# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' - December 2013 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2013, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133 "2013-11-30T13:02:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Grrlbrarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrlbrarian/32/4048_2.png) [@Grrlbrarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrlbrarian)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/61 "2013-12-20T17:55:55Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > No, the Patrician sounds like Jeremy Irons. šŸ™‚ Another fine choice. Hmmmmā€¦ or perhaps Mr. Irons could be part of **Lords and Ladies**? Or **Carpe Jugulum**? ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2013, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/62 "2013-12-20T21:42:30Z")
Iā€™ve finished [Babel](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/m/barry-maitland/babel.htm)by Barry Maitland, which was alright. It was a good subway book, but I didnā€™t think it was anywhere near as good as his earlier books \*The Marx Sisters \*or _The Chalon Heads_. Iā€™m currently reading [The Xibalba Murders](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/h/lyn-hamilton/xibalba-murders.htm), which is the first mystery in a series of eleven written by my late friend Lyn Hamilton. I canā€™t really tell you why I havenā€™t read this one before - I went out of order with her books, and I donā€™t rightly know which ones Iā€™ve read and which ones I havenā€™t. I still have [Special Topics in Calamity Physics](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/p/marisha-pessl/special-topics-in-calamity-physics.htm) on the go, but itā€™s a bit heavy to cart aroundā€¦ This is also as good a time as any to recommend the [Anthology Thread of the most recent SDMB Short Fiction Contest](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=710686). There are seven stories produced from scratch in a 60 hour period, and the results are remarkable. The authors would really appreciate your taking the time to read, vote and comment on the stories. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/63 "2013-12-21T00:51:31Z")
**The Boxcar Children** , a childhood favorite. It was the impetus for me and some friends to make our own hideaway, and we also scrounged at the town dump. šŸ™‚ It was puzzling that these four orphaned children were on their own. The book didnā€™t explain what happened to their parents ā€“ just that they were dead. A woman in a bakery asks if they have any relatives. They say they have a grandfather theyā€™ve never met and that they donā€™t want to find him. The kids think this grandpa will be cruel. Thereā€™s no mention of what happened between their parentsā€™ deaths and the kids being on their own, on the road, and one of them almost a baby. Well, as it turns out, the version in print was rewritten in the 1940ā€™s. The original from 1924 explains that the grandpa is the kidsā€™ motherā€™s father, that he didnā€™t approve of her marriage to the kidsā€™ dad, that the dad was a drunk. When dad died ā€“ drunk ā€“ the kids just took off on their own. The version I read was a fun walk down memory lane, but the original version ā€“ which Iā€™ve never read ā€“ would have been awesome. Itā€™s a collectorā€™s item. If you find it, snap it up. I found one on sale for $1100. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2013, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/64 "2013-12-25T01:23:31Z")
Finished _A Storm of Swords, Part 1: Steel and Snow_, by George RR Martin, volume 1 of the third book in his series A Song of Ice and Fire. Very good. Next up: _A Storm of Swords: Part 2: Blood and Gold_, which is, of course, volume 2 of the third book. In the set I have, the two parts are in separate volumes, as this is the longest book of the series 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:** [December 25, 2013, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/65 "2013-12-25T05:28:52Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > I reread _['Salemā€™s Lot]_ over the summer, for the first time in years, and was impressed with how well it held up. I found myself wishing the doctor survived, because he would be a great character for his own book. ā€¦ Yes, absolutely! The wry old teacher who has a heart attack was also a good character. He became an interestingly Van Helsing-esque advisor to the good guys by the time he died, too. ---
**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:** [December 25, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/66 "2013-12-25T19:04:12Z")
Just after New Yearā€™s, BTW, Iā€™ll start a ā€œTop Ten books you read last yearā€ thread, as I did last year. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/67 "2013-12-25T22:24:59Z")
Well, finished up _ **Shriek: An Afterword** _ earlier this week. Not bad, though it didnā€™t make the impression on me that (the part of) _ **The City of Saints and Madmen** _ (that I managed to finish) did, but it was an enjoyable read (and hey, I finished it). More of a traditional novel, even with Duncan Shriekā€™s running commentary on his sisterā€™s manuscript interspersed. I continue to enjoy the atmosphere of the city of Ambergris, though I certainly wouldnā€™t want to visit. On to my first re-read of _ **The Hitchhikerā€™s Guide to the Galaxy** _ in years and years, for a book club Iā€™ve managed to sneak into. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/68 "2013-12-26T14:31:35Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Just after New Yearā€™s, BTW, Iā€™ll start a ā€œTop Ten books you read last yearā€ thread, as I did last year. Cool, I look forward to it. Because of a recent trip, I had to set aside my preference for dead-tree books and use a Kindle. The up side was that I was able to get at some of Stephen Kingā€™s stuff that I hadnā€™t had access to previously, not to mention taking along a lot more material than I could have carried on a plane. I read: Joe R. Lansdaleā€™s short story [Bullets and Fire](http://www.amazon.com/Bullets-Fire-Joe-R-Lansdale-ebook/dp/B006BF2UAG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388065413&sr=1-1&keywords=bullets+and+fire) Joe Hillā€™s short story [Twittering From the Circus of the Dead](http://www.amazon.com/Twittering-Circus-Dead-Joe-Hill-ebook/dp/B00C9AO91U/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388065714&sr=1-1&keywords=twittering+from+the+circus+of+the+dead) Several King shorts: [Guns](http://www.amazon.com/Guns-Kindle-Single-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B00B53IW9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388066173&sr=1-1&keywords=guns+by+stephen+king), [UR](http://www.amazon.com/UR-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B001RF3U9K/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388066469&sr=1-1&keywords=ur+by+stephen+king), [In the Tall Grass](http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Grass-Kindle-Single-ebook/dp/B009T6JVNS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388066524&sr=1-1&keywords=in+the+tall+grass+by+stephen+king) (with Joe Hill), [Mile 81](http://www.amazon.com/Mile-Kindle-Single-Stephen-King-ebook/dp/B005COO1X6/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388066623&sr=1-1&keywords=mile+81+by+stephen+king) A Patrick Ness short story (prequel to the Chaos Walking series), [The New World](http://www.amazon.com/New-World-FREE-short-story-ebook/dp/B0044KM2L2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388066734&sr=1-1&keywords=the+new+world+ness) An anthology of short stories, [Bad Seeds: Evil Progeny](http://www.amazon.com/Bad-Seeds-Progeny-Holly-Black-ebook/dp/B00DUW6W2A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388066823&sr=1-1&keywords=bad+seeds+evil+progeny) _Jane Eyre_, an old favorite And [The Hollow City](http://www.amazon.com/Hollow-City-Dan-Wells-ebook/dp/B007NJOXKY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1388067007&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hollow+city) by Dan Wells I enjoyed every last bit of it, but have to say the standout was _The Hollow City_. Iā€™ve read Wells previously, but now I think Iā€™ll search out the rest of his stuff. Iā€™m currently reading [The Accidental Time Machine](http://www.amazon.com/Accidental-Time-Machine-Joe-Haldeman/dp/0441014992/ref=tmm_hrd_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=), which was recommended here last month by **yanceylebeef** and itā€™s pretty damn good too. Iā€™m going to look at some more Joe Haldeman as well. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/69 "2013-12-26T15:20:34Z")
I think Iā€™d mentioned _The Accidental Time Machine_, too. Haldemanā€™s one of my favorite sf authors. _The Forever War_ is excellent (but avoid the sequels). I would also particularly recommend _Mindbridge, Tool of the Trade, All My Sins Remembered, The Hemingway Hoax_ and _Worlds_ (also avoid its sequels). His most recent books, incl. _Old Twentieth_ and _Camouflage_, are pretty good but not great, Iā€™d say. His short story collections \*Dealing in Futures, Infinite Dreams \*and _A Separate War and Other Stories_ are a little uneven, but far, far more good than bad. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/70 "2013-12-26T15:37:55Z")
Anyone read Gene Wolfeā€™s latest, _**[The Land Across](http://www.amazon.com/The-Land-Across-Gene-Wolfe/dp/0765335956)**_? A recent review on NPR reminded me of it, and Iā€™m pondering it for a next read when Iā€™m done w/ the _ **Guide** _. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/71 "2013-12-26T16:09:53Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I think Iā€™d mentioned _The Accidental Time Machine_, too. > > Haldemanā€™s one of my favorite sf authors. _The Forever War_ is excellent (but avoid the sequels). I would also particularly recommend _Mindbridge, Tool of the Trade, All My Sins Remembered, The Hemingway Hoax_ and _Worlds_ (also avoid its sequels). His most recent books, incl. _Old Twentieth_ and _Camouflage_, are pretty good but not great, Iā€™d say. His short story collections \*Dealing in Futures, Infinite Dreams \*and _A Separate War and Other Stories_ are a little uneven, but far, far more good than bad. You did, but **yancey** ā€™s post finally pushed me. šŸ˜‰ Thanks for the recommendations! I was wondering where to start. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2013, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/72 "2013-12-26T17:37:12Z")
Glad to help! Are you in the mood for kickass military sf, espionage (Cold War or future), exploration, con artistry or a coming-of-age story? ---
**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:** [December 26, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/73 "2013-12-26T20:40:00Z")
Hmmā€¦the con artistry or coming-of-age sounds most like me. I havenā€™t read a great deal of sci-fi, and tend to worry that itā€™ll be too heavy on the science, light on the fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/74 "2013-12-26T22:18:11Z")
Oldest Sister gave me a copy of [I Could Pee on This and Other Poems by Cats](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14553840-i-could-pee-on-this) by Francesco Marciuliano for Christmas. She had no idea I love [Medium Large](http://www.medium-large.com/) and started reading _Sally Forth_ again when I found out Marciuliano was the writer for the strip. The book is hilarious, but only if youā€™ve owned a cat before. ---
**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:** [December 26, 2013, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/75 "2013-12-26T22:44:07Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Hmmā€¦the con artistry or coming-of-age sounds most like me. I havenā€™t read a great deal of sci-fi, and tend to worry that itā€™ll be too heavy on the science, light on the fiction. _The Hemingway Hoax_ is about a con artist and a Hemingway scholar who team up to craft fake ā€œlong-lostā€ Hemingway stories and make millions. Things donā€™t turn out quite the way they expect. _Worlds_ is about a teenage girl from one of Earthā€™s not-so-distant-future orbital colonies and her experiences down here. Both very different books; both very good. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/76 "2013-12-26T23:00:17Z")
I forced myself to finish We Are Water (not his best work) and am on to \*\*The Almost Moon \*\*by Alice Sebold. A relief to get back into some better writing. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/77 "2013-12-26T23:31:21Z")
Just started reading ā€œHow Music Worksā€ by David Byrne. Got it for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/78 "2013-12-27T17:04:21Z")
Currently reading _Salvage_ by **Eric Brown**. Itā€™s linked short stories about a small-time salvage operator and his spaceship crew of an engineer and a new beautiful pilot who turns out to be a very advanced AI. Good fun, with lots of strange aliens, planets, predicaments, etc., but not his best. Also dipping into a **Haus Publishing** _Tenth Anniversary Sampler - 2003 - 2013_. Itā€™s a little promo book they sent me with (usually) first chapters from a couple of dozen of their books. [All sorts of stuff](http://www.hauspublishing.com/books/16), from European history to performing Shakespeare in Kabul and travelogues, modern novels and more! Interesting stuff, and I might actually pick up sa couple of the more interesting sounding booksā€¦ ---
**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:** [December 27, 2013, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/79 "2013-12-27T18:17:46Z")
Finished _The Annotated Huckleberry Finn_, at long last. I think Iā€™ve been reading it, on and off, for six years. By contrast, Iā€™m halfway through _the Autobiography of Mark Twain, Vol. II_, footnotes and all. Iā€™m not sure whatā€™s up next, but Iā€™m expecting a gift later today that will probably be a book. If not, Arisia is coming up in a couple of weeks. ---
**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:** [December 27, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133/80 "2013-12-27T18:21:12Z")
Remembered another book I read recently, [The Humans](http://www.amazon.com/Humans-Novel-Matt-Haig/dp/1476727910/ref=la_B001IO8C1Q_1_1/191-1705338-3748528?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388167875&sr=1-1), by Matt Haig. Itā€™s about an alien who comes to Earth disguised as a human, in order to kill any people who are aware of a recent mathematical breakthrough which will lead to technological advances our species is not ready for. Unfortunately, the alien is unprepared for how loveable we are. :rolleyes: This got glowing reviews, so I guess it was just me expecting a different kind of book. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-december-2013/675133.md?page=5)