Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - September 2026 edition

Cafe Society
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As August winds down, there is only ONE question on the mind of all North Americans: “Can we just cool down already?!” And if everything would stop burning that would be great too!!! Inerestingly, this has been the worst, and earliest starting, fire season in my area in the 140 years of record keeping. I feel like a smoked ham myself.

So anyone reading books about fires? Barbeques? Outdoor living? :smiley:

Print:
Old Man’s War by John Scalzi, I’ve finally decided I like where this is going…

Audio:
The This by Adam Roberts. My book Club chose it based on the description on Goodreads, but at 2 hours out of 10, I’ve yet to even spot a plot on the horizon, so I’m expecting a DNF in the near future.

Kindle:
Manners and Monsters by Tilly Wallace.. very VERY generic Gail Carriger and I hate, hate, hate the trope of rude, fierce, unlikeable male leader becomes nice because of heroine. Another possible DNF.

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.

Khadaji’s Whatcha Reading Thread - August 2026 edition
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Last month: That was then…

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I’m reading The Big Book of Sherlock Holmes Stories edited by Otto Penzler. The title sounds like one of those books for pre-teens, but this is meant for adults. It’s a hefty 783 pages in double columns (when’s the last time I read a contemporary book in double columns?) It’s an odd mix in quality. I hadn’t realized that KIngley Amis wrote a Sherlock Holmes story (which makes him and Anthony Horowitz the only two people I know of who have written both Sherlock Holmes and James Bond stories.)

On audio I am finishing up Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which is MUCH better than I expected. Ms. Stowe had an eye for detail and has a range of Southern characters who have lots of reasons to justify the Peculiar Institution. It’s also surprising in the placing of incidents. I had thought that Eliza Crossing the Ice was a big climactic moment that came at the end of the book. Also, we’re so familiar with the character of Simon Legree that I assumed he’d play a much bigger part in the book – but I still haven’t gotten to him as a character, although I expect to encounter him soon.

My bedside reading has switched back to a collection of Voltaire’s works. Voltaire tosses off weird little historical factoids that leave you wanting to know more, except he doesn’t give them. And, of course, he rarely cites his sources.

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Mmm…smoked ham… @DZedNConfused, I hope you and all of us cool down soon!
I’m starting on Swordheart today, so I’m happy as can be.

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I would die down there with you! I hate humidity!
YES! I hope you love it, it’s such a fun book.