# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - May 2026 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [April 30, 2026, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657 "2026-04-30T02:12:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [May 12, 2026, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/21 "2026-05-12T20:03:31Z")
Finished _Sour Cherry_, by Natalia Thodoridou, abd _Daydreaming in the Solar System: Surfing Saturn’s Ring’s, Golfing on the Moon, and Other Adventures in Space Exploration_, by John E. Moores and Jesse Rogerson. Both were interesting, although in very different ways. (A new take on “Bluebeard” and enjoyable descriptions of worlds in our solar system.) Next up: _This Is Improbably Too: Synchronized Cows, Speedy Brain Extractors, and More WTF Research_, by Marc Abrahams; and _Automatic Noodle_, by Annalee Newitz, a science fiction novel. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2026, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/22 "2026-05-15T00:03:42Z")
Finished _This Is Improbable Too: Synchronized Cows, Speedy Brain Extractors, and More WTF Research_, by Marc Abrahams; and _Automatic Noodle_, by Annalee Newitz. Both of them were okay. Next up: _Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America_, by Trent Preszler, and _Emma Tupper’s Diary_, by Peter Dickinson. ---
**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:** [May 15, 2026, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/23 "2026-05-15T23:48:01Z")
I finished _Summer in Orcus_ by T. Kingfisher, kind of a mashup of Oz and Narnia, but with a more satisfactory ending. ---
**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:** [May 17, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/24 "2026-05-17T20:31:48Z")
Finished _Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America_, by Trent Preszler, which is the best nonfiction book I’ve read so far this year. Also finished _Emma Tupper’s Diary_, by Peter Dickinson. It’s a kid’s book, and I enjoyed it. However, since it’s about kids exploring a Scottish loch in a mini submarine, _Submarine Summer_ would’ve been a much more exciting title. (That hypothetical title seems to have been available.) Next up: _The Strange Bird_ by Jeff Vandermeer, and _Trope-ing the Light Fantastic: The Science Behind the Fiction_, by Edward M. Lerner. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/25 "2026-05-18T04:03:50Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Just started the novel _Pearce Oysters_ by Joselyn Takacs, about a fishing family in coastal Louisiana at the time of the 2010 _Deepwater Horizon_ spill. It’s meh so far. Never got any better. Didn’t pass my 50-page rule, and I gave up on it. Just zipped through a YA graphic novel of _Moby Dick_ by that Melville guy, adapted by David Rodriguez and illustrated by Ignacio Segesso. Not all that great, and just 80 pages long. As you might expect, a _lot_ gets left out. Now almost halfway through John Grisham’s _The Whistler_, which was very slow in getting started but is now, after a somewhat unexpected murder, moving along at a good clip. Two State of Florida investigators are drawn into a case involving a Native American casino, organized crime and an allegedly crooked local judge. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/26 "2026-05-18T11:07:59Z")
Finished _Stan and Ollie_ by Simon Louvish. Long, but very well researched and well-written. Unfortunately, I’m not really the target audience – I’m not a big Laurel and Hardy fan. Before I begin _Four-Sided Triangle_, I’m reading another Nero Wolfe novel I haven’t yet read – _Where there’s a Will_. On audio, I finished _Quantum Tempest_ and havent really picked a next book. I’m glancing over my MP# audiobook collection. My bedside reading on my e-reader is still _The Penguin Book of Mermaids_, which is surprisingly good, with most of the entries either taken from old, unfamiliar works or from very recent translations. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/27 "2026-05-18T11:38:38Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > a case involving a Native American casino, organized crime and an allegedly crooked local judge. So just another Tuesday in Florida? ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/28 "2026-05-18T12:34:26Z")
Finished it, I thought it rather mediocre, if somewhat well written. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/29 "2026-05-18T18:23:45Z")
Oh dear, I just finished Nonesuch too, but I loved it! One of the things I liked most about it was that it was so immersive. It swallowed up my tedious, anxious everyday thoughts into the story whenever I was reading it. The descriptions were extensive at times, but drew me in. The setting, of a city going on with daily life as the shadow of fascism fell over it, felt real enough to connect to things that worry me in reality, but far enough removed to allow enjoyment. I sure hope someone out there is consorting with the supernatural on our behalf. The ending was crushing, but as it’s to be continued, I really want to know what happens 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:** [May 18, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/30 "2026-05-18T19:36:26Z")
I don’t know, I agree with most of what you said but still wasn’t very satisfied with the book, may be I was just not in the mood for that kind of book. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/31 "2026-05-18T20:08:51Z")
Yeah, I know what you mean. Thanks anyway for picking it up, because I probably got it after seeing you had it. 🙂 Tomorrow, I’m starting on Platform Decay, latest in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. ---
**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:** [May 18, 2026, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/32 "2026-05-18T20:13:41Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I probably got it after seeing you had it. 🙂 Hehe, I do the same thing, if I see you are reading something 😃 ---
**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:** [May 19, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/33 "2026-05-19T02:21:53Z")
Finished _Playing for Pizza_, by John Grisham. A washed-up pro American football player reluctantly signs a deal with literally the last team in the world that will take him – the Parma Panthers in northern Italy. Shenanigans ensue. Not your usual Grisham read, not a legal thriller at all, not even close, but a very cute fish-out-of-water story. I’m somewhat surprised no one has turned it into a movie yet. I really enjoyed this book, and I hate football. It’s good for when you’re not in the mood for anything too heavy. I was surprised to learn the Parma Panthers are real, as is the Italian Football League they compete in. Apparently, Grisham stumbled across them while researching a different book. I finished it while we were condo-searching upcountry last week. We were successful. Found a place we liked and signed a lease on a two-bedroom unit in the seaside resort of Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand coast of the Malay Peninsula, less than three hours south of Bangkok. Will move in on July 1. Have started another Grisham, _Camino Ghosts_, the third book in his Camino Island series. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2026, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/34 "2026-05-19T02:49:16Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Tomorrow, I’m starting on Platform Decay, latest in the Murderbot series by Martha Wells. I’ll start it soon as well. I’m looking forward to it. I, too, wait to hear what you feel about certain books. ---
**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:** [May 19, 2026, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/35 "2026-05-19T13:05:16Z")
With great power comes great responsibility. 😑 😁 And same to you! ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/36 "2026-05-20T02:16:44Z")
Yesterday I read _Strangers on a Train_, the second book in the newest Nancy Drew series by “Carolyn Keene”. (I wonder who’s writing this lot – Garis, Benson and McFarlane are all dead, and I’m sure most of the other old ghosts are, too.) I decided I might as well give Honor Harrington a try, so I got _Honor of the Queen_, the second book of that series, too, and finished reading it this afternoon. Second book in each series because the first books had been checked out; I put those on hold and was actually able to pick them both up this afternoon. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/37 "2026-05-20T04:03:50Z")
I liked _Playing for Pizza_ (including its initial Cleveland setting), but you’re right, it’s definitely not your typical Grisham book. I read somewhere that he enjoyed an Italian vacation so much that he decided to incorporate some of his experiences into his next 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:** [May 20, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/38 "2026-05-20T04:08:11Z")
The British newspaper _The Guardian_ has released its list of: [The 100 best novels of all time | Fiction | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/may/12/the-100-best-novels-of-all-time?utm_term=6a0815f76d9a967ceae5750427b056f3&utm_campaign=SaturdayEdition&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=saturdayedition_email) I’ve read nine on the list: _The Left Hand of Darkness_ _The Turn of the Screw_ _A Farewell to Arms_ _Rebecca_ _Dracula_ _Heart of Darkness_ _Nineteen Eighty-Four_ _The Great Gatsby_ _Pride and Prejudice_ I’d say _Left Hand, Farewell to Arms, Rebecca_ and _Gatsby_ would be my favorites of those. I also have a lot of personal favorites that aren’t likely to ever show up on lists like this. I also started two on the list: _My Antonia_ _The Leopard_ I didn’t finish them, though. Just didn’t grab me, although I gave them my customary 50 pages. And you? ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/39 "2026-05-20T08:35:02Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And you? 14: _Catch-22_ _A Farewell to Arms_ _Rebecca_ _Dracula_ _Invisible Man_ _The Handmaid’s Tale_ _Great Expectations_ _David Copperfield_ _Frankenstein_ _Wuthering Heights_ _Nineteen Eighty-Four_ _Moby-Dick_ _The Great Gatsby_ _Jane Eyre_ _Catch-22_ is one of my all-time favorite novels. _Dracula_ and _The Handmaid’s Tale_ would also appear on my personal Favorite Novels list. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2026, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657/40 "2026-05-20T09:37:01Z")
Finished _The Perfect Marriage_ by Jeneva Rose. A good murder mystery. The protagonist is a highly successful criminal defense attorney who puts much more effort into her career than into her marriage. But when her husband is accused of murdering his mistress, she must use all her skills to prove he wasn’t the culprit. I thought I had it figured out, until a very surprising plot twist at the end of the book. Next up: _The Perfect Divorce_ by the same author. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-may-2026-edition/1029657.md?page=3)