# Whatcha Readin' Nov 2012 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457 "2012-10-31T17:20:53Z")\ **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:** [October 31, 2012, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/1 "2012-10-31T17:20:53Z")
Happy Halloween all. I hope you all weathered the storm well. Thanksgiving is nearly upon us and soon after that Christmas! Where has the year gone? I am in the middle of _Bleak History_ by John Shirley and so far really liking it. Last Months [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=667209). ---
**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:** [October 31, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/2 "2012-10-31T22:50:19Z")
NaNo starts at midnight as well 🙂 Time to dive into **The Inventor and the Tycoon** tomorrow. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/3 "2012-11-01T03:28:49Z")
Wow, it’s not even November over here yet. But I’m about halfway through _The Concrete Blonde_, the third and final entry in a Michael Connelly anthology of the first three of his Detective Harry Bosch series. Enjoying it like all the others. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2012, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/4 "2012-11-01T03:35:47Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Wow, it’s not even November over here yet. D’oh! :smack: Forgot to flip the calendar. It’s November 1 here. :o ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/5 "2012-11-01T03:42:59Z")
**Unveiled: The Hidden Lives of Nuns** by Cheryl L. Reed. Fascinating, insightful, thoughtful look at members of various orders of American nuns. I am not Catholic but I’ve enjoyed reading about the lives of some very radical and quite modern women. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/6 "2012-11-01T19:05:10Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > D’oh! :smack: Forgot to flip the calendar. It’s November 1 here. :o Yeah, but I always start these a day early anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/7 "2012-11-01T19:56:47Z")
Listening to the audiobook of _**[Deathless](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8694389-deathless)**_ by Catherynne M. Valente and oh my, but it is good! It’s a retelling of a Russian folk tale (featuring Koschei the Deathless) set in the Stalin-era Soviet Union. The language is gorgeous and the juxtaposition of fairy tale elements with the Glorious Revolution is fascinating; for example a dragon said to dine on bones is now a bureaucrat “dining” on the files of political prisoners. ---
**Author:** ![Politzania](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ab097/32.png) [@Politzania](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Politzania)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/8 "2012-11-01T20:02:32Z")
( missed the 5 min editing window) On a related note, devoured Mark Millar’s _**[Superman: Red Son](http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/154798.Superman)**_ graphic novel. What if Kal-El had landed in the Ukraine in the 1940’s, instead of Kansas? What if Lex Luthor becomes the “good guy”, at least as far as the US is concerned? For a child of the 80’s Cold War - this was a fascinating twist on a semi-familiar story. I loved the way Millar brought in a couple of other DC superheroes and the artwork is very powerful as well. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/9 "2012-11-01T21:07:53Z")
Currently reading a fascinating book by Ernesto Dalgas, a young philosopher and mental patient who killed himself in 1899. _Very_ strange stuff, but pretty sweet so far, kinda like a mix between Dante and Weininger. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2012, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/10 "2012-11-01T21:46:53Z")
I just read “Penpal” bay Dathan Auerbach. Very good short book that was perfect for halloween night!! ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/11 "2012-11-02T16:49:55Z")
Moving from one Pulitzer Prize winner to another, after finishing Founding Brothers I’m now starting The Beak of the Finch by Jonathan Weiner. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/12 "2012-11-02T16:57:35Z")
I’m about 1/2 way through _What I Found at Hoole_ by **Jeffrey E. Barlough**. It’s the 7th and probably last of his [Western Lights](http://www.westernlightsbooks.com/news.html) series. it’s been great fun reading the series over the past 13 years! ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/13 "2012-11-02T20:34:14Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > I’m about 1/2 way through _What I Found at Hoole_ by **Jeffrey E. Barlough**. It’s the 7th and probably last of his [Western Lights](http://www.westernlightsbooks.com/news.html) series. it’s been great fun reading the series over the past 13 years! I’ve never heard of it. It’s SF, I see, but what’s it like? ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/14 "2012-11-02T20:37:42Z")
_The Signal and the Noise_ by Nate Silver. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/15 "2012-11-03T00:06:14Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’ve never heard of it. It’s SF, I see, but what’s it like? It’s much more fantasy than sf, despite being arguably an alternate history. It’s set in a Dickensian sort of background, with characters and often language to match. Outside the towns and villages though, strange creatures from the ice age roam, or are harnessed up as draught animals or mastodon freight trains, etc. There’s also various Lovecraftian threats, ghosts, ancient Etruscan mysteries or dreamlands encountered in each of the various books! They all have a common background but there’s little overlap in specifics of setting or characters so they could be read in any order, but I’d suggest starting with any of the first three (published by Ace) or maybe Anchorwick (#5). The pacing is quite slow and the language tends to slow you down as well. [All the covers](http://www.flickr.com/photos/17270214@N05/8139035761/in/photostream/) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/16 "2012-11-03T00:13:31Z")
Thanks, Meurglys! I dig Dickensian anything so I’m there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2012, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/17 "2012-11-03T11:18:07Z")
Expect lots of inns with roaring fires, ales and rich food, sea fog and lawyers! And, because it’s set in a version of the Pacific North West, dank forests and wild beasts! ---
**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:** [November 3, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/18 "2012-11-03T11:47:42Z")
Finished **Mongoliad - Book 2** and I must say that I’m throroughly enjoying this series. Followed that up with **A wild sheep chase** by _Haruki Murakami_ which, for me, is one of his books I enjoyed most reading. Am currently reading **Quarantine** by _Jim Crace_ ---
**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:** [November 3, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/19 "2012-11-03T19:15:35Z")
I just finished Stephan King’s **11/22/63**. I gave up on King after Tommyknockers, which I thought was shite, and over the years tried a couple more of his books without much success. I figured the guy was just out of material. But I have to say that this book was pretty much a fine and satisfying yarn. I hope it’s an indication of what may come. ---
**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:** [November 3, 2012, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457/20 "2012-11-03T19:19:14Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I just finished Stephan King’s **11/22/63**. I gave up on King after Tommyknockers, which I thought was shite, and over the years tried a couple more of his books without much success. I figured the guy was just out of material. But I have to say that this book was pretty much a fine and satisfying yarn. I hope it’s an indication of what may come. That’s nice to know, I, too, haven’t read anything since Tommyknockers which was utter garbage. _No insult to Shirley Manson_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-nov-2012-edition/639457.md?page=2)