Monthly Archives: April 2013

Crunchy Cons

Posted on April 30, 2013 by smellincoffee

Crunchy Cons: How Birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of counterculture conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican party) © 2006  Rod Dreher 272 pages … Continue reading →

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The New Jim Crow

Posted on April 27, 2013 by smellincoffee

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness © 2010 Michelle Alexander 290 pages             In The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander argues that the United States’ drug laws, coupled with its law … Continue reading →

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The New World

Posted on April 26, 2013 by smellincoffee

A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Volume II: The New World© 1956 Winston Churchill400 pages Shortly before the eruption of the Second World War, Winston Churchill was busy at work authoring a history of the English and American people, of … Continue reading →

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The Plain Reader

Posted on April 24, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Plain Reader© 1998 various authors, edited by Scott Savage272 pages What really matters?  Such is the question explored by the contributing authors of The Plain Reader, a collaboration between Amish and Quaker communities to express how living simply allows … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: cities and simple living

Posted on April 19, 2013 by smellincoffee

This week at the library, I’ve started a series of England-themed readings to commemorate St. George’s Day, on 23 April. My selections are A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Volume II: The New World by Winston Churchill, and A Dangerous … Continue reading →

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A Spectacle of Corruption

Posted on April 13, 2013 by smellincoffee

A Spectacle of Corruption© 2004 David Liss381 pages When Benjamin Weaver went to a pub, he never expected to end up fighting for his life, let alone be arrested for the crime of killing a man he only met when … Continue reading →

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Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet

Posted on April 13, 2013 by smellincoffee

Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet352 pages© 2008 Michael T. Klare For much of the 20th century, a handful of industrialized countries enjoyed access to a seemingly infinite supply of oil. But a century of economic progress has seen global demand for … Continue reading →

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Monday Musings

Posted on April 8, 2013 by smellincoffee

Every Monday, Should Be Reading posts a list of questions people can write on as they like. I don’t think I’ve ever participated before, but I usually enjoy reading others’ responses. The questions are: • Describe one of your reading … Continue reading →

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1356

Posted on April 6, 2013 by smellincoffee

1356 © 2013 Bernard Cornwell 432 pages And by God, he thought, there was nothing like this feeling. A good horse, a tight high saddle, a lance, and an enemy taken by surprise. It’s the year..well, 1356, and after a … Continue reading →

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Straphanger

Posted on April 6, 2013 by smellincoffee

Straphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves from the Automobile336 pages© 2012 Taras Grescoe The cheap energy era is over, unless someone invents a Star Trek replicator that can magick barrels of oil into existence. Cities across the world are working … Continue reading →

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