# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' thread - October 2014 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986 "2014-09-30T17:49:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**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:** [October 25, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/101 "2014-10-25T18:54:42Z")
> [@delphica](#): > > … I read John Waters’s _Carsick,_ which was okay but I didn’t realize that half of it was fictional short stories, and I’m not a huge fan of his fiction, so I skimmed, okay, I skipped, most of that. I’m much more interested in his personal observations (coupled with his endearingly crabby personality) so I liked the memoir section much more… Didja know he’s touring?: [A John Waters Christmas Tickets | Event Dates & Schedule | Ticketmaster](http://www.ticketmaster.com/A-John-Waters-Christmas-tickets/artist/1087407) ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/102 "2014-10-25T22:52:48Z")
It took me a bit over three years, but I’ve finally finished J.B. Bury’s “_[The Cambridge Medieval History](http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Medieval-History-volumes-1-5-ebook/dp/B004LDL9SO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414277087&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cambridge+medieval+history)_, Volumes 1-5”. “There are approximately 1,650,000 words in the e-book. In print, these books total approximately 5000 pages.” (from [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com)) Not that I read it straight through without interruption. I mostly read it in between reading other things. ---
**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:** [October 25, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/103 "2014-10-25T23:22:24Z")
So I’m reading **The Poet** by that master of twist endings Michael Connelly and I’m thinking “These are homicide detectives being tricked into committing suicide, do you think for ONE moment, they’d let just ANYONE get that near to them?” Obviously his characters have not read his novels 😃 I think I know the killer and it ain’t the poor schlub of a freak trotting through the plot. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2014, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/104 "2014-10-26T03:56:52Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > It took me a bit over three years, but I’ve finally finished J.B. Bury’s “_[The Cambridge Medieval History](http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Medieval-History-volumes-1-5-ebook/dp/B004LDL9SO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414277087&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cambridge+medieval+history)_, Volumes 1-5”. > > “There are approximately 1,650,000 words in the e-book. In print, these books total approximately 5000 pages.” (from [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com)) > > Not that I read it straight through without interruption. I mostly read it in between reading other things. Could you summarize it for us in a sentence or two, please? ---
**Author:** ![Enterprise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/76d3ee/32.png) [@Enterprise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enterprise)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/105 "2014-10-26T07:45:56Z")
I’m done with most of the things I started early in the month: Guerrieri’s _The first Four Notes_: it was more haphazard than I expected. I very much enjoyed the first sections on Beethoven’s composition of the Fifth Symphony, and there were interesting bits an pieces later on as well; but there were also large stretches were I felt that he was getting a bit too speculative for my tastes. For all that the Fifth Symphony is, it’s just music–it can’t hold (as was sometimes implied) some kind of philosophy outside of what people project on it. Bradbury’s _Something Wicked This Way Comes_: great read, very poetical, as I said, rather moving. Pynchon’s _Bleeding Edge_: I’m stilll on this, having moved around with my reading a little. It’s very Pychonesque, and quite entertaining, with lots of the typical quirkiness of ideas. Besides the Pynchon, I have David Harvey’s excellent _17 Contradictions and the End of Capitalism_ open, which, while fairly theoretical at times, also makes for a good and enlightening read. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/106 "2014-10-26T15:04:42Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Could you summarize it for us in a sentence or two, please? The Dark Ages weren’t really that Dark. ---
**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:** [October 26, 2014, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/107 "2014-10-26T15:09:47Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > The Dark Ages weren’t really that Dark. Can you say Medieval Industrial Revolution? One of my prime areas of study 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/108 "2014-10-26T19:23:30Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > Can you say Medieval Industrial Revolution? One of my prime areas of study 🙂 Alas, this work didn’t really cover any of that. It was mostly politics and religion. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/109 "2014-10-27T03:13:44Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > It took me a bit over three years, but I’ve finally finished J.B. Bury’s “_[The Cambridge Medieval History](http://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-Medieval-History-volumes-1-5-ebook/dp/B004LDL9SO/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414277087&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cambridge+medieval+history)_, Volumes 1-5”. > > “There are approximately 1,650,000 words in the e-book. In print, these books total approximately 5000 pages.” (from [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com)) > > Not that I read it straight through without interruption. I mostly read it in between reading other things. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Could you summarize it for us in a sentence or two, please? People were covered in shit. Then came the bubonic plague. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/110 "2014-10-27T04:31:19Z")
And the pointless wars. Mustn’t forget them. Just finished _The Year of Living Biblically_ by A.J. Jacobs and recommend it highly. Started Rob Kirkpatrick’s _1969: The Year Everything Changed_ today, and so far am underwhelmed. Some interesting topics but a flat writing style. Also resuming _The Children of Men_ by P.D. James. Very different from the movie but worthwhile, I’d say. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/111 "2014-10-27T15:12:19Z")
I finished _ **Mr. Mercedes** _ on Saturday morning (on Thursday when I posted that I was around 30-40% into it, I was actually more like 60% into it). I really enjoyed it. Instead of jumping right into another King story, though (I think _11/22/63_ will be next), I was inspired by **Eleanor of Aquitaine** to start reading _**[The Magicians](http://www.amazon.com/The-Magicians-Novel-Trilogy/dp/0452296293/)**_. I’m not very far into it yet – the semester has just started – but so far, so good. I do find that I keep getting slightly distracted by the Amercian setting: too much Harry Potter, I suppose, but I keep having to remind myself that the characters/locales aren’t English. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Also resuming _The Children of Men_ by P.D. James. Very different from the movie but worthwhile, I’d say. I read it before I saw the movie. I quite enjoyed the book, but P.D. James is my all-time-favorite author so I could have been somewhat biased. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/112 "2014-10-27T15:54:06Z")
I’m working my way through Henning Mankell’s Wallander series. Finished [**Faceless Killers**](http://amzn.com/B005MYTEJC), now reading [**The Dogs of Riga**](http://amzn.com/B00457X8BC) ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/113 "2014-10-27T16:45:20Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > …I read it before I saw the movie. I quite enjoyed the book, but P.D. James is my all-time-favorite author so I could have been somewhat biased. She has a cameo in the movie, I’ve read, but I wasn’t able to spot her. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/114 "2014-10-27T16:55:13Z")
I am still wading through the eighth Outlander book. I started it the day it came out, I just… I canna care about William, Lord John, or the American Revolution. I am skimming a _lot_. I read some spoilers about a week ago, so I now know how the book will end. Only the earnest belief that the ninth book, when it comes out, will be more in my vein of interests is keeping me going. I am 51% through. ---
**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:** [October 27, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/115 "2014-10-27T18:17:20Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > She has a cameo in the movie, I’ve read, but I wasn’t able to spot her. I hadn’t heard that! Now I’ll have to rent it some weekend. 🙂 ---
**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:** [October 28, 2014, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/116 "2014-10-28T00:39:06Z")
I’m three quarters of the way through **The Poet** by Michael Connelly and I’m beginning to suspect that he doesn’t like the FBI very much… and maybe women 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:** [October 28, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/117 "2014-10-28T00:55:54Z")
> [@LawMonkey](#): > > Today I read, from cover to cover, Steven Brust’s newest Vlad Taltos book, Hawk. A delightful romp, with all of the characters I’ve grown to love over the last twenty-plus years of reading this series, but a bit sad as well–we are clearly entering the endgame for this series, and it’s sad to think it’s going to end some day. Until then, though, I’ll read and love every installment (other than Athyra, which while important for the long plot, was hot garbage and the only one I’ve never returned to). Steve Brust is a guy who actually put the line “What foul sorcery is this?” into his novel (and the reply, “Pretty standard foul sorcery. Nothing special.”); I hope he never ever stops writing. I have enjoyed the Vlad books, although I didn’t care for the last one, \*Tiassa \*- maybe because it seemed to be a crossover with his other series, the Khaavren Romances, which I haven’t read yet. I like the way Brust experiments with the format of the books, such as the one where each chapter explains an item on his laundry list, and the one framed by the exquisite feast, which you shouldn’t read if you’re on a diet. > [@Sattua](#): > > I am still wading through the eighth Outlander book. I started it the day it came out, I just… I canna care about William, Lord John, or the American Revolution. I am skimming a _lot_. > > I read some spoilers about a week ago, so I now know how the book will end. Only the earnest belief that the ninth book, when it comes out, will be more in my vein of interests is keeping me going. I am 51% through. I thought the book got better in the second half. I’m completely in love with this series, and I like William and Lord John pretty well, but it did get tedious to watch all those characters milling around New England while the Revolutionary War goes on in the background. I read one of Barbara Hambly’s new Benjamin January mysteries, _Good Man Friday_, where January travels to Washington D.C. in 1838 and discovers that it’s even more uncomfortable and dangerous than New Orleans for a free man of color. The book has some cameos of contemporary statesmen, including John Quincy Adams, and depicts the beginnings of the American obsession with baseball. _When Will There Be Good News?_ is my new favorite of Kate Atkinson’s Jackson Brodie mysteries. The plot is not in the least bit believable, but the book is highly enjoyable and suspenseful anyway. It felt lighthearted somehow, despite an improbable concentration of tragedies. Right now I’m in the middle of _In the Heart of the Sea_, by Nathaniel Philbrick, which is currently being made into a movie directed by Ron Howard. It’s nonfiction about a whaling ship in 1820 which was capsized by a giant sperm whale out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, leaving 20 men stranded in three whaling boats. The whale attack was the inspiration for the finale of _Moby Dick_. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/118 "2014-10-28T01:27:53Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I read one of Barbara Hambly’s new Benjamin January mysteries, _Good Man Friday_, where January travels to Washington D.C. in 1838 and discovers that it’s even more uncomfortable and dangerous than New Orleans for a free man of color. The book has some cameos of contemporary statesmen, including John Quincy Adams, and depicts the beginnings of the American obsession with baseball. Have you read her Abigail Adams series? She writes under the name of Barbara hamilton and I love it. Abby is so wonderfully brought to life and I just adore the young British garrison lieutenant. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/119 "2014-10-28T01:39:08Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > Have you read her Abigail Adams series? She writes under the name of Barbara hamilton and I love it. Abby is so wonderfully brought to life and I just adore the young British garrison lieutenant. Not yet, but I have a copy of the first one and it’s on my list. I’m working my way through all of her stuff. I really like her vampire series, set just before WWI. ---
**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:** [October 28, 2014, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986/120 "2014-10-28T01:46:39Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > Not yet, but I have a copy of the first one and it’s on my list. I’m working my way through all of her stuff. I really like her vampire series, set just before WWI. Oh yes! A series where vampires are not gay, sparkly, emo, inclined to long winded storytelling, just predators 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-october-2014-edition/699986.md?page=7)