# Whatcha Readin' July 2011 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 30, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426 "2011-06-30T20:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/21 "2011-07-05T07:03:10Z")
I just finished **Founding Father** , by Richard Brookhiser, about…surprise! George Washington. A small book which I started a few months ago and put aside after my dear cat chewed the better part of the cover off. ---
**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 5, 2011, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/22 "2011-07-05T11:59:50Z")
I’m reading **Skippy Dies** by _Paul Murray_ and am thoroughly enjoying it ---
**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:** [July 5, 2011, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/23 "2011-07-05T12:19:18Z")
Just beginning _Flashman’s Lady_. It ought to get a lot better after he finishes describing this tedious game of cricket! ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/24 "2011-07-05T13:08:15Z")
_Twice Have the Trumpets Sounded_ - an acount of the second season of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival by Robertson Davies and Tyrone Guthrie. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/25 "2011-07-05T14:13:21Z")
> [@Future\_Londonite](#): > > I’m reading **Skippy Dies** by _Paul Murray_ and am thoroughly enjoying it I’m listening to this on audiobook right now. I’m enjoying it too and finding it marvelously bizarre. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/26 "2011-07-05T14:21:41Z")
I’m now midway through Robert Penn Warren’s “All the King’s Men.” Surprisingly, it was never required reading in any of my high school or college classes, and I’ve never seen either of the movie versions (though, knowing a bit about Huey Long, I can sort of see where the story is going). ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/27 "2011-07-05T14:26:14Z")
Just finished The _Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules our Lives_, by Leobard Mlodinow. Terrific and readable book about how different concepts in probability were developed over the centuries. The “randomness” turns out to be more encouraging than you might think – for one thing, you’ll be less inclined to think famous people are anything special after you read this book. And, it includes several well-explained, fun “paradoxes” (really, examples of how our brains have evolved to make certain kinds of mistakes). ---
**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:** [July 5, 2011, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/28 "2011-07-05T14:31:01Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I just finished _The Eyre Affair_ by Jasper Fforde, an odd but intriguing and occasionally very funny novel, set in an alternate universe, about an English literary detective taking on an over-the-top villain. The villain manages to actually enter the text of _Jane Eyre_ and threatens to take the title character hostage. I bought a copy of that book, but I had put it aside until I had a chance to actually read _Jane Eyre_ first. I’m looking forward to it now. > [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Just beginning _Flashman’s Lady_. It ought to get a lot better after he finishes describing this tedious game of cricket! That one has a lot of Elspeth in it! It’s kind of shocking to see Flashy actually concerned about the welfare of another human being. In honor of the holiday I watched the musical _1776_, and now I’m reading _American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson_, by Joseph J. Ellis. It’s good, but I’m wondering if I should have read a straight Jefferson biography first. Most of what I know about him has come from reading about John Adams. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/29 "2011-07-05T15:09:24Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > I’m finally reading [Pale Fire](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7805.Pale_Fire), by Nabokov and it’s six kinds of awesome. Laugh out loud at 2 a.m. and wake up Mr. Ko and the dog kind of awesome. Who knew? I just picked this up as well. Looking forward to starting it soon. In the meantime, I finished _A Game of Thrones_ last week and have moved on to _A Clash of Kings_. I’m loving the series so far. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/30 "2011-07-05T16:07:29Z")
Last night I started reading _Game Of Thrones_ (for the first time). ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/31 "2011-07-05T16:24:03Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > I’m finally reading [Pale Fire](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7805.Pale_Fire), by Nabokov and it’s six kinds of awesome. Laugh out loud at 2 a.m. and wake up Mr. Ko and the dog kind of awesome. Who knew? I’ve got this one, and will read it right after I finish “All the King’s Men.” ---
**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:** [July 6, 2011, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/32 "2011-07-06T03:38:02Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > I just finished **Founding Father** , by Richard Brookhiser, about…surprise! George Washington. A small book which I started a few months ago and put aside after my dear cat chewed the better part of the cover off. That’s a great book! Concise but well-researched and lively. May I also recommend: James Flexner, _Washington: The Indispensable Man_ - Also a great bio. Read this to see just why Washington was so vital to the cause of American independence, and then how he practically invented the Presidency. Garry Wills, _Cincinnatus_ - Examines Washington as a man shaped by, and who became an icon of, the Enlightenment. David McCullough, _1776_ - Follows Washington as a determined and inspirational military leader during the darkest days of the Revolution. Richard M. Ketchum, _Victory at Yorktown_ - Explores Washington’s greatest triumph, in the 1781 battle which virtually ended the war. Ron Chernow, _Alexander Hamilton_ - A magnificent, highly readable profile of the brilliant but deeply flawed man, a key Washington advisor, who did more than anyone else to lay the groundwork for generations of American prosperity. ---
**Author:** ![PeacePlease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/71c47a/32.png) [@PeacePlease](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeacePlease)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/33 "2011-07-06T06:57:32Z")
> [@Proudest\_Monkey](#): > > I’ve never enjoyed life on the cutting edge, so I am currently reading Margaret Atwood’s **The Handmaid’s Tale**. It was always on my list, but I never got around to it until now. In a similar (i.e. late to the party) vein, I have **Kidnapped** and \*\*The Count of Monte Cristo \*\* The Handmaids’ Tale is one of my favorite novels. And I simply adored The Count of Monte Christo. I picked it up during one of my “I must read all the classics that I never have” periods and was surprised just how must I enjoyed it. I generally struggle with a lot of the “classics”. > [@Shakester](#): > > [**The Poisoner’s Handbook** : Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York, by Deborah Blum.](http://www.amazon.com/Poisoners-Handbook-Murder-Forensic-Medicine/dp/B004Z8LM3M/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1) Wow, this sounds great. What do you think? Did/are you enjoy(ing) it? I’m currently unemployed and have been reading all those books that I’ve bought and never read over the years. Nothing particularly outstanding but several that I would not recommend! I had two Dorothy Dunnett novels and started but still can’t get into either. She’s just too dense, girthy for me, I guess. I have, however, re-read most of my Gary Jennings and Margaret George novels for my historical fiction fix. Just finished a novel called **Ahab’s Wife** that was quite the struggle to get through…usually I would just give up but out of boredom… I’m about to start **The Unbearable Lightness of Being**. Don’t know a thing about it! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/34 "2011-07-06T20:30:53Z")
Finished \*Black Wings. \*Madeline Black guides dead souls to the door (think Reaper from Dead Like Me, only not exactly.) But it turns out she is more and is soon embroiled in a fight with demons and other foul creatures. It was light and quick moving and I will read the next in the series. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/35 "2011-07-06T20:32:55Z")
I’m re-reading Stephen King’s _Dark Tower_ series. I’m about halfway through _The Waste Lands_, the third book in the series. I think this is my third time through the whole series, but I think I’ve read _The Gunslinger_ four or five times now. Every time I read it it makes a little more sense. The first time I read _The Gunslinger_ I was scratching my head and asking myself “What the hell did I just read?” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/36 "2011-07-06T21:38:27Z")
Forgot to add: also finished _Web of Lies (Elemental Assassin, Book 2)_. This is the second in the Gin Blanco assassin series. It too was a light and quick read and I will keep reading the series. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/37 "2011-07-06T23:31:29Z")
I finally decided to pick up George R. R. Martin’s **Game of Thrones**. I’m a little more than halfway through it, and I think I have a new “go to” author, but have heard horror stories about how long it takes him to complete a novel. At least I’m able to enjoy the ones he’s already written while he writes the next one. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/38 "2011-07-07T01:53:11Z")
> [@PeacePlease](#): > > Wow, this sounds great. What do you think? Did/are you enjoy(ing) it? Yes. It’s well written and the subject matter is interesting. It seems episodic when you start but settles down into a narrative before too long. The featured reviews on the Amazon page are pretty accurate I’d say. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/39 "2011-07-07T02:05:01Z")
I’ve just finished **A Treasury of American Folklore** and am now reading a stack of _Nero Wolfe_ novels. After that I’ve got a box full of books to read, including **a Game of THrones** that waas given to me as a gift, and Henry Kuttner’s **Mutant** , a fix-up of his “Baldy” short stories. ---
**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:** [July 7, 2011, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426/40 "2011-07-07T03:19:32Z")
Also just started _The Help_ by Kathryn Stockett, which is OK so far. I tend not to like books about the South during the Civil Rights era because they’re usually so cliched and obvious (yes, I know that racism is bad and that black people were often treated very poorly), but I’ll keep at this for at least a little while longer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-july-2011-edition/587426.md?page=3)