# Whatcha Readin' Oct 09 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2009, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095 "2009-09-30T12:43:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/21 "2009-10-01T17:21:36Z")
I accidentally read half of **Juliet, Naked** last night, Nick Hornby’s latest. It’s good! TOO good… I am trying to read slowly and savour it, as it isn’t particularly long, and it just flows so easily. Not finished yet! Hornby is so familiar with the slightly-too-enthusiastic music fan, and can write them into great believeable characters. I also picked up the new Niffenegger, she of Time Traveler’s Wife fame, called **Her Fearful Symmetry**. Just dipped into the first chapters, but so far it feels a little twee and maybe overresearched. You know how some authors have to cram every fact they learned into the exposition? A bit like that. The scene in Highgate Cemetary gives step-by-step instructions on how to get to the specific mausoleum, which just feels unneccesarily detailed. **The Merchandise** , are you going to finish the Sabriel books? There are actually four, and I’d heartily recommend them all - although the fourth, **Across the Wall** , is cute but not a must-read for me. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/22 "2009-10-01T17:35:34Z")
I had no idea there was a 4th Sabriel. I’ll have too look for it now. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/23 "2009-10-01T18:34:53Z")
**araminty** , I will finish the _Sabriel_ series, but not right away. I’m happy the first book felt so complete and wrapped up… the only thing I was really left wondering about was the fate of the cats. **Khadaji** , I’m happy to report that Sandman Slim has the same feel as Green’s “Nightside” series, but Kadrey is a better writer than Green. (As much as I guiltily enjoy John Taylor’s adventures, the writing is pretty wretched at times. Also: how many times per book does he actually announce “I am John Taylor”? Dude, we get it.) ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/24 "2009-10-01T18:40:34Z")
Moved on to _Stonehenge: A complete History and Archeology of the Worlds Most Enigmatic Stone Circle_ by Aubrey Burl. It’s about how in ancient times, 'undreds of years before 'istry, there was a strange race of people: da druids… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/25 "2009-10-01T18:44:18Z")
> [@TheMerchandise](#): > > **araminty** , I will finish the _Sabriel_ series, but not right away. I’m happy the first book felt so complete and wrapped up… the only thing I was really left wondering about was the fate of the cats. > > **Khadaji** , I’m happy to report that Sandman Slim has the same feel as Green’s “Nightside” series, but Kadrey is a better writer than Green. (As much as I guiltily enjoy John Taylor’s adventures, the writing is pretty wretched at times. Also: how many times per book does he actually announce “I am John Taylor”? Dude, we get it.) I still read his stuff, but Green is really a mediocre writer IMO. I would buy Sandman Slim myself, especially now with this feedback, but I like to give Mom something to buy for me for Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![Hrududu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Hrududu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hrududu)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/26 "2009-10-01T20:38:35Z")
I’ve just finished When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro. I thought it was wonderfully written but at times quite frustrating. Once I settled into the fact that the narrator was unreliable I enjoyed it more. But a lot of times I still wished he’d shed a little more light on a couple of minor events. Which I suppose, was exactly what he was going for. ---
**Author:** ![regginbrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@regginbrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/regginbrow)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/27 "2009-10-01T20:52:58Z")
Anybody reading _Dracula_ for the continuation of [Infinite Summer](http://infinitesummer.org/dracula/) in honor of Halloween? I’d consider it but I’ve already read it. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/28 "2009-10-01T21:16:46Z")
> [@TheMerchandise](#): > > **araminty** , I will finish the _Sabriel_ series, but not right away. I’m happy the first book felt so complete and wrapped up… the only thing I was really left wondering about was the fate of the cats. Pleased to hear it! A word of caution, the next two books, **Lirael** and **Abhorsen** are much more like one book in two volumes – make sure you have the third book on hand as you finish the second. ---
**Author:** ![Chum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@Chum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chum)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2009, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/29 "2009-10-01T21:41:39Z")
I’m reading and really enjoying Morton Thompson’s _Not as a Stranger_ on **Poor Yorick** ’s implicit recommendation in [this recent thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=532511). ---
**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:** [October 2, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/30 "2009-10-02T00:41:36Z")
I’m poring over Peter F Hamilton’s _Fallen Dragon_. It’s pretty damn good sci-fi. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/31 "2009-10-02T03:47:11Z")
What I’m reading right now: _Sag Harbor_ by Colson Whitehead _White Sands, Red Menace_ by Ellen Klages _Inventing Niagara: Beauty, Power and Lies_ by Ginger Strand And I managed to do some reading in September, but was terrible about checking in with the Sept. thread. _All Other Nights_ by Dara Horn, novel set during the Civil War, a Jewish soldier in the union army is recruited to serve as a spy in Confederate Jewish society. I liked this a lot, although what is keeping me from loving it is too much cutesy quirkiness, it feels forced. _The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets_ by Eva Rice who I think is Tim Rice’s daughter. Anyway, it’s a novel set in 1950s London, and it’s very readable and girly and romantic. I enjoyed it, but I already know I like 1950s-esque romantic girly novels. Despite its page-turning qualities, overall it made me want to read the classics that it’s referencing. _The Highest Tide_ by Jim Lynch, which was shelved in YA at my library, but I think it’s really intended for adults even though it’s a coming of age story. A young boy living in the Pacific Northwest starts discovering unusual marine life in the tidal flats near his house. This was really nice and contemplative, although not a lot of action. It’s especially good for people who love beaches and the ocean and marine biology. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2009, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/32 "2009-10-02T07:42:10Z")
Popping in to say I’m still reading through the new _Lonely Planet Vietnam_ guide, in preparation for our coming journey. ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/33 "2009-10-02T07:59:51Z")
I’m working my way through the [Song of Ice and Fire](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_of_ice_and_fire) series. It’s pretty decent. I’m maybe halfway through book two. It reminds me a LOT of Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth” novels - cast of hundreds, medieval political intrigue, etc. I’m enjoying the series, though it can get a bit hard to follow all of the characters. I do like how though it is a “fantasy” series, fantastical elements are very sparse. It’s more like (at least as far as I’ve read) a medieval political novel (think War of the Roses) with a few fantasy elements suggested at. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2009, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/34 "2009-10-02T12:35:10Z")
Finished Losing my Religion, by William Lobdell. I had posted earlier that it wasn’t grabbing me, but it got better. I wished I could get my Mom to read it. However, in the end I decided to just let her be. Then I read The Man who Folded Himself, by David Gerrold. It’s about time travel. I was over halfway through by the time I realized I’d read it before, but it was still pretty good so I went ahead and finished it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/35 "2009-10-02T12:45:16Z")
Finished _Velocity_ by Dean Koontz a couple days ago. About to start _The Good Guy_, also by Koontz, and I also got _The Depths of Time_ by Roger McBride Allen from the library yesterday. I’ve never heard of the book or the author before, but the [awesome cover](http://www.amazon.com/Depths-Time-Roger-Macbride-Allen/dp/0553574973/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254487231&sr=1-1) attracted me and the description drew me in. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2009, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/36 "2009-10-02T13:10:44Z")
> [@yanceylebeef](#): > > I just picked up Robert Olen Butler’s [Hell](http://www.amazon.com/Hell-Robert-Olen-Butler/dp/0802119018/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254339081&sr=8-1), the third book in the Avery Cates Saga [The Eternal Prison](http://www.amazon.com/Eternal-Prison-Avery-Cates/dp/031602211X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254339129&sr=1-1) and the latest by Ian Banks [Transition](http://www.amazon.com/Transition-Iain-M-Banks/dp/0316071986/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254339186&sr=1-1). > It’s going to be a good month! Of course all this goes on hold as soon as Unseen Academicals from Pterry arrives on Tuesday! Good month indeed! ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/37 "2009-10-02T15:22:12Z")
After hearing so much about it, I’m reading _The Omnivore’s Dilemma_. It’s a good-ish book, but at the same time, I’m not a huge fan of the author’s writing style. I’m also reading _The Sugar Queen_ by Sarah Addison again - it reminds me a lot of Isabel Allende’s _The House of the Spirits_, one of my all-time favorites. Another read is _The Curious Incident of the Dog in Night-time_, which has been a fun read. In addition, I’m reading _Bloodfever_ by Karen Moning. I’ve been so pleasantly surprised by this series so far. Normally, if I’m going to read genre fiction it’s romance. I tend to need a little bit of an escape given all the reading I do for work (generally, the equivalent of 3 or 4 newspapers a day, plus our media clippings, plus whatever legislation I’m tracking and whatever I’m editing). However, this particular series, which I think is classified under romance, really should be classified under fantasy. It has had no sex so far (actually, no romantic relationships) and is all action. Normally I hate books about faeries - I generally think they’re boring and formulaic. But this author really does a good job making them interesting. I think it’s because most of the faeries are evil and grotesque, like something you’d find in the movie _Alien_. It’s awesome. And the story line is more complicated than I was expecting. Unless it goes steeply downhill, I plan to read the whole series. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/38 "2009-10-02T16:01:58Z")
I’ve been re-reading Raymond Chandler. I’ve finished _The Big Sleep_ a few days ago, finished \*_Farewell, My Lovely_ last night, and about to start _The High Window_. I’ve also been reading aloud to my wife, R L Stevenson’s _Treasure Island_. We finished last night, so I guess that counts for October, and we’re going to a play version tonight… so finished the read-aloud just in time! ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/39 "2009-10-02T16:05:06Z")
Finishing up _In Conquest Born_ by C. S. Friedman. Interesting book, decent read. Got a trip coming up, so I picked up _The Company_ by K. J. Parker, and _The Outlaw Bible of American Essays_ by Alan Kaufman for the flight out. I’ll pick something for the flight back while I’m there. **wonderlust** _War for the Oaks_ is probably my favorite book of that type, as well as my favorite view of Minneapolis. Helped with homesickness when I was in Omaha. **overlyverbose** , you find faerie fiction _more_ formulaic than romance? I’m genuinely curious, my understanding is that romance has requirements like X has to happen by page 30, unless you do Y, which allows you to go up to page 100 before X. (I can’t recall what X was, and my notes from that discussion are at home). ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095/40 "2009-10-02T16:18:37Z")
Just finished _The Killings of Stanley Ketchel_ by James Carlos Blake last night. A terrific novel loosely based on the life and times of the middleweight champion of the early 1900s. Last week I read _Pandemonium_, by Daryl Gregory; a fantastic tale of an alternative America where people are randomly possessed by outside personalities popularly known as “demons” (although they are _not_ the hellish minions of Satan from Christian mythology). Usually the “demons” leave after a while, but in one man’s case he carries the intruder into his adulthood. Easily one of the best reads I’ve had this year. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-09-edition/512095.md?page=3)