# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' thread -- January 2019 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2018, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964 "2018-12-31T05:06:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/41 "2019-01-10T15:39:07Z")
**Black Klansman** , which is the basis for the current Spike Lee movie. I was surprised and somewhat shocked to learn that Stapleton Airport in Denver was named for Mayor Benjamin Stapleton, who was closely associated with the KKK during his tenure. That’s not the surprising part. What’s surprising is that the airport was never renamed, and only disappeared when it closed in 1995. The KKK presence in Colorado was in the tens of thousands in the 1920s and the organization pretty much ran the state. ---
**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 10, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/42 "2019-01-10T16:07:12Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Definitely not worth continuing, **Dung Beetle**! I have to admit, though, “he goes full Jesus” made me laugh. I’m glad. 😃 I knew he was religious, but it’s not usually dialed up to 11 like that. (I’m just full of the movie references today). ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/43 "2019-01-10T16:43:15Z")
In the past week I’ve gone to two formerly solid standbys: Michael Connelly (Dark Sacred Night ) and ugh… Lee Child (Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel) I’m officially done with Lee Child; they’re starting to read more and more like Dan Brown. Between his 50/50 thing and the 'forced narration to get him into crazy situations, it’s just become too much. I all about immersing yourself into a story; but when I find myself rolling my eyes while reading the book, it’s time to stop. ~sigh~ I’ll be looking through this thread for ideas for something new. I would really like to find a book series that I can get into. I think Harry Bosch is coming to an end. It seems like Michael Connelly is about to retire him, literally and figuratively as he has Harry Bosch to age in real time. I thought he was going to try to get Harry’s daughter, Maddie, as a next major character; but he only includes her as a side character now, away at college. This last book is the 2nd one that featured detective Ballard pretty heavily. We’ll see how that goes. Unfortunately he seems to only publish a new book about once a year, around November. I’m up for suggestions. 🙂 ---
**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 10, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/44 "2019-01-10T16:56:03Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > Definitely not worth continuing, **Dung Beetle**! I have to admit, though, “he goes full Jesus” made me laugh. I agree! And me too… read a few of them too. ---
**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:** [January 10, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/45 "2019-01-10T17:26:42Z")
Finished _A Bone in the Throat,_ one of Tony Bourdain’s novels. It’s not a murder mystery or a detective novel, but has murder and detectives. It was all right; I’d have suggested a copy editor and someone to say, “It would be good if your protagonist appeared to feel any concern for the safety of others.” ---
**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 10, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/46 "2019-01-10T17:29:13Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > In the past week I’ve gone to two formerly solid standbys: Michael Connelly (Dark Sacred Night ) and ugh… Lee Child (Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel) > … > I’m up for suggestions. 🙂 About two steps up from Dan Brown (I think–I’ve never read more than a chapter of Brown’s stuff) is William Dietrich’s [Ethan Gage](https://www.goodreads.com/series/45017-ethan-gage) series, about a nineteenth-century guy who gets caught up in the Napoleonic Wars, specifically searching for mystical artifacts. They’re pretty funny, similar to Flashman only the main character isn’t as loathsome, not great literature but not bad either. And there’s 7 of them. Might be worth a look. ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/47 "2019-01-10T17:35:04Z")
Yesterday I began _The Glittering Illusion: English Sympathy for the Southern Confederacy_ by Sheldon Vanauken. He was a kind of amateur historian (he had an M.S. in History and taught History and English at a liberal arts college) who was a huge Anglophile and wrote the book in 1985. Very interesting so far. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/48 "2019-01-10T17:43:36Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > In the past week I’ve gone to two formerly solid standbys: Michael Connelly (Dark Sacred Night ) and ugh… Lee Child (Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel) > > I’m officially done with Lee Child; they’re starting to read more and more like Dan Brown. Between his 50/50 thing and the 'forced narration to get him into crazy situations, it’s just become too much. I all about immersing yourself into a story; but when I find myself rolling my eyes while reading the book, it’s time to stop. > > ~sigh~ I’ll be looking through this thread for ideas for something new. I would really like to find a book series that I can get into. I think Harry Bosch is coming to an end. It seems like Michael Connelly is about to retire him, literally and figuratively as he has Harry Bosch to age in real time. I thought he was going to try to get Harry’s daughter, Maddie, as a next major character; but he only includes her as a side character now, away at college. This last book is the 2nd one that featured detective Ballard pretty heavily. We’ll see how that goes. Unfortunately he seems to only publish a new book about once a year, around November. > > I’m up for suggestions. 🙂 The Virgil Flowers series by Sandford is still pretty good. The Dublin Trilogy (four books, actually), by Caimh McDonnell is entertaining. You might also look at the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box, and of course the Longmire series by Craig Johnson (although the latest one got mixed reviews). The David Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke were good up until (IMO) they jumped the shark. And lastly, one of my favorites was the [James Brodie](https://www.amazon.com/Case-Histories-Novel-Jackson-Brodie-ebook/dp/B000SEI07S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1547142126&sr=8-3&keywords=kate+atkinson+books) four-book series by Kate Atkinson. ---
**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 10, 2019, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/49 "2019-01-10T18:59:47Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > …I’ll be looking through this thread for ideas for something new. I would really like to find a book series that I can get into… > > I’m up for suggestions. 🙂 Gladly!: The Sherlock Holmes stories of A. Conan Doyle - still great period mysteries The Spenser series by Robert Parker - an ex-cop Boston P.I. solves crimes, makes wisecracks The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian - the friendship of a Royal Navy captain and a surgeon/naturalist/spy against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars at sea ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/50 "2019-01-10T19:21:56Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > In the past week I’ve gone to two formerly solid standbys: Michael Connelly (Dark Sacred Night ) and ugh… Lee Child (Past Tense: A Jack Reacher Novel) > > I’m officially done with Lee Child; they’re starting to read more and more like Dan Brown. Between his 50/50 thing and the 'forced narration to get him into crazy situations, it’s just become too much. I all about immersing yourself into a story; but when I find myself rolling my eyes while reading the book, it’s time to stop. > > ~sigh~ I’ll be looking through this thread for ideas for something new. I would really like to find a book series that I can get into. I think Harry Bosch is coming to an end. It seems like Michael Connelly is about to retire him, literally and figuratively as he has Harry Bosch to age in real time. I thought he was going to try to get Harry’s daughter, Maddie, as a next major character; but he only includes her as a side character now, away at college. This last book is the 2nd one that featured detective Ballard pretty heavily. We’ll see how that goes. Unfortunately he seems to only publish a new book about once a year, around November. > > I’m up for suggestions. 🙂 If **Elendil’s Heir** can suggest older series, so can I: The **Horatio Hornblower** novels by C.S. Forester. I could never get into the Patrick O’Brian series of sea stories, but I found Forester’s irresistible. Eleven books plus “The Hornblower companion”. The **Judge Dee** mysteries written by Hans van Gulik. Djien-Djieh Dee was a real historical individual living in T’ang dynasty China. He was both judge and detective. Van Gulik first translated an 18th century novel about him, then wrote five new mysteries, using ideas from other Chinese stories. Then he wrote a series of other novels, creating a life story that was internally consistent and had surprising continued arcs in it. Since his death, a few other people hve written mysteries involving Dee, and there have been two Chinese movies featuring him (but making him into a martial arts expert, which he’s not in anyone’s books, although he is skilled with the sword.) The **Ed and Am Hunter** mysteries written by Fredric Brown, start with his Edgar-winning _The Fabulous Clipjoint_. Pretty hard to get, since he’s unfortunately been out of print for a couple of decades, but Brown’s mysteries, science fiction, and fantasy are definitely worth looking up. He once wrote a story in which the victim is the _reader_. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/51 "2019-01-10T20:26:29Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Gladly!: > > The Sherlock Holmes stories of A. Conan Doyle - still great period mysteries > The Spenser series by Robert Parker - an ex-cop Boston P.I. solves crimes, makes wisecracks > The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian - the friendship of a Royal Navy captain and a surgeon/naturalist/spy against the backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars at sea Sherlock Holmes. Good Idea! I’ll have to check that out. I’ve read a few, but it’s been years ago. Spenser… I’ve read them all! Actually my favorite Robert B Parker books were the Jesse Stone and then the Sunny Randall books. If you haven’t read them, I highly recommend them. The made-for-tv movies about Jesse Stone are pretty good (Tom Selleck as the main character). I think I tried to get into the Aubrey/Maturin series; but was just so-so on those. Those are characters in the Master and Commander series, right? Maybe I need to give them another go. Thanks for the suggestions! ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2019, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/52 "2019-01-10T20:30:06Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > The Virgil Flowers series by Sandford is still pretty good. The Dublin Trilogy (four books, actually), by Caimh McDonnell is entertaining. You might also look at the Joe Pickett series by C.J. Box, and of course the Longmire series by Craig Johnson (although the latest one got mixed reviews). The David Robicheaux series by James Lee Burke were good up until (IMO) they jumped the shark. And lastly, one of my favorites was the [James Brodie](https://www.amazon.com/Case-Histories-Novel-Jackson-Brodie-ebook/dp/B000SEI07S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1547142126&sr=8-3&keywords=kate+atkinson+books) four-book series by Kate Atkinson. I forgot about Longmire. I’ve really enjoyed those stories. It’s been a while since I read Craig Johnson; so I probably haven’t seen his last book. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for the suggestions on the others. I’ll definitely check them out. ---
**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 10, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/53 "2019-01-10T21:48:44Z")
Oh, I’m a fan of the Judge Dee mysteries, too. Finished \*The Daleth Effect \*by Harry Harrison, which wasn’t bad, although not his best work. Now I’m reading _Robert B. Parker’s Old Black Magic_ by Ace Atkins. I’m also a fan of Parker’s Spenser novels, and Ace Atkins is doing a pretty good job of continuing the series. If you like Westerns, Parker wrote those too (Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch), and Robert Knott is doing a good job continuing them. ---
**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 10, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/54 "2019-01-10T22:40:55Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > I would really like to find a book series that I can get into. If you’re up for more legal thriller stuff… Tyler Dilts’s **Long Beach Homicide** series: the first one, published in 2010, is called _[A King of Infinite Space](https://www.amazon.com/King-Infinite-Space-Beach-Homicide/dp/1935597094/)_. David Baldacci’s **Memory Man** series: the first one, from 2015, is called (appropriately) _[Memory Man](https://www.amazon.com/Memory-Man-David-Baldacci/dp/1455559806/)_. ---
**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 11, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/55 "2019-01-11T05:21:36Z")
> [@Enright3](#): > > Sherlock Holmes. Good Idea! I’ll have to check that out. I’ve read a few, but it’s been years ago… You’re in for a treat! I would suggest starting with the short stories “A Scandal in Bohemia,” “The Red-Headed League,” “The Blue Carbuncle,” “The Speckled Band” and “The Musgrave Ritual.” If you love 'em, next go for his best novel, \*The Hound of the Baskervilles. \* Enjoy! If you want more Holmesian suggestions, just PM me. ---
**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 11, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/56 "2019-01-11T12:51:05Z")
> [@Dendarii\_Dame](#): > > Oh, I’m a fan of the Judge Dee mysteries, too. > . Me three! I read a lot of gay fiction last year so I dunno if it’s up your alley or not, but The Snow & Winter books by CS Poe are good mysteries, there is m/m sex in them. ---
**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 11, 2019, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/57 "2019-01-11T13:52:18Z")
Started this morning on [The Shadows We Hide](https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-We-Hide-Allen-Eskens/dp/0316509787/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1547214571&sr=8-1-spons) by Allen Eskens. I was hoping to not like it because it’s due back at the library, but gosh darn it, it’s good. It’s about a reporter investigating the death of his father, who he never knew. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/58 "2019-01-11T14:53:44Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > If **Elendil’s Heir** can suggest older series, so can I: > > The **Horatio Hornblower** novels by C.S. Forester. I could never get into the Patrick O’Brian series of sea stories, but I found Forester’s irresistible. Eleven books plus “The Hornblower companion”. Ha, see the other post I just wrote. I couldn’t get into the Patrick O’Brian books either; so this might be a good choice for me. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > The **Judge Dee** mysteries written by Hans van Gulik. Djien-Djieh Dee was a real historical individual living in T’ang dynasty China. He was both judge and detective. Van Gulik first translated an 18th century novel about him, then wrote five new mysteries, using ideas from other Chinese stories. Then he wrote a series of other novels, creating a life story that was internally consistent and had surprising continued arcs in it. Since his death, a few other people hve written mysteries involving Dee, and there have been two Chinese movies featuring him (but making him into a martial arts expert, which he’s not in anyone’s books, although he is skilled with the sword.) Sounds good! I was worried they wouldn’t be available on Kindle, but there are several Dee books on Kindle, so I might be OK. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > The **Ed and Am Hunter** mysteries written by Fredric Brown, start with his Edgar-winning _The Fabulous Clipjoint_. Pretty hard to get, since he’s unfortunately been out of print for a couple of decades, but Brown’s mysteries, science fiction, and fantasy are definitely worth looking up. He once wrote a story in which the victim is the _reader_. Ha! Easy to get on Kindle. I just found The Fabulous Clipjoint on Amazon for $1.99. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2019, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/59 "2019-01-11T15:01:02Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Started this morning on [The Shadows We Hide](https://www.amazon.com/Shadows-We-Hide-Allen-Eskens/dp/0316509787/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1547214571&sr=8-1-spons) by Allen Eskens. I was hoping to not like it because it’s due back at the library, but gosh darn it, it’s good. It’s about a reporter investigating the death of his father, who he never knew. That same description perfectly fits Fredric Brown’s _The Fabulous Clipjoint_, which I mentioned above, especially the “who he never knew”, in this case in the sense that, although the character knew his father as somebody in his life, he never really knew his personality or much of his biography until he investigated his death. Also, Ed Hunter doesn’t start the book as a detective, but ends up as one. Highly recommended. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964/60 "2019-01-11T18:12:50Z")
Audible has a complete Sherlock Holmes for 1 credit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-january-2019-edition/826964.md?page=4)