# 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:** 5
**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 23, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/81 "2021-12-23T18:57:53Z")
Finished _Unplayable Lies: The Only Golf Book You’ll Ever Need_ , by Dan Jenkins, which I enjoyed. Now I’m reading _Mulliner Nights_ by P.G. Wodehouse. ---
**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 23, 2021, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/82 "2021-12-23T23:46:59Z")
Just finished _Project Hail Mary_. I liked _The Martian_ but had low expectations for this one given reviews and previous threads. I think I needed a simple, feel-good sci-fi read because this got me a little teary eyed. It’s predictable. But I definitely enjoyed it. ---
**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 23, 2021, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/83 "2021-12-23T23:49:09Z")
Maybe I should go back to _Artemis_ which I also gave up on. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47774/32.png) [@epbrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2021, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/84 "2021-12-24T21:44:14Z")
The reveal of how Grace wound up on the mission was a great twist; it’s not something you learn about a protagonist in sci-fi. I stopped reading Artemis when she was sabotaging the harvesters and the story does take a turn a while after that. It’s not as good as _The Martian_, but I’d rank it up there with _Hail Mary._ ---
**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 24, 2021, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/85 "2021-12-24T21:47:00Z")
Definitely a great twist and a great ending. Could almost feel a little hopeful for humanity for a second. ---
**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 25, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/86 "2021-12-25T16:28:20Z")
Finished _Mulliner Nights_ by P.G. Wodehouse, which I enjoyed. It’s a story collection, and my favorite was “Open House”. I enjoy stories with a twist, and this had none. It was crystal clear what was going to happen from the beginning. But the writing was just perfect. Now I’m reading _The 1945 Sears Christmas Book: Facsimile Edition_. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/87 "2021-12-26T00:23:47Z")
Finished _The Hotel New Hampshire_, by John Irving. The trials and tribulations of a family that operates a hotel first in New Hampshire, then in Vienna. Bears figure large. Very good, and like **DZedNConfused** said last month, very weird. Enjoyed it, but my favorite is probably still _The World According to Garp_, although it’s been almost 40 years since I read that. Have started _Blood Meridian_, by Cormac McCarthy. Based on true events along the Texas-Mexican border in the 1850s. I thought I had not read this before, but it’s feeling vaguely familiar. Could be I did read it years ago. But even if I did, I’ve forgotten enough of it to make it feel fresh again. ---
**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 26, 2021, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/88 "2021-12-26T03:39:31Z")
Sorrow floats. 😉 ---
**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:** [December 26, 2021, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/89 "2021-12-26T04:29:39Z")
Freud!…Freud! ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2021, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/90 "2021-12-26T18:19:45Z")
I recently finished Where the Crickets Cry. I read 75% of it and sat it down for a couple months. I liked it. It’s not going to give you any deep insight but it was a good read. At Thanksgiving my SIL and I were discussing going back and reading classics from HS. She said she reread Anna Karenina and saw it in a new light. I have chose To The Lighthouse and I have to be honest… I got bored reading the summary. But I’m gonna try. ---
**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 26, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/91 "2021-12-26T19:05:46Z")
Finished _The 1945 Sears Christmas Book: Facsimile Edition_ . Interesting reading. Product I was most surprised to see: A “picture barometer” of a baby, in which the diaper changed colors based on upcoming weather: pink for rain, blue for sun. (87 cents) Caption that surprised me the most: A toy manure spreader (as part of a toy farm) and a toy toilet (as part of doll house furniture) were both called just that. However, a full-size potty for a toddler was referred to as a “panel back chair” with a “glass vessel”, sold separately. Now I’m reading a novella by Cixin Liu called _The Cretaceous Past_. ---
**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 27, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/92 "2021-12-27T21:52:11Z")
Finished a novella by Cixin Liu called _The Cretaceous Past_, which was interesting. Now I’m reading _Glitter and Glue: A Memoir_, by Kelly Corrigan. It’s about her life as a nanny in Australia. ---
**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 27, 2021, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/93 "2021-12-27T22:40:33Z")
I should’ve also noted this book’s translator: Elizabeth Hanlon. ---
**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 28, 2021, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/94 "2021-12-28T01:21:45Z")
Trying to make it through _Artemis_ but it’s a slog and I don’t like any of the characters. Maybe that’s by design. ---
**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 28, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/95 "2021-12-28T14:58:08Z")
I finished _Cackle_ a few days ago. I had to think about how to put this…it’s a book about a witch, but nothing bad happens and there’s no sex. There’s a lot of wine drinking and junk food eating. There’s a cute and friendly pet spider, but it’s not quite YA… Aha! It’s like a Hallmark or Lifetime women’s movie. That’s it. I picked up Catriona Ward’s _The Girl From Rawblood_, but it was too atmospheric and I was too impatient to hang around for the story. Started yesterday on [Reprieve](https://www.amazon.com/Reprieve-Novel-James-Han-Mattson/dp/0063079917/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3NCBPZG89OR1V&keywords=reprieve+james+han+mattson&qid=1640702663&s=books&sprefix=reprieve%2Cstripbooks%2C86&sr=1-1), by James Han Mattson, and it drew me right in. It’s a book about a murder that takes place in an escape room. ---
**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 28, 2021, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/96 "2021-12-28T15:27:33Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I just started reading Stephen King’s latest book, _Billy Summers_ . The holidays slowed me down, but I finished _Billy Summers_ and really enjoyed it. Not a typical Stephen King book, but in a good way. ---
**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 28, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/97 "2021-12-28T18:29:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I finished _Billy Summers_ and really enjoyed it. Not a typical Stephen King book, but in a good way. Totally agree with this. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/98 "2021-12-29T14:40:34Z")
**House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel** Anthony Horowitz Holmes and Watson are on the case again, when a simple case of a man being threatened leads to a complex web of crime and horrors, with many twists and turns along the way. Very true in tone and style to the Conan Doyle novels, even down to using some of the catchphrases, e.g. “the game’s afoot” An enjoyable read. Recommended. Hat tip to Elendil\_s\_Heir who mentioned it in a prior thread ---
**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 29, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/99 "2021-12-29T15:00:35Z")
Finished _Glitter and Glue: A Memoir_ , by Kelly Corrigan. Meh. Now I’m reading _The Crystal Palace: The Diary of Lily Hicks, London 1850-1851_, by Frances Mary Hendry. ---
**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 29, 2021, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243/100 "2021-12-29T15:09:18Z")
Finished _Artemis_ with gritted teeth. Not recommended. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2021-edition/955243.md?page=6)