# Whatcha Readin' September 2011 Edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 31, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793 "2011-08-31T22:28:55Z")\ **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:** [August 31, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/1 "2011-08-31T22:28:55Z")
Hooray! Fall is nearly here! I am so much happier with Autumn weather. Looks like I’ll be doing less reading, as my work will be heating up. Another good thing! (I love to read, but man, I need to have \*something \*to do during the day.) I am reading the third in the Night Tracker series, the last that I shall buy. Then I need to find something good to read. To all celebrating a holiday this weekend: have a safe and happy holiday! Last Month’s [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=618371). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/2 "2011-08-31T22:40:46Z")
Cullen, Heidi: The Weather of the Future. Scary climate change stuff. I heard here on NPR. Koontz, Dean: Brother Odd. I enjoyed his old Sci Fi, and this series is also enjoyable. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/3 "2011-08-31T22:50:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Cullen, Heidi: The Weather of the Future. Scary climate change stuff. I heard here on NPR. > > Koontz, Dean: Brother Odd. I enjoyed his old Sci Fi, and this series is also enjoyable. I have enjoyed the Odd series, for the most part. If he writes more, I’ll read them. ---
**Author:** ![Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ec9cab/32.png) [@Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/4 "2011-09-01T00:01:22Z")
Working my way through the Honor Harrington series by David Weber, on my new (fathers day gift) Kindle.🙂 ---
**Author:** ![633squadron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/ee59a6/32.png) [@633squadron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/633squadron)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/5 "2011-09-01T01:09:33Z")
Just finished _The Hunger Games_ trilogy. Waiting to get the last volumes of _Transmetropolitan_ (Spider Jerusalem for President!) Studying _Coastal Fish Identification - California to Alaska_ for my REEF Level 2 surveying test. Waiting for my PADI divemaster training modules to come in. Riverworld? Don’t forget _Snuff_, the latest (last?) Terry Pratchett. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_McAwful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@Larry\_McAwful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_McAwful)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/6 "2011-09-01T01:23:30Z")
I’ve got a fiction/nonfiction thing going on, alternating between the two. Fiction: “The Janissary Tree” by Jason Goodwin—the first in a series about Inspector Yashim, a eunuch detective in 1836 Istanbul. There have been mysterious murders around town, and Yashim is called in to investigate. Fascinating, and a vivid portrait of a city I’ve never seen in modern times, much less in the early nineteenth century. I’ve always wanted to visit, but now more than ever. Nonfiction: “Disunion” by Elizabeth R. Varon—a book covering the events and the attitudes of Americans from 1789 to 1859, specifically where slavery and the breakup of the United States was concerned. A fascinating take on what tore this country apart, and how people saw it then. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/7 "2011-09-01T03:22:40Z")
Halfway through _Child of God_, by Cormac McCarthy. Very good but quite bizarre. Expect to finish it today or tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/8 "2011-09-01T11:39:19Z")
Hooray! Spring is here, in the southern hemisphere. Anyway, I’m about 25% into [In the Land of Invented Languages](http://www.amazon.com/Land-Invented-Languages-Adventures-Linguistic/dp/0812980891/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314876541&sr=8-1): Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build A Perfect Language, by Arika Okrent. Excellent stuff so far. Linguistics hurt my poor brain, but this is just complex enough to learn from while still being silly enough to be a lot of fun. Next up: [Up and Down Stairs](http://www.amazon.com/Up-Down-Stairs-History-Country/dp/0719597307/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314876979&sr=1-1): The History of the Country House Servant, by Jeremy Musson. Recommended in another thread here, and it sounds pretty interesting. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/9 "2011-09-01T12:46:22Z")
I’ve started **Carrion Comfort** by _Dan Simmons_. Next up is **An Evening of Long Goodbyes** by _Paul Murray_ ---
**Author:** ![Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Ian\_D.Bergkamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ian_D.Bergkamp)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/10 "2011-09-01T20:40:30Z")
Based on recommendations here, I just breezed through **The Poisoner’s Handbook** and **A Fish Caught In Time** , and am now about halfway through **Kraken**. I loved **The Poisoner’s Handbook** and wonder how many people starting writing Prohibition-era detective novels after reading it. **A Fish Caught In Time** was a good read, partially because I already had some interest in the coelacanth. Not sure how much it would appeal to someone coming into the subject cold, though. **Kraken** took a while to grab me. I’ve only read one other book by Mieville ( **Perdido Street Station** ) and the first half of **Kraken** reminded me why I hadn’t picked up another: I find his prose to be a bit too clever, like he’s trying too hard to sound like Neil Gaiman on acid. Unfair, maybe, but there it is. That said, the second half of the book really grabbed me and I’m enjoying it a lot now. There are still a few sentences here and there that throw me out of the moment, but I’d recommend to book. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/11 "2011-09-01T20:46:21Z")
_ **Nineteen Eighty-Four** _. It’s really, really subtle. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/12 "2011-09-01T21:27:46Z")
My current list includes Molloy, Mallone Dies, The Unnameable (three novella-type things in one book), Lolita, The Arabian Nights, The Last Man, and Labyrinths (a collection of short stories by Louis Borges). ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Imp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Imp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Imp)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/13 "2011-09-01T21:28:58Z")
A Dance with Dragons, by \*Ser \*Martin 😉 Also working my way through Harlen Coben’s back catalogue - first few were brilliant, am now realising they’re a bit formulaic but still fun thrillers! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/14 "2011-09-01T22:52:17Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I have enjoyed the Odd series, for the most part. If he writes more, I’ll read them. I have also enjoyed the Odd series, and am hoping for more. Has anyone read the graphic novel that goes along with the series? I’m currently still working on _To Say Nothing of the Dog_ by Connie Willis, loving it but not having much time to read lately. I’m also reading _Echo_ by Jack McDevitt during my breaks at work. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/15 "2011-09-01T23:14:35Z")
I’ve been stocking up at Borders’ closing sales. I’m currently reading _All the News Unfit to Print: How Things Were… and How They Were Reported_ by Eric Burns. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/16 "2011-09-01T23:40:13Z")
> [@Dr.Girlfriend](#): > > I have also enjoyed the Odd series, and am hoping for more. Has anyone read the graphic novel that goes along with the series? > > \ I did and was disappointed with it. However, I am not a big fan of the graphic novels, preferring that the story be told more with words than pictures. It was light on content and I will not recommend it. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/17 "2011-09-02T13:22:28Z")
Lessee…I’m reading _Red Mars_ right now, based on many Dopers’ hard sci-fi recommendation. It’s interesting enough to keep my attention, but some of the characters do annoy me. I’m also revisiting Anne Rice’s Beauty series (erotica written under the pseudonym A N Roquelaure). It’s just OK. They’re short, so there is that; they’re hot in places, so there is that too; but I’m getting tired of all the spanking. Note to aspiring erotica writers: some spanking is good. Spanking every three pages is tedious. Maybe I need to check something else out. I just bought Erikson’s [Gardens of the Moon](http://www.amazon.com/Gardens-Moon-Malazan-Fallen-ebook/dp/B002KYHZLQ/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&qid=1314969711&sr=8-1) for the Kindle on sale at Amazon, so I could be starting a trip into Malazan here soonish. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/18 "2011-09-02T13:39:06Z")
I recently discovered that Gregory Maguire wrote a whole lot more than his fabled “based on a fairy story” books. I’m planning to read all of them. The man is a freaking genius, and delightfully warped. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/19 "2011-09-02T13:44:01Z")
Started _Maine_ by J. Courtney Sullivan. Supposed to be one of the summer’s best beach reads. I’m a little late. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2011, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793/20 "2011-09-02T15:08:49Z")
Just finished _Just After Sunset_, Stephen King’s latest collection of short stories. They had a real different sensibility about them than previous collections… I detected themes of closure and redemption woven throughout. And props to him for writing a gay protagonist. My favorite stories were _Gingerbread Girl_, _Stationary Bike_, and _A Very Tight Place_. The 9/11 story was good too. Currently reading _The Stories of Ray Bradbury_, which I’ve read before, but _sigh_ Bradbury. Also working my way through the _Essential X-Men_ volumes. I’ve made it to Volume 6 so far, which I believe is mid-80s. Great, great stuff. I also got my husband a subscription to _X-Factor_ (a critically acclaimed X-Men spinoff)… we got our first issue last week but it promises to be a great series. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-readin-september-2011-edition/594793.md?page=2)