Monthly Archives: November 2013

If the Dead Rise Not

Posted on November 26, 2013 by smellincoffee

If the Dead Rise Not© 2011 Phillip Kerr464 pages             Bernie Gunther would be your standard-issue world-weary detective were it not for the fact that he just killed a Nazi.  Gunther has no love for the … Continue reading →

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This week the library: NaNoWriMo, Sharpe, and histories

Posted on November 26, 2013 by smellincoffee

We’re in the last week of National Novel Writing Month, and I can cheerfully report that I am not woefully behind, having faithfully plugged away almost every night. If I can make up for a couple of missed days, I should … Continue reading →

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Martin Eden

Posted on November 21, 2013 by smellincoffee

Martin Eden© 1908 Jack London381 pages For its first two thirds, Martin Eden is a uplifting tale of art and romance about a man of humble means who hauls himself up to a better station in life in pursuit of a … Continue reading →

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The Man Who Cycled the World

Posted on November 20, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Man Who Cycled the World© 2011 Mark Beaumont400 pages Why did Mark Beaumont decide to try and break the world record for circumnavigating the world by bicycle? Well, it beat law school. In his early twenties, with his life’s … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday 19 Nov: Martin Eden

Posted on November 19, 2013 by smellincoffee

“Here was something to live for, to win to, to fight for — ay, and die for. The books were true. There were such women in the world.” p. 8, Martin Eden; Jack London Share your own ‘teases’ at Should … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: Jack London, the e-lectric telegraph, and the consequences of sex

Posted on November 18, 2013 by smellincoffee

Today I made my monthly trip to my university library, where under skies threatening thunderstorms I happily lost myself in the stacks for a few hours. I came home with a bag of books, including… The Victorian Internet, Tom Standage … Continue reading →

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Into Thin Air

Posted on November 14, 2013 by smellincoffee

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster291 pages© 1997 Jon Krakauer When Outside magazine dispatched Jon Krakauer to join an expedition to climb Mount Everest in 1996 to investigate its commercialization, the opportunity allowed him to … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: NaNoWriMo, rebels against the rebellion, death on Everest, and maaaaybe Richard Sharpe

Posted on November 12, 2013 by smellincoffee

Dear readers: For the first time in the five or so years I’ve been aware of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, I am attempting to participate. For those who have not heard of this, it’s a challenge in which … Continue reading →

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A Consumers’ Republic

Posted on November 9, 2013 by smellincoffee

A Consumers’ Republic© 2002 Lizbeth Cohen576 pages What is the meaning of citizenship? To the Romans, and to the early Americans, citizenship was an exclusive state of being that depended on owning land, and so a stake in society. In … Continue reading →

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Sharpe’s Siege

Posted on November 6, 2013 by smellincoffee

Sharpe’s Siege© 1987 Bernard Cornwell352 pages                Napoleon may not realize it, but his wars are lost. The English have achieved total naval supremacy,  and are free to raid the coasts of the imperial hexagon at their leisure. Richard Sharpe, … Continue reading →

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