# Whatcha reading? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 3, 1999, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857 "1999-11-03T16:03:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/1 "1999-11-03T16:03:00Z")
What have you been reading lately? Personally, it’s been ancient kings week for me. I’m reading _The King Must Die_ by Mary Renault, which is a novel about Theseus (he’s in Crete fighting bulls right now) and _A History of the Kings of England_ by Geoffrey of Monmouth (Merlin was just introduced). Hows about you? * * * Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars. ---
**Author:** ![Flypsyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Flypsyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flypsyde)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/2 "1999-11-03T16:06:00Z")
Reading the shamelessly marketed novels that fill in the backstory for one of the collectible card games I play. Also in the middle of rereading one of my favorites; _Jingo_, by Terry Pratchett. He’s awesome. * * * And the problem with small furry animals in corners is that, just occasionally, one of them’s a mongoose. Terry Pratchett, _Witches Abroad_ ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/3 "1999-11-03T16:12:00Z")
Hey, I just read Jingo on Saturday. That was the first Terry Pratchett book I have read. It was quite fun. I identified with Nobby. Haha. He is this ugly character that was complaining about his lack of success with the opposite sex. When he told this to another character she suggested a few people, each person he would have something bad to say about. Her response. (paraphrased) “I have seen this syndrome before, they say they want to meet their soulmate. But, when it comes down to it, they tell you she needs to have skin of silk, and a chest that would feed a herd of cows.” Too funny. I enjoyed the book. It was alot of fun. I am currently reading “The Ultimate Good Luck” by Richard Ford. I am about halfway through. It is very hardboiled, and visceral. I am enjoying it. pat ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/4 "1999-11-03T16:14:00Z")
No One Here Gets Out Alive (for the umpteenth time) “brought to us through the courtesy of Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman”… ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/5 "1999-11-03T16:16:00Z")
“Torts and Compensation.” Don’t have time for recreational reading these days. sigh… ---
**Author:** ![Occam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Occam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Occam)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/6 "1999-11-03T16:21:00Z")
A BRAVE NEW WORLD And it’s scary how close it resembles the movie ‘ANTZ’ ---
**Author:** ![TheDoll](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c2a13f/32.png) [@TheDoll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheDoll)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/7 "1999-11-03T16:26:00Z")
I am reading “The World and Other Places” by Jeanette Winterson, my favorite writer. My favorite book is "Written on the Body, also by her. “Oranges are not the Only Fruit” is another great one. Check it out, half price books has ‘em. ---
**Author:** ![gypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbce88/32.png) [@gypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsy)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/8 "1999-11-03T16:26:00Z")
## I am reading “Peacekeeper - The road to Sarajevo” by Major General Lewis MacKenzie. I personally regard the author very highly. Unforgiven ---
**Author:** ![Lucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/9 "1999-11-03T16:29:00Z")
1001 Arabian Nights----again. And a biography of Magritte. * * * Don’t get me wrong–I love life. I’m just finding it harder and harder to keep myself amused. ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/10 "1999-11-03T16:35:00Z")
A friend just lent me “The Monkeywrench Gang”. It is incredible! ---
**Author:** ![MarkSerlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@MarkSerlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkSerlin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/11 "1999-11-03T16:37:00Z")
Actually, I’m just working my way through every Stephen King and Koontz novel they ever wrote and enjoying myself thoroughly. (Though I must say that both did write a few stinkers in their time.) Thank goodness for used book stores!! * * * Mark ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/12 "1999-11-03T16:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > A BRAVE NEW WORLD > And it’s scary how close it resembles the movie ‘ANTZ’ ## That would be vice-versa, probably, but why is it scary? The rebel-in-a-conformist-world-who-tries-to-make-a-difference paradigm is pretty common. “I love God! He’s so deliciously evil!” - Stewie Griffin, _Family Guy_ ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/13 "1999-11-03T17:00:00Z")
What I _should_ be reading: _Henry IV, Part II_, assorted poems by Christina Rossetti, George Herbert’s treatise on being a country parson, article on history and ideology in _Henry V_. What I _have_ read in the last 24 hours: crime novel by Thomas H. Cook, comics section of the _Raleigh News & Observer_, SDMB. * * * “The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.” - Bill Watterson ---
**Author:** ![Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Stevie\_Rave\_On](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stevie_Rave_On)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/14 "1999-11-03T17:09:00Z")
Missy2U, I read that book twice. I love biographies of rock stars. The only problem I had with that book was where it claimed that Jim Morrison smoked something like 6 ounces of pot in one day. Talk about lungs of steel. That’s a bigger claim than Wilt Chamberlain’s claim about his sex life. I’m currently re-reading IT by Stephen King. I read it when I was about 14 (9 years ago). I remembered loving it. The movie was on TV on Halloween, and I decided to give it another chance. Still a great book. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/15 "1999-11-03T17:13:00Z")
Stevie - I’ve got Springsteen’s too - but I’m a big lover of biographies. I also really enjoy Stephen King - “It” was excellent! :::making note to self - get new library card::: ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/16 "1999-11-03T17:18:00Z")
Re-reading David Eddings’ _Belgariad_, to see if it’s really as bad as I remember it. The jury is still out – I just started. I should also be reading Martin Yates’ _Knock 'Em Dead 1999_ to find out why a great job offer just turned to poo overnight. * * * –Da Cap’n ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/17 "1999-11-03T17:34:00Z")
OK, all you people who recommended “Jingo.” I’ve never read a Discworld novel. Do I have to read others to make sense of this one? If so, which ones? Or can I just buy Jingo and expect to understand and enjoy it. I’m reading “Little Alters Everywhere” by that woman who did the Ya Ya sisterhood book. I’m surprised that I actually like it - I didn’t read the yaya book cuz it looked too girly for me. Now I think I’m going to read it next. Unless I get Jingo first, that is. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/18 "1999-11-03T17:42:00Z")
I read Jingo having no prior knowledge of the Discworld series, and was able to understand and enjoy the book. So, I would say that its OK to read it midstream. After I am done the book I am currently reading, I was thinking of going to Gravity’s Rainbow. But, its kind of imposing. I read the Crying of Lot 49 and really enjoyed it. has anyone read Gravity’s Rainbow? What did you think of it? pat ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Armageddon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Mister\_Armageddon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Armageddon)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 1999, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/19 "1999-11-03T17:54:00Z")
I just finished the funniest book I’ve ever read, Mick Foley’s Have A Nice Day: A Tale Of Blood And Sweatsocks. I highly recommend this one, even to people who aren’t wrestling fans. Foley is a genuinely funny guy, and you won’t believe some of the things that he’s done during his life. BTW, the book should be hitting #1 on the NY Times bestsellers list this week, so I think that’s pretty cool. * * * Mr. Armageddon “Just when you thought you had all the answers, I went and changed the questions!”–Roddy Piper ---
**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 1999, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857/20 "1999-11-04T06:17:00Z")
I just finished reading _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_ for the second time. The series is really great, even though they’re billed as kid’s books. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatcha-reading/10857.md?page=2)