# Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - October 2026 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** comic-books-manga, books-writing-myths\ **Created:** [October 1, 2026, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495 "2026-10-01T01:10:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [October 29, 2026, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/61 "2026-10-29T01:22:50Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > That pushed me to try other classics and I am hear to report that **Bleak House** is a cracker - a savage indictment of a callous society, a satire on absurd legalisms, an insightful character study, a tragedy (bordering on melodrama), a state of the nation novel and an all round towering work of accessible genius. I analyzed this book’s structure for an editing course. It’s also a crime story! Really good stuff. > [@Stanislaus](#): > > Then, although very familiar with the story through TV adaptations, I tried **Pride and Prejudice** and - lads, ur not gonna believe this - it is also a slice of brilliance. I’m a huge fan of romance… At least in theory. Usually, though, I insist on action mixed in. For all my love of the genre (I write it myself), I can count on one hand the number of romance novels I’ve read that were truly excellent. The only one I’d rank above _Pride and Prejudice_ is _Jane Eyre_, but that’s just personal preference. There’s not a single bullet fired or bodice ripped in _Pride and Prejudice_ and it’s so good I don’t care. They have sex with their words. (Although _Jane Eyre_ at least had the decency to burn some shit down.) Austen set the standard for the romance novel and every book that came after has tried to reach that standard, and frankly, none have. A romance novel, structurally, is the story of how two people need to change in order to be together. It’s right there in the title - he has to get over his Pride and she’s gotta get past her Prejudice. That novel is the reason that’s the structure. Women for centuries have been pointing to _Pride and Prejudice_ and saying, “That. I want more of that” - even if they don’t know where it all started. _Jane Eyre_ messed with that structure quite a bit. It’s arguably about how unchanging Jane changes Rochester. Flat character arcs are a thing, but unusual in romance. But ohhhh the banter. The dark. The Gothic! Much more unevenly written, but so much more my speed. ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/62 "2026-10-29T09:12:34Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > It’s right there in the title - he has to get over his Pride and she’s gotta get past her Prejudice. Ooh, interesting. I would say that they both suffer from both vices. Elizabeth has pride in herself, and her judgement - which is why she takes the _incredibly risky_ move of turning down Mr Collins, unlike the less proud but perhaps wiser Charlotte Lucas, and the even riskier one of turning down Darcy first time round; but also why she is so easily blinded by Wickham’s charm and why it takes a complete crisis to revise her initial judgement. She doesn’t tell her family about Wickham, ostensibly because she sees no need but I think because she is too proud to admit how foolish she was. And a big part of her prejudice against Darcy comes from her wounded pride at his initial disparaging treament of her and her family. Darcy’s pride comes from prejudice and the two are much more closely mingled - he was raised to consider anyone not of his station to be not just socially inferior, but inferior in taste, discernment, sense etc. It’s notable that he can get over this - Bingley is the son of a tradesman after all, and Darcy doesn’t take that long to fall for Elizabeth - but his initial coldness towards the residents of Meryton is prompted by his conviction that none of these people can possibly be worth knowing. Jane Eyre I will add to my list of belated classical must-reads! ---
**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:** [October 29, 2026, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/63 "2026-10-29T15:51:15Z")
Finished _Ready-made Family_, by Frances Salomon Murphy, which was okay; and _Horrorstor_, by Grady Hendrix, which was very good, but the scary stuff didn’t start until almost halfway through the book. Next up: _Why Are Orangutans Orange? Science Questions in Pictures–With Fascinating Answers_, edited by Mick O’Hare; and _Genesis_, by Poul Anderson. ---
**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:** [October 29, 2026, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/64 "2026-10-29T17:13:44Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > Elizabeth has pride in herself, and her judgement - which is why she takes the _incredibly risky_ move of turning down Mr Collins, unlike the less proud but perhaps wiser Charlotte Lucas, and the even riskier one of turning down Darcy first time round; I think this can’t be understated. Because a lot of people think of this story as quaint and low-stakes, but at that time, for a woman in that financial situation, she was taking the risk of dying in poverty. She was saying, I’d rather live destitute than marry someone I don’t love. That’s an incredibly subversive idea. For a novel in that time period to focus solely on a woman’s emotional fulfillment and one who won’t compromise until she gets it is really quite a statement. I won’t spoil _Jane Eyre_ but it may interest you to know it’s widely regarded as the first novel with a female protagonist written in deep first person POV. There’s something really unique about its voice. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/65 "2026-10-29T21:04:32Z")
I generally like David Baldacci, but for some reason I never started the 6-book “King & Maxwell” series until recently – and then I read books 1-5 consecutively, finishing the latter ([_The Sixth Man_](https://www.amazon.com/Sixth-Man-King-Maxwell/dp/1455510327/)) just this past weekend. I’m currently taking a break from Baldacci to read the new Inspector Gamache novel from Louise Penney (#21, _[Miss Wolcott’s Ghost](https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Wolcotts-Ghost-Inspector-Gamache/dp/1250412609/)_). Both of the main King & Maxwell characters started to annoy me in book 4, but I’m committed now and have already purchased book 6 (_[King & Maxwell](https://www.amazon.com/King-Maxwell-David-Baldacci/dp/1455521248/)_) to read at some point. 🙂 I’ll likely finish with Gamache shortly before the November 10 release of _[All In](https://www.amazon.com/All-6-20-Man-4/dp/1538758067/)_, which is book 4 in the “6:20 Man” series from…wait for it…David Baldacci. 😁 I’ve been looking forward to it. And it could act as a natural segue to _King & Maxwell_, unless I go for this one: > [@zimaane](#): > > **The Amateur** Chris Bohjalian > > Legal drama. A young woman (who has issues) is practicing golf at a country club when one of her shots goes through a tear in the safety netting and kills a young club employee, setting off a personal and legal drama. > > Pretty good, all in all. Sounds interesting enough that I looked it up: you neglected to mention that it’s set in 1978. 🙂 Did you find that to be distracting at all? ---
**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:** [October 29, 2026, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/66 "2026-10-29T21:42:29Z")
I’m in the middle of _The Plot_ still, which is excellent. Then I got distracted by _Bad Blood_ which is the book about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal. Carreyrou interviewed 60 people who worked there. It’s impressive in its scope, but honestly, the writing itself is not that good. Still the story keeps me turning pages. It’s almost comical how incompetent Holmes is in this book. I barely knew who Holmes was until I saw _You Can See Everything_ which has opened the floodgates to trying to understand this scandal. (Insert obligatory plug for one of the best films I’ve ever seen.) I’m also reading Dana K White’s book _Procrastinators Get Stuff Done._ I like her decluttering podcast and this new one she just released is great. I’m finding it genuinely helpful already. She really seems to understand what it’s like to live in my chaotic head. ---
**Author:** ![zimaane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a3d4f5/32.png) [@zimaane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zimaane)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/67 "2026-10-29T22:38:59Z")
The novel is framed as the first person memoir by the female protagonist looking back, so it makes sense that the story takes place in the 1970s. ---
**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:** [October 30, 2026, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/68 "2026-10-30T19:16:52Z")
Finished _The Girl in 6E_ by A.R. Torre. A decent psychological thriller told in first person by the protagonist, a young woman who makes great money as a cyber sex worker. But she also is a killer who harbors strong homicidal urges, so she has stayed in her apartment for three years. However, when an online client confides in her that he is going to kidnap and kill a young girl, and she sees it on the news, she is finally compelled to leave her safe haven in an attempt to save the girl’s life. Recommended. Next up, based on recommendations from fellow Dopers: _The Sequel_ by Jean Hanff Korelitz. ---
**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:** [October 30, 2026, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/69 "2026-10-30T20:29:18Z")
I finished _Bad Blood._ Here’s the weird thing about this book. It starts in third person omniscient and the prose is quite lackluster. Then around the midway point the POV switched to first person and it became well written and I thought, “Finally, a good writer” and then I realized it was the same writer who wrote both sections, John Carreyrou. The part he wrote in the third person feels like it was written by a different person. The part in the first person reads like actual journalism. I was left scratching my head on that one. Anyhow, very interesting read. Theranos was a complete shit show from day one, they were essentially running a laboratory sweat shop, terrorizing their employees, and we’re still left with some inspiration because the two young people who came forward despite overwhelming pressure, ruthless legal threats and even constant surveillance(!), well, they probably did save lives. The ones with the most to lose were the ones who stood up for their values. We need more people with that kind of integrity. Good read. ---
**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:** [October 31, 2026, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/70 "2026-10-31T02:02:24Z")
Next month: [We are suddenly knee deep in leaves! It’s like the trees sneezed!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-november-2026-edition/1034276) ---
**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:** [October 31, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/71 "2026-10-31T23:25:06Z")
Finished _Why Are Orangutans Orange? Science Questions in Pictures–With Fascinating Answers_, edited by Mick O’Hare, which was interesting. Also finished _Genesis_, by Poul Anderson. Meh. Next up: _A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm and Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics_, by Juanita Tolliver; and _Full Speed to a Crash Landing_, a science fiction novel by Beth Revis. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2026, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495/72 "2026-11-01T02:06:29Z")
Taking a break from _Titan_, Ron Chernow’s huge 1998 bio of John D. Rockefeller Sr. I’m about a third of the way through it and am learning a lot about the Standard Oil tycoon. Quite interesting. I had no idea he was a zealous Baptist and thought he made so much money because he was doing the Lord’s work. Also, his monopolizing business policies were intended, at least in part, to even out some of the wild, ruinous price swings in the oil biz back then. At the moment I’m listening to David Sedaris’s newest book, _The Land and Its People_, a collection of his public readings. Some very good, very funny essays in it. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > …I got distracted by _Bad Blood_ which is the book about Elizabeth Holmes and the Theranos scandal. Carreyrou interviewed 60 people who worked there. It’s impressive in its scope, but honestly, the writing itself is not that good. Still the story keeps me turning pages… Glad it got better for you; I enjoyed it all the way through. I know you already posted in it, **S\_W** , but this thread may be of interest to others, as well: [The trial of Elizabeth Holmes (Theranos)[sentenced to 11+ yrs, 18Nov2022]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trial-of-elizabeth-holmes-theranos-sentenced-to-11-yrs-18nov2022/946138) > [@Railer13](#): > > Finished _The Girl in 6E_ by A.R. Torre. A decent psychological thriller told in first person by the protagonist, a young woman who makes great money as a cyber sex worker. But she also is a killer who harbors strong homicidal urges… Thanks - that sounds cool! I’ve added it to my audiobooks queue. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadaji-s-whatcha-reading-thread-october-2026-edition/1033495.md?page=3)