# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' thread -- January 2018 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 30, 2017, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597 "2017-12-30T22:02:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**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 17, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/61 "2018-01-17T17:15:05Z")
I finished **Burglars Can’t be Choosers** by Lawrence Block yesterday, the first in his “gentleman burglar” series about Bernie Rhodenbarr. It was written in the late 70s but was enjoyable and the main motivation for the set up would hardly blink an eye now, it was still readable and the characters likeable. Unfortunately, I may not be able to say the same for **Call Me by Your Name** by Andre Aciman. I hate this narrative, it’s all tell and ponderings and no action or any semblance of showing. I loved the movie but I fear I will hate the book. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/62 "2018-01-17T18:05:10Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > I finished **Burglars Can’t be Choosers** by Lawrence Block yesterday, the first in his “gentleman burglar” series about Bernie Rhodenbarr. It was written in the late 70s but was enjoyable and the main motivation for the set up would hardly blink an eye now, it was still readable and the characters likeable. I haven’t read his "“gentleman burglar” series, but his “Keller” series is great stuff. Have you checked that out yet? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/63 "2018-01-17T19:56:47Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > [It was PG](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/). There was little-to-no gore/violence/swearing, so I think that’s about right for pure suspense (especially almost 35 years ago). :eek: Well, dang! I have no idea where I got this incorrect factoid. I’ve been telling folks for years that it was rated G, and mocking the ratings system for that! Boy do I feel dumb. ---
**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 17, 2018, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/64 "2018-01-17T20:23:19Z")
Both _The Martian Chronicles_ and _The Illustrated Man_ have a narrative framework that make them like novels (particularly the first book), but they really are short-story collections. Both highly recommended, in any event. I’m enjoying Robert Parker’s second Spenser novel, _God Save the Child_ (1974). The Boston private eye is hired by a small-town Massachusetts couple with a troubled marriage to find their missing teenage son. It looks like a kidnapping, but Spenser - whose wit and irreverence are very funny - isn’t convinced. ---
**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 17, 2018, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/65 "2018-01-17T20:56:21Z")
I’m currently midway through [When I Am Through With You](https://www.amazon.com/When-I-Am-Through-You/dp/1101994738/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1516222283&sr=8-2&keywords=when+i+am+through+with+you), a YA novel about teenagers on a hiking trip, and a bad thing happening to them. It’s okay. I don’t much like any of the characters, but I do want to know what happens next. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/66 "2018-01-17T21:08:57Z")
Continuing my nascent suspense kick, I finished _Watch the Wall, My Darling_, by Jane Aiken Hodge last night. It was okay. The protagonist was pretty good, but the love interest was icky. ---
**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 17, 2018, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/67 "2018-01-17T22:52:08Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I haven’t read his "“gentleman burglar” series, but his “Keller” series is great stuff. Have you checked that out yet? I have not, but I’ll keep my eyes open for it. ---
**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 20, 2018, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/68 "2018-01-20T01:26:49Z")
Okay, I gave up on “Call Me by Your Name”. The movie was fabulous but the book was one long wank session of “See this? See how clever I am? Ohhh, I’m so deep!” from the author. That and the introspection narrative meant very little dialogue becausethe author told you everything that happened. Anyway, my full snark filled review is up at Goodreads 😃 ---
**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 20, 2018, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/69 "2018-01-20T04:56:25Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > …I’m enjoying Robert Parker’s second Spenser novel, _God Save the Child_ (1974). The Boston private eye is hired by a small-town Massachusetts couple with a troubled marriage to find their missing teenage son. It looks like a kidnapping, but Spenser - whose wit and irreverence are very funny - isn’t convinced. Finished it and liked it. The descriptions of Seventies decor and clothes haven’t dated well, but the plot was interesting and Spenser’s smart-assed approach to detective work carries you along nicely. Just began David Sedaris’s multiyear collection of diary excerpts, _Theft By Finding_, which is quirky but enjoyable so far. His introduction is almost worth the price of admission. Of course I’m listening to it as an audiobook, because I’ve always thought his delivery is half the fun. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/70 "2018-01-20T06:11:42Z")
I just finished **Lovely Bones** by Alice Sebold, and was prepared to be unenthusiastic. With the word "lovely"in the title, gotta be a chick lit book, right? No self-respecting dude would be caught dead reading such a thing. Well, the ghosts of John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart and Steve McQueen are welcome to pay me a visit and tear up my “GUY” card, because I really enjoyed it. So there. (Scratches his crotch, burps and opens a can of beer) ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2018, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/71 "2018-01-20T06:16:28Z")
Okay, now on to more manly things: Jess Shaara’s **The Glorious Cause** , his second novel about the Revolutionary War. ---
**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 20, 2018, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/72 "2018-01-20T21:22:45Z")
Finished the latest Spenser novel, officially titled **Robert B. Parker’s Little White Lies** , by Ace Atkins. Meh. He’s written some pretty good Spenser books, actually, but this wasn’t one. Just started **Medical Catastrophe: Confessions of an Anesthesiologist** , by Ronald W. Dworkin. It’s his memoir. ---
**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 21, 2018, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/73 "2018-01-21T01:38:38Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > Okay, now on to more manly things: Jess Shaara’s **The Glorious Cause** , his second novel about the Revolutionary War. “Jeff,” isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2018, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/74 "2018-01-21T05:59:46Z")
Yeah, it’s Jeff, and it is a good book. I have always preferred reading about the Revolutionary War over the Civil War. His previous book, **Rise to Rebellion** , was good, too. ---
**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 21, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/75 "2018-01-21T16:31:45Z")
On Friday night I finished _The Extraditionist_. I’ll definitely read the next Benn Bluestone book eventually, but not immediately: I decided to start Laura Marshall’s [_ **Friend Request** _](https://www.amazon.com/Friend-Request-Laura-Marshall/dp/1478948515/) (thanks to **Dung Beetle**!). I breezed through the free Kindle sample; the decision to pay $2.99 for the rest of the book was a no-brainer. I’m still in the early chapters, but so far so good! ---
**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 21, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/76 "2018-01-21T16:39:37Z")
I finished reading **The Ordeal of Richard Feverel** by George Meredith. An aristocratic single dad develops a scientific System for the moral education of his teenage son, but his son ends up making some bad decisions anyway. I liked the writing and the sympathetic characters and the mildly ironic tone. The ending was several shades darker than I expected, but I suppose it wasn’t out of place. I liked it better than Meredith’s **The Egoist** which I found kind of plodding. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/77 "2018-01-22T01:03:50Z")
I’ve abandoned **Magicians Impossible** , Brad Abraham’s first novel. I’m trying to get better about using GoodReads, and this book inspired me to write a longer than usual review. > [@](#): > > Are you a thirty-something white dude stuck in a dead-end job, with a girlfriend about to break up with you, and no real plans to make things better? Maybe you’re not a loser after all. Maybe nobody aPREESHiates you because you’re secretly a super-powerful WIZARD! And maybe people who’ve trained to be wizards will say, “Wow, how are you so good at being a wizard, man?” when they see you in action! > > Christ, the wish-fulfillment dripping off this book makes me want to scrub. > > But that’s not the worst part. Early in the book there’s an admittedly cool scene where a wizard blasts a bunch of mooks with a deck of cards. Blood “mingle[s] with the gurgling screams of dying men,” which, okay, doesn’t make sense, because liquids and sounds can’t mingle, but whatever. Thing is, the next sentence says that they went down, “bleeding out as silent as a smile.” YOU JUST TOLD ME THERE WERE GURGLING SCREAMS, BRAD! You can’t tell me that and then say they were bleeding out silently! > > But that’s not the worst part. On the previous page, the wizard took a new deck of cards, “peeled off and discarded the cellophane, bent the cards, and began to shuffle.” When the deck explodes, “All fifty-two cards sprayed the room like shrapnel.” I have opened many decks of cards in my life. There are never 52 cards in a new deck. WHERE ARE THE JOKERS, BRAD? > > But that’s not the worst part. A few pages later a dead mook reanimates, “one with a Joker Damon had failed to retrieve before still lodged in his carotid.” Apparently the jokers were included in those 52 cards. WHICH CARDS WERE MISSING FROM THE BRAND-NEW DECK, BRAD? > > The idea of a bunch of sooper secret wizards who kill people with card tricks may be a Deadlands homage, but it’s just cool enough to earn the book a second star. However, if you’re gonna open your book with this scene, you really really need to take the time to familiarize yourself with a deck of playing cards. ---
**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 22, 2018, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/78 "2018-01-22T01:15:06Z")
You write reviews like I do, **Left Hand of Dorkness** : all snark and WTF? 😃 ---
**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 22, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/79 "2018-01-22T01:18:53Z")
Do we want to share Goodreads profiles again? This is me, don’t be shy. [Kris](https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3448061-kris) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597/80 "2018-01-22T01:31:14Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > Do we want to share Goodreads profiles again? > > This is me, don’t be shy. [Kris](https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3448061-kris) [Here I am](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/760670.Julie_Carter). And no, I have not written a book called _Cowboy Sass & Savvy_. Nor have I written a book in Dutch. But Goodreads insists on saying I have! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2018-edition/805597.md?page=5)