# Whatcha reading Oct. (08) edition **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 30, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904 "2008-09-30T19:40:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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 1, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/21 "2008-10-01T03:33:26Z")
Chiming in so as to be subscribed to the thread. Still on _Imperium_, by Robert Harris. A fictional (?) account of the life of the Roman orator Cicero, as told by one of his slaves. Enjoying it immensely but thought I would have finished it by now. Apparently, my shoulder problems have not reduced my activity that much, so I’ve not had the extra reading time I anticipated. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/22 "2008-10-01T03:43:09Z")
On page 674 of **Nixonland** by Rick Perlstein. Only 74 more pages to go and it has been a fascinating read. Particularly during this lovely election cycle. I have noticed some very interesting parallels to events in the book, especially in the section dealing with the election of 1954. No idea what I will go to next. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/23 "2008-10-01T11:21:27Z")
> [@stucco](#): > > I’m not really sold on _The Yiddish Policeman’s Union_ yet, but I’m only on the 5th or 6th chapter. I loved that book, but I remember it took me a while to get into it. I recently finished _Hit and Run_, Lawrence Block’s most recent book about Keller, a hit man who is also an avid stamp collector. Also _The Towers of Trebizond_, by Rose Macauley which seems to have been a huge hit when it came out in the 1950s, about English tourists in Turkey. It was dated, but in that good way where it is interesting to see that particular era. And _The Lightning Thief_, by Rick Riordan, a YA book about a boy with superhuman abilities – I enjoyed this a lot, it was adventuresome and funny, but still a little bit of a Harry Potter knock-off but whatever. I guess. Currently reading _African American Men in College_, which is non-fiction for work, and _Living Dangerously_, a biography of Merian C. Cooper, the guy who made King Kong. ---
**Author:** ![Walpurgis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Walpurgis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walpurgis)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/24 "2008-10-01T11:41:36Z")
I picked up \*The Atrocity Archives \*by Charles Stross, because I’ve read some of his short stories and was curious about his longer fiction. I’m only 20 pages in so far, but it’s awesome! Mathematics + Lovecraftian occultism + geeks + great language, what’s not to like? Also reading _Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World_ by Haruki Murakami, and am a little disappointed. I loved _Kafka on the Shore_, and was expecting to be eaten alive by the story in much the same way. It hasn’t happened yet. I’m still waiting to be swept off my feet. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2008, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/25 "2008-10-01T11:53:59Z")
Just finished **A Dirty Job** by Christopher Moore and am starting **Without Mercy** by Toni L.P. Kelner – it’s the start of a new mystery series by her. I bought my copy from her a couple of weeks ago at the First Salem Literary Fest, and had her autograph it. ---
**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 1, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/26 "2008-10-01T12:07:40Z")
Finished You Want Fries With That? : a white-collar burnout experiences life at minimum wage by Prioleau Alexander. Pointless but funny. I paper-clipped the chapter about him working as an emergency room tech and gave it to my daughter to read. Just starting on A Spot of Bother, a novel by Mark Haddon, who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It’s okay.\* I had to re-read the dust jacket synopsis at one point so I’d remember who was who, since it’s pretty light on characterization. \*That’s how I felt about Curious Incident too. I doubt I’ll continue reading this author. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/27 "2008-10-01T12:16:44Z")
Just cracked _God Isn’t Great_ by Christopher Hitchens. ---
**Author:** ![TheMerchandise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b487fb/32.png) [@TheMerchandise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMerchandise)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/28 "2008-10-01T13:09:38Z")
> [@stucco](#): > > I’m reading both _Vertigo_ by W. G. Sebald and _The Yiddish Policeman’s Union_ by Michael Chabon. I’m really enjoying _Vertigo_ but I feel like it needs to be read in small pieces, hence the second book. I’m not really sold on _The Yiddish Policeman’s Union_ yet, but I’m only on the 5th or 6th chapter. I also had trouble getting into the first 100 pages, but enjoyed it immensely by the end. I’m reading _Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency_ and finding it pleasantly goofy. Picking up Jim Butcher’s _Small Favor_ from the library today. I’ve been enjoying the series and am sad I’ll have to wait till 2009 for the next one. ---
**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:** [October 1, 2008, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/29 "2008-10-01T13:40:35Z")
Just finished **Heartfelt** , by Aidan Smith; a pretty funny, if predictable, memoir about a lifelong fan of Edinburgh’s Hibernian FC switching his allegiance for a year to Hibernian’s local archrival team, Heart of Midlothian FC. And I just started **Collapse** by Jared Diamond. Only a few chapters in, but so far it seems a bit drier than **Guns, Germs, and Steel** , which I liked a lot. ---
**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 1, 2008, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/30 "2008-10-01T23:02:01Z")
Just finished [The Sorcerer: Metamorphosis](http://www.amazon.com/Sorcerer-Metamorphosis-Camulod-Chronicles-Book/dp/0812544196) by Jack Whyte. I’ve lost steam on this series but it was ok. Reading “Sam Patch: Ballad of a Jumping Man” by William Getz. So far, so good! Also reading: [Dove of the East](http://www.amazon.com/Dove-East-Other-Stories/dp/0156031019) by Mark Helprin. I’m not a huge fan of short stories so it’s a ‘meh’. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/31 "2008-10-02T14:21:32Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I’ll be interested in your feedback. It is one of my favorite books. But at the time I read it, the theme was near and dear to my heart. I haven’t read it in years, I’ll have to see if I can find it on my shelves. To be honest I wasn’t expecting much and I wound up enjoying _The Forgotten Beasts of Eld_ quite a bit. I’m not a fan of that form of fantasy but McKillip’s book worked for me because of the depth of the characters. I appreciated that McKillip clearly recognized the hypocrisy and self-destruction in the positions of most of her characters (especially the protagonist) and built the story off that. A lesser writer would start from a very similar position and make it about the animals or tearing down the evil king but McKillip chose the more interesting story to tell. Oh, and _Chronospace_ showed up first for me so I’m hitting that next. ---
**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, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/32 "2008-10-02T16:50:07Z")
Finished _Imperium_, by Robert Harris. Excellent. An account of Cicero’s life as written by his former slave, Tiro. The main focus was on Cicero’s quest for the consulship in the Roman Republic. And I see nothing ever changes in politics. In an Author’s Note at the end, Harris informs the reader that most of the events in the book did happen, and none could be demonstrated _not_ to have happened. Interestingly, he mentions that Plutarch and Asconius both attested to the real-life Tiro actually writing a life of Cicero, but the real one “vanished in the genral collapse of the Roman Empire.” Next up: _The 13th Warrior_, by Michael Crichton. Its original title was apparently _Eaters of the Dead_, but it looks like it got changed when they made it into a film in 1999 starring Antonio Banderas and Omar Sharif. The full title is _The 13th Warrior: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan, Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in AD 922_. ---
**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:** [October 2, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/33 "2008-10-02T17:15:43Z")
\*\*Siam Sam[/ B] wrote: > [@](#): > > Next up: The 13th Warrior, by Michael Crichton. Its original title was apparently Eaters of the Dead, but it looks like it got changed when they made it into a film in 1999 starring Antonio Banderas and Omar Sharif. The full title is The 13th Warrior: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan, Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in AD 922. Yeah, you can see why they changed the title – who wants to see a movie called “Eaters of the Dead”. It sounds like a zombie flick. The book was pretty good, and I liked it more than most Crichton. It’s essentially a retelling of “Beowulf”, although with lots of odd twists. You could make an interesting movie night out of the three recent versions of Beowulf and The 13th Warrior. ---
**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 2, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/34 "2008-10-02T17:34:18Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > _The Bonehunters_ by Steven Erikson – #6 (?) in the Malazan series, epic fantasy, will be 22 books when it’s all finished, if we count the companion books written by Ian Esslemont (which I might not read). I am waiting with no patience for my autographed copy of “Toll the Hounds” to appear on my doorstep. I love this series. 22??? Holy crap… ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/35 "2008-10-03T04:29:09Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > I’m interested in what you think when you’re finished with this one. > > _Green Eyes_ is my favorite Lucius Shepard novel. It’s a zombie romance, sorta. I’m pretty sure it’s out of print, but it’s worth looking for. **AuntiePam** , I really liked _Softpoken_ it a lot – thanks for recommending it! I was gliding along thinking I was reading a slightly creepy book about marital angst and then… oh dear God! How long d’you suppose the nightmares will last? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/36 "2008-10-03T12:46:40Z")
_Tell Me Where It Hurts: A Day of Humor, Healing, and Hope in My Life as an Animal Surgeon_ by Dr. Nick Trout. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/37 "2008-10-04T12:08:09Z")
I’ve Finished _In the Woods by Tana French. \* I thoroughly disappointed “police procedural.” The narrator is a whiny unpleasant pathetic lump. Although we are given reason for him being a mess, it doesn’t make it any more enjoyable. I will box the rest of my comments as they contain a spoiler: Of the two mysteries that had to be solved, one was solved, but not resolved satisfactorily. Yes, this happens in real life and maybe makes the book more real, but was a let down. The other was never solved and left hanging and empty, completing the let down of the book. I finally put down \* Slayer by Karen Koehler_ Some books are called page-turners because they are so exciting you can’t wait to get to the next page. This one was a page flipper, I was so bored I would flip pages looking for something interesting. I finally decided it just wasn’t worth the effort, I have too many books in the queue. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/38 "2008-10-04T15:01:42Z")
> [@koeeoaddi](#): > > **AuntiePam** , I really liked _Softpoken_ it a lot – thanks for recommending it! I was gliding along thinking I was reading a slightly creepy book about marital angst and then… oh dear God! How long d’you suppose the nightmares will last? 😃 So glad you liked it. I was nauseated at the end, and not because of blood and gore. I felt gutshot. Was this your first Shepard? He’s usually easier to handle. ---
**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 7, 2008, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/39 "2008-10-07T12:26:35Z")
> [@Dung\_Beetle](#): > > Just starting on A Spot of Bother, a novel by Mark Haddon, who wrote The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. It’s okay.\* I had to re-read the dust jacket synopsis at one point so I’d remember who was who, since it’s pretty light on characterization. > > \*That’s how I felt about Curious Incident too. I doubt I’ll continue reading this author. Done. Well, that was pointless. I don’t think I’ll have time to start anything else right away because I’m going on a trip starting Sunday. With an eye towards packing light, I plan to bring Tim Powers’ Earthquake Weather and T.H. White’s The Once and Future King. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2008, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904/40 "2008-10-07T12:30:54Z")
[The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes - and Why](http://www.amazon.com/Unthinkable-Survives-When-Disaster-Strikes/dp/0307352897/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1223382566&sr=1-1) Very interesting look at different reactions to disasters. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading-oct-08-edition/465904.md?page=3)