# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - March 2023 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [February 28, 2023, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511 "2023-02-28T22:26:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [March 16, 2023, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/61 "2023-03-16T23:13:22Z")
Finished _Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal_, by Sarah Maslin Nir. It was excellent, one of the best books I’ve read this year. Now I’m reading _Tinker_ by Wen Spencer. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/62 "2023-03-17T11:44:40Z")
**Replay** by Ken Grimwood Highly recommended. Wow, what an excellent book and I am really glad I read it. Not the earliest version of “time looping” I’ve heard of, but the earliest I’ve read. The protagonist repeats the same 25 years(1963-1988) over and over again, dying at the same time in 1988 every time. Not only did Grimwood handle the repeat cycle really well, he wrote a great human story about what could happen to someone that repeats time over and over. The protagonist does not simply do the same things every 25 year cycle, but makes many decisions differently and we get to experience how he changes over the course of the book. I found this book gripping from the opening pages to its end. Just the right length. I found myself calculating the protagonist’s real age throughout the book and was actually kind of surprised that one issue the book never addresses is that our protganoist is clearly over 150-200 years at some point in the book. I won’t spoil how long his repeat(“replay”) cycle goes on, but I was surprised to not see super-old-age addressed as a conflict/issue in the book. Anyway, if I read this book in its earliest drafts, I would probably send it back to the author with: “No notes. Publish this now.” It’s that good. Speculation and thoughts on my part take nothing from the book, but add to it. Loved it, will remember it my entire life. If you have not read Replay, you should. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2023, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/63 "2023-03-17T11:53:38Z")
On page 259 of a 340-page book, I give up. The Ghost Tracks is amateurishly written and getting downright disgusting. I could maybe handle one or the other, but not both. @Mahaloth, so glad you enjoyed Replay! ---
**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:** [March 17, 2023, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/64 "2023-03-17T11:55:54Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > **Replay** by Ken Grimwood Looking for it in the kindle store, but there’s only the German edition. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/65 "2023-03-17T12:19:30Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Looking for it in the kindle store, but there’s only the German edition. ☹ The audio book was free of charge on Hoopla, my local library’s way of giving us extra stuff. However, your local library network should easily be able to locate a copy of the paperback and get it to you. I rarely buy books I have yet to read unless I am super confident. They might have the ebook for checkout, too. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2023, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/66 "2023-03-17T12:20:52Z")
I’ve had a kindle for almost as long as there have been kindles, but have never used it with a library. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/67 "2023-03-17T12:30:47Z")
Ebooks are just about as common as books there, I think. Michigan, where I live, has an extensive state-wide library network that can get me just about anything\* that exists, often in Ebook format…though that is not what I use usually. \*there are items I can not find, but they are often quite obscure ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/68 "2023-03-17T13:53:17Z")
My local library doesn’t have it in print or ebook version. I’ll add it to my list to search for when I go to our used book store. Sounds interesting. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2023, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/69 "2023-03-17T13:59:13Z")
You should totally buy it, but does your library do interlibrary loans? I get a lot of stuff that way. Oh, I’m the third person to say that. Never mind! 😊 ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/70 "2023-03-17T14:44:59Z")
**The Girl on the Train** Paula Hawkins A bestseller, and I think was made into a movie. A young woman, who has a lot of issues, takes a train to work every day, back when people used to do that sort of thing. She notices a young couple who live in a house overlooking the tracks and imagines their life. It turns out they have a lot of issues too. Then there’s a mysterious disappearance and the woman on the train must solve the mystery… Enjoyable read ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/71 "2023-03-17T14:52:22Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > does your library do interlibrary loans? My local public library does not, but my nearby university library does and I use that feature a couple times a year. My biggest problem is the short loan period. For a book like this, I expect it will take a couple days to read, but I read a lot of historical or more involved books that can take me some time. I’m a 24’ish books per year reader. When I retire, I expect that number to go up quite a bit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/72 "2023-03-17T15:28:19Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > You should totally buy it, but does your library do interlibrary loans? I get a lot of stuff that way. Indeed, my local library is in some ways a hub for the extensive Michigan library network. I do get items actually stocked by my local library, but I’d say 70% or more of my items are just on the hold shelf there and I pick them up when I come in. Sorry to @wguy123 that their library doesn’t do this. I didn’t realize it wasn’t super prevalent. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2023, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/73 "2023-03-17T21:22:39Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > I finished _The Man in the High Castle_ and I’m not sure what I think of it yet. It’s the first Phillip K. Dick book I’ve read and I’m not sure how fast I’ll be seeking out the rest of his works. Actually, I am sure: not very. I thought that book was incredibly boring, and have never understood all the love for it. You should at least read “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/74 "2023-03-17T21:25:12Z")
Finished _The Suicide Exhibition_, by Justin Richards, and started the sequel, _The Blood Red City_. Still reading _The Janus File_, by David Weber and Jacob Holo. Next up: _Witch World_, by Andre Norton. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/75 "2023-03-17T21:47:29Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > I thought that book was incredibly boring, and have never understood all the love for it. You should at least read “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”. I thought the story “Minority Report” was pretty good, though the Spielberg movie is probably better. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/76 "2023-03-18T21:24:41Z")
Finished _Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone_, which was disappointing. I should note that due to Real Life and Deadlines the reading stretched out over a long period of time–there were very few moments when I could read for more than a couple of chapters at a time, and this may be the kind of book that really doesn’t lend itself to dipping in and out. But I found the plot implausible, beginning with the “first” murder back when the narrator was a child, and the characters never really came to life for me. As for the gimmick of perfect reliability, it just got more gimmicky and more irritating as the book dragged along, especially because while the narrator may be literally reliable, he deliberately obfuscates in ways that are not outright lies, in a way that is “too clever by half” and ultimately unsatisfying. As I said, disappointing. Now about halfway through S.J. Rozan’s _The Art of Violence_, a private eye team in New York City hired by a mentally unbalanced artist to discover whether he is a serial killer. (He’s not sure–he drinks a lot and he’s not always sure of his memory.) Interesting so far. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2023, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/77 "2023-03-19T03:34:10Z")
**Mahaloth,** glad you loved _Replay,_ too. I’m thinking it may be time for me to re-read it! My all-time favorite part is when his true love, having initially not recognized him the next time around, comes to realize who he is, and joyously contacts him. I was also intrigued by how his attempt to prevent JFK’s assassination turns out. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/78 "2023-03-19T13:49:29Z")
Yes, I reacted out loud at the first moment you mentioned. I was legitimately emotionally attached to the characters. ---
**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:** [March 19, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/79 "2023-03-19T23:28:09Z")
Yes. The mark of a particularly good novel, I think. 😌 ---
**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:** [March 20, 2023, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511/80 "2023-03-20T11:52:26Z")
Finished _Tinker_ by Wen Spencer. Not recommended. Now I’m reading _Impossible Histories: The Soviet Republic of Alaska, the United States of Hudsonia, President Charlemagne, and Other Pivotal Moments of History That Never Happened_, by Hal Johnson. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2023-edition/980511.md?page=5)