Monthly Archives: November 2011

Teaser Tuesday (29 November)

Posted on November 29, 2011 by smellincoffee

Last Teaser of November… Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 9 Comments

Christmas Reading

Posted on November 28, 2011 by smellincoffee

Today the Christmas spirit finally found me. Usually we embrace immediately after Thanksgiving, but the weather has been unseasonably warm lately. Sunday brought with it grey skies and a constant drizzle, though, which is partially inconvenient (for someone who walks … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflection | Tagged | 1 Comment

Timequake

Posted on November 27, 2011 by smellincoffee

Timequake© 1997 Kurt Vonnegut219 pages Timequake may be the oddest novel I’ve ever read. Scratch that: it is the oddest novel I’ve ever read, but despite its utter lunacy I loved it anyway, because it is so much the product of its … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

A Light in the Window

Posted on November 25, 2011 by smellincoffee

A Light in the Window© 1996 Jan Karon446 pages A few weeks ago I read At Home in Mitford,  a novel which offers a charming escape from the noise, pollution, and chaos of everyday life into a small town which … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Crisis of Islam

Posted on November 25, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror© 2001, 2003 Bernard Lewis184 pages Bernard Lewis’ What Went Wrong? examined the failure of modernity in the middle east, but did not address its role in the rise of terrorism. The Crisis … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, World Affairs | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Thanksgiving from Kurt Vonnegut

Posted on November 24, 2011 by smellincoffee

After a day spent with family, I came home and began reading Timequake, by Kurt Vonnegut. How appropriate to read the following: ‎”My uncle Alex Vonnegut, a Harvard-educated life insurance salesman who lived at 5033 North Pennsylvania Street, taught me … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

Tuesday Fun

Posted on November 22, 2011 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday! “A.Darell” would just be the sort of thing that she would have to put on all her themes for her class in Composition and Rhetoric–so tasteless. All the other kids had to do it, too, except for Olynthus Dam, because … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | 4 Comments

This Week at the Library (16 November)

Posted on November 16, 2011 by smellincoffee

It’s been a slow week for reading, at least from the library. Unable to pursue my library reads, I re-read Prelude to Foundation and began re-reading Forward the Foundation. Otherwise, so little has been catching fire lately that after reading The Greater … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The Astral

Posted on November 16, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Astral© 2011 Kate Christensen311 pages Harry Quirk is a sixty-ish poet whose entire world is changing. In only an afternoon, he has lost a year’s worth of work, his home, and his wife: after discovering that his latest project … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | 1 Comment

The KunstlerCast

Posted on November 9, 2011 by smellincoffee

The KunstlerCast: Conversations with James Howard Kunstler …the tragic comedy of suburban sprawl. © 2011 Duncan Crary, James Howard Kunstler 300 pages James Howard Kunstler is a journalist turned social critic and the author of numerous books, most prominently The … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment