Monthly Archives: September 2015

The Horse and his Boy

Posted on September 16, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Horse and his Boy © 1954 C.S. Lewis 199 pages “For in Calormen, story-telling (whether the stories are true or made up) is a thing you’re taught, just as English boys and girls are taught essay writing. The difference … Continue reading →

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Prince Caspian

Posted on September 15, 2015 by smellincoffee

Prince Caspian: The Return to Narnia © 1951 C.S. Lewis 195 pages            Once upon a time four children stumbled through an ordinary-looking wardrobe into another  world altogether, a place called Narnia where they became its kings and … Continue reading →

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The Magician’s Nephew

Posted on September 14, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Magician’s Nephew © 1955 C.S. Lewis 183 pages           Diggory and Polly were just two kids on vacation exploring a forbidding-looking attic. They didn’t intend to witnesss Creation, let alone accidently unleash evil into it. Like … Continue reading →

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The Eagle’s Conquest

Posted on September 10, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Eagle’s Conquest© 2002 Simon Scarrow320 pages In Under the Eagle,  Simon Scarrow introduced readers to two legionnaires:  Macro, a grizzled veteran, and Cato, a young bookish sort straight from Rome , a boy made an officer  because of his … Continue reading →

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Here be Dragons

Posted on September 8, 2015 by smellincoffee

Here be Dragons © 1985 Sharon Penman 700 pages               Here Be Dragons takes readers to the Welsh Marches in 13th century England. King John, remembered for losing England’s ancestral holdings in France and being gelded by his own barons … Continue reading →

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Ornament of the World

Posted on September 4, 2015 by smellincoffee

Ornament of the World: How Muslims, Jews, and Christians Created a Culture of Tolerance in Medieval Spain© 2002 Maria Rose Menocal315 pages            Ornament of the World is the story of a unique civilization in medieval Europe, one … Continue reading →

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The Quartet

Posted on September 2, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Quartet: Orchestrating the Second American Revolution, 1783 – 1789 © 2015 Joseph Ellis 320 pages How many men does it take to make a revolution? The American Revolution is usually taken to include the rising animus against the political … Continue reading →

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The Spice Route

Posted on September 1, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Spice Route© 2005 John Keay308 pages Spock was right. Having a thing is often not as pleasant as wanting a thing. It is not logical, but it is often true. Such was the case with the spice trade, which so … Continue reading →

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