# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' thread - August 2014
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 28, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253 "2014-07-28T16:29:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/1 "2014-07-28T16:29:28Z")
It’s a little early but the next several days are going to be busy so better early than NEVER!😃
I am still plugging away at **The Golem and the Jinni** by Helene Wecker. I agree there was way to much exposition at the beginning and while I like strong characters I really need more plot than this book has, I’m rather bored with wandering around New York in a daze.
Khadaji was one of the earlier members of the 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; and he started these monthly book threads. Sadly, he passed away in January 2013, and it was decided that we should rename these monthly threads in his honour. Khadaji’s
---
### Author:  [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)
#### Post date: [July 28, 2014, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/2 "2014-07-28T22:56:14Z")
I finished with Washington Irving’s **Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon**. I felt guilty for skipping a fair number of pieces within it until I read this in the postscript:
> [@](#):
>
> if [the reader] should find here and there something to please him, to rest assured that it was written expressly for intelligent readers like himself; but entreating him, should he find anything to dislike, to tolerate it, as one of those articles which the author has been obliged to write for readers of a less refined taste.
Well said! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2014, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/3 "2014-07-29T02:12:06Z")
It is a little early. Over here it’s still just the 29th! But I’m about 4/5 through _The Testament_, by John Grisham. Very good.
---
### Author:  [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)
#### Post date: [July 29, 2014, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/4 "2014-07-29T14:09:21Z")
Just finished _How to Talk to a Skeptic_ by Donald J Johnson. I thought it was going to be an interesting read since I am on the opposite side. My Catholic SO was asked a lot of questions as I was going through the book if he believed some of the items that the author was suggesting. So in that sense, it opened up some dialogue between us. But there was a lot to disagree about since I’m the skeptic to be talked to (as opposed to “with”). Frankly, this book gave me a headache. There were some leaps in logic that were used to convince a skeptic (and I guess they weren’t leaps in logic, if you’re a Christian as it just assumes all of that to be true). The book gave some bad advice, red herring techniques, some rude name-calling and assumptions about skeptics, and then there was the homophobia towards the end where “homoseuxal…relationships…are a blatant and aggressive slap in his (God’s) face, so to speak”. In the end, it really was retitled _How NOT to Talk to a Skeptic._
---
### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/5 "2014-07-31T03:33:28Z")
Everyone else is still posting in the July thread, but I’m going to go balls to the wall and embrace August early. Finished _The Testament_, by John Grisham. I’ve been reading a lot of Grisham lately, and this one is a cut above. It’s a little different from his usual courtroom procedural with side dramas. In this one, America’s tenth-wealthiest man dies, and it is revealed he has cut his worthless children out of his will altogether and left all his billions to a previously unknown illegitimate daughter. She’s now a middle-aged missionary in the wilds of Brazil, and the lawyers have to find her, while the legitimate children scheme to get their hands on the cash. Recommended.
Next up is _The Wapshot Chronicle_, by John Cheever.
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/6 "2014-07-31T03:54:19Z")
By August I’ll have wrapped _The Goldfinch._
---
### Author:  [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/7 "2014-07-31T05:03:12Z")
Seriously, fuck July.
I’m about a third of the way through **Consul Wars** about the dueling efforts between Sega and Nintendo in the early 90’s.
Its an interesting story, but for whatever reason the author decided to pad it with hundreds of page of imaginary dialogue between the people involved. This wouldn’t be so bad if the author was any good at writing dialouge, but he’s not, making it a chore to get through. All the “characters” talk with more or less the same voice, there’s little conflict between them and the attempts at humour are all pretty forced.
And it’s doubly annoying, since the book, at least so far, givers fairly short-shift to what feels like they should be interesting parts of the story to focus on his main “characters”, who are all involved with in pretty much the same section of the business (marketing the Sega in the US, I suspect the popularity of the TV show Mad Men is somewhat to blame here). Maybe the book branches out to other areas past where I’ve read, but so far rather then explore other parts of the story, the author just pads out one section with endless reconstructions of office small-talk.
---
### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/8 "2014-07-31T05:34:50Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#):
>
> Khadaji was one of the earlier members of the 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; and he started these monthly book threads. Sadly, he passed away in January 2013, and it was decided that we should rename these monthly threads in his honour. Khadaji’s
So why did you drop his name from the title this month?
---
### Author:  [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/9 "2014-07-31T06:31:50Z")
> [@PastTense](#):
>
> So why did you drop his name from the title this month?
Cut & paste error on my part, didn’t discover it until the edit time had passed.
---
### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/10 "2014-07-31T09:26:02Z")
Maybe a Mod could fix it.
---
### Author:  [@DZedNConfused](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DZedNConfused)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/11 "2014-07-31T12:41:43Z")
I suppose but is it really important?
---
### Author:  [@heater2000ca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heater2000ca)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/12 "2014-07-31T12:53:53Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#):
>
> I am still plugging away at **The Golem and the Jinni** by Helene Wecker. I agree there was way to much exposition at the beginning and while I like strong characters I really need more plot than this book has, I’m rather bored with wandering around New York in a daze.
I’m about 70% through this on my kobo, and I’m loving it. I agree that it’s more of a character book than a plot book, but the tension between everyone really ramped up about halfway through the book, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all ends.
I also was re-reading the July thread, looking for more suggestions (as if I need more than the 17 books I have on hold at the library!!), and saw someone mention **Life After Life** by Kate Atkins. Reminded me to look for it, and miracle of miracles, it was finally available. Guess I’m reading that next.
And one of my favourite recent books is **A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali** by Gil Courtemanche. Set during the Rwandan Genocide, it’s an arresting read. It’s violent, yes. Disturbing, yes. But also, so, so beautifully written - lyrical, poetical, transformative. I highly recommend it.
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/13 "2014-07-31T16:31:41Z")
I finished \*The Goldfinch, \*which was structurally proficient and yet overly wordy. Now reading _Moby-Dick._ I understand that it degenerates into a how-to whale-rendering guide later on, but the New Bedford chapters are hilarious.
---
### Author:  [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/14 "2014-07-31T20:30:40Z")
I’m about 25% through with Anthony Berkeley’s “The Poisoned Chocolate Case.”
---
### Author:  [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/15 "2014-07-31T20:34:57Z")
I finished _Foggy Mountain Breakdown_, a collection of short stories by Sharyn McCrumb. I wasn’t sure what to think of it at first, but when more mystery stories started appearing I started liking it more and more. There’s one I can’t rmemeber the title of that’s a series of fan letters between a mystery author and a fan that I absolutely adore. The two characters start becoming friends through their letters and the author asks the fan for advice on a problem she’s having with her latest book. His response reveals that he might have had a shadier past than is normal. I wasn’t sure the author caught on because she was having so many personal problems, but in the last letter she lets a few things slip that show she’s figured out who he really is and why he knows so much about things like smuggling guns through airport security.
“Gentle Reader,” that’s the story.
I’ve actually met Sharyn McCrumb a couple of times. She stayed at the hotel I work at when she had a book signing in town. I can attest that she is a very nice lady.
---
### Author:  [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/16 "2014-07-31T20:37:52Z")
I’m almost halfway through _Consider Phlebas_, by Iain M. Banks. It’s the first of his books I’ve ever read.
---
### Author:  [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)
#### Post date: [July 31, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/17 "2014-07-31T20:40:21Z")
> [@susan](#):
>
> I finished \*The Goldfinch, \*which was structurally proficient and yet overly wordy. Now reading _Moby-Dick._ I understand that it degenerates into a how-to whale-rendering guide later on, but the New Bedford chapters are hilarious.
Nothing quite like waking up with a Cannibal in your bed - back from a hard night of selling his collection of shrunken heads. :eek:
---
### Author:  [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2014, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/18 "2014-08-01T03:48:26Z")
It’s a pretty funny lead-in. I’m up to the Pequod’s sailing.
---
### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2014, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/19 "2014-08-01T12:38:24Z")
Finished [Killer Move](http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Move-Michael-Marshall/dp/0061434434) by Michael Marshall. So far I’ve liked everything I’ve read by this guy, a ghost story, a sci-fi novel, and now this thriller. If you decide to read this one, I would advise you to do it in as few sittings as possible because the plot moves fast and you’ll want to know what happens next, but also because there are a lot of characters to keep track of.
---
### Author:  [@Future\_Londonite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Future_Londonite)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253/20 "2014-08-01T14:52:53Z")
I have started reading **Malazan Book of the Fallen** by _Steven Erikson_…given that the whole series is 10 books with 11147 pages and over 3million words, I have a feeling it shall be a while before I’ll read anything new 🙂
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2014/694253.md?page=2)