# Whatcha readin' October edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2007, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084 "2007-09-30T23:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/141 "2007-10-14T20:16:20Z")
[QUOTE=manx] To be honest, I really wouldn’t. There’s some good bits in _Memory, Sorrow & Thorn_ (I think that’s the name of the series. Starts with _The Dragonbone Chair_) but overall, it’s nothing impressive. And I haven’t read _Shadowmarch_ but a friend of mine took it camping, and had nothing but bad to say about it. [/QUOTE] Hmmm, interesting. Thanks for the comments. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/142 "2007-10-14T20:24:42Z")
I agree with **Manx’s** comments about Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. I thought The Dragonbone Chair was pretty okay (as opposed to pretty good). However, by the time I got to the end of it, it looked like Williams had grown quite fond of his main characters, and that they were going to pass every test, meet every goal, and that they’d grown as much as they were going to grow. I picked up the other two books in the trilogy and thanks be, there were summaries in the front. So I read the summaries, skimmed the end of the third book and the happy-ever-after, and was glad I didn’t spend any more time on them. The books were longer than they needed to be. Williams has a novella in one of the Legends anthologies – The Burning Man. Quite intense and well done. **Manx** , if you’re reading historical fiction about Australia, you really need to read **The English Passengers** by Matthew Kneale, if you haven’t already. ---
**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 15, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/143 "2007-10-15T03:43:25Z")
[QUOTE=Khadaji] AFAIK Scott Adams coined the atrocity that is _cow-orker_. At least, that was the earliest reference that I have seen. [/QUOTE] Agreed. Scott Adams. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/144 "2007-10-16T03:46:24Z")
I’ve finished _Survivor_ (which I enjoyed–I’m much more fond of his early work) and have \*Eat, Love, Pray \* and [_Not the Thing I Was: Thirteen Years at Bruno Bettelheim’s Orthogenic School_](http://www.amazon.com/Not-Thing-Was-Bettelheims-Orthogenic/dp/0312307497/ref=sr_1_1/103-3535811-5483853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192506091&sr=1-1) in process. I might add _Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?_ to my airplane stash. ---
**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 16, 2007, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/145 "2007-10-16T05:06:27Z")
Just finished _A Tree Grows in Brooklyn_ by Betty Smith (1943), for my book club. It’s a funny, warts-and-all, loosely fictionalized autobiographical novel of growing up poor in Brooklyn in the 1910s. Quite a few similarities (in both tone and content) to Frank McCourt’s _Angela’s Ashes_, which I also liked. Our next book club selection is _The Painted Veil_ by Somerset Maugham (1925), which I’ve just begun. It’s off to a slow start, but I’ll give it at least 50 pages. If it hasn’t hooked me by then, I’ll set it aside without regret - that’s my rule. I’ve had J.R.R. Tolkien’s “new” novella _The Children of Hurin_ on my bedside for more than a month, and have been dipping into it now and then. Slower progress than I would have liked. ---
**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 16, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/146 "2007-10-16T05:11:16Z")
[QUOTE=KatiRoo] …I’ve been trying to read “The Name of the Wind,” but I can’t seem to get into it. Will keep trying, I guess. [/QUOTE] I had to sorta force my way through that, too, but overall I’m glad I did. It’s uneven and a bit too melodramatic for my tastes, and it almost flunked my 50-page rule, but I persisted and I’m glad I did. Hope you will be, too. ---
**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 16, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/147 "2007-10-16T12:36:21Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] [_Not the Thing I Was: Thirteen Years at Bruno Bettelheim’s Orthogenic School_](http://www.amazon.com/Not-Thing-Was-Bettelheims-Orthogenic/dp/0312307497/ref=sr_1_1/103-3535811-5483853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192506091&sr=1-1) in process. [/QUOTE] It’s in my To Be Read pile. The review I read seemed “iffy”…if you don’t find it worthwhile, let me know! I’m reading Gig: Americans talk about their jobs at the turn of the millenium, by John Bowe, and Microtrends: the small forces behind tomorrow’s big changes, by Mark J. Penn. ---
**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 16, 2007, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/148 "2007-10-16T16:53:48Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] [_Not the Thing I Was: Thirteen Years at Bruno Bettelheim’s Orthogenic School_](http://www.amazon.com/Not-Thing-Was-Bettelheims-Orthogenic/dp/0312307497/ref=sr_1_1/103-3535811-5483853?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192506091&sr=1-1) in process. [/QUOTE] I’m also interested in hearing feedback on this book. It _looks_ interesting but my wishlist is getting ridiculous in length. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/149 "2007-10-16T17:34:29Z")
_ **From the Dust Returned** _, by Ray Bradbury. In honor of the Halloween season, I’m reading this collection of related short stories about a family of other-worldly people, living in a mansion in northern Illinois. Mother and father, realizing that the real world is losing its faith in the magical, hold one last clan reunion; somnambulent daughter Cecy, whose mind can temporarily occupy any creature, wishes for human romance; adopted son Timothy, a normal human, wishes he could be like his family. The quality of the stories, written over a 55-year-period, is variable. When Bradbury gets into an impressionistic flight of fancy in his descriptions, sometimes I’m not even sure what is actually happening — an overreaching to create a fantasy atmosphere. But at other times he does adopt a more concrete writing style, and the succinctness improves the stories. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/150 "2007-10-18T17:37:05Z")
Finished _Not the Thing I Was: Thirteen Years at Bruno Bettelheim’s Orthogenic School._ I’ll review it over the weekend unless my grading is a more formidable task than I think it will be. I picked up a couple of Jonathan Stroud’s (Bartimaeus trilogy) stand-alone YA novels, which appear to fall into the SF and/or SF/light horror category. I’ll read one of them next; the book after that is #100 for the year so I want it to be something interesting. I recently mentioned to my partner’s ex-husband that my partner had managed not to roll her eyes when I exclaimed about a book on the history of daylight savings time in the Daedalus catalogue. He replied that he had not read it, but did own a book about when and where the time change happened in every US locality. When alerted to this, my partner replied wearily that yes, she sure knows how to pick them. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/151 "2007-10-18T17:53:31Z")
[QUOTE=Shoshana] Okay, at the end of this month I have some coast-to-coast flights. I already have one book picked out. Of the following, which should I read on the plane, and why? Jeannette Walls: The Glass Castle Sara Gruen: Water for Elephants Chuck Palahniuk: Survivor Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love Greg Mortenson & David Relin: Three Cups of Tea We can play this game again in November and December if you like. [/QUOTE] The more I fly and travel, the more I read. I was quite moved by The Glass Castle. Fascinating and written with a subtle brutal honesty. It’ll take you coast to coast. Water For Elephants was a bit breezier but still a good read. Currently I’m reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I’ve never read it and after some joking around about having Scrapple at breakfast in Philly, that title came up. I figured I’d get it. Incredibly well-crafted novel. I’m only 23 pages in and I am hooked. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/152 "2007-10-18T17:57:26Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] Just started [The Atrocity Archives](http://www.amazon.com/Atrocity-Archives-Charles-Stross/dp/0441013651/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1288963-6108169?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192302620&sr=1-1) by Charles Stross. It’s like Dilbert meets Cthulhu. I’d probably enjoy it even more if I were a computer geek, but Stross’s breezy style makes up for that. I thought “cow-orker” was a Doper term, but I guess not. (Unless Stross is a Doper.) 🙂 It reminds me a little bit of Resume With Monsters by William Browning Spencer, where office drones encounter Lovecraft’s Old Ones. [/QUOTE] I loved Resume With Monsters (and highly recommend Zod Wallop, by the same authour). Let me know if this one is as good, and I’ll pick it up … ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/153 "2007-10-18T17:59:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Currently I’m reading The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I’ve never read it and after some joking around about having Scrapple at breakfast in Philly, that title came up. I think many of us who went to college in Pennsylvania read _The Jungle_ for just this reason. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/154 "2007-10-18T18:01:14Z")
My own readings: I’ve just finished _The Haunting of hill House_ (which inspired my “literary real estate ads” thread 😉 [Great Literary Real Estate Ads - Cafe Society - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=440563) ) - deeply creepy; right now I’m reading _Postwar_ by Tony Judt, which neatly fills many a knowledge gap. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/155 "2007-10-18T18:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=Malthus] I loved Resume With Monsters (and highly recommend Zod Wallop, by the same authour). Let me know if this one is as good, and I’ll pick it up … [/QUOTE] I think _Atrocity Archives_ is at least as good as the Spencer books. Some people compare Spencer to Jonathan Carroll. I like Spencer much better, but I can’t articulate why. I’m still amazed that I enjoyed the Stross book so much, with all that jargon and scientific stuff. I didn’t understand **any** of that, but I could definitely relate to the HR crap. He gets the human relationships right too. ---
**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 18, 2007, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/156 "2007-10-18T20:41:13Z")
Just finished [Wicked](http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Times-Witch-Harper-Fiction/dp/0061350966) and started [The English Passengers](http://www.amazon.com/English-Passengers-Novel-Matthew-Kneale/dp/038549744X) after reading all the raves on the Goodreads group. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/157 "2007-10-18T20:52:23Z")
[QUOTE=AuntiePam] I think _Atrocity Archives_ is at least as good as the Spencer books. Some people compare Spencer to Jonathan Carroll. I like Spencer much better, but I can’t articulate why. I’m still amazed that I enjoyed the Stross book so much, with all that jargon and scientific stuff. I didn’t understand **any** of that, but I could definitely relate to the HR crap. He gets the human relationships right too. [/QUOTE] Ordered. You may be amused to know, if you don’t already, that there is a sequel: [The Jennifer Morgue: Stross, Charles: 9781930846456: Books - Amazon.ca](http://www.amazon.ca/Jennifer-Morgue-Charles-Stross/dp/1930846452/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/701-5884321-6017121?ie=UTF8&qid=1192740257&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/158 "2007-10-18T21:33:52Z")
[QUOTE=Malthus] Ordered. You may be amused to know, if you don’t already, that there is a sequel: [The Jennifer Morgue: Stross, Charles: 9781930846456: Books - Amazon.ca](http://www.amazon.ca/Jennifer-Morgue-Charles-Stross/dp/1930846452/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b/701-5884321-6017121?ie=UTF8&qid=1192740257&sr=8-1) [/QUOTE] Cool! Continuity too. In _Atrocity_, Bob and Mo talk about a Russian submarine accident as well as the _Thresher_ accident, but without any details. It made me curious, so it’s good to know they’re investigating. It’s silly, but if I read too much of this stuff, I’ll be even more skeptical and suspicious of what I hear on the news. What aren’t they telling us? What’s that SWAT team really fighting? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/159 "2007-10-18T22:19:10Z")
I have put down Potter for a while and taken up _Alpine For You_. I bought it because of the play on words and it was a mystery. It seems more geared towards women. That isn’t a deal breaker, but I was a little surprised. (I may not have read the reviews closely enough.) ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-october-edition/421084/160 "2007-10-18T22:24:22Z")
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