# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - December 2023 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 1, 2023, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931 "2023-12-01T01:31:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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 18, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/61 "2023-12-18T15:56:11Z")
I started reading that one too. Great minds and all that. Haven’t gotten very far, but I’m curious to see how the beginning (death row inmate) fits in with the rest of the book (trouble in Libya). Or if it does at all. I’ll be curious to see your review, too. May need to go back and reread _The Firm_ after–I don’t have clear memories of it except the very basic outline. ---
**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, 2023, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/62 "2023-12-18T17:56:05Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Haven’t gotten very far Heh. As I noted, I started listening to it, as I kicked back in the recliner. I woke up when the narrator said ‘Chapter 4’. I have no idea what happened thus far, other than the view from the office is spectacular. I’ll be starting over this evening, and yes, I will be happy to share reviews with you! ---
**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 18, 2023, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/63 "2023-12-18T22:23:32Z")
I finished _The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking_, by Leigh Perry, and thought it was okay, but I’m not inclined to read more by that author. Thanks for the info, though. Now I’m reading _How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic, and Survive the Rest of History’s Deadliest Catastrophes_, by Cody Cassidy. ---
**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 19, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/64 "2023-12-19T17:11:56Z")
Started today on [Let Him In](https://www.amazon.com/Let-Him-William-Friend/dp/1728275180/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9JNXNVYZRM1E&keywords=let+him+in+william&qid=1703005776&sprefix=let+him+in%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-1), by William Friend. A novel about a man and his twin daughters, who have an imaginary (?) friend. ---
**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:** [December 19, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/65 "2023-12-19T17:14:26Z")
Finished _Infinity Gate_ which was ok, it started strong and ended so-so, with too many coincidences and unlikely events, I may or may not read the sequel. Now starting _Saevus Corax deals with the dead_ by K.J. Parker an author who rarely dissapoints (he can be too bleak sometimes though) ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/66 "2023-12-20T02:34:25Z")
Finished _Paladin’s Faith_. For some reason, the ending left me a little sad. At some point, I think I need to reread all of T Kingfisher’s books set in this world. I miss following Ursula Vernon on twitter. (Possibly she’s still there, but I am not.) I’m not sure what’s up next. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/67 "2023-12-20T12:37:46Z")
> [@BetsQ](#): > > I miss following Ursula Vernon on twitter. (Possibly she’s still there, but I am not.) She’s there but tweets strictly about business (book publishing dates, book signings, conventions, etc), the Ursula we know and love is in Bluesky now posting in her usual style. ---
**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 20, 2023, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/68 "2023-12-20T13:48:07Z")
Finished _Under the Whispering Door_ by T. J. Klune and wow that book was a rollercoaster ride of emotion. I thought the ending was a little too sappy for my taste. Also I have mixed feelings about the literal deus ex machina at the end. I also finished _Robots Have No Tails_ by Henry Kuttner. The stories were pretty dated in places and I’m puzzled that 50 SF authors didn’t predict minaturization and portability in “pocket” computers ie smartphones. But I enjoyed the stories anyway. ---
**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 20, 2023, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/69 "2023-12-20T13:58:00Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > I also finished _Robots Have No Tails_ by Henry Kuttner. The stories were pretty dated in places and I’m puzzled that 50 SF authors didn’t predict minaturization and portability in “pocket” computers ie smartphones. But I enjoyed the stories anyway. One of the things I used to find odd and dated was the prediction that movie theaters would essentially be like big communal television sets, broadcasting sporting events and plays. That rarely happened when I first read the stories in the 1970s. But now that kind of thing has become much more common, with theaters showing major sporting events, opera performances, theater, and concerts. A case of mis-predicting the future that eventually becomes a correct prediction. ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/70 "2023-12-20T14:03:36Z")
If humans survive long enough every prediction will come true, for staggering values of “long enough” ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/71 "2023-12-20T15:03:05Z")
…and will probably become false again. I attended a lecture Isaac Asimov gave in the 1970s, where he read from his _Foundation_ about Hari Seldon using a “pocket calculator” that had glowing red digits. “How about that?” he said, “I not only got the name right, but the color, too!” But within a year, those energy-gulping red digital LEDs had been replaced by low-power liquid crystal displays that were black against a gray background. We never went back to the LED displays – it just wasn’t worth it. And who has a pocket calculator anymore? The functions are built into your phone or your digital watch. If you need them at all. (The red LED display ate up so much power that digital watches would only display the time if you pushed a button on them. When low-power-consuming LCD displays became available the fact that you didn’t have to use your other hand to let you read the time became a selling point. It was even used in a TV commercial for LCD watches.) ---
**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:** [December 20, 2023, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/72 "2023-12-20T15:39:02Z")
I didn’t know that!, as a child of the 80s the only displays I saw were the black against gray ones. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/73 "2023-12-20T22:48:59Z")
I’m just impressed as hell that _Ender’s Game_ predicted Internet forums. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2023, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/74 "2023-12-21T18:42:35Z")
**Here Begins the Dark Sea: Venice, a Medieval Monk, and the Creation of the Most Accurate Map of the World** Meredith F. Small The fairly interesting history of the Fra Mauro map: > **[Fra Mauro map](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fra_Mauro_map)** > > The Fra Mauro map is a map of the world made around 1450 by the Italian (Venetian) cartographer Fra Mauro, which is “considered the greatest memorial of medieval cartography." It is a circular planisphere drawn on parchment and set in a wooden frame that measures over two by two meters. Including Asia, the Indian Ocean, Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic, it is oriented with south at the top. The map is usually on display in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana in Venice in Italy. > The Fra Mauro world... Created in the 1450s by a Venetian monk, it was the most accurate map of the world made at that time. Recommended ---
**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 22, 2023, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/75 "2023-12-22T01:30:22Z")
Finished _How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic, and Survive the Rest of History’s Deadliest Catastrophes_, by Cody Cassidy, which is quite interesting. For example, one of the people who died during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was gored to death by a longhorn steer. (5 dozen escaped when their pen collapsed.) Recommended for history buffs. Now I’m reading _The Galaxy, and the Ground Within_, by Becky Chambers. ---
**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:** [December 22, 2023, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/76 "2023-12-22T12:48:09Z")
Finished _Saevus Corax deals with the dead_ by K.J. Parker, which I liked, the characters being his usual deliciously untrustworthy selves, but without being so utterly despicable that you throw the book away in disgust, as sometimes happens with this author. In consequence I’m starting the sequel _Saevus Corax Captures the Castle_, which so far has not really grabbed me but I’m continuing on faith. If it doesn’t pan out I have _Here begins the Dark Sea: Venice, a Medieval Monk, and the Creation of the Most Accurate Map of the World_ by Meredith F. Small, which I swear I saw someone recommend here but I can’t find the post now. ---
**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 22, 2023, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/77 "2023-12-22T14:11:00Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > which I swear I saw someone recommend here but I can’t find the post now. @zimaane, two posts ago. 🙂 I finished Let Him In, the unscariest horror novel I’ve read in a while. ---
**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:** [December 22, 2023, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/78 "2023-12-22T14:12:33Z")
Hehe, I thought it was further upthread!, that’s why I couldn’t find it, sorry @zimaane ! ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/79 "2023-12-22T14:53:36Z")
No worries, I hope you enjoy the book ---
**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 22, 2023, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931/80 "2023-12-22T15:58:26Z")
I finished _Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI_ by David Grann. His writing style is a bit too florid at times for my tastes, but it’s an interesting and chilling tale. Someday I’m sure I’ll see the movie. Now returning to _The Burning World_ by Isaac Marion, a sequel to the dark comedy/zombie romance _Warm Bodies_. I’m 14% into the audiobook and not sure I’ll stick with it - just hasn’t grabbed me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2023-edition/993931.md?page=5)