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.

Moviewatch October 2026

Posted on October 31, 2026 by smellincoffee

I did not watch a lot during October, but the monthly recap was ungainly enough without throwing in movies. No TV streaming, either — just history and literature lectures from Brad Birzer and evenings spent on my own writing. Scarface, … Continue reading →

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October 2026 in Review

Posted on October 30, 2026 by smellincoffee

Well, October was quite a month! I’m posting this early because my internet is out at home and depending on when the outage is resolved, I might not be online again until Monday. I began the month with four goals: … Continue reading →

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Lyndon at Last

Posted on October 28, 2026 by smellincoffee

Over the last year when I have considered what books I would take on to understand LBJ, Robert J. Caro’s four-volume set (with a fifth in the works) was always recommended. No, said I, never. I disliked LBJ, thought him … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on October 28, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long and Short Reviews is “Favorite Memory from Your Childhood”, which…is very ambitious. I think the aging process tends to apply a groovy filter to all our childhood memories, because back then we were full of wonder, … Continue reading →

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Twelve Books for Halloween

Posted on October 27, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s treble T is a Halloween freebie: I’ve never gotten into Halloween (aside from a few costume parties over the years), but I will give this the old college try. But first, the tease! In fact, the thing Lorraine and … Continue reading →

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Poppy

Posted on October 26, 2026 by smellincoffee

While I have had George H.W. Bush listed on my Hail to the Chief  page for a while, in truth neither of the two entries would satisfy a purist like myself. One was a collection of letters, which was a … Continue reading →

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James “Veni, vici, secessi” Polk

Posted on October 26, 2026 by smellincoffee

Note to readers: there will be two or three president reviews this week, but I solemnly promise I am reading other things. I actually began revisiting another YA title from my youth this weekend, while at the same time starting … Continue reading →

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FDR

Posted on October 23, 2026 by smellincoffee

When I began working on this project in earnest a year ago, I knew then that FDR was going to be…interesting. I’ve mentioned before that I was a World War 2 nut in high school: this translated, via the impressionability … Continue reading →

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The BBC’s Fellowship of the Ring

Posted on October 22, 2026 by smellincoffee

I have been meaning to revisit the realms of the Shire and Rivendell and Gondor for some years now,, but recently an older friend of mine announced his intention to begin his annual walk with Frodo on October 1st. “I’m … Continue reading →

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William McKinley

Posted on October 22, 2026 by smellincoffee

After three days of trying to make progress in Robert Merry’s William McKinley, trying in vain to see the subject through a multiple of well-tailored fat man smoking cigars and blocking my way to their chosen man to guide America … Continue reading →

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