# Khadaji's Whatcha Reading Thread--March 2019 edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465 "2019-03-03T03:38:42Z")\ **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:** [March 18, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/41 "2019-03-18T20:17:55Z")
Finished the tiger book, which was a bit of a slog at times. I’m now reading Michelle Obama’s autobiography. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2019, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/42 "2019-03-18T21:03:39Z")
I did not post in February’s thread (:eek:), because I was slammed at work all month. I did manage to do some reading in drips and drabs, though. When last I posted, I was winding down John Grisham’s _The Brethren_ (classic Grisham that I thoroughly enjoyed) and speculating that I’d most likely read Robert Galbraith’s/J.K. Rowling’s _[Lethal White](https://www.amazon.com/Lethal-White-Cormoran-Strike-Novel/dp/0316422770/)_ (book #4 in the Cormoran Strike series) next. I did: I started it on 2/2, and just finished it last night. I really enjoy that series, and this one was no exception. It was pretty long, though, so between that and being busy it took me over a month to read it! The Robin character is still \*way \*too weak and wishy-washy for my taste, but there are signs of improvement. I’m hoping there will be a #5. After spending some time re-familiarizing myself with the samples and new-to-me books that are on my Kindle, I decided to start David Baldacci’s _**[Long Road to Mercy](https://www.amazon.com/Long-Road-Mercy-Atlee-Thriller/dp/153876153X/)**_, which introduces a new character: FBI agent Atlee Pine, whose beat is the Grand Canyon. With luck I’ll finish the sample tonight; I expect to like it enough to buy the book and keep reading. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Finished _Dreamcatcher_, by Stephen King. I read that once, a looong time ago. Isn’t that the one with the ass weasels? ---
**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:** [March 18, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/43 "2019-03-18T21:16:00Z")
Finished _No Sunscreen for the Dead_, by Tim Dorsey, which I enjoyed. It’s the best one in the Serge series I’ve read in a few years. Now I’m reading _Of Mikes and Men_, by Jane Woodfin. It’s a memoir of her time working in radio in the 1930’s. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/44 "2019-03-18T22:24:24Z")
I read Kathryn Schulz’s _Being Wrong_ when it first came out a while back, and in a Trump era thought it might be worth reading again. It is! Especially the discussions about what happens in your own mind when you’ve realized you’re going down the wrong path, and why it’s so difficult to recognize your mistakes–and why it’s so difficult to convince other people of their own errors. I find the more philosophical parts (what did Plato have to say about error, etc.) less compelling, but overall I think it’s a terrific book. Most of the way through so far, and I don’t anticipate discovering that this viewpoint is incorrect 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/45 "2019-03-19T03:39:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > …I’m now reading Michelle Obama’s autobiography. I just finished it, and really enjoyed it. Bet you wish you were in this book club: [Michelle Obama surprises Shaker Heights church book club - cleveland.com](https://www.cleveland.com/shatter/2019/03/michelle-obama-surprises-shaker-heights-church-book-club.html) ---
**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:** [March 19, 2019, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/46 "2019-03-19T11:46:48Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > I read that once, a looong time ago. Isn’t that the one with the ass weasels? _Shit_ weasels, if you please. I hated hated hated _Dreamcatcher_ the first time I read it, but some time ago I forced myself to read it again, and hated it a little less. I finished Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s [I Remember You](https://www.amazon.com/I-Remember-You-Ghost-Story/dp/1250045622/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?crid=3LAU5BFZN5IIV&keywords=i+remember+you+yrsa+sigur%C3%B0ard%C3%B3ttir&qid=1552585135&s=gateway&sprefix=i+remember+you%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-1-fkmrnull) and really liked it. I read a lot of horror and supernatural stuff, but this one still gave me a few chills. It had great atmosphere. There were some dubious coincidences and moments where the characters did dumb things, but there were also things I didn’t see coming and all threads were tied up neatly at the end. I thought about it for hours after I finished it. Next I’m going to try [The Legacy](https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Thriller-Childrens-House/dp/1250136261/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1552995881&sr=1-3), a crime novel by the same author. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2019, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/47 "2019-03-24T04:35:54Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > As I said, it’s not as bad as I thought the first time I read it. It’s kind of hard for me to get past gross-out stuff like shit weasels unless a book has a lot more going for it. It’s been a while since I read it now, but I seem to remember there was a tedious chase-scene type of thing that went on far too long. I do love Mr. King, and like to have him tell me a story even if I don’t dig the story itself. > I’m glad it worked for you, **Sam**. Have you read all his stuff? No, but I have read quite a few, as detailed in these threads. That one is the second of three in a row, as detailed earlier. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/48 "2019-03-24T18:48:22Z")
I just finished [Empire of Sand](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39714124-empire-of-sand), an excellent fantasy set in a Mughal-Empire-Analog kingdom. At first I thought it was yer bog-standard princess-with-a-mean-daddy novel, but the further I got into it, the more I enjoyed it. Highly recommended! ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/49 "2019-03-24T20:17:19Z")
Just finished Ann Leckie’s [The Raven Tower](https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Tower-Ann-Leckie/dp/0316388696/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=raven+tower&qid=1553458353&s=gateway&sr=8-1). I haven’t read anything of hers I haven’t enjoyed, and this one was no different. Happy to report her fantasy is as good as her sci-fi, and once again, the world she creates is complex and just plain fun. I’m about halfway through [My Sister, the Serial Killer](https://www.amazon.com/My-Sister-Serial-Killer-Novel-ebook/dp/B079WNMQ4V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2V787I0TQ54XX&keywords=my+sister+the+serial+killer&qid=1553458460&s=digital-text&sprefix=my+sister+%2Caps%2C181&sr=1-1) and liking it so far. Funny and dark, and I like the Nigerian background. It’s a quick read; I picked it up yesterday morning, had a busy day, and even so am almost done. I’m trying to decide what’s next - part of me wants to read [Bad Blood](https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Blood-Secrets-Silicon-Startup-ebook/dp/B078VW3VM7/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=bad+blood&qid=1553458582&s=digital-text&sr=1-2), another part of me wants to read Michelle Obama’s book, but now that the Mueller report has landed, I’m thinking something upbeat and non-political might be in my best interest. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/50 "2019-03-24T20:55:21Z")
Thanks. Good to know about Leckie’s latest. I’ve been reading a set of earnest yet fairly badly written self-published accounts by people who have walked the Camino. Now back to _Holy Bones, Holy Dust: How Relics Shaped the History of Medieval Europe._ ---
**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:** [March 25, 2019, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/51 "2019-03-25T21:27:23Z")
Finished _John Dies at the End_ by David Wong, which is actually a science fiction/horror novel. It’s really good–reminded me a lot of the movie Army of Darkness. Next up: _Radio Flyer: 100 Years of America’s Little Red Wagon_, by Robert Pasin and Carlye Adler ---
**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:** [March 25, 2019, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/52 "2019-03-25T22:38:55Z")
I’ve been reading **The Glorious Heresies** by Lisa McInerney, it’s…okay I guess. Way to many characters for my taste and waaaaay to much exposition too. I like Ryan, I care about Careen and I’m sorta sad for Georgie, except she’s such a dishrag it’s easy to just shrug at her mess. On the way UPside, I started **In the Garden of Beasts** by Erik Larson today. I love his writing and even though the rise ofHitler is going to be emotional, I’m excited to read it. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/53 "2019-03-26T12:54:16Z")
So happy not to be reading sad sack SF anymore. After finishing **Empire of Sand** , I’ve moved on to [Spinning Silver](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36896898-spinning-silver), Naomi Novik’s ( **Temeraire** , **Uprooted** ) latest. It’s sort of a mashup of Rumpelstilskin, the Glass Mountain, Koschei the Deathless, and various other fairy tales, set in Tsarist Russia of maybe the 18th or 19th century. Beautifully written, complex story with three major protagonists. I’m enjoying the hell out of it and expect to see it come up in award season. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2019, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/54 "2019-03-26T12:57:19Z")
Just finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by NK Jemisin, and enjoyed it a lot. Very original, especially with the gods as main characters. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/55 "2019-03-26T14:53:57Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Just finished The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, by NK Jemisin, and enjoyed it a lot. Very original, especially with the gods as main characters. Oh, man–are you new to NK Jemisin, or have you read her other stuff? I flippin’ love her. If you’ve not read the Broken Earth Trilogy, it’s incredible–but devastating. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/56 "2019-03-26T15:04:41Z")
I’m about a quarter of the way in, and _Consider Phlebas_ is picking up. A bunch of space pirates is trying to rip off a doomed giant ringworld. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2019, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/57 "2019-03-26T15:11:27Z")
Finished _Radio Flyer: 100 Years of America’s Little Red Wagon_, by Robert Pasin and Carlye Adler. Fun stories about the history of the company, plus anecdotes people sent in. Now I’m reading _Merci Suarez Changes Gears_ by Meg Medina. It’s the latest winner of the Newbery. ---
**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:** [March 26, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/58 "2019-03-26T16:05:34Z")
I’m saving the Broken Earth Trilogy as a reward for some unspecified future need to reinforce a behavior. I love her! ---
**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:** [March 28, 2019, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/59 "2019-03-28T12:32:46Z")
Started today on Joe R. Lansdale’s [The Elephant of Surprise](https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Surprise-Hap-Leonard/dp/031647987X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BLK3PZLI204P&keywords=the+elephant+of+surprise&qid=1553776199&s=books&sprefix=the+elepahnt+of+%2Caps%2C136&sr=1-1), his latest Hap & Leonard novel. Implausible, action-packed, fast-paced and amusing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465/60 "2019-03-28T13:24:40Z")
I read [The Gift of Fear: Survival Signals that Protect Us from Violence](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56465.The_Gift_of_Fear) by Gavin de Becker years ago, but decided to re-read it on audio book. It’s the kind of book that’s worth re-reading, because it’s always nice to get a reminder of what you can do to keep yourself safe. I read [The Witch of Willow Hall](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37007910-the-witch-of-willow-hall) by Hester Fox, a historical fiction book with elements of romance, horror, the supernatural, and mystery. It’s referred to in reviews as a “Gothic mystery,” though I thought Gothic referred to an earlier time period than the 1800s so I’m not sure how that works. Anyways, the writer has a real gift with words, so much so that I found myself highlighting certain passages so I could go back and re-read them, just to appreciate them for their beauty. The story was good, too. I recommend the book. [Turtles All the Way Down](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35504431-turtles-all-the-way-down) by John Green is my fourth book by the author, and I’m beginning to suspect that if you like one John Green book, you’ll like them all. There’s definitely a similar narrative voice across all the books (brilliant and philosophical and poetic in an accessible way), and I love it. This wasn’t my favorite of Green’s books, because the main character has OCD and I don’t really enjoy reading those parts of the book, but I still enjoyed the book overall. My counselor recommended the book [Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27485.Mating_in_Captivity) by Esther Perel to me. Well, sort of. She recommended that I look into Esther Perel’s research, and said Perel had some TED talks out there, but I’m not a fan of TED talks because all their dramatic pauses and other public speaking mannerisms don’t appeal to me. I’d rather read what they have to say. Perel had some interesting points to make about eroticism and how settling into a marriage can make it harder to feel lively and sexual with one another. She’s a researcher, not a writer, and some parts of the book feel repetitious, but I do think I learned something from the book, so I’m glad I read it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/khadajis-whatcha-reading-thread-march-2019-edition/830465.md?page=4)