# Khadaji's Whatcha Readin' thread -- September 2017 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116 "2017-08-30T18:22:28Z")\ **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:** [September 11, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/41 "2017-09-11T19:54:02Z")
About 2/3 of the way through the latest “Longmire” book. If you’re looking for a good series to read, Craig Johnson’s Longmire books are entertaining and well-written for the most part. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/42 "2017-09-11T22:18:57Z")
> [@](#): > > =Left Hand of Dorkness;20471393]On Saturday, on a camping trip, I finally finished reading **Castle Hangnail** to my daughters, based on a recommendation here ( **jsgoddess**?) Thank you for the recommendation–it was excellent! More than a touch of Pratchett without being derivative, my wife would often snort with laughter as she listened in on the reading, and there were times I had to stop my own giggling in order to continue. YAY! It’s honestly one of my favorites in the last few years. Ursula Vernon is a fabulous writer. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/43 "2017-09-11T22:47:17Z")
I finished _I am not a serial killer_ by Dan Wells. Can’t say I particularly enjoyed it, the characters were pretty unilaterally unlikeable and the twist was bullshit. ---
**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:** [September 11, 2017, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/44 "2017-09-11T23:11:13Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > YAY! It’s honestly one of my favorites in the last few years. Ursula Vernon is a fabulous writer. Your recommendation? Awesome–thanks again! Have you read her Dragonbreath series? Our local library branch doesn’t have it, and I’m wondering whether it’s worth reserving. Meanwhile, I just got a new book for read-aloud. The author is a complete unknown to me, but the book looks to be a hoot: [The Inquisitor’s Tale](http://www.adamgidwitz.com/books/inquisitors-tale/), or, The Three Magical Children and their Holy Dog. I’ll let y’all know whether it’s good. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2017, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/45 "2017-09-11T23:21:00Z")
I’m about 220 pages into a 765-page book on parking policy. Donald Shoup, _The High Cost of Free Parking_. It’s fascinating. ---
**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:** [September 12, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/46 "2017-09-12T01:50:03Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Your recommendation? Awesome–thanks again! Have you read her Dragonbreath series? Our local library branch doesn’t have it, and I’m wondering whether it’s worth reserving. I believe both I and **jsgoddess** have read and recommended it. I gallantly share the credit. I’ve not read her Dragonsbreath books. I have read a few of her short pieces and her humour is very much the same. [Other fiction by T. Kingfisher aka Ursula Vernon.](http://tkingfisher.com/?page_id=86) I don’t know your child so you might want to check them out first. She got her second Hugo, this year, for _The Tomato Thief_ ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/47 "2017-09-12T05:21:50Z")
I am enjoying the hell out of **The Joys of Yiddish** , first published in 1968 and written by Leo Rosten. I went to nearly-98 percent Jewish schools, so many of the terms were quite familiar, but there were plenty more to learn, and Rosten included proverbs and brief parables–better call them jokes–to illustrate his points. Highly recommended. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/48 "2017-09-12T13:50:08Z")
Close to nothing. _Tapping Hitler’s Generals_, too many transcripts and not enough commentary. More “document” than “book.” ---
**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:** [September 12, 2017, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/49 "2017-09-12T22:16:51Z")
Finished McCullough’s _The Johnstown Flood_. Good stuff, but it ended on a discouraging note - the tycoons (including Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick) who owned the dam which broke didn’t pay a penny to compensate for the 2,000-some lives lost and the millions of damage done. At a Christian friend’s urging, I tried Robert Henderson’s _Operating in the Courts of Heaven_, but gave up after 50 pages. Henderson takes bits and pieces of the Bible to argue that we need to pray as if we’re in court opposite Satan the prosecutor, with Jesus as our lawyer and God on the seat of judgment. Didn’t convince me, to say the least. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Finished _Washington: A Life_, by Ron Chernow. Excellent. Reading this and his _Alexander Hamilton_ close together has given me some good insights into the period. And both books mention Dr. Samuel Bard of New York, a possible ancestor or distant relative of mine. My paternal grandmother’s maiden name was Bard, and she came from the Albany area… Glad you liked the book, and that’s a cool family connection! > [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](#): > > Close to nothing. _Tapping Hitler’s Generals_, too many transcripts and not enough commentary. More “document” than “book.” Have a look at post 62 and thereafter in this thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572326&page=2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=572326&page=2) ---
**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:** [September 13, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/50 "2017-09-13T00:05:17Z")
Finished Rachel Swaby’s _Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science–and the World_. Even though I’d heard of most of the women in the book, it was still interesting and I learned some new things. When I was a kid I really enjoyed reading books like this, with short biographies of important women who’d changed the world. Started _1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus_, by Charles C. Mann. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2017, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/51 "2017-09-13T15:23:05Z")
> [@DZedNConfused](#): > > On with the reading, might as well get a few books wrapped while sitting out the storm. I thought so too, but there was always too much to do. I haven’t picked up a book in days. (We’re fine, thanks for the good wishes!) If I _did_ pick up a book, I’m midway through [Overdressed: the shockingly high cost of cheap fashion](https://www.amazon.com/Overdressed-Shockingly-High-Cheap-Fashion/dp/1591846544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505316032&sr=8-1&keywords=overdressed+the+shockingly+high+cost+of+cheap+fashion). Mildly interesting but unlikely to change my life. ---
**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:** [September 13, 2017, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/52 "2017-09-13T15:36:16Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > At a Christian friend’s urging, I tried Robert Henderson’s _Operating in the Courts of Heaven_, but gave up after 50 pages. Henderson takes bits and pieces of the Bible to argue that we need to pray as if we’re in court opposite Satan the prosecutor, with Jesus as our lawyer and God on the seat of judgment. Didn’t convince me, to say the least. So…in my prayers, I should say the bare minimum, and then only at the prompting of Satan or Jesus; I should volunteer nothing; and if something I might mention in prayer is incriminating, I should keep mum about 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:** [September 13, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/53 "2017-09-13T15:41:34Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I thought so too, but there was always too much to do. I haven’t picked up a book in days. (We’re fine, thanks for the good wishes!) Oh good to hear. I have family near Tampa and friends scattered across the South. It’s been stressful waiting for everyone to check in. So 10 for 10 on everyone safe and sound. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/54 "2017-09-15T13:02:33Z")
Finished _Dead Men’s Money_ by J.S. Fletcher, a plot-driven potboiler about murder and false identity that was no better than it needed to be - bubble gum for the mind. Currently on audiobook I am doing the May 1930 edition of the _Astounding Stories_ pulp magazine. It has a novel called _Murder Madness_ by Murray Leinster, who I always enjoy. Again, nothing profound, but just for fun. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/55 "2017-09-15T13:32:52Z")
The 1950 Lord Dunsany novel THE STRANGE JOURNEYS OF COLONEL POLDERS came back into print a couple years ago, and I snagged a six-dollar copy at the Strand the other day. A stodgy British colonel opposes his club’s election of an Indian immigrant, the Pundit Sinadryana. The two of them have an argument over the concept of transmigration of souls, and the officer accepts the pundit’s challenge of proof. Through burnt powders and chanting, Polders is sent through a succession of lives of the “lesser animals,” including a pet cocker spaniel in London, a swallow, a worm, a pig, a fox…passing from one form to another as each animal dies. The concept looks a little goofy even for a fantasy novel, but Dunsany is THAT DAMN GOOD. If you’ve ever wondered why your dog stops to sniff at any particular thing on a walk, or how much yardage a fish earns per tail-flip, or how a fox can unerringly find his way through the woods to the henhouse, this book may be your best chance to satisfy your curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/56 "2017-09-15T14:26:57Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > I thought so too, but there was always too much to do. I haven’t picked up a book in days. (We’re fine, thanks for the good wishes!) > > If I _did_ pick up a book, I’m midway through [Overdressed: the shockingly high cost of cheap fashion](https://www.amazon.com/Overdressed-Shockingly-High-Cheap-Fashion/dp/1591846544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505316032&sr=8-1&keywords=overdressed+the+shockingly+high+cost+of+cheap+fashion). Mildly interesting but unlikely to change my life. I read this last month and enjoyed the heck out of it. I don’t know how much it will change my life, but it has me thinking. Unfortunately, all clothes are now made overseas. If I want a white t-shirt, it’s unlikely I will find one made in the U.S. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2017, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/57 "2017-09-15T14:57:54Z")
> [@peedin](#): > > I read this last month and enjoyed the heck out of it. I don’t know how much it will change my life, but it has me thinking. Unfortunately, all clothes are now made overseas. If I want a white t-shirt, it’s unlikely I will find one made in the U.S. I had to drop it. It was just too depressing, and I already know there are no good affordable clothes out there for me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/58 "2017-09-15T18:30:21Z")
Just finished the new Longmire book, **The Western Star** , which was fun but came apart at the end. Just started Louise Penny’s new book, **Glass Houses** , which is like a letter from a friend. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/59 "2017-09-15T19:32:26Z")
I’m currently rereading Connie Willis’s To Say Nothing of the Dog, which is still amusing. I’ll jump on the looking forward to Lockwood & Co bandwagon, and I’ll also mention that Ann Leckie’s new book, [Provenance](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XW6YTKV/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505503823&sr=1-1&keywords=ann+leckie), comes out later this month. Leckie is the author of Ancillary Justice and its sequels, which I really enjoyed. ---
**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:** [September 15, 2017, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116/60 "2017-09-15T19:52:42Z")
Just started an audiobook of Scott Turow’s _Testimony_, about a well-heeled Kindle County lawyer who, after his divorce and a bit of a midlife crisis, decides to accept an appointment as a prosecutor for the International Criminal Court in The Hague. He’s soon investigating an alleged massacre of Romani (Gypsies) in Bosnia in 2004. Pretty good so far. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-readin-thread-september-2017-edition/795116.md?page=4)