# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - July 2020 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2020, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825 "2020-06-30T18:09:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [July 14, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/41 "2020-07-14T15:51:16Z")
I hated hated hated “Consider Phlebas”, should I try again with “The Player of Games”? The problem is that I read “Consider Phlebas” more than 20 years ago (😮 I think I’m old!) and I don’t remember what exactly I hated so much. I was on vacation in a remote location and it was the only SF book the local bookstore had, that and perhaps a bad translation (it was in spanish) may have influenced my opinion of it. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/42 "2020-07-14T17:15:24Z")
I was underwhelmed by _Consider Phlebas_ and liked _The Player of Games_ more, but it didn’t wow me, either. I may read more Banks after this, but I can’t say I’m champing at the bit to do so. I think Joe Haldeman, John Scalzi and George R.R. Martin are all better contemporary sf writers. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/43 "2020-07-14T21:50:05Z")
Finished _The Face in the Frost_ , by John Bellairs, which I enjoyed, especially his descriptions of Prospero’s house. Now I’m reading _Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir_, by Heather Lanier. ---
**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:** [July 15, 2020, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/44 "2020-07-15T12:50:18Z")
Currently giving a chance to _The Player of Games_, so far it has kept my interest. Concurrently reading _Edward III_ by Mark Ormond, a biography of the king who started the 100 years war, which is good but a bit too dense for me. ---
**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:** [July 15, 2020, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/45 "2020-07-15T17:40:39Z")
I finished the most recent _Rivers of London_ book _False Value_ by Ben Aaronovitch. As usual it was quite a thrill ride from beginning to end and I hope a couple of the new characters stick around going forward. Now to finish _Wraith Hunter_ by Clara Couldon, the third book in her series _City of Crows_, magic, mayhem and destruction in and around Aurora Michigan. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/46 "2020-07-16T15:19:38Z")
Finished _Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir_ , by Heather Lanier, which is excellent. Now I’m reading _Take a Hint, Dani Brown_, by Talia Hibbert. ---
**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:** [July 16, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/47 "2020-07-16T16:14:52Z")
Just got my grubby little hands on the latest Dresden Files book _Peace Talks_, so the other books are on hold until I finish with it (ETA: tomorrow afternoon) ---
**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:** [July 16, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/48 "2020-07-16T16:37:45Z")
_The Boy from the Woods_ by Harlan Coben. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2020, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/49 "2020-07-16T17:29:02Z")
Just finished the _ **Levon Cade** _ series (currently 7 books) by Chuck Dixon. Dixon is a long time DC comics author that actually created Bane. He switched to prose fiction about 6-7 years ago. The character, Levon Cade, is an ex-military (_ala Jack Reacher type_), single father, etc. Books are very fast paced and tight. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/50 "2020-07-18T03:55:41Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > …I’ve now started _Pale Kings and Princes_, a Robert B. Parker crime novel. The smartass Boston private eye Spenser tries to find out who killed a reporter digging into the cocaine trade in a depressed western Massachusetts mill town. Finished it tonight. A very satisfying mystery leading to a knotty moral dilemma, resolved with a judicious bit of gunplay by the good guys at the end. Funny, exciting and chilling by turns, and one of the better Spenser books, I’d say. Having recently seen and enjoyed the Netflix miniseries loosely based on it, I’ve now begun _Unorthodox_ by Deborah Feldman. It’s got a lot more about the author’s childhood than the show, but so far, that’s OK. ---
**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:** [July 18, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/51 "2020-07-18T16:25:53Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > got my grubby little hands on the latest Dresden Files book _Peace Talks_ , so the other books are on hold until I finish with it (ETA: tomorrow afternoon) Finished _Peace Talks_ late yesterday, it was good but seemed somehow rushed as if it couldn’t decide which story it wanted to tell and ended up mixing 2 different books in one. Now resuming the regularily scheduled _Edward III_ and _The Player of Games_ ---
**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:** [July 18, 2020, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/52 "2020-07-18T20:15:03Z")
Finished _Take a Hint, Dani Brown_ , by Talia Hibbert. Meh. Now I’m reading _Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books_, by Michael Dirda. ---
**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:** [July 20, 2020, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/53 "2020-07-20T12:59:08Z")
I finished The Chill by Scott Carson (aka Michael Koryta). I enjoyed it, it was well-written, I cared about the characters…but there was way more information about the dam building than there was about the ghosts. Maybe he’ll get it right next time. Starting today on [The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet](https://www.amazon.com/Long-Small-Angry-Planet-Wayfarers/dp/0062444131/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1595249775&sr=1-1), by Becky Chambers. Between the cover art and the blurb on the front proclaiming it “Great fun!”, I was expecting more of a Hitchhiker’s Guide type deal, which it definitely isn’t. That’s cool, though. Liking it so far. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2020, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/54 "2020-07-21T12:42:18Z")
New T. Kingfisher! [A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking](https://www.amazon.com/Wizards-Guide-Defensive-Baking-ebook/dp/B08CJ86Y1W/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9781614505242&linkCode=qs&qid=1595335108&s=books&sr=1-1&tag=x_gr_e_afavaile-20) ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/55 "2020-07-21T21:15:38Z")
I have Chambers on my birthday wishlist. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2020, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/56 "2020-07-21T23:25:28Z")
Another Chambers fan here–I read Record of a Spaceborn Few earlier this year. I think A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is slightly better, though. Finished _Browsings: A Year of Reading, Collecting, and Living with Books_ , by Michael Dirda, which I liked. Now I’m reading _A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon_, edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger. ---
**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:** [July 22, 2020, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/57 "2020-07-22T01:35:45Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > …Having recently seen and enjoyed the Netflix miniseries loosely based on it, I’ve now begun _Unorthodox_ by Deborah Feldman. It’s got a lot more about the author’s childhood than the show, but so far, that’s OK. I’m about a quarter of the way through it and it’s ok but not great. Lots more on her childhood and early teen years than I expected. I had no idea the Satmar have such sweet tooths - she goes on and on about the cakes, pastries and fudge they’re munching on. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/58 "2020-07-22T03:00:11Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Now I’m reading _A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Holmes Canon_ , edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger. And I’m reading The Sign of Four. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2020, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/59 "2020-07-22T11:54:26Z")
_From These Ashes_ by Fredric Brown - a collection of all his short science fiction and fantasy ---
**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:** [July 23, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825/60 "2020-07-23T12:56:14Z")
Finished several books since my last posting. The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson – a novella, but I’d never read it. it won several awards, and is kind of like Sherlock Holmes vs. tTitania in Outer Space. Soon I will be Invincible by Austin Grossman – a super hero comic in prose told from the POV of the supervillain and one superhero. An impressive effort, considering that Grossman (a major videogame designer, apparently) had to create his own collection of superheroes and supervillains (although he pretty clearly draws on existing superheros and their tropes, especially Superman and Batman). Re-read H. P. Lovecraft’s The Case of Charles Dexter Ward. Man, he threw a LOT of Providence RI history into that one. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary Trump. A very quick read. Not surprising. Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer. Barack Obama and Joe Biden, after their eight year run in office, are detectives. Weird and interesting. Told from the POV of Biden. There’;s a sequel, Hope Rides Again, that I probably won’t get to. Five Weeks in a Balloon and Robur the Conqueror by Jules Verne. I like to read at least one Verne novel every summer. I’d never read Five Weeks in a Balloon before (or seen the two movies based on it). I’d read Robur the Conqueror many years ago (and read the Classics Illustrated version, and seen the Vincent Price movie adaptation), but older editions of Verne aren’t to be trusted. we’re in the midst of what I think of as the Third Jules Verne Renaissance, and his books are being re-translated and annotated, often issued unabridged for the first time. Both of these books were recent translations (with new annotations) from Wesleyan University Press. well worth the reading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-july-2020-edition/913825.md?page=4)