# Whatcha Readin' August 2012 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 31, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986 "2012-07-31T19:52:05Z")\ **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:** [August 16, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/101 "2012-08-16T16:10:23Z")
Wiki’s article on it: [The Casual Vacancy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Casual_Vacancy) ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/102 "2012-08-16T16:18:25Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Wiki’s article on it: [The Casual Vacancy - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Casual_Vacancy) Sorry, I’m a little confused. I know what it is. I was just asking if **slm2955** got an ARC already. I wasn’t sure when they were going to go out, or if they were going out at all, since it’s not like Rowling needs pre-release buzz. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/103 "2012-08-16T16:34:14Z")
I believe security’s pretty tight to prevent leaks about the plot ahead of the official release - even some foreign translators are having to wait for the English language release before they can start to translate it. I’d guess **slm2955** works for the publisher and may have had to sign a non-disclosure agreement… ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/104 "2012-08-16T16:38:08Z")
That makes sense. I know there were some concerns about ARCs being pirated. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/105 "2012-08-16T19:43:04Z")
My quest to re-read the Little House on the Prairie books is over. I’m very happy I did it. There was a lot I didn’t remember, and I definitely think it’s enhancing my reading of The Wilder Life. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/106 "2012-08-16T19:45:00Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > You are in for a ride. I tore through the five books in about a week and a half. Great world building! I’ll second this - I got the Kindle version of the _**[Wool Omnibus Edition](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13453029-wool-omnibus-edition)**_ and tore thru it. There were a couple of :dubious: moments (one character escapes near death at least 3 times) but otherwise it was great. I’ve got the 6th book (apparently a prequel) on deck - after tackling a couple of library books: including a re-read of _[Needful Things](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/107291.Needful_Things)_ & Dan Simmons’ _[The Terror](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3974.The_Terror)_. Am still working my way thru L.A Meyer’s Bloody Jack series in audiobook form - am up to _**[Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6024712-rapture-of-the-deep)**_. Speaking of characters with multiple near-misses with death… 😃 Yes, the stories are more high adventure than historical fiction (and heavy on the fiction at that) - but I can see how they would spur interest in actual historical events/time periods (\*My Bonny Horseman \* piqued my interest in learning more about the Napoleonic wars, for example) ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/107 "2012-08-16T20:07:19Z")
I have finally jumped into The Tuesday Next novels. After all the recommendations in this forum, I figured what the hell, and picked up The Eyre Affair this weekend. I’m not sure why I shied away from them, I loved the Big Over Easy, The 4th Bear and Shades of Grey (not that one), but something about these books just never spoke to me. Boy, was I wrong. I’m about forty pages in, and I’m already hooked. Yay! New books! ---
**Author:** ![Rollo\_Tomasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58956e/32.png) [@Rollo\_Tomasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rollo_Tomasi)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/108 "2012-08-16T20:17:05Z")
I’m a huge Jasper Fforde fan, and the Thursday Next novels are my favorites. The perfect series for lit geeks. I still haven’t gotten around to _Shades of Grey_, even though it’s been sitting on my shelf for quite a while. ---
**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 16, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/109 "2012-08-16T20:26:21Z")
> [@Politzania](#): > > Am still working my way thru L.A Meyer’s Bloody Jack series in audiobook form - am up to _**[Rapture of the Deep: Being an Account of the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Soldier, Sailor, Mermaid, Spy](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6024712-rapture-of-the-deep)**_. Speaking of characters with multiple near-misses with death… 😃 Yes, the stories are more high adventure than historical fiction (and heavy on the fiction at that) - but I can see how they would spur interest in actual historical events/time periods (\*My Bonny Horseman \* piqued my interest in learning more about the Napoleonic wars, for example) Oh man…I might have to see if someone will buy me these for Christmas! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/110 "2012-08-16T20:52:49Z")
Finished _The Locator: The Knowland Retribution_ about a week ago. If you watched The Finder on fox, this is the book that it is loosely based on. I liked the Fox series and enjoyed the book. The series missed some of the book and added other bits of fun, and so I liked them both in different ways. I probably will read the second book (and so far the last) Life is interfering with reading, so I am not too far into my next 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:** [August 17, 2012, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/111 "2012-08-17T01:34:46Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > I have finally jumped into The Tuesday Next novels. After all the recommendations in this forum, I figured what the hell, and picked up The Eyre Affair this weekend… I have to say, I found it a bit twee and even smug. Glad you’re enjoying it, though. ---
**Author:** ![tellyworth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@tellyworth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tellyworth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/112 "2012-08-17T01:44:12Z")
> [@tellyworth](#): > > It wasn’t 5 minutes before I’d changed my mind about not reading past the TV series, so now I’m onto A Storm of Swords. Finished this, and enjoyed it. It ended at a good point to take a break, so this time I really will wait for the TV series to catch up. I started Ivanhoe last night, but I’m not sure yet if I’ll stick with it. ---
**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:** [August 17, 2012, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/113 "2012-08-17T02:10:26Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Next up in my Dreiser anthology: _Twelve Men_. Not a novel but rather a series of essays about men whom Dreiser knew and admired, ranging from his brother Paul to “Culhane, the Solid Man,” who was a sanitorium owner and former wrestler. Finished Theodore Dreiser’s _Twleve Men_. Pretty good for the most part, although a few of these guys I would not care to meet myself. And this finishes the Dreiser anthology. (My favorite Dreiser book remains, hands down, _An American Tragedy_.) Now I’m back to Michael Connelly, having started _The Last Coyote_. It’s my first read in the Harry Bosch novel but the fourth one in the series. I’ve seen an anthology in our library that may contain the earlier Bosch stories, but it was checked out when I finally went to get it. I think it’s not essential to read these in the exact order though. I read Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer series somewhat out of sequence, and that was okay. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/114 "2012-08-17T15:54:33Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I have to say, I found it a bit twee and even smug. Glad you’re enjoying it, though. Yeah, it’s pretty smug, but I’m okay with that. I haven’t seen too much “twee-ness” and I’m usually a zero tolerance twee-er, so I’ll keep my eyes open. I really like the way her father, the time traveler showed up asking questions about her timeline, just to be sure. I’d like to think I’d have to check in occasionally if that were my job. I have trouble keeping my one timeline straight sometimes. ---
**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:** [August 18, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/115 "2012-08-18T00:27:27Z")
Just finished _The Good Father_ by Noah Hawley, a rather dark novel about a rich, accomplished doctor whose life is upended when his estranged son, a 20-year-old drifter, shoots an Obamaesque presidential candidate at a rally. Or did he? The father tries to retrace his son’s steps in the months before the shooting, and come to terms both with his failings as a father and his son’s unknowable motivations. There’s also a disturbing subtext about political violence and assassinations in America. The book’s better than I thought it would be, with an odd but genuinely touching ending. ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/116 "2012-08-18T18:35:28Z")
I got in my head a few weeks ago to read some Hemingway, having not read anything of his since I had to read _The Old Man and the Sea_ in high school (and I didn’t care for it). Started with _A Farewell to Arms_ and didn’t really like it overall, but I appreciated it enough to continue with _The Sun Also Rises_. I liked that one a lot, then read _For Whom the Bell Tolls_, which blew me away. I’ll probably stop with Hemingway for a while, but I’m glad I read those three. ---
**Author:** ![Archergal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Archergal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archergal)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/117 "2012-08-18T19:00:41Z")
I’ve had a pretty good reading month so far. After thinking I didn’t like Neal Stephenson, I got totally immersed in **Anathem** and enjoyed it immensely. I re-read Jo Walton’s book **Farthing**. Before I read it, I planned to read the other two books in the series ( **Ha’penny** and **Half A Crown** , I think), but now I’m not sure I want to. The writing was fine. Plots where politics and society go into repressive states just make me really uncomfortable these days. :rolleyes: So instead I read **Walk Two Moons** by Sharon Creech. Wow. I was totally captivated by the narrative voice in this book. A lovely book. Just finished John Scalzi’s **Redshirts.** I’m definitely coming to understand I like Scalzi’s blogging better than I like his fiction. Can’t decide what to read next yet: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, Cloud Atlas, Neuromancer, or something else. An embarrassment of riches, I think. ---
**Author:** ![wonderlust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonderlust/32/7237_2.png) [@wonderlust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderlust)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/118 "2012-08-18T19:20:41Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That is a good book and very accurate. The vaginal dart shooting is spot on. I knew one girl who could nail a moving target every time without fail. Oddly, and as I’ve mentioned elsewhere on the Board, John Burdett’s names of places in Nana Plaza and Patpong are all real, but he makes up bar names for Soi Cowboy. Dunno why. All I can figure is he doesn’t want to make any waves there – I happen to know Burdett likes Soi Cowboy – but if I were a bar owner, I’d love a mention in his book. > > The other two books in the trilogy are worth a read, but this one is the best. There are actually 4 published books in the Bangkok Sonchai Jitpleecheep Series, and a fifth to be published in January – just in case you want to read more of them. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/119 "2012-08-18T22:48:56Z")
> [@Archergal](#): > > So instead I read **Walk Two Moons** by Sharon Creech. Wow. I was totally captivated by the narrative voice in this book. A lovely book. I’ve read one of hers – _Ruby Holler_. Your post reminded me of her so I went looking for the book, remembered that I gave it to a neighbor’s grandchild. Captivating, indeed. > [@](#): > > Can’t decide what to read next yet: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, Cloud Atlas, Neuromancer, or something else. An embarrassment of riches, I think. Loved _The Dog Stars_ – Heller was on the local public radio show this week. He’s an Iowa Writer’s Workshop graduate. I’ve had good luck with those writers. I’m almost finished with _Triburbia_ by Karl Taro Greenfield. New Yorkers, or more specifically Tribeca-ers, ruminating and whining and conniving. It’s very entertaining. The new one by Tim Egan is coming. It’s about the life of Edward Curtis, the photographer. Should be good. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986/120 "2012-08-18T22:52:51Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > …or switch to ping pong balls! > > 🙂 > > Anyway, I am reading **Thomas Becket: Warrior, Priest, Rebel** by John Guy. Its a really good repackaging of the former Archbishop of Canterbury’s life, upbringing and dalliances with Henry II. > > In the on-deck circle I’ve got **Unholy Night** by Seth Grahame-Smith of Abe Lincoln Vamp Hunter fame. Its a retelling of the birth of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of the Three Wise Men, whom are murdering, infamous thieves in this retelling, fleeing Herod’s prison and no doubt having wacky adventures with Jesus, Mary and Joseph in tow. > > I also have **Firebird** by Jack McDevitt, a sci-fi novel. I’ve never heard of this writer…is he any good? I have finished all three of these books and I wanted to go on ahead and recommend them all, particularly _Unholy Night_ (if you loved _Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer_ you will LOVE this) and _Firebird_. _Firebird_ was an awesome sci-fi novel. The Thomas Becket book was also very good, but as its non-fiction it doesn’t quite give the same “kick” as the fantastical nature of the other two books. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-august-2012-edition/629986.md?page=7)