# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' Thread - January 2015 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 29, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439 "2014-12-29T15:05:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [January 6, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/41 "2015-01-06T21:57:56Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > After reading more last night and thinking about it, I think what I actually want is a well-written book with complex characters but graphic sex. Have you tried **Outlander**? Takes a bit to get to the sexy bits, and they aren’t always graphic, but they’re definitely there. After receiving my first rejection letter from an agent, I am loathe to recommend my own novels, but I used to believe they were in that area, too. ☹ ---
**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:** [January 6, 2015, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/42 "2015-01-06T23:12:53Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > After reading more last night and thinking about it, I think what I actually want is a well-written book with complex characters but graphic sex. High-quality erotica, maybe? Do you like steampunk? _The Iron Duke_, by Meljean Brook, is well-written steampunk with significant erotica elements. It’s not the kind of romance I like (overbearing male must possess a feisty woman who must resist him) but the book is pretty interesting. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2015, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/43 "2015-01-06T23:14:30Z")
Also–I haven’t read them, but Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy seems to come up a lot, in my life, and it’s supposed to be pretty explicit. Would read it if it wasn’t so damned expensive for Kindle. ---
**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:** [January 6, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/44 "2015-01-06T23:16:07Z")
> [@Grrlbrarian](#): > > I started reading the first book in Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series last night, **[His Majesty’s Dragon](http://www.amazon.com/His-Majestys-Dragon-Temeraire-Book/dp/0345481283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420575171&sr=8-1&keywords=his+majesty%27s+dragon)**. Very intriguing! I know I’m about 9 years late to the party here, but it’s a great Patrick O’Brian-themed take on the dragon world thus far. Reminded me a bit of Jo Walton’s [Tooth and Claw](http://www.amazon.com/Tooth-Claw-Jo-Walton/dp/0765319519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420575265&sr=8-1&keywords=tooth+and+claw) too, probably due to the intelligence of Temeraire himself as well as the Regency feel of the piece. I have errr… porn fanfic of that one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/45 "2015-01-06T23:21:00Z")
Temeraire has also been the subject of some rather… ah, candid artwork. Wink wink, nudge nudge. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/46 "2015-01-07T00:08:39Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Also–I haven’t read them, but Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy seems to come up a lot, in my life, and it’s supposed to be pretty explicit. Would read it if it wasn’t so damned expensive for Kindle. Explicit and very female dominating… Personally I got 10 pages before deciding to castrate the Prince. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/47 "2015-01-07T01:55:29Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Also–I haven’t read them, but Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy seems to come up a lot, in my life, and it’s supposed to be pretty explicit. Would read it if it wasn’t so damned expensive for Kindle. That reminds me…La Rice has a new Vampire Chronicles book out. The reviews are [hilarious, but not kind](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21412673-prince-lestat). I shall not be reading it. I learned my lesson with _Blood Canticle_. (Yes, I read all of them up to that point. Apparently I hated myself back then.) ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/48 "2015-01-07T02:01:21Z")
> [@SpazCat](#): > > That reminds me…La Rice has a new Vampire Chronicles book out. The reviews are [hilarious, but not kind](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21412673-prince-lestat). > > I shall not be reading it. I learned my lesson with _Blood Canticle_. (Yes, I read all of them up to that point. Apparently I hated myself back then.) I heard… the errr fangirl spazz on my Facebook was deafening. I forget where I left off, somewhere after that horrible boook about the poet Blake… yeah ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/49 "2015-01-07T02:31:34Z")
I got some books for Christmas that I’m giving a try. _Telegraph Avenue_, by Michael Chabon (best know for _The Yiddish Policeman’s Union_) is a good read - immersive, great characters, and very good writing. From a Russian friend I got two books by Mikhail Bulgakov: _The Life of Monsieur de Moliere_ and _Heart of a Dog_. Bulgakov himself is actually an interesting guy; he was one of the few writers who refused to leave the Soviet Union, and basically the only reason he lived as long as he did without getting murdered was because Stalin liked attending his plays. Plus, the plot of _Heart of a Dog_ revolves around a dog who gets a human criminal’s pituitary glands and testes implanted by Soviet scientists, then becomes a bureaucrat in charge of ridding Moscow of cats. So . . . interesting stuff. 😃 Also on the nightstand: The last book of the Artemis Fowl series (kid’s book? I can’t hear yoooou!) and _Galapagos_, by Kurt Vonnegut. I’ve been reading _Galapagos_ on and off for a while now, and it’s although it’s not gripping me as much as some of his others (mainly I’m thinking of _Cat’s Cradle_ and _Slaughterhouse-5_, which is a damn high bar) it’s got that “voice” which I love. I’m thinking of exploring some Stephen King next - for whatever reason, somehow I’ve avoided reading his books in the past. _The Shining_, maybe? There was a poll on here a while back about his books, so I’ll give that a look . . . ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/50 "2015-01-07T02:56:12Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > I got some books for Christmas that I’m giving a try. _Telegraph Avenue_, by Michael Chabon (best know for _The Yiddish Policeman’s Union_) is a good read - immersive, great characters, and very good writing. From a Russian friend I got two books by Mikhail Bulgakov: _The Life of Monsieur de Moliere_ and _Heart of a Dog_. Bulgakov himself is actually an interesting guy; he was one of the few writers who refused to leave the Soviet Union, and basically the only reason he lived as long as he did without getting murdered was because Stalin liked attending his plays. > > Plus, the plot of _Heart of a Dog_ revolves around a dog who gets a human criminal’s pituitary glands and testes implanted by Soviet scientists, then becomes a bureaucrat in charge of ridding Moscow of cats. So . . . interesting stuff. 😃 > > Also on the nightstand: The last book of the Artemis Fowl series (kid’s book? I can’t hear yoooou!) and _Galapagos_, by Kurt Vonnegut. I’ve been reading _Galapagos_ on and off for a while now, and it’s although it’s not gripping me as much as some of his others (mainly I’m thinking of _Cat’s Cradle_ and _Slaughterhouse-5_, which is a damn high bar) it’s got that “voice” which I love. > > I’m thinking of exploring some Stephen King next - for whatever reason, somehow I’ve avoided reading his books in the past. _The Shining_, maybe? There was a poll on here a while back about his books, so I’ll give that a look . . . Bulgakov, Artemis Fowl & Vonnegut YAY! _Galapagos_ was one of the first Vonnegut books I read; purchased new when it came out in paperback. (Yes that dates me, I was in college) ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/51 "2015-01-07T15:13:48Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > Just finished reading [[Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex: Dreger, Alice Domurat: 9780674001893: Amazon.com: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Hermaphrodites-Medical-Invention-Domurat-Dreger/dp/0674001893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420575670&sr=8-1&keywords=alice+domurat+dreger)]Hermaphrodites and the Medical Invention of Sex by Alice Domurat Dreger. It looks at the history of hermaphroditism in Great Britain and France, examining how gender has historically been defined, and on what doctors have historically based gender classification… You might also like the novel _Middlesex_ by Jeffrey Eugenides, a very interesting look at hermaphroditism, the American immigrant experience, and the history of Detroit, of all things. > [@Octarine](#): > > …I’m thinking of exploring some Stephen King next - for whatever reason, somehow I’ve avoided reading his books in the past. _The Shining_, maybe? There was a poll on here a while back about his books, so I’ll give that a look . . . _The Stand_ is very good, but is also very big… epic, even. If you’ve never read any of King’s stuff before, you might want to start with his short stories and see how you like 'em. _Night Shift_ is one of my favorite collections. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/52 "2015-01-07T15:23:10Z")
> [@Politzania](#): > > The Temeraire series is a lovely bit of alt-history IMHO and ends up being quite the travelogue! The last several books have gotten a bit overwrought/angsty in the dramatic sense, but were still worth a cheap/free read, at least to me. According to GoodReads, there’s one last book in the series coming out this year… I’ll probably give it a whirl. > If you’re into audiobooks, I’m with **LawMonkey** & can definitely recommend checking this series out - Simon Vance gives Temeraire a wonderful voice! > > Speaking of audiobooks, I am really enjoying _**[Bellman and Black](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571907-bellman-black)**_ by Diane Setterfield. The supernatural elements have been relatively understated to this point (and I’m over 3/4 the way through), but it’s still quite atmospheric. William Bellman is a compelling protagonist, and I haven’t been this engrossed by the building of an edifice since _The Pillars of the Earth_ 🙂 Jack Davenport (who I know better as Commander James Norrington from the _Pirates of the Caribbean_ film franchise) is doing a bang-up job with the narration. Adding both of these to my audiobook pile; I listen to them every day. Thanks for the recommendation, **LawMonkey** and **Politzania**! 😃 ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/53 "2015-01-07T15:47:53Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Have you tried **Outlander**? Takes a bit to get to the sexy bits, and they aren’t always graphic, but they’re definitely there. I had to look it up on Amazon: with rare exceptions, I’m not into historical novels. Thanks, though! > [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > Do you like steampunk? Not particularly. > [@](#): > > overbearing male must possess a feisty woman who must resist him That’s exactly the stuff I don’t have much patience for, either! > [@Sattua](#): > > Also–I haven’t read them, but Anne Rice’s Sleeping Beauty trilogy seems to come up a lot, in my life, and it’s supposed to be pretty explicit. Would read it if it wasn’t so damned expensive for Kindle. I’ve read them. Hell, I own them. 🙂 (And _Exit to Eden_!) Hmm, maybe I just need to read some more Anne Rice? 😃 ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/54 "2015-01-07T16:11:01Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I had to look it up on Amazon: with rare exceptions, I’m not into historical novels. Thanks, though! In another thread one Doper or another (can’t remember who) opined that “there’s so much sex, I’m sore.” I don’t feel that way–I wish there was more–but, yeah. Sexy book. Complex characters. And there are seven sequels, all around a thousand pages long. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/55 "2015-01-07T17:54:35Z")
Just finished Joe Abercrombie’s **Half a King** – great, though I was slightly disappointed with the ending. But we’ll see what he’s got in store for the sequel. Now I’m starting Bernard Cornwell’s **The Last Kingdom** – the latest in his Saxon Stories historical fiction. I have a special affection for Cornwell – his Sharpe books got me into the genre, as well as into the habit of reading voraciously (of which I’ve never let go), as a teenager in the 90s. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/56 "2015-01-07T18:09:10Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I read the newest of Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie mysteries, _Started Early, Took My Dog_. These are quirky, twisty, contemporary British mystery novels. I like Atkinson’s writing very much. I was excited to see that her next book, coming out this spring, will be about the brother (Teddy) from _Life After Life_. ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/57 "2015-01-07T19:01:37Z")
Ummm I read **Lego Mixels: Let’s Mix** to a boy on my bus today, does that count?😃 Someone ought to have told the author that no matter HOW cold the Frosticon Max’s breath is, it will NOT turn lava into snow. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [January 7, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/58 "2015-01-07T19:22:51Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Now I’m starting Bernard Cornwell’s **The Last Kingdom** – the latest in his Saxon Stories historical fiction. I have a special affection for Cornwell – his Sharpe books got me into the genre, as well as into the habit of reading voraciously (of which I’ve never let go), as a teenager in the 90s. The BBC is making a [TV series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Kingdom_%28TV-series%29) out of the Saxon Stories. I discovered Cornwell when I picked up the Sharpe books after watching the show. > [@delphica](#): > > I was excited to see that her next book, coming out this spring, will be about the brother (Teddy) from _Life After Life_. Me 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:** [January 7, 2015, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/59 "2015-01-07T21:42:43Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > I was excited to see that her next book, coming out this spring, will be about the brother (Teddy) from _Life After Life_. Ooo, I didn’t know that! The RAF bomber guy? ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439/60 "2015-01-07T22:18:35Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Ooo, I didn’t know that! The RAF bomber guy? Yep, in a … a bunch of her lives, he dies in the war. I remember when I read it that in the lives where he survives the war, there wasn’t anything in the plot that I could see as the pivot between him dying or not … maybe this will clear that up? At any rate, what I’ve seen so far: \ ***A God in Ruins** , Her new novel tells the story of Ursula Todd’s beloved younger brother Teddy–would-be poet, RAF bomber pilot, husband, and father–as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge is facing the difficulties of living in a future he never expected to have. The stunning companion to Life After Life, A God in Ruins explores the loss of innocence, the fraught transition from the war to peace time, and the pain of being misunderstood, especially as we age. \* [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2015-edition/708439.md?page=4)