# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - April 2026 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [March 29, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876 "2026-03-29T20:50:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/21 "2026-04-09T20:25:42Z")
Barry Eisler’s Livia Lone books are about a cop that tracks down and kills child sex abusers. (not to mention just rapists in general). I finished _Murder in Mesopotamia_ by Dame Agatha Christie. I’m not sure about the ending, it’s a hella committment to stalking I must say that obsession is a powerful drug. Overall a good book, not one of her best, but still well worth the read. Would have liked more local “color” though. ---
**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, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/22 "2026-04-09T21:07:22Z")
Finished _Children of the Book: A Memoir of Reading Together_, by Ilana Kurshan, which was excellent. Also finished _Star Trek Lower Decks: Warp Your Own Way_, by Ryan North. I enjoyed it, but I would have liked it much better as an actual episode. (I miss Lower Decks so much. It’s my all-time favorite Star Trek.) Next up: _Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer_, by Heather Lende; and _Jewel Box: Stories_, by E. Lily Yu. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/23 "2026-04-10T11:11:46Z")
I’m a third of the way through **Circle of Days** by Ken Follett. It’s a quick read, despite its length, and I’d be rading it quicker if I had more free time. My bedside reading is now **The Penguin Book of Mermaids** , which I’ve just started. On audio, I’m re-reading the Ken Fagles translation of **The Iliad** , read by Derek Jacobi. It still annoys me that they don’t give you the whole thing – it’s seriously abridged. His translation of **The Odyssey** is unabridged (and read by Ian McKellen!) ---
**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 10, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/24 "2026-04-10T21:51:59Z")
I started _Wolf Worm_ by T.Kingfisher, a book that another of my favorite authors warned against eating while reading it. And there’s a picture of a botfly on the frontpiece… I am very worried for my stomach and my crawly skin. ---
**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 10, 2026, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/25 "2026-04-10T22:15:25Z")
It’s next up for me too! But I probably won’t get a chance to start until Monday. ---
**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 10, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/26 "2026-04-10T22:37:40Z")
My local used bookstore had _Dungeon Crawler Carl_ on it’s display rack.. I grabbed it. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2026, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/27 "2026-04-11T01:24:30Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > arned against eating while reading it. Can confirm. ---
**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 11, 2026, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/28 "2026-04-11T01:38:10Z")
Oh dear.. oh my. ---
**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 11, 2026, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/29 "2026-04-11T12:36:32Z")
I think I should warn you about Dungeon Crawler Carl as well… 🤢 ---
**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 11, 2026, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/30 "2026-04-11T19:20:04Z")
Yeah, I got that vibe after reading a couple reviews. _sigh_ ---
**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 13, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/31 "2026-04-13T19:48:16Z")
Finished _Find the Good: Unexpected Life Lessons from a Small-Town Obituary Writer_, by Heather Lende, which was okay. Also finished _Jewel Box: Stories_, by E. Lily Yu, which was excellent. I rarely think all of the stories in an anthology are that good. The best was “Small Monsters”. Next up: _Things That Are Funny on a Submarine–But Not Really_, by Yannick Murphy; and _When Animals Rescue: Amazing True Stories about Heroic and Helpful Creatures_, by Belinda Recio. ---
**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 14, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/32 "2026-04-14T16:23:54Z")
Finished _The Fox_ by Frederick Forsyth. A fine cyber/spy novel about an English teenager who is afflicted by Asperger’s, but has an innate ability to hack through the world’s most impenetrable firewalls. He is recruited by the British government to do just that, and he manages to get inside the top-secret databases of Russia, Iran, and North Korea. From there, the government cyber experts take over, causing havoc to the military infrastructure of those nations. Naturally, the Bad Guys take offense and launch a campaign to get rid of the pesky lad. Well-written and entertaining, and recommended. This was my first read by Forsyth, and I suspect it won’t be the last. Next up: _The Payback_ by Kashana Cauley. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/33 "2026-04-14T17:06:37Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > Well-written and entertaining, and recommended. This was my first read by Forsyth, and I suspect it won’t be the last. Sadly, he died not that long ago. I highly recommend is first thriller – _Day of the Jackal_ – and his second _The Odessa File_. I wasn’t so fond of _Dogs of War_, butt really liked _The DEvil’s Alternative_. His more recent books are of variable quality, but generally well above the usual run of thrillers. Forsyth does his homework (although I can point out several times that he either deliberately or by mistake is very wrong.) ---
**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 14, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/34 "2026-04-14T17:09:59Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > first thriller – _Day of the Jackal_ Oh, shit, I had forgotten he wrote that. I read that decades ago and absolutely loved it! So, okay, _The Fox_ is my second Forsyth novel! ---
**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 14, 2026, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/35 "2026-04-14T19:21:45Z")
I finished _Cards on the Table_ by Dame Agatha Christie, where in a game of Bridge is the setting for the murder and a valuable clue for Poirot. Easily one of her best books, the plotting, the characters and the twist all well executed. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/36 "2026-04-15T15:55:03Z")
**Amsterdam : a history of the world’s most liberal city** Russell Shorto The story of the capital of the Netherlands from the Middle Ages to the present, and how it developed its famously tolerant attitudes toward religion and sex, among other things. Good book ---
**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 15, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/37 "2026-04-15T16:17:19Z")
Recently read three dozen or so mysteries, mostly by Edward Marston but also including books by Tony Hillerman and Andrea Penrose, plus a few other books. Now reading two books: _When America First Met China_, 19th-century history by Eric Jay Dolin – other books by him I read within the past few weeks were _Left for Dead: Shipwreck, Treachery and Survival at the Edge of the World_ (more 19th-century history, in the Falklands) and _A Furious Sky: The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes_. _Dresden: Tuesday, February 13, 1945_, about the bombing of that city and the resulting firestorm, by Frederick Taylor. A couple weeks ago I read his _Coventry: November 14, 1940_, about the attack on that city. ---
**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 15, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/38 "2026-04-15T17:41:16Z")
Finished Wolf Worm, and that is one of the grossest damn things I ever read in my life! But also, it was really good and made me laugh more than once, sometimes right in the middle of being grossed out. 😄 ---
**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 16, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/39 "2026-04-16T14:45:30Z")
I’m currently reading [Trad Wife](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234775005-trad-wife) by Saratoga Schaefer, a novel about an online influencer who gets knocked up by a supernatural being. Gosh, it sounds bad when I say it like that. 😈 ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876/40 "2026-04-16T14:49:04Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I’m currently reading [Trad Wife](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/234775005-trad-wife) by Saratoga Schaefer, a novel about an online influencer who gets knocked up by a supernatural being. Doesn’t sound very traditional to me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-april-2026-edition/1028876.md?page=3)