# Whatcha Readin' August 09 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858 "2009-07-31T10:39:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/1 "2009-07-31T10:39:04Z")
It is nearly Football season! Hooray! I’m reading Dean Koontz’s 3rd installment in his Frankenstein trilogy. It had a lot of promise in the first book, but the second seemed like filler to me and did not further the plot much. After several years the last is finally out and I’m happy to finally get to read it. We’ll see how good it is… [Link to July thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=522871) ---
**Author:** ![Future\_Londonite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9dc877/32.png) [@Future\_Londonite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Future_Londonite)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/2 "2009-07-31T11:30:52Z")
A making my way through **Cloud Atlas** by David Mitchell - must admit that I’m liking it thus far. To follow are 2 books by Iain Banks… ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/3 "2009-07-31T13:44:32Z")
I’ll finish _Best Served Cold_ (fantasy) by Joe Abercrombie today. Next up will be something from the John Morressy stack (SF). _Best Served Cold_ is set in the same world as his First Law trilogy, with new characters, and brief glimpses or mentions of a few from First Law. It’s about a mercenary (a woman). She’s betrayed at the start of the book and sets out for vengeance. There is a **lot** of killing, small scale and large. Unless Abercrombie does something weird to end the book, I’d recommend it. His writing gets better with each book, and this one had some much-needed humor – it didn’t balance all the bloodletting but it helped. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/4 "2009-07-31T14:29:31Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I’m reading Dean Koontz’s 3rd installment in his Frankenstein trilogy. It had a lot of promise in the first book, but the second seemed like filler to me and did not further the plot much. After several years the last is finally out and I’m happy to finally get to read it. We’ll see how good it is… I’m reading Dean Koontz’s **Relentless** right now (after laying aside **Why We Suck** and **The Darwin Awards 5** ) and it might get the hook as well. I’m halfway through and I’m constantly shaking my head over the identity of the killer: A socioppathic literary critic with unlimited resources, near-omnipotence and the ability to travel like a ghost. It’s stupidly ridiculous and the reviewers have said it has no ending. Maybe I’ll plow through and hope for the best… ---
**Author:** ![partlycloudy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/partlycloudy/32/3114_2.png) [@partlycloudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/partlycloudy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/5 "2009-07-31T14:29:47Z")
I’m reading “Miles from Nowhere: A Round the World Bicycle Adventure” by Barbara Savage. Really loving it so far! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/6 "2009-07-31T15:00:09Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I’m reading Dean Koontz’s **Relentless** right now (after laying aside **Why We Suck** and **The Darwin Awards 5** ) and it might get the hook as well. > > I’m halfway through and I’m constantly shaking my head over the identity of the killer: A socioppathic literary critic with unlimited resources, near-omnipotence and the ability to travel like a ghost. It’s stupidly ridiculous and the reviewers have said it has no ending. Maybe I’ll plow through and hope for the best… Wow. Sounds pretty bad. I’m a fan of Mr. Koontz, but I will admit that his books are somewhat formulaic and after a while even redundant. However, the first in the Frankenstein trilogy had some real promise and I think overall I will be glad I read this - but the second was such a let down. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/7 "2009-07-31T15:10:01Z")
**A Confederacy of Dunces** - just started yesterday, and it reads like butter. My audio book right now is **The Age of Innocence**. So far not grabbing me. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/8 "2009-07-31T15:10:12Z")
I’m reading [Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_an_Ugly_Stepsister), a tale of Cinderella through her stepsister’s eyes. I really like it so far. I didn’t know there was a tv movie of it made until just now when I looked it up- I’ll need to watch that when I’m done. ---
**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:** [July 31, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/9 "2009-07-31T16:12:38Z")
Just started _The Time Traveler’s Wife_, by Audrey Niffenegger. Very good so far. ---
**Author:** ![Nom\_de\_Plume](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/85f322/32.png) [@Nom\_de\_Plume](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nom_de_Plume)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/10 "2009-07-31T16:35:36Z")
I’m reading _In Defense of Food_ by Michael Pollan. Very enjoyable book, but it’s definitely going to make me change my eating habits (Darn you Michael Pollan!!) ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/11 "2009-07-31T20:45:29Z")
The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories - H .P. Lovecraft Gonna see what all the fuss is about… ---
**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:** [August 2, 2009, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/12 "2009-08-02T03:08:18Z")
I just finished Jim Butcher’s Turn Coat…one of the best yet. Then I zipped through Backup (the novella from Thomas’ POV). Meh…but at least it had Bob. 🙂 Next up: Food, Inc., how industrial food is making us sicker, fatter, and poorer, by Karl Weber. **Nom de Plume** , I know how you feel. It’s always interesting to read about food, but sometimes it’s hard to eat afterward! ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/13 "2009-08-02T14:48:28Z")
Yesterday I read **Making Money** by Terry Pratchett (I am a new Discworld reader, btw.) Day before that I read **Lamentation** by Ken Scholes, an excellent fantasy-ish novel. It’s really more about political deal-making and scheming than about swords and orcs. In fact, there are no orcs or other supernatural creatures in the book. There are some strange mechanical “creatures” tho. Today I’m hoping to get thru **The Steel Remains** by Richard K. Morgan (again). Really enjoyed it in January; I hope it’s as much fun the 2nd time around. After that I have **Wizard’s First Rule** by Terry Goodkind (again), for the same reason as TSR above. Also have Leonard Susskind’s **The Cosmic Landscape** for this week, along with **Against The Tide Of Years** and **On the Oceans of Eternity** by S. M. Stirling, so that I can get back to the books that take place 22 years after The Change (I read **The Sunrise Lands** this spring, with no idea that it was a “sequel” of sorts; I like when happy accidents like this happen :)) That should get me thru the week. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/14 "2009-08-02T15:32:38Z")
I’m a few chapters into **A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam** by Karen Armstrong. So far, I love it and I’m learning a lot. The concept of “God” has evidently been a fairly fluid one throughout history, which is fascinating. Need to hit the library soon, though, this is the last of my new books. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/15 "2009-08-02T16:47:56Z")
_The Last Unicorn_ by Peter S. Beagle. Very nice. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/16 "2009-08-02T17:13:01Z")
For those reading the last part of Dean Koontz’s **Frankenstein** series, I hope it’s better than **Relentless**. I just finished it and it’s not good… [spoiler]It’s not just a lone sociopathic literary critic. It is an entire army of nutballs that are actually a black book organization within the US government. Tasked with brutally murdering writers and painters whose work has a sense of whimsy and joy. Uh-huh. That stretches my willing suspension of disbelief just a tad too far. In the world of Relentless, how was it explained when every few months a famous writer would go nuts and toture their family to death before offing themselves?[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/17 "2009-08-02T20:52:35Z")
_The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet_ by Reif Larsen. This is an awesome illustrated story about a 12 year old with a scientific mind who travels by train from Montana to the Smithsonian. That doesn’t do it justice, though. Some of the reviews criticize the voice for not being true to the 12 year old protagonist, but to me the wise beyond those years observations are the best part. Although the protagonist is 12, this is not a kids’ book. I think this is one a lot of Dopers would enjoy. ---
**Author:** ![Zjestika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/8edcca/32.png) [@Zjestika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zjestika)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/18 "2009-08-02T22:58:23Z")
> [@Nom\_de\_Plume](#): > > I’m reading _In Defense of Food_ by Michael Pollan. Very enjoyable book, but it’s definitely going to make me change my eating habits (Darn you Michael Pollan!!) On the same note I’m reading [The End of Overeating](http://www.amazon.com/End-Overeating-Insatiable-American-Appetite/dp/1605297852/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249253691&sr=8-1) by David Kessler and it’s really grossing me out. I never want to eat at a chain restaurant again. Or eat any sort of snack food or chips. I probably _will_ do both things, but not without thinking about that book. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2009, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/19 "2009-08-02T23:27:48Z")
I have finished Koontz’s third book in his Frankenstein series. I give the series a C+ overall. It was a new look at an old tale and for that I give it high marks. The finish did not live up to the premise. Koontz seemed to have lost interest part way through and just banged out the rest of the story - adding many chapters that seemed only to be filler. IMO he had about 1 1/3 worth of books crammed into 3. I am not sure that I would say to start the series if you have not already, but if you have done so I do say it is worth finishing. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858/20 "2009-08-03T01:01:00Z")
1848 by Michael Rapport It’s a history of the revolutions that swept Europe in that year. Very interesting. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-09-edition/504858.md?page=2)