# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' thread - January 2017 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2017, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029 "2017-01-01T04:46:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**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 27, 2017, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/101 "2017-01-27T17:12:51Z")
> [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](#): > > I read that one (and thoroughly agree, it was great fun)! But I haven’t yet read the second book in the series yet, and after **DZedNConfused** ’s less-than-stellar review, I’m a little apprehensive to read it. Don’t let me put you off. I’ve not read the Finishing School series. And I DO love the Parasol Protectorate VERY much, just a couple books are a bit weak in my opinion. I finished **the Chess Queen Enigma** by Colleen Gleason.It was a fun read and a complete paeon to the old pulp magaizines that the original Sherlock Holmes stories appeared in, the villian is so pulp I giggle every time she/he appears. ---
**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 27, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/102 "2017-01-27T17:15:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I I’m moving on to **The Devil in the White City** , by Erik Larson One of my favorite non fiction books EVER! 😃 ---
**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 27, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/103 "2017-01-27T23:04:09Z")
I finished **Stormdancer** by Jay Kristoff today. Visually it was stunning and I was excited to see a steampunk book based on Japan, medieval Europe has been done to DEATH, but halfway through the book, Kristoff forgot it was steampunk and started writing a straight up fantasy, which would have worked, perhaps, if the characters had been more engaging. I just couldn’t connect with any of them, even the griffen. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/104 "2017-01-28T15:59:10Z")
I finished reading “Life’s Handicap”, a book of short stories by Rudyard Kipling. Most of the stories were quite good, if you could get past the racism; the worst culprit for me was “Without Benefit of the Clergy”, a love story where a white guy buys a 14-year-old Indian girl for sex. However, there were some truly excellent horror stories in the collection: “At the End of the Passage”, “The Mark of the Beast” and “Bertran and Bimi” genuinely gave me chills. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/105 "2017-01-29T04:06:48Z")
I picked up _Jungle of Stone: The True Story of Two Men, Their Extraordinary Journey, and the Discovery of the Lost Civilization of the Maya_, after **Malthus** mentioned it in one of these threads. The title sums it up – two dudes go on an expedition to Mayan ruins. It was an engrossing read. A bit of a slow start, as there was maybe more information about the political environment of Central America (at the time) than I needed, but once the book got into the meat of the exploring, it was like reading an adventure novel. I wish it had gone into more of the details about the Mayan art and architecture, but it is primarily a book about the the two men. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2017, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/106 "2017-01-29T05:42:37Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Just finished Terry Pratchett’s **Small Gods**. Not bad, but not as good as I’d hoped it would be, based on a number of reviews. Usually, there’s one or two lines on almost every page I want to memorize, or read out loud. Not this time. And when I read the description of the villain… I knew he was going to die by having the tortoise fall on his head. > > Haven’t decided what’s up next. I’ll see what’s in my library bag… This was my first disc world book ever. Got the hard cover for $1.99 at B&N. Loved it. Just finished the last Tiffany Aching one. It was bittersweet. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/107 "2017-01-30T11:48:17Z")
Reading _The Circle_ by Dave Eggers - had it on the shelf for ages but saw that there’s a film of it coming out soon, so thought I’d get it read. Mixed feelings - It’s a fantastically-well realised (and grim) satire, in the hands of a very mediocre writer. So on balance good, but I wish a really talented writer would take this area on. He deserves all the praise he got for his vision of the google dystopia - I think it’s actually harder to do this sort of nightmare-round-the-corner scenario than writing something way more imaginative, because it’s so real. ---
**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:** [January 30, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/108 "2017-01-30T19:50:00Z")
Finished up [Nightmares: a new decade of modern horror](https://www.amazon.com/Nightmares-New-Decade-Modern-Horror/dp/1616962321/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1485802648&sr=8-1&keywords=nightmares+a+new+decade+of+modern+horror). I gave it one more star than I thought it warranted over at Goodreads, just because I read a lot of these collections and I thought it was a cut above the usual. Favorite stories: The Clay Party by Steve Duffy and At Night, When the Demons Come by Ray Cluley. ---
**Author:** ![Ardbeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58f4c7/32.png) [@Ardbeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ardbeg)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/109 "2017-01-30T20:05:58Z")
_Dark Matter_ written by Blake Crouch. A bit of a clunker, especially towards the end of the book. ---
**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 31, 2017, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/110 "2017-01-31T00:04:23Z")
I accidentally bought **The Witch’s Vacuum** by Terry Pratchett on Kindle. I really hate foot notes on my tablet, but so far the stories are fun. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/111 "2017-01-31T01:10:41Z")
Had to return Killing Floor to the library unfinished. Started At Home by Bill Bryson. ---
**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:** [February 2, 2017, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/112 "2017-02-02T05:00:35Z")
New thread for February? ---
**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:** [February 2, 2017, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/113 "2017-02-02T06:18:34Z")
February thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19970151#post19970151). ---
**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:** [February 2, 2017, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029/114 "2017-02-02T12:34:15Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > February thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19970151#post19970151). Thanks Sam! I got distracted this week and spaced it off. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2017-edition/776029.md?page=5)