# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - December 2021 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [November 30, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243 "2021-11-30T18:53:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [December 12, 2021, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/41 "2021-12-12T13:58:12Z")
Finished _The Gift of the Magpie_ by Donna Andrews, which was okay. Now I’m reading _Space Inc._, which is an anthology of science fiction stories about careers in the future, edited by Julie E. Czerneda. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/42 "2021-12-12T18:33:47Z")
Finished **The Fire Court** by Andrew Taylor. Very good sequel to the Marwood/Lovett historical fiction thriller series. I liked this one better than the first book which was impressive itself. Now reading **The Decagon House Murders** by Yukito Ayatsuji. Classic Japanese mystery that has been on my list of books I want to read for a while. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2021, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/43 "2021-12-13T13:35:05Z")
Currently reading [An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed](https://www.amazon.com/Elderly-Lady-Must-Not-Crossed/dp/1641291672/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2708HMPRTVT09&keywords=an+elderly+lady+must+not+be+crossed&qid=1639402227&sprefix=an+elderly+lady%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1) by Helene Tursten. If you know the story of The Bad Seed, this is what she’d have been like as a little old lady. Subject matter aside, it’s kind of a cozy read! ---
**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:** [December 13, 2021, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/44 "2021-12-13T14:00:33Z")
Finally finished my re-read of **Moby Dick**. I’d forgotten how weird that book could be, but still highly enjoyable. I’ve been reading a stack books on submarines and naval bases as research for what I hope will be an upcoming book. I’m on to **US Submarines 1900-35** by Jim Christley and Peter Bull right now. It’s pretty slim, and doesn’t have the information I need. I’m also starting **Wrath of Poseidon** by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell. I need some easy reading trash after the heft of Moby Dick. On audio, I finished **Born a Crime** by Trevor Noah. I’d read it in paperback a while back, and am amazed how much of it I forgot. I also re-read **Lord of the Rings** in audio. Now I’m reading Tom Clavin’s **Wild Bill: The True Story** , a biography of James “Wild Bill” Hickok, mainly because I found a copy cheap. ---
**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:** [December 13, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/45 "2021-12-13T16:36:02Z")
Finished reading _The Death of Mrs. Westaway_ by Ruth Ware. A good mystery read, although I got a bit confused between two cousins who had very similar names, both of whom were murder victims. Now I just started _The Woman in Cabin 10_ by the same author. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/46 "2021-12-13T16:38:06Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > …I’ve been reading a stack books on submarines and naval bases as research for what I hope will be an upcoming book. I’m on to **US Submarines 1900-35** by Jim Christley and Peter Bull right now. It’s pretty slim, and doesn’t have the information I need… Might not be directly useful for your research, but I read this a few years back and found it pretty interesting: [https://www.amazon.com/Big-Red-Trident-Nuclear-Submarine/dp/0060194847](https://www.amazon.com/Big-Red-Trident-Nuclear-Submarine/dp/0060194847) ---
**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:** [December 13, 2021, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/47 "2021-12-13T16:39:17Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Might not be directly useful for your research, but I read this a few years back and found it pretty interesting: [Big Red: Three Months On Board a Trident Nuclear Submarine: Waller, Douglas C.: 9780060194840: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Big-Red-Trident-Nuclear-Submarine/dp/0060194847) Thanks. I’ll have a look. But the sub I’m interested in is pre-WWII. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2021, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/48 "2021-12-13T22:17:59Z")
Started and finished **Risen** , the final book in the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka. I like the series, and this was a satisfying conclusion. Working on **The Veiled Throne** , book 3 of _The Dandelion Dynasty_ series by Ken Liu. Interesting fantasy series with an Asian-inspired setting. It’s very light on the supernatural, heavy on the novel civilization/world-building. I’ve also been dipping in and out of Stephen Fry’s **Mythos** (first volume, about the Greek/Roman pantheon). I “read” everything as audiobooks, because I’m mostly blind. The narrators for all three of these books are top-notch (Stephen Fry reads his own book). ---
**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:** [December 14, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/49 "2021-12-14T21:30:43Z")
Finished _Space Inc._ , which is an anthology of science fiction stories about careers in the future, edited by Julie E. Czerneda. My favorite was “I Knew a Guy Once” by Tanya Huff, which is about a bartender. Now I’m reading _Ahead of Time_, by Henry Kuttner. ---
**Author:** ![Tride](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tride/32/13907_2.png) [@Tride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tride)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2021, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/50 "2021-12-14T22:23:17Z")
Finished _Leviathan Falls_ last night. I’ll have to read it again to really digest it. It’s good, but I can’t say it really ties up all the loose ends or explains any of the impossible physics. That would probably be too much to ask I guess given the rest of the series. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2021, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/51 "2021-12-14T22:54:46Z")
I gave up on _Educated_ by Tara Westover. I got two thirds of the way through before oblivion started looking pretty good. There’s only so much unrelenting abuse I can take. I had a brief moment of hope when she went to Cambridge, but then she went home for Christmas to her abusive family and I was DONE. I got all the way through _Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis and loved it. I would love to do historical research in the historical period I’m studying. When is Oxford getting their time machines again? They need to hop to, 2054 is only 33 years away. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2021, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/52 "2021-12-15T04:14:50Z")
You would have so MUCH fun in my local book group. They loved both of those books. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2021, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/53 "2021-12-15T14:22:52Z")
Started today on a short story anthology, [Cursed](https://www.amazon.com/Cursed-Anthology-Dark-Fairy-Tales/dp/1789091500/ref=sr_1_4?crid=1TMRLDVIDA5N9&keywords=cursed&qid=1639577927&s=books&sprefix=cursed%2Cstripbooks%2C168&sr=1-4). Some good authors here, obviously any anthology is a mixed bag, but I’ve found a jewel already. (The Neil Gaiman story) ---
**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:** [December 16, 2021, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/54 "2021-12-16T03:50:32Z")
I finished _A Friend in the Fire_ by Gregory Ashe & C.S. Poe. A M/M murder mystery; Ashe’s characters are always “broken” and often traumatized by their pasts. It makes for interesting, if not emotion wrenching, reading. I’m fond of both writers on their own, but I have to go read cozies for a couple weeks after an Ashe book. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/55 "2021-12-18T14:19:39Z")
[Goodreads.com](http://Goodreads.com) Best Book Winners for 2021 (4,756,261 votes cast) Best Fiction: **Beautiful World, Where Are You - Sally Rooney** Best Mystery and Thriller: **The Last Thing He Told Me - Laura Dave** Best Historical Fiction: **Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid** Best Fantasy: **A Court of Silver Flames - Sarah J. Maas** Best Romance: **People We Meet On Vacation - Emily Henry** Best Science Fiction: **Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir** Best Horror: **The Final Girl Support Group - Grady Hendrix** Best Humor: **Broken (in the best possible way) - Jenny Lawson** Best Non Fiction: **The Anthropocene Reviewed - John Green** Best Memoir and Autobiography: **Crying in H Mart - Michelle Zauner** Best History and Biography: **Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty - Patrick Radden Keefe** Best Graphic Novel and Comic: **Lore Olympus: Volume One - Rachel Smythe** Best Poetry: **The Hill We Climb - Amanda Gorman** Best Debut Novel: **The Spanish Love Deception - Elena Armas** Best Young Adult Fiction: **Firekeeper’s Daughter - Angeline Boulley** Best Young Adult Fantasy: **Rule of Wolves - Leigh Bardugo** Best Middle Grade and Children’s: **Daughter of the Deep - Rick Riordan** Personally I have not read any of these books. Only three authors are familiar to me: Sally Rooney, Rick Riordan and Amanda Gorman. I know of the first two and their popularity as authors but never read any of their books myself. I know Ms Gorman because she delivered an impressive poem at President Biden’s inauguration. The rest are new names to me but clearly I’ve been missing out on some very popular releases. The number votes cast is quite incredible for an online book awards. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2021, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/56 "2021-12-18T16:10:04Z")
I just started reading Stephen King’s latest book, _Billy Summers_. Hooked early on, I’m enjoying it so far. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2021, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/57 "2021-12-18T17:26:45Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I just started reading Stephen King’s latest book, _Billy Summers_ . I really liked that book. Definitely not his usual subject, but certainly a good read. ---
**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:** [December 18, 2021, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/58 "2021-12-18T23:00:25Z")
I started on the Marcus Didius Falco series and I’m loving it. Thank you whoever suggested it to me! Question: do you have to read this series in order? The NC library system is currently having a fight with whoever does the shipping for their interlibrary loans and there’s no word on when it’ll be over. My local library has book one but not two or three. Should I wait until everyone gets their act together or just go ahead and go to book four? ---
**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:** [December 19, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/59 "2021-12-19T16:30:59Z")
You’re Welcome! It’s been a long time since I read any of the series, so I can’t say for certain but I think books refer back to events from previous books so there might be spoilers if you read out of order. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2021, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/60 "2021-12-20T14:31:55Z")
Finished _Ahead of Time_ , by Henry Kuttner, which I enjoyed. My favorite story in this collection is “Pile of Trouble”. Also read a Weird Western book called _Purgatory Oaths: Alamosa_, by David Edwards, which was okay, but in serious need of a proofreader. My favorite error was “malice of forethought” (sic). This book was independently published. Now I’m reading another anthology, with a theme of “Water” called _Submerged_, edited by S. C. Butler and Joshua Palmatier. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243.md?page=4)