# Whatcha readin', November edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2006, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861 "2006-11-10T14:00:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 4
**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:** [November 13, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/61 "2006-11-13T19:26:40Z")
I’ve been reading a lot of older SF and fantasy, having completed Kurd Lasswitz’ **Two Planets** and Esther Friesner’s **Up the Wall** , and now a third of the way through **The Rediscovery of Man** , NESFA’s collection of the complete short fiction of Cordwainer Smith. I’m also reading **The Rocket Pioneers** , a book undeservedly tossed out by the local library, with lots of info on rocketry in the 19th and 20th century. In the Queue I’ve got more Friesner and a random stack of other books. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/62 "2006-11-13T19:36:10Z")
My current bedtime book is _The Decameron_. I’m up to day…four? The day when they all tell depressing love stories. I recently decided on the specifics for my thesis topic, so I’m ramping up on the Puerto Rican/Nuyorican books. Right now I’m in the middle of the beginning of _América’s Dream_ by Esmeralda Santiago. I had to put it down for a while because América’s abusive jerk of a boyfriend just beat the snot out of her and took her daughter. :mad: In my Series reading, I’m working my way through _Chapter House Dune_ and hoping that they’ll explain the axolotl tanks more than vaguely. 😕 Yesterday I curled up with _The Vampire Lestat_ for an afternoon and relived the days when Anne Rice could write. ---
**Author:** ![tarragon918](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d26b3c/32.png) [@tarragon918](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tarragon918)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/63 "2006-11-14T00:14:27Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] I’d recommend starting the Richard Jury books by Grimes in order. _The Man with the Load of Mischief_ is the first one. The books are what I would consider “cozy” mysteries. I’m not familiar with a book of novellas. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the tip, **jsgoddess**. The novellas books is _The Train Now Departing_, and is just two novellas; they’re not mysteries in any way, except maybe mysteries of the characters. I’m also reading _Forrest Gump_, which I didn’t know that the movie was based on a novel; it’s pretty funny reading! It’s a wonder I don’t get the books I’m reading all mixed up, though, especially when I’ve got more than two or three going at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/64 "2006-11-14T01:31:25Z")
[QUOTE=Dung Beetle] The life and times of the thunderbolt kid : a memoir by Bill Bryson. I know there isn’t much need to plug a Bryson book around here, since there are so many fans already, but just in case: Get this book. Read it now. Go, go, go! This is a very funny book about his childhood in the fifties. The writing reminds me a lot of Dave Barry, and gosh darn it, the fifties were just adorable. I’ll be sorry to finish this one. [/QUOTE] I’ve had this book for about a week, purchased at the last minute while checking out at Borders. I started to read it based on your comment above. OH my God!!! I just got to the toity jar part and truely have tears running down my face. And hear I thought my 50’s childhood was weird. 🆒 sinjin ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/65 "2006-11-14T02:07:51Z")
hear–\>here Duh ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/66 "2006-11-14T05:07:04Z")
I just finished five of the original Tom Swift books that my father-in-law kept for ages and gave to me. Racist, of course, and a bit spotty. The last one, from the 30s. has Tom sponsoring a bloodless revolution in a South American country to get some wood. It then goes bad and Tom goes “oh, well.” Now I know where American foreign policy came from. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/67 "2006-11-14T05:21:30Z")
I am out of American books right now, so I am reduced to rereading W.T. Sherman’s Memoirs. He writes real good. That and some Spanish textbooks. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/68 "2006-11-14T05:22:39Z")
_Whiskey Sour_, by J.A. Konrath; _Mortal Prey_, by John Sandford; _Life’s Little Pleasures_, by George Hamilton and Alysse Minkoff (yes, _that_ George Hamilton); _Hef’s Little Black Book_, by Hugh M. Hefner and Bill Zehme; _A Guy’s Guide to Being a Man’s Man_, by Frank (“Go home and get your shinebox!”) Vincent; and _Running With Scissors: A Memoir_, by Augusten Burroughs. ---
**Author:** ![manx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@manx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manx)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/69 "2006-11-14T11:32:30Z")
Just finished _Ghostwritten_ by David Mitchell. I read _Black Swan Green_ a few months ago, and really enjoyed it - disappointed to see it not make the cut for the Booker shortlist (although I’ve recently finished _Inheritance of Loss_ and would really reccommend that) and I’ve got _Cloud Atlas_ on order - I’ve been hearing really good things about it for a while now. I’ve been on a bit of a Jenette Winterson kick for a couple of months now - loved _The Passion_ and _Lighthousekeeping_ but found myself unmoved by _Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit_, which was a shame because I’d heard that was her best. Halfway through _Art and Lies_: half the time I love it, and the other half I’m slightly worried that I’m missing the entire point. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/70 "2006-11-14T15:33:48Z")
Three-quarters done _Housekeeping_, by Marilynne Robinson. I just read _Gilead_ and loved it. This one’s beautifully written, haunting, and I like it, but don’t love it. I read both because of Nick Hornby’s recommendation in _Housekeeping Vs. the Dirt_. I’ve also nearly finished a book of her essays titled _The Death of Adam_, which is really good. I just re-read Laurie Colwin’s _More Home Cooking_, which is one of my favourite food essay/cookbooks. I started _Memories of My Melancholy Whores_- Gabriel Garcia Marquez- last night, but I couldn’t get into it. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/71 "2006-11-14T15:38:46Z")
Sirotas -Hostile Takeover Palast -Armed Madhouse ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2006, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861/72 "2006-11-26T13:37:40Z")
Just read something that was a hoot and a half: [\*My Dirty Little Book of Stolen Time](http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Little-Book-Stolen-Time/dp/1596911883/sr=8-1/qid=1164547735/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5768910-6964606?ie=UTF8&s=books)\* by Liz Jensen. It’s narrated by a prostitute from Copenhagen in 1897, who ends up time-traveling to 21st-centruy London. If you take your time-travel seriously, stay away – but this is a funny sci-fi/romance, really well done, by an author who loves to play with language. It’s eminently Doperific. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-november-edition/379861.md?page=3)