# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' - October 2013 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2013, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990 "2013-09-30T11:22:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [October 5, 2013, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/21 "2013-10-05T21:53:50Z")
Finished **the Stars are Too High** and **Letters from England** , and I’m pretty well into **in the Cube**. On audiobooks I’ve been reading a series of Clive Cussler novels, since they’re available at the library and wildly improbable. **The Silent Sea, Medusa, Devil’s Tower, The Jungle**. I’m now listening to **Poseidon’s Arrow**. I’m also trying to, at long last, finish up **The Annotated Huckleberry Finn** , which is slow going because of all the footnotes. One reason is that I see that the second volume of **Mark Twain’s Autobiogaphy** is finally available. I think I’ll ask for it for my birthday or Christmas. Besides, I’ve got a stack of other books I want to get to, including **The Annotated Peter Pan** and the first two volumes of **Isaac Asimov’s Autobiography** , which I got at a book sale. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/22 "2013-10-05T22:43:35Z")
Finished **The Wordy Shipmates** by Sarah Vowell. Was fun, half history of the first years of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, half Vowell’s musings on the connection between the philosophy of the first Puritan colonists and modern America. And **Fall of Hyperion** by Dan Simmons. It was alright, but I liked the first book a lot more. Don’t think I’ll bother with the next two instalments unless someone in this thread tells me they’re awesome and shouldn’t be missed. ---
**Author:** ![Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e47c2d/32.png) [@Hershele\_Ostropoler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hershele_Ostropoler)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/23 "2013-10-06T03:20:24Z")
Got a Kindle for my birthday, from my parnets. My girlfriend offered to get me a book for it as part of my present, so I went over my wishlist and picked out the heaviest. Longstoryshort, I’m reading _Anathem_. On the hard-copy side, I’ve finally gotten around to _All the King’s Men_. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/24 "2013-10-06T04:36:49Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > I just finished _Night Film_ by Marisha Pessl. Her debut novel, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, got a lot of hype a few years ago, and I enjoyed it. I liked this one well enough … although it’s pretty much a straightforward thriller (albeit an extremely well-written one) so it’s not exactly my thing to begin with. An investigative reporter starts looking into the death of a young woman whose father is a famous mysterious director of horror films, and uncovers what seems to be a very complicated conspiracy. I had to force myself to finish that one. I agree that it was well written, but I didn’t buy the premise. Presumably smart reporter gets an anonymous phone call saying that the cult filmmaker is a predator, then goes on TV and says the filmmaker needs to die. His career hits the skids and he becomes obsessed with said filmmaker. Then what, five years later, the reporter hasn’t found steady work but he still has a place to live in NYC and money to throw around chasing down Cordova’s associates? The part I liked best was the hallucinatory bit toward the end. That was nicely creepy, and the only tension in the book, IMHO anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/25 "2013-10-06T22:00:22Z")
Thru library hold serendipity, I ended up reading _**[The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16065595-the-impossible-lives-of-greta-wells)**_ by Andrew Sean Greer and _**[Life after Life](The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells)**_ by Kate Atkinson at the same time - they both deal with some form of time travel by women protagonists. Both novels must have required quite a bit of plotting and diagramming ahead of time to make things turn out just right and it’s been interesting to compare and contrast the two novels. In _The Impossible Lives_ the main character goes thru electro-convulsive therapy in 1985 and finds herself living alternate versions of her life in 1918 and 1941 - swapping between the three on a semi-regular schedule. She slowly discovers the common elements of her existence going in different directions in each timeline; of course, she (all 3 of her) can’t help but meddle a bit, and must ultimately decide which version of herself she wants to be. I found the parallels of Influenza (1918) War (1918 & 1941) & AIDS (1985) and their influences on NYC society to be an intriguing theme carried through each storyline. I also really enjoyed the character development and the little details\* of each timeframe setting. While the ending felt a little pat, it was satisfying and I would consider re-reading this novel at some point, tho I don’t feel the need to purchase my own copy. _Life After Life_ has Ursula Todd re-living her life over and over, starting with her first death caused by her umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck. She makes it a little further each time, eventually developing a sense of deja vu. The prologue gives her a very specific goal; and I’m quite curious to see how it pans out, especially considering a minor character referenced in at least one of the timelines. I’m listening to the audiobook version of this, and it does add a dimension to hear the upper & lower class accents of the characters. The repetition of returning to Ursula’s birth after each death is borderline annoying; tho Atkinson does find different facets to focus on each time. The first few go-rounds touch on the same pivot points in Ursula’s life; showing how different choices prevent her death (tho the 'flu takes multiple tries). The characters are very well-drawn, and I’m quite drawn into the story. * * * - Speaking of details, the Disney lover in me wants to think that the young man dressed as a Genie and named Howard at the Halloween party was a tribute to [Howard Ashman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Ashman) ---
**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:** [October 6, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/26 "2013-10-06T23:15:22Z")
Just finished _Momo_, a kids’ book by Michael Ende, the author of _The Neverending Story_. About to start _Call of Duty: A Montana Girl in World War II_, the memoirs of a WAC who served in England and Belgium. Also reading _Sea of Gray: The Around-the-World Odyssey of the Confederate Raider_ Shenandoah, the subject of which should be obvious. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/27 "2013-10-06T23:30:23Z")
> [@Politzania](#): > > _Life After Life_ has Ursula Todd re-living her life over and over, starting with her first death caused by her umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck. She makes it a little further each time, eventually developing a sense of deja vu. The prologue gives her a very specific goal; and I’m quite curious to see how it pans out, especially considering a minor character referenced in at least one of the timelines. > I’m listening to the audiobook version of this, and it does add a dimension to hear the upper & lower class accents of the characters. The repetition of returning to Ursula’s birth after each death is borderline annoying; tho Atkinson does find different facets to focus on each time. The first few go-rounds touch on the same pivot points in Ursula’s life; showing how different choices prevent her death (tho the 'flu takes multiple tries). The characters are very well-drawn, and I’m quite drawn into the story. That sounds interesting. It reminds me of “Replay,” which I really enjoyed. In it, a man keeps doing on a certain date in the 80s. I won’t say more, but it’s really good. I’ll have to give Life After Life a look. ---
**Author:** ![Rahne\_McCloud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rahne\_McCloud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rahne_McCloud)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/28 "2013-10-06T23:56:46Z")
I’m re-reading Band of Brothers. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2013, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/29 "2013-10-07T02:52:57Z")
_Life After Life_ is my book club’s next selection; I’m looking forward to starting it. From the description, I was also reminded of _Replay_. ---
**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:** [October 7, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/30 "2013-10-07T14:40:43Z")
I just finished ‘[The Time Traveler’s Wife](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/audrey-niffenegger/time-travelers-wife.htm)’ - my thanks to all of you who recommended it; it really was as good as everybody said it was. That was a first novel?!? ‘Wow’ is about all I can say to that. I’m now reading ‘[Why Does the World Exist?](http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/why-does-the-world-exist/9780871403599-item.html?ref=item_page%3avariation)’ - about twenty pages in, I’m already thinking ‘This is all going to be a bit short on proof, isn’t it?’ Still, an interesting summary of the current state of theology/cosmology. I’ve also started ‘[The Quarry](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/b/iain-banks/quarry.htm)’, Iain Banks’ last book. Again, only about ten pages in, but the experience of reading it is rather bittersweet. I remember reading ‘The Wasp Factory’ a year or two after it came out, then I read through everything else that had been published, then I kept an ear to the ground for when the next one would come out, and now, I’m reading the last one. That’s happened to me with far too many authors… ---
**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:** [October 7, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/31 "2013-10-07T14:46:59Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > I just finished ‘[The Time Traveler’s Wife](http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/n/audrey-niffenegger/time-travelers-wife.htm)’ - my thanks to all of you who recommended it; it really was as good as everybody said it was. That was a first novel?!? ‘Wow’ is about all I can say to that… Glad you liked it. The movie is so-so, but worth seeing if you’re a completist. ---
**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 7, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/32 "2013-10-07T17:03:03Z")
I forgot to mention this in my first post: A big thank you to those in a previous thread who recommended _**[The Rook](http://www.amazon.com/The-Rook-Novel-Daniel-OMalley/dp/0316098809/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1381165148&sr=8-1)**_: I read it a couple of months ago, completely loved it, and now I follow Daniel O’Malley’s blog for news about his progress on the second Chequy book. 🙂 > [@Politzania](#): > > _Life After Life_ has Ursula Todd re-living her life over and over, starting with her first death caused by her umbilical cord being wrapped around her neck. > [@RandMcnally](#): > > That sounds interesting. It reminds me of “Replay,” which I really enjoyed. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > _Life After Life_ is my book club’s next selection; I’m looking forward to starting it. From the description, I was also reminded of _Replay_. I’m another who enjoyed _Replay_, and will now look into _Life After Life_. Thanks, **Politzania**! ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2013, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/33 "2013-10-07T17:33:02Z")
To be fair, I picked up \*Life After Life \* thanks to reccos from \*\*Meurglys \*\* and \*\*Ann Hedonia \*\* … so thanks go to them! And I did read _Replay_ way back in 2007, so may have to revisit it once I’m done. I forgot to post about reading _**[Screwed](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16101201-screwed)**_, the second in Eoin Colfer’s Daniel McEvoy series when I read it last month. Recommended by **FoieGrasIsEvil** , I didn’t realize it was part of a series til I was already in it, but it didn’t as if I were missing anything crucial. Colfer feels a bit like a literary chameleon - I’ve read his extension of the _Hitchhiker’s_ series _And Another Thing…_ as well as two YA books - _Artemis Fowl_ and _Airman_ and they all had pretty distinctive voices/styles - as did this gritty, modern-noir novel. I haven’t read much in this genre, and in that respect, I was reminded a bit of Tim Dorsey & Carl Hiaasen, but set in Jersey. A former military man (UN Ireland), MCEvoy is now a New Jersey bouncer/soon-to-be club owner. He is surrounded by colorful characters, and finds himself mixed up in some shady situations, caught between competing mobsters. Equally powered by brawn and brains, McEvoy is one of those guys that stuff just seems to happen to - unsavory and potentially deadly stuff. Colfer is a fun storyteller, and can build a solid, non-fantasy world as well as his fantastical universes. His characters are on the quirky side, but still believable and as well-rounded as they need to be. I’ll probably go back and check out the first novel in this series - _Plugged_, possibly in audiobook form, as I’m curious to “hear” McEvoy himself. ---
**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:** [October 8, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/34 "2013-10-08T14:11:03Z")
I decided not to finish the book about the lady who gave up mirrors. I wasn’t feeling too connected to the author and this really convenient opportunity to return it to the library came up, so… This morning, I started [The Thicket](http://www.amazon.com/The-Thicket-Joe-R-Lansdale/dp/031618845X) by Joe R. Lansdale. A blurb described it as a cross between _True Grit_ and _Stand By Me_. I really have to doubt that, but wouldn’t it be nice? ---
**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:** [October 11, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/35 "2013-10-11T02:54:59Z")
Finished _The Great Bridge_, by David McCullough, his history of the Brooklyn Bride. Another excellent read by him. But again, I got a little bogged down in the technical details of the bridge, which he himself said were difficult to write, him not having an engineering background. But these passages were not many, and I recommend the book. I did buy a complete set of George RR Martin’s series A Song of Ice and Fire. Bought the set with the third book, _A Storm of Swords_, split into two volumes. So I will this weekend start the first book, _A Game of Thrones_. Will take it with us to read on the beach, as this weekend we’re also leaving for a week at a nice resort on a small island in the Gulf of Thailand near the Cambodian border. So if you don’t see me for a few days, I’ll be back. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/36 "2013-10-11T03:11:59Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Finished _The Great Bridge_, by David McCullough, his history of the Brooklyn **Bride**. And of course, that is the history of the Brooklyn **Bridge**. :o ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/37 "2013-10-11T12:06:05Z")
Just finished the slightly disappointing _Proxima_ by **Stephen Baxter**. It’s a couple of hundred years in the future and the first extra-solar colony is on it’s way… The begining section bore a lot of resemblances to a 1960s novel by **D.G.Compton** called _Farewell, Earth’s Bliss_, which I re-read only 6 months ago, so initially I was continually comparing the two. And at the end there’s a giant WTF moment on almost literally the last page which leads me to assume there will be sequels although there’s no clue given that this was only the first in a set. But now I’ve started **Dan Simmons** latest, _Abominable_. It’s a long time since I’ve read anything by him but this starts off well wth Simmons explaining how years ago he supposedly interviewed an old man who had been on a pre-war expedition to the Antarctic. Simmons apparently wanted to write an Antarctic thriller but ended up writing _Terror_, set in the _Arctic_, instead! Much more recently he comes into possession of the man’s notebooks, which form the bulk of the narrative. It’s all about early 20th C climbing expeditions, etc. (rather than his exploits in Antarctica) especially a clandestine expedition to Mount Everest following the 1924 deaths of Mallory and Irving near it’s summit. The first 50 pages are good; hope the next 400+ are as well! ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/38 "2013-10-11T13:44:28Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > But now I’ve started **Dan Simmons** latest, _Abominable_. It’s a long time since I’ve read anything by him but this starts off well wth Simmons explaining how years ago he supposedly interviewed an old man who had been on a pre-war expedition to the Antarctic. Simmons apparently wanted to write an Antarctic thriller but ended up writing _Terror_, set in the _Arctic_, instead! > Much more recently he comes into possession of the man’s notebooks, which form the bulk of the narrative. It’s all about early 20th C climbing expeditions, etc. (rather than his exploits in Antarctica) especially a clandestine expedition to Mount Everest following the 1924 deaths of Mallory and Irving near it’s summit. > The first 50 pages are good; hope the next 400+ are as well! I’m looking forward to it. I loved _The Terror_. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/39 "2013-10-11T14:12:37Z")
Finished _The Thicket_. It was okay, kept me nicely entertained for a few days. Some gory parts. Next up: [The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror](http://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Dark-Fantasy-Horror/dp/1607013975/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381500550&sr=8-1&keywords=years+best+dark+fantasy+and+horror), edited by Paula Guran. It’ll be what such anthologies usually are. I’ll cherry-pick the hell out of it with low expectations and send it back to the library on time. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2013, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990/40 "2013-10-11T14:30:52Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I’m looking forward to it. I loved _The Terror_. I skipped _The Terror_ when it came out partly because I had read so much about the Franklin expedition, and other polar explorers, and didn’t really want to read fiction about it at the time. If I like this one, I may change my mind. I’ve also read a fair bit about Mallory & Irvine\* (and gone to talks, etc. about them and about Everest) but not recently and it’s ages since I’ve read a good mountaineering yarn. Or whatever this turns into! - sorry for the mis-spelling in my first post; I always forget if it’s Irvine or Irving. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-october-2013/669990.md?page=3)