# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - February 2026 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [January 31, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219 "2026-01-31T00:45:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [February 11, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/41 "2026-02-11T15:54:01Z")
> [@Boycott](#): > > I’m a big fan of Edward Marston’s ocean liner detective series. I’ve been meaning to get onto the railway detective stuff soon so appreciate it being brought back on my radar. Our library system has all of the Home Front Detective (London, WW I) and Domesday Book (England, 1080s) books, and a handful of Railway Detective (England, 1850s), but that’s it Thus far I like the WWI books the best. I’d like to try the ocean liner series, too, but none of those are available ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/42 "2026-02-11T17:20:09Z")
Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America - Scott Ellsworth The dramatic last year of the Civil War, from the beginning of the Virginia campaign to the Lincoln assassination. Covers a lot of ground in just 200 or so pages, so doesn’t go into much depth on any one topic. But pretty good all in all. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/43 "2026-02-11T18:16:30Z")
Started _A Sorceress Comes to Call_ by T. Kingfisher, it’s a reread for me. I finally got my bookclub to read something GOOD! 😆 ---
**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:** [February 11, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/44 "2026-02-11T18:54:34Z")
I finished _Buckeye_ by Patrick Ryan…a novel covering a couple of families in a northwestern Ohio town/small city between the beginning of WW2 (mostly) and the mid-seventies. I loved it! Extremely well-written and very real characters–Ryan has a gift for making the reader understand the characters and their motivations even when we don’t agree with the choices they’re making (and some of the choices are really pretty indefensible). I’d say it’s the best book I’ve read all year, which is true though it isn’t saying much given that we’re still in mid-February, so instead I’ll say it’s right up there with the best I’ve read in the last couple of years. Which is pretty decent praise, all things considered! ---
**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:** [February 11, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/45 "2026-02-11T19:02:33Z")
I managed to get through high school, college, and young adulthood without reading this novel, even though I like Dickens and a lot of people around me LOVED the book (well, that may have been part of the problem for me–why would I want to read something that OTHER people loved? ←- fortunately, I grew up). Then a few years back I was hired to work on developing a reading/ELA program for 9th and 10th graders. One of the literature excerpts they used was chapters 1 and 2 of _Great Expectations_. Wow, were those chapters good. I was captivated–so captivated I almost forgot to write the questions, glosses, and prompts about the text my editors were expecting. Oops. But the next chance I could I went over to the library and checked out a copy of the book. I did think it dragged a little in the middle (though I take your point that Dickens’ portrayal of Pip in the section is deliberate), but otherwise I completely second your review. Great book. Even if other people liked it too. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/46 "2026-02-11T20:34:41Z")
I read the Ancient Egypt book last year. I also found it interesting, if not compelling. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/47 "2026-02-11T21:05:07Z")
I’m over halfway through book 9/9 of the Slough House series. This one isn’t grabbing me as well as the others. Too much focus on non-slowhorse characters, who are by far more entertaining than the Park people. ---
**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:** [February 12, 2026, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/48 "2026-02-12T23:46:35Z")
Finished _The Roma: A Traveling History_, by Madeline Potter, which was interesting; and _The Case of the Marble Monster and Other Stories,_ retold by I. G. Edmonds, which was fun. The latter was a story collection, of which my favorite was “The Willow Witness”. Next up: _Eating the Sun: Small Musings on a Vast Universe_, by Ella Frances Sanders, and _A Palace Near the Wind_, by Ai Jiang. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2026, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/49 "2026-02-13T15:57:05Z")
Finished A Box Full of Darkness…meh. I’m not sure why the characters needed to be so unlikeable. The middle kind of dragged, and then suddenly the solution came relatively easy and they all lived happily ever after. I’ll still pick up future books by this author because she writes in the genre I like, but I’ll keep my expectations low. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/50 "2026-02-13T16:22:54Z")
Finished _The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt From Alexander the Great to Cleopatra_, which was good if not fantastic. Started _A Cosmology of Monsters_ by Shaun Hamill, which has definitely grabbed my attention (stayed late yesterday reading for example) even if it has (IMHO unnecesary) dream sequences that bother me in their surreality. ---
**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:** [February 13, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/51 "2026-02-13T20:42:11Z")
I finished _Penric and the Shaman_ by Lois McMaster Bujold, and goodness, I found it quite boring. The ending was nice though. But then I started the next book, _Penric’s Fox_, which is off to a promising start. I can’t really explain why I kept reading, I guess because it’s Bujold. It takes a lot to sustain my interest with fantasy. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2026, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/52 "2026-02-14T15:59:01Z")
IIRC _Penric and the Shaman_ was somewhat unique in that there was no antagonist. There generally wasn’t a lot of conflict which made for a slow story, but I guess I was in the mood for that – just seeing a slice of life in that world. I quite liked the Penric series as comfort reads. * * * I am currently _listening_ to _Sunbringer_ by Hannah Kaner. It is the second book in the _Fallen Gods_ trilogy (after _Godkiller_). They are character-driven stories and light on tropes – no reluctant kings or whining children. I feel they are very much in the spirit of Bujold’s style. ---
**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:** [February 14, 2026, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/53 "2026-02-14T17:22:58Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > I quite liked the Penric series as comfort reads. I haven’t read the other books. I wonder if the Penric books are meant to be more of a break/rest from a more complicated narrative? At any rate, _Penric’s Fox_ started with worms. I love worms, so I’m back in. ---
**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:** [February 14, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/54 "2026-02-14T19:11:53Z")
Finished _A Cosmology of Monsters_, which was good. Between yesterday and today devoured _Los días de la revolución_ (Revolutionary days) by Eduardo Sacheri, a very good pop history book about the Argentinian\* Revolution and War of Independence from Spain. Now debating whether to continue with the logical follow-up _Los días de la violencia_ (The days of violence, about the civil wars that followed independence) or look for something different. Or may be read _Ser soldado en las guerras de independencia_ by Alejandro Rabinovich (Being a soldier in the independence wars) and finally scratch and itch I’ve had since primary school: Exactly what weapons, equipment and tactics were used in those wars? Both school lessons and history books say little more than “The revolutionaries won this battle in this place but then lost that battle in that other place” and so on. No details on tactics, equipment, nothing more than some vague strategic notions. \* Which is funny because one of the main theses of the book is that there was no “Argentina” at that point in time. ---
**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:** [February 15, 2026, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/55 "2026-02-15T00:36:40Z")
Finished _Eating the Sun: Small Musings on a Vast Universe_, by Ella Frances Sanders, which was well-written and which would have interested me more if I hadn’t already been familiar with the science in the essays. Also finished _A Palace Near the Wind_, by Ai Jiang, which was okay. Next up: _Star Light_, by Hal Clement, and _We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay: Tips, Tales, Travels_, by Gary Janetti. ---
**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:** [February 15, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/56 "2026-02-15T15:53:22Z")
I finished _Dark Harvest_ by Norman Partridge and… The book suffered a lot from an author who had an idea but possibly not quite the talent to bring it to life.. and an obsessive love of metaphors. Dear God, so many metaphors, cut them out and this would have been a really good short story. And sooooooooooooooo much exposition. I really enjoyed the last hour- 20-30 pages- of the story, which is why I ultimately gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2026, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/57 "2026-02-17T14:44:00Z")
Currently reading [Lone Women](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60460704-lone-women) by Victor LaValle. It’s about a lone woman, yes, who is black and trying to survive Montana in the early 1900s. Ah, but this is a horror novel, and this lone woman has something secret in a very heavy trunk. Recommended by @Left_Hand_of_Dorkness. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/58 "2026-02-17T14:53:38Z")
Almost done with [Rose of Jericho](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211004018-rose-of-jericho), a different American history horror novel, set in the late 19th century just outside Pittsburgh, I think. It’s…okay? The story follows three women who are witches, and their move to a small town. It also follows a guy whose wife dies on the third page of unspecified illness and who, in vengeance, tracks down and murders Death. Early in the book a witch casts a spell by peeling a strip of bark off an oak tree and chewing it, tasting its mintiness. I almost put the book down there, because THAT’S NOT OAK, that’s birch or something. I don’t much care about tiny details in general, but such a specific touch about spellcasting is supposed to make me feel the witch’s attunement to nature, and getting it so wrong gives me exactly the opposite feels. I guess it’d be like if Rambo racked his machine gun before mowing down the bad guys in a hail of arrows. Otherwise, there’s some mild creepiness, but I’ve never really engaged with any of the characters. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2026, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/59 "2026-02-17T21:18:33Z")
Finished _Star Light_, by Hal Clement, which is a sequel to _Mission of Gravity_ and _Close to Critical_. I enjoyed it. Also finished _We Are Experiencing a Slight Delay: Tips, Tales, Travels_, by Gary Janetti. Meh. Next up: _Stupid TV, Be More Funny: How the Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television–and America–Forever_, by Alan Siegel, and _To the Lighthouse_, by Virginia Woolf. ---
**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:** [February 17, 2026, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219/60 "2026-02-17T22:32:38Z")
Finished _Ser soldado en las guerras de independencia_ (Being a soldier in the independence wars) by Alejandro Rabinovich which I loved (though I still need to find a book about the actual battles in those wars). Continued with _Los días de la violencia_ (The days of violence) by Eduardo Sacheri which I also liked. I tried to find more books on that vein and failed so I read, _The Everlasting_ by Alix Harrow and liked it very much. Now once again I’m casting my nets in search of something to read. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-february-2026-edition/1027219.md?page=4)