# Whatcha Readin' Oct 2010 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2010, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591 "2010-09-30T12:16:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**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 20, 2010, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/81 "2010-10-20T03:43:59Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > At the end; I don’t recall that anything interrupted the narrative. That’s rather disappointing. I always liked flipping back to the end notes when I was at the passage a specific end note dealt with. It enhanced the story remarkably. That may just be too disruptive in an audio book though, dunno. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > I love love love it! Probably my favorite historical novel _ever_. I’ve recommended it many times over the years here on the Dope (so much that I’m afraid people may be sick of hearing about it). It’s got war, diplomacy, sex, social commentary, court intrigue, exploration, adventure, poetry, human sacrifice, politics, more sex, and even a heartbreaking romance. You really see the Aztec Empire in all its glory, sophisticated but more than a little gory, from its absolute pinnacle to its utter ruin. Fantastic book. I first read it in high school and seem to reread it every decade or so, always enjoying it all over again. I’m closing in on the end of Dan Brown’s _The Lost Symbol_. But I was at the library yesterday, and based on your sterling recommendation I looked for _Aztec_. They had it! Just in hardcover, but I checked it out. There was another novel by same author, Gary Jennings, called _The Journeyer_. About Marco Polo. Do you know if that one’s any good also? ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/82 "2010-10-20T04:24:31Z")
I finished Bryson’s _At Home_ last week on my business trip. Check the relevant thread for more info, I thought it was enjoyable but unfocused and not his best. My boss - who doesn’t read as much as I do - had been gushing over [Diary of a Wimpy Kid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid) enough that he actually bought the phsyical book (a rarity for him), then lent it to me unsolicited (double secret plus rarity). I read it in about 1.5 hours. Definitely fun and cute. I smiled most of the time. There’s some good light humor in there. Here’s the crazy part that told me he really loved the book - he was talking about going to the bookstore and reading the sequels, one at a time, half an hour at a time. I asked him, “So, you really loved the first one? And you don’t want to support the author?” He actually bought the second book on this guilt trip. This is incredible. He’s legendarily cheap, for him to “buy” a book means he is completely hooked. 😃 ---
**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 20, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/83 "2010-10-20T13:15:46Z")
Just starting on a YA novel, _Ostrich Boys_ by Keith Gray. It’s about three teenage boys who steal a friend’s cremains and take them on a trip. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/84 "2010-10-20T17:17:13Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Just starting on a YA novel, _Ostrich Boys_ by Keith Gray. It’s about three teenage boys who steal a friend’s cremains and take them on a trip. I liked that one a lot. I just wonder how much it appeals to actual Y’s. ---
**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 20, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/85 "2010-10-20T18:02:18Z")
**bup** , I actually decided to read it when I saw it on your Goodreads list _checks_ wow! Back in March! I guess that’s how long it took me to get it from the library, renew it, renew it again, and now it’s at the top of my TBR pile because the library seriously wants me to give it back. I’m always trying to stay half a step ahead of the Library Policeman. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/86 "2010-10-21T00:07:23Z")
Finished _The Spirit Thief_ a very fun book. I haven’t enjoyed a first book in a series this much since _The Name Of The Wind_ and although I can’t say why, it kind of reminded me of that. Eli Monpress is the greatest thief in the world - and also a wizard. For reasons unknown (but revealed in the next book) he is \*actively \*trying to increase his bounty. He travels with a swordsman and a demonseed. The book starts when the steal a king. Wizards in his world can speak to spirits - and everything, including rocks, doors, chairs, etc. has a spirit. The magic was original, the plot was fresh and I have already pre-ordered the next two. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/87 "2010-10-21T13:54:42Z")
Finished _The Last Light Of The Sun_ buy Guy Gavriel Kay. I did not enjoy it as much as the last one I reviewed by him. Indeed, I started it, stopped and picked it up again. Almost put it down for good half way through, but it finally caught me at just past half way. Set in an alternate earth, in the time of Vikings. Kay always weaves a complex tale and does well to invoke strong emotions when I read him. I had said last time that I had forgotten what a joy it is to read a complex book - and this one reminded me what a chore it can be too, if you aren’t caught up in it. I will read Kay again, but I think I will limit him to once a year. ---
**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 21, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/88 "2010-10-21T14:11:37Z")
Just got Surface Detail by Banks. I’ll be in my bunk, reading. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/89 "2010-10-21T16:04:27Z")
I’m reading Oath by Michael Jecks, its the latest in a series that is about a medievil knight who solves murder mysteries. Although it was originally totally a murder mystery series it has lately become more of a historical story with a murder thrown in. The books are meticulously researched and extremely authentic and set in the time of the civil war between Isabella and Edward the second… I.M.O. Jecks started to drift off track in the previous couple of books when one of the central characters became increasingly vulnerable and helpless to the machinations of the bad guy. It may be true to life but makes depressing reading. Jecks is now back on track and this book is an excellent(and mystifying) read . Totally recommend it and can’t wait to finish it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2010, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/90 "2010-10-21T18:42:09Z")
Finished _Demon Hunts_ by C. E. Murphy, 5th in her Walker Papers series. I enjoy the series and this was a good solid addition to it. Walker keeps growing in her powers and as a character. I will continue to read the series. As an aside, I can’t remember reading book 4, but when I read the synopsis, it seems like I did. This is very troubling. Maybe I read it during one of my recoveries. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/91 "2010-10-21T19:42:46Z")
Finished Scott Turow’s _Ultimate Punishment_ and really enjoyed it. Anyone interested in the death penalty should read it. Just started Jonathan Lethem’s _Gun, with Occasional Music_ for my book club. It’s described as “Philip K. Dick meets Raymond Chandler,” and kinda reads that way so far. I also picked up Christopher Farnsworth’s _Blood Oath_ at the library. It’s about a vampire bound by Creole voodoo magic in 1867 (in a ceremony involving the bullet which killed Lincoln, no less) to serve and protect the President, and the new smartass handler he’s just been assigned by the White House in the present day. Surprisingly good stuff. > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > …I’m closing in on the end of Dan Brown’s _The Lost Symbol_. But I was at the library yesterday, and based on your sterling recommendation I looked for _Aztec_. They had it! Just in hardcover, but I checked it out. There was another novel by same author, Gary Jennings, called _The Journeyer_. About Marco Polo. Do you know if that one’s any good also? Hope you love _Aztec_ as much as I do! It’s the only Jennings book I’ve read. I see the Amazon reviews for _The Journeyer_ are pretty good ([Amazon.com: The Journeyer: 9780765323491: Jennings, Gary: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Journeyer-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765323494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287690094&sr=1-1)). He wrote another book about life in a traveling circus in the early 1900s, and another about a swordsman in the Middle Ages, IIRC, but I know nothing about them. There are some _Aztec_ sequels, BTW, which you should steer clear of. ---
**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 22, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/92 "2010-10-22T01:49:38Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Hope you love _Aztec_ as much as I do! It’s the only Jennings book I’ve read. I see the Amazon reviews for _The Journeyer_ are pretty good ([Amazon.com: The Journeyer: 9780765323491: Jennings, Gary: Books](http://www.amazon.com/Journeyer-Gary-Jennings/dp/0765323494/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287690094&sr=1-1)). He wrote another book about life in a traveling circus in the early 1900s, and another about a swordsman in the Middle Ages, IIRC, but I know nothing about them. > > There are some _Aztec_ sequels, BTW, which you should steer clear of. Thanks for the comments and advice. (Are the _Aztec_ sequels by Jennings too, or some copycat?) I should finish Dan Brown’s _The Lost Symbol_ this weekend and will then start _Aztec_. (Maybe actually having visited Aztec pyramids wil help my enjoyment? :D) If it’s anywhere near as good as you and everyone else says, I’m sure I’ll check out _The Journeyer_, too. It looks like these are the only two books by Gary Jennings that our library carries. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/93 "2010-10-22T12:58:52Z")
> [@GameHat](#): > > I finished Bryson’s _At Home_ last week on my business trip. Check the relevant thread for more info, I thought it was enjoyable but unfocused and not his best. > > My boss - who doesn’t read as much as I do - had been gushing over [Diary of a Wimpy Kid](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diary_of_a_Wimpy_Kid) enough that he actually bought the phsyical book (a rarity for him), then lent it to me unsolicited (double secret plus rarity). Cheese touch! ---
**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:** [October 22, 2010, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/94 "2010-10-22T13:10:39Z")
My used bookstore had a couple of the sequels, but they didn’t have \*Aztec \* itself so I ordered it. I’ll probably read it next month - first I have to finish my re-read of Connie Willis’s \*Blackout \*and then read _All Clear_, and then I have the shiny new Vorkosigan book to read. ---
**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 22, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/95 "2010-10-22T13:36:09Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Just starting on a YA novel, _Ostrich Boys_ by Keith Gray. It’s about three teenage boys who steal a friend’s cremains and take them on a trip. Finished already. It was a good quick read. My only complaint is that I wish it had gone on a chapter or two further. Currently I am very happy with Mucho Mojo, by Joe R. Lansdale. I think I’ll try to get three or four more Hap & Leonards before I go travelling in a couple of weeks. ---
**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:** [October 22, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/96 "2010-10-22T16:17:40Z")
Jennings wrote _Aztec Autumn_ and _Aztec Blood_, I see, but _Aztec Rage_ was written by two other guys using his notes. I’ve read none of these sequels but have not heard good things. ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/97 "2010-10-23T04:06:56Z")
FAIL:\* Meeting Evil\* by Thomas Berger ~ lasted a few pages but it didn’t grab me. Read: _The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo_ by Stieg Larsson ~ After this & _Let Me In_ I am convinced that the Swedes just don’t like cats. \*Prisoner of the Iron Tower: Book Two of The Tears of Artamon \*by Sarah Ash \*The Food of a Younger Land \*by Mark Kurlansky _Gone With the Wind_ by Margaret Mitchell ~ I can’t believe I’ve gone this long without reading this. _Arctic Mirrors: Russia and the Small Peoples of the North_ by Yuri Slezkine ~ dry but had its moments. _The Lady Tree_ by Christie Dickason ~ ok historial fiction about trying to make a fortune tulip dealing in Holland. _Setting the Desert on Fire: T. E. Lawrence and Britain’s Secret War in Arabia, 1916-1918_ by James Barr _The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History_ by Robert Edsel ~ I picked this up after watching Rape of Europa and it was just amazing, sad, and infuriating. Working on: _Sense & Sensibility Descartes Bones The Knight_ ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/98 "2010-10-23T13:40:58Z")
> [@Gulo\_gulo](#): > > _The Lady Tree_ by Christie Dickason ~ ok historial fiction about trying to make a fortune tulip dealing in Holland. Hm, intriguing. I’ve read a fair amount of history of that time, which is fascinating – there’s a whole theory in economics about it, called the greatest fool theory. {**grumble grumble, library doesn’t have this; no one has it at [half.com](http://half.com)… grumble grumble grumble … $4!!! for shipping from Amazon … grumble grumble… ordered**} Speaking of historical fiction, just finished a novel I liked quite a bit: _Remarkable Creatures_ by Tracy Chevalier (yes, she of _Girl with a Pearl Earring_ fame). It’s about two women in early 19th century England, one a genteel spinster, the other a younger woman of the working class, both of whom become experts at searching for and finding fossils in the cliffs of Lyme Regis, England. They find (and are) “remarkable creatures” – they’re finding the remains of dinosaurs in the later pre-Darwinian period when it’s not at all clear how such beasts fit into the scheme of God’s perfect creation. Hard to evoke such a different world/worldview, and Chevalier is not completely successful – the exposition gets a wee bit clunky at times, and her treatment of some of the secondary characters is rather two-dimensional – but overall fascinating. Oh, and based on two real women – apparently there are other books about the working-class woman, who was an utter genius at finding fossils – I’d like to read more about her. Before that, _You Lost Me There_ by Rosecrans Baldwin. First novel that got a lot of buzz – I didn’t care for it. Middle-aged male academic, expert in Alzheimers, dealing with his memories of his marriage when he finds some notes written by his late wife, plus his relationships with other women (men, not so much). The title character was utterly unsympathetic to me – I’ve had enough emotionally constipated intellectuals in my own life, thankyouverymuch. ---
**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 23, 2010, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/99 "2010-10-23T15:15:42Z")
Finished _The Lost Symbol_, by Dan Brown. There’s a lot of hate for Dan Brown, but the wife and I have always liked him. No doubt people’s ill feelings makes him cry all the way to the bank. However, this has got to my least favorite Dan Brown book. The wife agrees (she read it first). We’ve read all of his stuff. Since he pretty much uses variations of the exact same twist in all of his books, it’s becoming ridiculously easy to guess the big surprise; I saw it coming almost from the start. And the last 40 or 50 pages are all preachy, which I seriously dislike. Still, it was a fun read (until the last 40 or 50 pages), and I’d recommend it if you’re a Brown fan, in which case you’ve probably already read it. Next up, as mentioned earlier, will be Gary Jennings’ _Aztec_. Will start it no later than Monday. ---
**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 23, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591/100 "2010-10-23T15:23:10Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Finished _The Lost Symbol_, by Dan Brown. There’s a lot of hate for Dan Brown, but the wife and I have always liked him. No doubt people’s ill feelings makes him cry all the way to the bank. However, this has got to my least favorite Dan Brown book. The wife agrees (she read it first). We’ve read all of his stuff. Since he pretty much uses variations of the exact same twist in all of his books, it’s becoming ridiculously easy to guess the big surprise; I saw it coming almost from the start. And the last 40 or 50 pages are all preachy, which I seriously dislike. Still, it was a fun read (until the last 40 or 50 pages), and I’d recommend it if you’re a Brown fan, in which case you’ve probably already read it. Oh, and: Oh, and how the hell did the CIA get a copy of that video? That was never explained. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-oct-2010-edition/555591.md?page=6)