# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' Thread - August 2015 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896 "2015-08-03T17:08:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [August 8, 2015, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/41 "2015-08-08T20:57:02Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Opinion of Christopher McCandless does seem pretty much evenly split between those who thought he was an admirable free spirit just trying to get away from it all, or a damned idjit who went in harm’s way without knowing what the hell he was doing and pretty much got what he deserved. Why can’t he be both? I’ve started on the misnamed [The Complete Oscar Wilde](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122717.The_Complete_Works_of_Oscar_Wilde). Misnamed because it does not have _De Profundis_, but it’s a great collection anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2015, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/42 "2015-08-08T22:52:00Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > Why can’t he be both? (Referring to Christopher McCandless in _Into the Wild_–unprepared idiot or inspiring free spirit.) I did see him as both. That was one of the reasons why I found the story so compelling: I thought the author (Krakauer, right?) managed to show both sides of McCandless’s personality. I kept going back and forth while I was reading the book (“You didn’t bring BOOTS?”/“Your dedication is impressive…”), and afterwards as well. My recollection/impression is that Krakauer saw a lot of himself in McCandless and found him to be a very sympathetic figure. But to his credit the author did not handwave away the man’s problems or mistakes. On the whole, if I had to choose one, I’d say McCandless was in over his head, thinking that he could do more than he was actually capable of; whether that was out of arrogance or inexperience I don’t know. I doubt I would have liked him very much in person. Still, I found some things about him to be rather admirable…so I would choose “both.” ---
**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:** [August 9, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/43 "2015-08-09T02:31:58Z")
The McCandless scales tipped pretty decisively towards the “idjit” side of things for me. Just finished John Scalzi’s _The Ghost Brigades_ and loved it all over again. Great military sf with an attitude. Next I’ll read Scalzi’s novella _The Sagan Diary_, which builds upon it. Also still reading Salman Rushdie’s essay collection _Imaginary Homelands_, which is interesting, all in all, but no page-turner. ---
**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:** [August 9, 2015, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/44 "2015-08-09T02:47:45Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > The McCandless scales tipped pretty decisively towards the “idjit” side of things for me. Yeah, the film version did the same for me. While the movie showed him as a nice-enough guy, you had to keep wondering just what the hell was he thinking? (I just posted in another thread about a similar other American I used to know here, also a nice guy but really had some brain cells missing. I have become more familiar with this type than I ever thought I would be.) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/45 "2015-08-09T03:05:18Z")
The PBS documentary said in pretty plain terms that McCandless was schizophrenic. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/46 "2015-08-09T03:21:23Z")
Currently reading Jon Ronson, _Lost at Sea,_ a collection that flows very nicely. ---
**Author:** ![Iron\_Wine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@Iron\_Wine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iron_Wine)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2015, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/47 "2015-08-09T05:20:54Z")
Ever since I finished _Hauntings_ by Norah Lofts I’ve been kind of all over the place with my reading lately. On the one hand I’m really into this slick, psychological thriller called _Stranger in the Room by Amanda Kyle Williams_. On the other hand, my friend just lent me _Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows_, which I have yet to finish. In my free time I just kinda pick up whatever I’m in the mood for. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/48 "2015-08-10T00:36:39Z")
I finished **The Black Box** by Michael Connelly, Not up to the standard of **Echo Park** but head and shoulders better than **The Drop**. The action is smooth and the story unwinds at a pace that isn’t hurried but doesn’t drag either. The climax is fast paced and exciting, a real page turner. My only complaints are the editing, he really needs an editor that understands the “Show, don’t tell” rule, however there were fewer instances than in **The Drop**. And Maddie… yeah, Maddie is a little \*too \*good at everything she does. Whether it’s rookie cop shooting practice or learning to drive a car, she gets it all the first time. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/49 "2015-08-10T15:56:42Z")
I’m reading Richard Kadrey’s [Sandman Slim](http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Slim-Novel-Richard-Kadrey/dp/0061714305/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1439221746&sr=1-1), a novel about a magician who escapes Hell and is out to kill those responsible for sending him there. This is one of those series I always meant to get around to one of these days. Now I finally have, and it’s decent, as I thought it probably would be. Not great, but fun and I plan to continue. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/50 "2015-08-10T16:10:46Z")
Right now, I’m reading an old, out of print Ellery Queen novella called _ **Face to Face.** _ ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/51 "2015-08-10T16:41:53Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I’m reading Richard Kadrey’s [Sandman Slim](http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Slim-Novel-Richard-Kadrey/dp/0061714305/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1439221746&sr=1-1), a novel about a magician who escapes Hell and is out to kill those responsible for sending him there. This is one of those series I always meant to get around to one of these days. Now I finally have, and it’s decent, as I thought it probably would be. Not great, but fun and I plan to continue. It had a slow start in my opinion and I really didn’t like Slim until the end (I would have thought he’d got the whiny adolescent out of his system while in Hell). The second book **Kill the Dead** was a much better book. I’m waiting on the third from the library… ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/52 "2015-08-10T17:46:03Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > I spent today reading **Midnight Riot** by Ben Aaronovitch. The first 3 quarters of the book was one of the best books I’d ever read and then he hit a wall… characters ran around and destruction and riots ran amuck and honestly the only reason I finished it was there were only 30 pages left. > > I think I will at read at least the next book before making any solid decisions on the series. I love this series, personally. The plotting can be a little uneven sometimes, but I really got into the characters and of course, the setting and unique magic. I particularly like that you get your urban fantasy / mystery blend with a great dose of snarky humor, something that stays consistent throughout the series. Hang in there for the sequel & report back! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/53 "2015-08-10T17:50:20Z")
At my wife’s prompting, I read _ **Girl on a Train** _. Man, what an indictment on humanity is that book. There wasn’t a sympathetic character in the whole book. Also read _ **The Kronos Interference** _, a time paradox novel and _ **Repeat** _, by Neal Pollock (who I suspect is a doper), another time travel novel. I have a couple Max Allen Collins, _ **Nolan** _ novels left I haven’t read, so I will probably read them next. ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/54 "2015-08-10T18:02:09Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > It had a slow start in my opinion and I really didn’t like Slim until the end (I would have thought he’d got the whiny adolescent out of his system while in Hell). The second book **Kill the Dead** was a much better book. I’m waiting on the third from the library… Oh goody! It’s nice to know things will improve. I’m happy this afternoon because I just got in the library hold queue for the new Ransom Riggs and the new Patrick Ness. _quiet fist-pump at my desk_ ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/55 "2015-08-10T18:13:16Z")
> [@Grrlbrarian](#): > > I love this series, personally. The plotting can be a little uneven sometimes, but I really got into the characters and of course, the setting and unique magic. I particularly like that you get your urban fantasy / mystery blend with a great dose of snarky humor, something that stays consistent throughout the series. Hang in there for the sequel & report back! 😃 I will! Though it may take awhile since my library doesn’t have it T\_T I’ll either have to wait until I get back to work to buy it or see if I have a friend that can loan it to me. But yes the snarky humour IS gold! ---
**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:** [August 10, 2015, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/56 "2015-08-10T22:42:05Z")
I read most of JD robb’s novella **Midnight in Death** last night and finished it up today, Basically it’s what every In Death novel would be if the sex and waxing poetic over Roarke’s hair, eyes, physique would be, in short, a smooth tight little mystery. The sense of suspense was well done and ratcheted up nicely in the last 15 pages or so. Not really any character development, but character development isn’t really a factor in a J D Robb novel anyway. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2015, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/57 "2015-08-11T01:21:46Z")
Double header today… I finished **The Revenge of the Wizard’s Ghost** by John Bellairs. I had started it last month and then got distracted by other things 😃 ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/58 "2015-08-11T06:27:01Z")
Finished **If the Dead Rise Not** , a Bernie Gunther novel by Phillip Kerr. Now I am going to have to find the rest of his books in this series. They don’t seem to be in any specific chronological order. This one jumps from Berlin in 1934 to Havana in 1954, and most of the books in the series are set just before The War, or during it. Despite some stilted dialog here and there–Bernie sounds like a German Rick Blaine–it was a very enjoyable book. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/59 "2015-08-11T13:56:03Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > Finished **If the Dead Rise Not** , a Bernie Gunther novel by Phillip Kerr. Now I am going to have to find the rest of his books in this series. They don’t seem to be in any specific chronological order. This one jumps from Berlin in 1934 to Havana in 1954, and most of the books in the series are set just before The War, or during it. > > Despite some stilted dialog here and there–Bernie sounds like a German Rick Blaine–it was a very enjoyable book. The Bernie Gunther series is awesome - one of my favorites. ---
**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:** [August 11, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896/60 "2015-08-11T14:03:35Z")
> [@Grrlbrarian](#): > > I love this series, personally. The plotting can be a little uneven sometimes, but I really got into the characters and of course, the setting and unique magic. I particularly like that you get your urban fantasy / mystery blend with a great dose of snarky humor, something that stays consistent throughout the series. Hang in there for the sequel & report back! 😃 I will give him this: I’d rather read the end of Midnight Riot again than read ANY Harry Dresden book. 😃 I started **Devil you know** by Mike Carey. I’m certain someone here recommended it at some point… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-august-2015-edition/726896.md?page=4)