paypal witch I don't use (in Holland we use Ideal for web-shopping), I ordered a signed hb of Cold Days from them.

[Pookeysgirl]

Made the plunge and bought Ghost Story this morning

Anyone else's Kindle version have really small text? I've never had a book with such small text before. Even stranger is that since I updated my Kindle the text became really black and now it's kind of grey.

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

Made the plunge and bought Ghost Story this morning

Anyone else's Kindle version have really small text? I've never had a book with such small text before. Even stranger is that since I updated my Kindle the text became really black and now it's kind of grey.

I suspect that you downloaded an .azw3 file which is the default for updated (from 3.3 to 3.4 firmware) Kindle Keyboards. And, in my opinion, I think that these newer file versions do not render well on the K3. They all seem to store 4 different fonts in each book file and are a lot larger file because of this. Personally, I dislike this update, but once the device has been updated there appears to be no way to revert to the 3.3 firmware.

You can get a copy of Calibre, install Apprentice Alf's Calibre plug-ins and then add the new book to the Calibre database which would strip the DRM and then it would allow you to convert it to a standard mobi. Which would also get the file pared down to 500 to 700kb from the over 2.5 megs that the .azw3 would probably be.

Don't know what to do about the black vs. gray color thing, but perhaps the azw3 has a color other than black assigned to the book's display font.

Good luck.

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by alansplace

I suspect that you downloaded an .azw3 file which is the default for updated (from 3.3 to 3.4 firmware) Kindle Keyboards. And, in my opinion, I think that these newer file versions do not render well on the K3. They all seem to store 4 different fonts in each book file and are a lot larger file because of this. Personally, I dislike this update, but once the device has been updated there appears to be no way to revert to the 3.3 firmware.

You can get a copy of Calibre, install Apprentice Alf's Calibre plug-ins and then add the new book to the Calibre database which would strip the DRM and then it would allow you to convert it to a standard mobi. Which would also get the file pared down to 500 to 700kb from the over 2.5 megs that the .azw3 would probably be.

Don't know what to do about the black vs. gray color thing, but perhaps the azw3 has a color other than black assigned to the book's display font.

Good luck.

Thanks Alan...I don't usually put my DRM stripped books on my Kindle but looks like I will have to now. I was really enjoying this update with the blacker text too. Oh well, a few minutes extra work for a much better reading experience is worth it

[alansplace]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

Thanks Alan...I don't usually put my DRM stripped books on my Kindle but looks like I will have to now. I was really enjoying this update with the blacker text too. Oh well, a few minutes extra work for a much better reading experience is worth it

Those were 'informed guesses', and not at all a certain diagnosis. So let me know if my guess was accurate, ok?

[Pookeysgirl]

Originally Posted by alansplace

Those were 'informed guesses', and not at all a certain diagnosis. So let me know if my guess was accurate, ok?

I will. I'll strip it and convert this weekend with Calibre and see what difference it makes.

[tilia]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

Made the plunge and bought Ghost Story this morning

Anyone else's Kindle version have really small text? I've never had a book with such small text before. Even stranger is that since I updated my Kindle the text became really black and now it's kind of grey.

If the book is in the new kf8(azw3) format and has embedded fonts, you can turn that off by going into the font menu. It may not help with the size thought, if that's hard-coded.

Dresden related:
I've been able to borrow an audio version of Summer Knight, so I'm going to try listening, and hopefully finish the book this time. I started the ebook last fall/winter, but it just didn't grab me. I was more irritated than entertained by Harry, and there were other books that I really wanted to read.

I had kinda given up on Dresden, but since I liked Storm Front in audio, and have more patience with audio books anyway, I thought I'd try once more.

[Toxaris]

Summer Knight is probably my least favorite Dresden book so far. But then again, thats me.

[Gazella]

Originally Posted by DHNightshadow

So, you all sucked me in.

I know right!!

I haven't read the series but I definitely will be because of this thread. A lot of books though, 13!

[Pookeysgirl]

I knew I shouldn't have gotten this book, but not for the reasons I originally thought. I'm such a weenie I've cried twice and I've only read 27% .

[treadlightly]

Originally Posted by Pookeysgirl

I knew I shouldn't have gotten this book, but not for the reasons I originally thought. I'm such a weenie I've cried twice and I've only read 27% .

I found it quite depressing too. It was my least favourite in the series so far. I'm hoping there are some positives for Harry in Cold Days, but with a title like that, I'm not betting on it!

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by Toxaris

Summer Knight is probably my least favorite Dresden book so far. But then again, thats me.

Me too. You could almost go with the Cliff's Notes on that one. Everything after Summer Knight is at least a little more engaging, and I think I mentioned six or eight times that Dead Beat is my favorite.