# Whatcha Readin' June 2012 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701 "2012-05-31T20:48:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [June 13, 2012, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/41 "2012-06-13T02:01:32Z")
Just finished rereading Robert A. Heinlein’s 1951 short story collection _The Green Hills of Earth_. Just as good as I remember it - the title story, about a singer-songwriter who becomes a (whitewashed) legend, and “The Long Watch,” about a thwarted military coup, are still favorites of mine. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/42 "2012-06-13T03:13:21Z")
My book o’ the month this month isAn Inordinate Fondness For Beetles (book choice inspired by some wild-looking bugs I saw on vacation). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/43 "2012-06-13T13:27:54Z")
Finished the first of the [**Tomorrow**](http://www.amazon.com/Tomorrow-When-War-Began-Series/dp/0439829100/) series this morning. It was good I suppose, but ultimately not very satisfying. Hopefully the next books will grip me more. I’ll start the [second book](http://www.amazon.com/The-Dead-Night-Tomorrow-Series/dp/0439829119/) tonight or tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/44 "2012-06-13T18:49:32Z")
Snagged the library Kindle version of _**[Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11737142-citizen-u-s-a)**_ by Alexandra Pelosi more or less on a whim, and was pleasantly surprised to get a fairly well-balanced look at (legal) immigration: why people go thru the process, what their expectations were, and what they like and dislike about their new homeland. Pelosi chose her interview subjects well; from Internet brides and refugees, to doctors and high-tech industry geeks, to those benefiting from Reagan’s 1982 amnesty. The questions were open-ended enough to let the interviewees share as much of their life story as they chose to: “What are you bringing to this country? What do Americans take for granted? What can you do in America that you couldn’t in your home country?” I expected a more liberal slant; but several of the immigrants interviewed were quite conservative and the overall tone of the book stayed relatively even-keeled, IMHO. The photos of the participants was a nice addition; tho the B&W screen of the Kindle wasn’t the best viewing option. Recommended to those interested in a (somewhat biased) outsider’s viewpoint on the USA. Just started William Gibson’s _[Zero History](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7745031-zero-history)_ and am beginning to wonder if I shouldn’t have jumped into the third part of the Blue Ant trilogy - I read _Pattern Recognition_ ages ago, & _Spook Country_ is on Mount ToBeRead - what says the Dope? Can ZH stand more or less on its own or should I (re)read the first 2 books first? ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/45 "2012-06-13T19:31:14Z")
Just finished reading [Gone Girl](http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Girl-Novel-Gillian-Flynn/dp/030758836X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339615817&sr=8-1&keywords=gone+girl) by Gillian Flynn and I thought it was an outstanding thriller. She’s 3 for 3 with me now (Sharp Objects, Dark Places were also excellent). ---
**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:** [June 13, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/46 "2012-06-13T20:06:49Z")
Still waiting on the Long Earth to drop, so I’m filling it up with Ted Chaings short stories and The Life Cycle of Software Objects. ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/47 "2012-06-13T20:28:17Z")
> [@charmstr](#): > > In June I’m planning on reading Kim Stanley Robinson’s newest, _[2312](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11830394-2312)_. There was a recent thread recently about Robinson here. I wrote a strongly-worded defense of him but then didn’t post it. At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of personal taste. At his best, there may not be a better writer of what we used to call hard SF, but his realistic (and flawed) characters, along with his unwillingness to paint things in black and white do buck the traditions of the genre. I just finished it. A surprisingly fast read (for a Robinson novel) and enjoyed it for the most part. The plot, such as it is, essentially serves as a means to introduce the reader to the solar system of the not-so-near nor not-so-distant future. I would have preferred more plot but the ride was still enjoyable and there are enough ideas/technologies thrown around that I hope that KSR revisits this future history sometime soon. ---
**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:** [June 13, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/48 "2012-06-13T23:10:17Z")
> [@charmstr](#): > > In June I’m planning on reading Kim Stanley Robinson’s newest, _[2312](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11830394-2312)_. There was a recent thread recently about Robinson here. I wrote a strongly-worded defense of him but then didn’t post it. At the end of the day, it’s all a matter of personal taste. At his best, there may not be a better writer of what we used to call hard SF, but his realistic (and flawed) characters, along with his unwillingness to paint things in black and white do buck the traditions of the genre. He mentioned at a Worldcon that his education was in English, not science. It impressed me that he does so much research in order to write science fiction. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/49 "2012-06-16T02:23:15Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Still reading the book that’s banned here in Thailand. Details after I finish it and it’s out of my possession. Finished it. _The King Never Smiles_, by Paul M. Handley. Best not to comment. It’s been returned to its owner and no longer in my possession. In fact, no one can prove I read it. No one can prove I was reading it under the noses of the Immigration officials in their office recently while waiting to have my visa transferred into my new passport. No one can prove a thing. I might be lying about this completely. Next up: _Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter_, by Seth Grahame-Smith. I’ve started seeing movie trailers for it, which reminded me of the good word on it I’ve seen in these threads. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/50 "2012-06-16T04:24:51Z")
I’m about halfway through _Once Upon a Secret_ by Mimi Alford, about the affair she had with JFK while she was a White House Press Office intern and college student, for about 1 1/2 years before he died. She was dazzled by his good looks and charisma, but keenly aware of the disparity between their ages and levels of power. He was nice to her almost without exception… but those exceptions were pretty bad. Interesting book, told with what seems to be a matter-of-fact, warts-and-all candor. ---
**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:** [June 17, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/51 "2012-06-17T15:59:17Z")
Just finished _Once Upon a Secret_, which would, I think, be worthwhile for anyone interested in the Presidency or JFK. The author concedes she was “a footnote to a footnote of history,” but tells her story well. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2012, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/52 "2012-06-18T14:16:35Z")
Finally finished _American Fantastic Tales : terror and the uncanny from Poe to the pulps_. It was all right if you like that sort of thing, and I do, but no standout stories\* and towards the end I was feeling it was a bit of a slog. Now I’m on to _The Best Horror of the Year (2011) Volume 4_, edited by Ellen Datlow. There is a Stephen King story I hadn’t read (The Little Green God of Agony), sensibly positioned right up front. I also enjoyed The Moraine very much, however, there is also a story I simply hated (Omphalos). Datlow is surely a better judge of horror than I am, but to me that story was just a pointless gross-out about incest. Wish I hadn’t bothered with that one. \*except for The Yellow Wallpaper, which I skipped because I’d read it already, but it’s a goodie. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/53 "2012-06-18T14:28:45Z")
So, I finished [The Dark and Hollow Places](http://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Places-Forest-Hands-Teeth/dp/0385738609/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340029029&sr=8-3&keywords=dead+tossed+waves), and it was OK. Not as good as the first, but probably on par with the second. The ending’s a little forced, but is as much as could be expected. Pretty by-the-numbers, though - it’s not a surprise and you pretty much know exactly how it’s going to turn out. Burned through [The Boy in the Striped Pajamas](http://www.amazon.com/The-Striped-Pajamas-John-Boyne/dp/0385751532/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340029156&sr=1-1&keywords=boy+striped+pajamas), and I really enjoyed it. The author uses some clever constructions that kind of obscure the truth about Bruno’s life and let you discover it bit by bit, and viewing the world through the lens of an innocent (naive, perhaps) 9-year-old boy works, IMO. He’s innocent and boyish, but never tiresome. A bit too wrapped up in himself, but then again, he’s a 9-year-old boy. The crushing sadness at the end of the book is hinted at, which makes it more powerful, I think. And then I started [The Book Thief](http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375842209/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340029493&sr=1-1&keywords=the+book+thief). I’m not that far into it, but this book has totally stolen me away. I’m just captivated - the language and imagery the author uses is just outstanding. It’s so beautifully told, I just can’t wait to see what’s next. I’m only 5ish chapters into it, and already it’s highly, highly recommended. Read this book. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/54 "2012-06-18T14:56:41Z")
I just read and very much enjoyed _China Mountain Zhang_, by Maureen F. McHugh. It’s a quiet, elegant science fiction novel set in a future where China has become the dominant world power. The book’s blurb tries to impress you with the futuristic setting, but it’s a strongly character-driven story. I’ve been reading _Moby-Dick_ for the past week. I’ve never read it before, or even seen any of the movies, so I have only the most general idea of the plot. The book is very good sometimes, and can be quite funny, but the author seems to have been determined to write about everything except the quest to find Moby Dick. Some of his didactic digressions I’m enjoying, but some I’m finding tedious. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/55 "2012-06-18T15:10:31Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > …I’ve been reading _Moby-Dick_ for the past week. I’ve never read it before, or even seen any of the movies, so I have only the most general idea of the plot. The book is very good sometimes, and can be quite funny, but the author seems to have been determined to write about everything except the quest to find Moby Dick. Some of his didactic digressions I’m enjoying, but some I’m finding tedious. I know someone who, in re-reading _Moby-Dick_, always just skips the tiresome chapters that focus on flensing, cooking, seamanship, etc. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2012, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/56 "2012-06-18T15:30:11Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I know someone who, in re-reading _Moby-Dick_, always just skips the tiresome chapters that focus on flensing, cooking, seamanship, etc. It would be easy to do. The book has 135 short chapters with descriptive names. It’s almost as if Melville wanted people to be able to skip to the good parts. ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/57 "2012-06-18T16:33:24Z")
I finished Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. I really liked it despite the fact that I saw a lot of Olive in myself and she wasn’t particularly likable. 😕 I’m now re-reading Gone With the Wind with my book club. We’re doing it as a summer project. It’s been since high school since I’ve read it, but I’m finding I remember it very well. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/58 "2012-06-18T19:41:11Z")
Finished _Shadow Blizzard_ the third and last in Chronicles of Siala. I said in the last review that I feared this would an open-ended series because I didn’t see how he could wrap it all up in the third book - and he did a pretty hurried job of it. He had a nice series going, but then seemed to force it all to finish in the third book. There was much left unexplored and unanswered. I don’t recommend the series based on the poor showing of the last book. ---
**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:** [June 18, 2012, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/59 "2012-06-18T23:03:27Z")
Professor Moriarty: The Hound of the d’Urbervilles, by Kim Newman. Great stuff. I love this line: “To Professor Moriarty, Irene Adler will always be _that bitch_.” ---
**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:** [June 21, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701/60 "2012-06-21T16:42:32Z")
Finished _Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter_, by Seth Grahame-Smith. Very good. I hope the film version is good too. Next up: _The Reversal_, by Michael Connelly, the latest in his Lincoln Lawyer series featuring LA attorney Mickey Haller. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-june-2012-edition/623701.md?page=4)