# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - January 2026 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [December 29, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156 "2025-12-29T23:34:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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 29, 2025, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/1 "2025-12-29T23:34:17Z")
Another year has passed, another 100+ books read, discuseed, maybe thrown across the room… I hope everyone who celebrated a holiday in December had a happy holiday, and that the rest of you who didn’t celebrate had some time off to relax and maybe read a book or three. Did anyone get books for their gift receiving holiday of choice? My hubby bought me a hard back copy of _Swordheart_ by T. Kingfisher and I raided Barnes & Noble’s year end sale for _The Everlasting_ by Alix E. Harrow, _Cemetery Boys_ by Aiden Thomas, and _How to Solve Your Own Murder_ by Kristin Perrin. I am looking forward to reading them in the coming months. Currently I am reading: Print: _Swordheart_ by T. Kingfisher, I think I strained a few muscles laughing last night… Kindle: _The Book of Doors_ by Gareth Brown, I love it but…. Audio: _Spooky Business_ by S.E. Harmon, reread and just as hard as the first time since it involves a serial killer and his victims. _Khadaji was one of the earlier members of SDMB, and he was well-known as a kindly person who always had something encouraging to say, particularly in the self-improvement threads. He was also a voracious, omnivorous reader, who started these threads 'way back in the Stone Age of 2005. Consequently, when he suddenly and quite unexpectedly passed away in January 2013, we decided to rename this thread in his honor and to keep his memory, if not his ghost, alive._ ---
**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 29, 2025, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/2 "2025-12-29T23:36:19Z")
Last Month: [SIXTY degrees fahrenheit.. on Christmas??! When did the Rocky Mountains become Australia?!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-december-2025-edition/1025247) ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2025, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/3 "2025-12-29T23:38:10Z")
Finished Softly As I Leave You By Priscilla Presley. ---
**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 30, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/4 "2025-12-30T02:49:32Z")
And what did you think? Zipped through _The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey_ by Susan Wojciechowski, illustr. by P. J. Lynch, a heartwarming kids’ book about a gruff woodcarver in a Civil War-era small town who is won over by a widow and her little boy when they ask him to carve a Christmas creche set for them. Also just finished _All Systems Red_ by Martha Wells, the first Murderbot book, which was OK but not great, I’d say. I’ll probably go on to the next book in the series, though. Now starting _Democracy in One Book or Less_ by David Litt, a former Obama speechwriter, my book club’s next selection. ---
**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 30, 2025, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/5 "2025-12-30T19:43:11Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Also just finished _All Systems Red_ by Martha Wells, the first Murderbot book, which was OK but not great, I’d say. I’ll probably go on to the next book in the series, though. They get better… at least in my opinion, I know some people here don’t like them. I like snarky heros tho 😃 ---
**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 30, 2025, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/6 "2025-12-30T20:58:55Z")
Thanks! I tend to like 'em, too, if they’re well-written (John Scalzi has a particular knack for 'em). Hope you’ll all weigh in here: [Your Top Ten Books of 2025](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-top-ten-books-of-2025/1026177) ---
**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 30, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/7 "2025-12-30T22:22:19Z")
So far I do like Scalzi’s heros too. Oh I was thinking about that thread yesterday and waiting for it. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2026, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/8 "2026-01-01T13:03:05Z")
_Light Chaser_, a science fiction novel by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell, and _Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in the Water_, by Vicki Valosik. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/9 "2026-01-01T22:26:37Z")
I finished Childs and Preston’s _Angel of Vengeance._ Now I’;m reading **This Way Up: When Maps go Wrong** by Mark Cooper-Jones and Jay Foreman. A book about interesting map stories, written by “THe Map Men”, a couple of Brits who have apparently been running a YouTube series for almost a decade. I haven’t heard of them, but our friends, who gave me the book, are big fans. The Map Men are based in Britain, so the book is British-centric, which means that occasionally jokes and side references go awry, missing my American knowledge and sensibilities, but the book is a hoot, and a great read. I’m already almost halfway through. On audio, still doing _The Day of the Jackal_. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/10 "2026-01-01T22:56:35Z")
I finished _The Book of Doors_ by Gareth Brown. It was not what I was expecting in soooo many ways, Overall this is a feel good kinda sappy book… with some really dark and gruesome elements. Kudos to the author for writing a book involving magic and time travel that still relies on the wits and intelligence of the characters to get them out of bad situations. The characters, at least the good guys, were nicely drawn with imperfections and indecisions like real people. The two villains were a bit cartoonish in their nastinees and unkillableness but not so bad that I stopped reading. The plot is smooth and pulls you along and even when it pauses, it doesn’t do so long enough to bore the reader. I also finished my reread of _swordheart_ by T. Kingfisher, just as funny as the first time. I am bouncing now waiting for the book which due in August. ---
**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:** [January 1, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/11 "2026-01-01T23:42:59Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > _The Book of Doors_ by Gareth Brown Hold placed. I’m starting off the year with T.Kingfisher’s Snake-Eater. I have Swordheart saved in my tablet for next time we travel, but @DZedNConfused has me really wanting to get into it now! ---
**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:** [January 2, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/12 "2026-01-02T00:28:37Z")
I have _Snake-eater_ waiting on my headboard… space out my Kingfisher this year 😃 ---
**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:** [January 2, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/13 "2026-01-02T00:29:55Z")
Ursula is good to us! ---
**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:** [January 2, 2026, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/14 "2026-01-02T02:17:38Z")
Yes! Three books this year! (Well, one I think is a rerelease since I do appear to have it on my Kindle already) ---
**Author:** ![teelabrown](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/teelabrown/32/8412_2.png) [@teelabrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teelabrown)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/15 "2026-01-05T13:02:28Z")
I’m embarrassed to say that my reading has fallen considerably now that I’m getting older. I don’t seem to have the ability to concentrate for very long. Also, computer use has eaten into the time I used to spend reading. Having said that, I’m reading _Project Hail Mary_ by Andy Weir. I know this book was discussed back in the 2025 reading thread, but I just started reading it a couple of weeks ago. Although I love hard science fiction, I haven’t read much of it beyond Larry Niven. I like the humor in this book, and am doing my best to digest the big chunks of physics which he introduces. He’s pretty good at explaining things as though to a middle-schooler, which is fortunate for me! But it’s tiring to absorb so much and I’m doing my best. The storyline itself is very interesting and what keeps me chugging through the techie stuff. ---
**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:** [January 5, 2026, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/16 "2026-01-05T23:07:55Z")
Finished _Light Chaser_, a science fiction novel by Peter F. Hamilton and Gareth L. Powell, not recommended, and _Swimming Pretty: The Untold Story of Women in the Water_, by Vicki Valosik, which was interesting. Its focus is primarily on synchronized swimming. Next up: _The Cold Dish_, a mystery by Craig Johnson and _Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering_, by Malcolm Gladwell. ---
**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:** [January 5, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/17 "2026-01-05T23:50:06Z")
Just downloaded _The End of the World As We Know It_ by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. According to its publicity blurb, the book is 'An original short story anthology based on master storyteller Stephen King’s New York Times bestselling classic The Stand!" At 26 hours of listening, it’s going to be quite a journey. Looking forward to it. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2026, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/18 "2026-01-06T03:19:56Z")
Finished W. Somerset Maugham’s _Collected Short Stories: Volume 1_. Absolutely fantastic, each and every one of them. I’m going to have to try to find his other volumes. Maugham was a novelist and playwright but is considered to have really excelled in the genre of the short story. If I could go back in time and live the life of a historical personage, Maugham would be a top choice. He lived into his 90s, was a member of the English upper crust with all that entailed on the continent and the Riviera, the drawing-room intrigue, traveled all through South and Southeast Asia and the South Seas. Was a spy for the allies during World War I thanks to his fluency in German and French. The Mandarin Oriental Hotel here in Bangkok, which routinely makes it onto the top-five lists of hotels in the world, has a suite named after him, he stayed there so often. (Legend has it Maugham was turned out by the French manager in 1923 when he came down with malaria after traveling overland from Mandalay in Burma, said manager supposedly concerned Maugham might end up hurting business by dying there.) His novel _The Razor’s Edge_ is my favorite book. Reading it as a young man in my 20s in West Texas gave me the gumption to quit my dead-end graveyard shift at a convenience store, go to university and go out into the wide world. It was my sole catalyst. Have started _Act of Oblivion_, by Robert Harris. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2026, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/19 "2026-01-06T12:40:48Z")
Finished _This Way Up_, which I highly recommend. Now reading _A Glitch in the Matrix: Tales of the Unexplainable Unreal_ by Jessica Castro. (Auntie Matrix). A collection of “weird but supposedly true” stories gathered from all over by TikToker Castro/Matrix. It reminds me of the writings of Frank Edwards – ghosts, demons, aliens, cryptids – if you love that kind of thing, you’ll like this book. It was gift from some friends, who must’ve received an advance reading copy. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156/20 "2026-01-06T14:25:35Z")
I’ve read a few since my last post: [Lone Women](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60460704-lone-women), by Victor LaValle: early 20th century Montana homesteader, a 30-something Black woman who’s starting a homestead by herself. Well, sort of by herself. Creepy horror story with excellent characters and exploring a fascinating bit of history, beautifully written; recommended. [Ink Blood Sister Scribe](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62854842-ink-blood-sister-scribe), by Emma Törzs. This is for a book club, and it’s a fine bit of modern fantasy, but I’m not sure it’ll lend itself to discussion. The book club is on Thursday, so we’ll see. I finished it over Christmas and don’t remember much about it, except that I enjoyed the read. [The Black Spectacles](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7314593-the-black-spectacles), by John Dickson Carr. I’m not much of a fan of Golden Age mysteries (or Golden Age any genre), but after the latest Knives Out movie, I wanted to read something by Carr. And it was…okay? He clearly started with the gimmick and worked backward to create a story to support the gimmick. None of the characters were especially interesting, and there was no emotional heft to the mystery at all. Nothing that I love about Knives Out, except for the clever puzzle bits, was there. Gimme a story that moves me any day, but I don’t expect I’ll read more by Carr. [Slow Horses](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56534999-slow-horses), by Mick Herron. My brother-in-law gave me this for Christmas, and I really really liked it. All the MI5 agents who are outcasts from the main service are exiled to one ramshackle office in London, where they’re given miserable busywork until they resign. And that works just fine until it doesn’t. Beautiful writing, desert-dry humor, and a plot that takes a while to get going but once it ramps up it never slows down. Good stuff! [When We Were Real](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214565598-when-we-were-real), by Daryl Gregory. Two middle-aged buddies take a cross-country bus tour to see all the new Impossibles–bizarre anamolies–that have appeared ever since we received irrefutable proof that we live in a simulation. It’s a bit madcap, and not all the humor landed with me, but I barreled through the book in two days. It’s an enjoyable bit of fluff with just enough on its mind to make it not totally mindless. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-january-2026-edition/1026156.md?page=2)