Author Archives: smellincoffee

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About smellincoffee

Citizen, librarian, reader with a boundless wonder for the world and a curiosity about all the beings inside it.

Harry Potter and the Cat Who Rescues Books

Posted on January 7, 2026 by smellincoffee

Harry Potter and the Cat Who Rescues Books I only made it a week before doing a short-round!  First up, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, full cast audio edition.  I loved the full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter … Continue reading →

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WWW #1 for 2026!

Posted on January 7, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? American Lion, Jon Meacham. A biography of Andrew Jackson; The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa. WHAT are you reading now? To Infinity and Beyond, Neil deGrasse Tyson; Chorus of the Union, Edward McClelland; … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Favorite Books of 2025

Posted on January 6, 2026 by smellincoffee

The first TTT for 2025 is our favorite reads of 2026. But first, a tease! “That just tears it then,” Grainier said, quite agitated. “I’m pulling this team up, and you can walk from here, if you want to beat … Continue reading →

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Boston in the American Revolution

Posted on January 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

When people ask me, a son of the Deep South, why I root for the Red Sox, my usual answer is that I began wearing their hat decades ago because I liked the look of it, and then they went … Continue reading →

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Classics Club: 26 in 2026

Posted on January 3, 2026 by smellincoffee

The Classics Club, now thirteen years strong, posted a fun-looking survey yesterday morning.

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John Tyler: The President Without a Party

Posted on January 2, 2026 by smellincoffee

I was instantly intrigued by John Tyler when I learned that his entire Cabinet, with the exception of the Secretary of State, had resigned on him in protest of his actions and that he had been declared excommunicate by his … Continue reading →

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Train Dreams

Posted on January 1, 2026 by smellincoffee

My first movie for 2026 was Train Dreams, a beautiful but tragic story of a man who found happiness, then saw it ripped away from him, and then was forced to grapple for meaning like Job. After dealing with an … Continue reading →

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2026: America @ 250

Posted on January 1, 2026 by smellincoffee

This year the United States of America will celebrate its 250th anniversary. I was too young by a decade or so to celebrate the Bicentennial, and unless future medicine is very magic I doubt I will witness the Tricentennial. So, … Continue reading →

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December 2025 in Review + Moviewatch

Posted on December 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Well, December was a heckuva month, that’s all I can say. I read twenty books this month alone, though quite a few entries were ‘short’ — I’ve been making my way through The American Presidents series, all volumes of which … Continue reading →

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What I Read in 2025

Posted on December 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Books in bold are superior favorites. I’ve been trying to whip one of my drafts of Provoked into shape fit for posting but am still not happy yet. It will happen, though. I’m close. January(1) Strange Weather in Tokyo, Hiromi … Continue reading →

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