# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - April 2023 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [March 29, 2023, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855 "2023-03-29T19:24:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/21 "2023-04-04T13:45:32Z")
Finished The Donut Legion. It was a bit like a Hap and Leonard story, without Hap and Leonard, and without snappy dialogue. The writing was poor and the constant leering at female characters by both author and male characters was embarrassing. The middle dragged terribly. Still, by the end, you had your good guys and your bad guys in a hideously gory fight and the good guys won, as per the formula. Has Lansdale forgotten how to do these? Started today on [The Future is Female](https://www.amazon.com/Future-Female-Two-1970s-Publication/dp/1598537326/ref=sr_1_1?crid=TABT4VS01IGJ&keywords=the+future+is+female+book+sci+fi&qid=1680614532&sprefix=the+future+is+female+sci%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1), Volume 2, the 1970s. This is an anthology of sci-fi written by women, and the only volume in the series which my library has. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/22 "2023-04-04T22:04:48Z")
Finished _Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maitre D’_, by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, which was okay. Now I’m reading _Four Aunties and a Wedding_ by Jesse Q. Sutanto, which is a cozy mystery. ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/23 "2023-04-06T02:13:52Z")
Right now I have four books going: _The Canyon’s Edge_ by Dusti Bowling (for Project Lit at my youngest’s middle school); _The Dreaming: Waking Hours_ by G Willow Wilson and _Birds of Prey: The End of the Beginning_ by Sean McKeever, and _A Darkness Absolute_ by Kelley Armstrong as my audio book of choice. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/24 "2023-04-06T02:29:53Z")
I finished _Witch Mark_ by C.L. Polk. It was okay, I may read the rest of the series but it won’t be too soon. I’m always irked when a book ends before the story conflict is completely wrapped up. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/25 "2023-04-06T18:22:32Z")
Finished _Four Aunties and a Wedding_ by Jesse Q. Sutanto, which I enjoyed. Now I’m reading _Arch-Conspirator_ by Veronica Roth which appears to be a science fiction retelling of _Antigone_. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/26 "2023-04-07T02:36:16Z")
Started _The Boys from Biloxi,_ by John Grisham. I generally like Grisham’s stuff, though I’m thinking this one won’t have the heft of _The Reckoning_ or some of his other novels, but we’ll see. ---
**Author:** ![TruePisces](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/truepisces/32/13628_2.png) [@TruePisces](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruePisces)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/27 "2023-04-07T10:27:54Z")
I finished _The Canyon’s Edge_ yesterday and started _Finding Neverland, vol 1_ by Kaiu Shirai. I also finished _A Darkness Absolute_ as my audio book and moved on to the next in the series, _This Fallen Prey_. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/28 "2023-04-07T20:05:15Z")
Finished _Arch-Conspirator_ by Veronica Roth, which was okay. Now I’m reading _American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics_, by Kevin Hazzard. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/29 "2023-04-07T21:10:50Z")
Finished listening to _Killers of a Certain Age_ by Deanna Raybourn. A highly entertaining story of four sixty-something women who, as trained assassins, have been working for a clandestine organization for forty years, eliminating such undesirables as drug lords, evil dictators, and other such scum. The women have been asked to retire and are given a Mediterranean cruise as part of their severance package. When they discover a fellow assassin on board who is targeting them, they attempt to turn the tables on their former employer. Would recommend. Next up: _Shadows Reel_ by C.J. Box, last year’s Joe Pickett novel. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/30 "2023-04-07T22:51:25Z")
Finished _The Tide of Victory_ (Belisarius #5), by Eric Flint and David Drake. Now reading _The Dance of Time_ (Belisarius #5), by Eric Flint and David Drake. Next up: Not sure – this is the last book in the Belisarius series. May reread _The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey_ (Spencer Wells) or _The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850_ (Brian M Fagan), or look for something new. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/31 "2023-04-08T02:50:46Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > _The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History 1300-1850_ (Brian M Fagan) I will be very interested in what you think of it, it’s on my want to read list. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/32 "2023-04-08T02:59:53Z")
I finished _Lament at Loon Landing_ the 6th Secrets and Scrabble book by Josh Lanyon. Josh and I have a … troubled history, she is far too fond of borderline domestic abusers for herr MCs’ boyfriends for my comfort. This series, being a cozy, she has to rein in that side of her psyche and make Jack actually likeable. _GASP!_ I am still reading _Stiletto_ by Daniel O’Malley. Big book is difficult to read when my joints hurt. Up next on the Kindle: _Too Many Fires_ the 5th Daniel Owens book by Ripley Hayes. This one looks to be an emotional book… I hate when my characters are not getting along. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/33 "2023-04-08T20:09:15Z")
Note that I said I may **re** read it. ---
**Author:** ![DZedNConfused](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dzednconfused/32/15991_2.png) [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/34 "2023-04-09T03:54:45Z")
Okay, **still** interested in what you think of it… ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/35 "2023-04-09T16:16:51Z")
Fagan is quite readable, and of course it’s a very interesting subject. Actually, you might want to read two of his other books first, if you haven’t already read them: _The Long Summer: How Climate Changed Civilization_ – end of ice age to AD 1200 _The Great Warming: Climate Change and the Rise and Fall of Civilizations_ – 10th-15th centuries (In fact, I think I’ll reread all three of them, not just the third one.) ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2023, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/36 "2023-04-09T19:51:34Z")
Finished _American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America’s First Paramedics_, by Kevin Hazzard. Strongly recommended. One of the best books I’ve read this year. Now I’m reading _Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal_, by Eric K. Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/37 "2023-04-10T01:37:45Z")
Finished _Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania_, by Erik Larson. Quite good, although I could probably have done without President Wilson’s courtship of Edith Galt. Larson was supposedly trying to show how the president was distracted at this time, but I don’t see how his distraction added to the ship sinking. But quite good. It was my third Larson, and I’ve become quite a fan of his. Have started _Jude the Obscure_, by Thomas Hardy. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/38 "2023-04-10T16:33:18Z")
**Cleopatra’s Needles** Bob Brier The intriguing history of the obelisks of ancient Egypt, from how they were quarried and moved (contrary to what you might see on pseudo-historical websites we know how it was done and it didn’t involve aliens or lost technology) to how they were looted by the Romans and then by France, Britian and the United States. Interesting book about a cool topic. Lots of nice pictures too. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/39 "2023-04-10T22:47:12Z")
Out of my last library run, three out of the five books I picked up were total duds. I’ve already mentioned how _Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen_ sucked. I also got _Tam Lin_ by Pamela Dean, which turned out not to be a modern-dress fantasy about the Tam Lin ballad but instead a story about annoying girls girling around at college. Apparently the fantasy bit shows up sixty pages before the end, but that was four hundred pages after I lost interest. Today I started and then quickly gave up on _The Sheltering Sky_ by Paul Bowles. I thought it was about ex-pats in north Africa after WWII. It’s actually Mid-Century White Male Literature, a genre I despise. Fortunately I also got _Written in Red_ by Anne Bishop which is an entertaining urban fantasy with werewolves and _Old Gorio_t by Honoré de Balzac which is also quite entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2023, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855/40 "2023-04-10T23:39:13Z")
Finished _Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H. Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal_, by Eric K. Washington, which was okay. Now I’m reading _The Best Crime Stories of the 19th Century_, edited by Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh, and Martin H. Greenberg. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2023-edition/981855.md?page=3)