Author Archives: smellincoffee

About smellincoffee

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

A Gathering of Old Men

Posted on May 7, 2021 by smellincoffee

A Gathering of Old Men© 1983 Ernest Gaines213 pages There’s a white man dead in the quarter, and by sundown there may be another body swinging from the trees. Most of the people in the quarter don’t know why Beau … Continue reading →

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May the Fourth be with You: Star Wars Lit

Posted on May 4, 2021 by smellincoffee

Today’s TT coincides with May the Fourth, so I’m highlighting some Star Wars books! The Darth Bane trilogy, Drew Karpyshyn “Always two there are. No more, no less.” This trilogy is set in the Old Republic — really old Republic, … Continue reading →

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Hiking grandmas, irreligious hombres, and unjacking from the Matrix

Posted on May 3, 2021 by smellincoffee

As an avid hiker I couldn’t help but be hooked by the story of Emma Gatewood, who in 1955 became the first woman to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. She did so with a minimum of preparation, without much of the … Continue reading →

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April 2021

Posted on April 30, 2021 by smellincoffee

April was an unusual month, as I hit ‘pause’ on a few of my themes to focus on English history & literature. Several holds came in this month, though, prompting me to stray a bit from the theme. In the … Continue reading →

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Re-tooling tech: a reading

Posted on April 27, 2021 by smellincoffee

From The Tech-Wise Family: Technology is in its proper place when it helps us bond with the real people we have been given to love. It’s out of its proper place when we end up bonding with people at a … Continue reading →

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From the horses’ mouth: Black Beauty and Traveller

Posted on April 26, 2021 by smellincoffee

This past week I’ve read two novels which feature a horse as the narrator, and I thought it might be fun to consider them together. The first, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, is something of a re-read for me: I … Continue reading →

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Life is Suffering

Posted on April 26, 2021 by smellincoffee

“God, there’s reasons to be resentful about your existence. Everyone you know is going to die — you, too, and there’s going to be a fair bit of pain along the way. Lots of it’s going to be unfair. No … Continue reading →

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The Sword and the Serpent

Posted on April 23, 2021 by smellincoffee

Sword and Serpent © 2014 Taylor R. Marshall411 pages A phoenix from the fire will riseUnchain her and free the worldIn Britannia will rise the eagle whose sign is the CrossIn Britannia will rise the chief dragon whose sign is … Continue reading →

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Victorian London

Posted on April 22, 2021 by smellincoffee

Victorian London: The Life of a City, 1840 – 1870© 2013 Liza Picard504 pages As far as immersive English social histories go, I would heretofore have called Ian Mortimer the champion standing, but if Victorian London is any example, Liza … Continue reading →

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Of Captains Courageous, dog-training, and walking amid mountain laurel

Posted on April 20, 2021 by smellincoffee

Late last week I finished Captains Courageous, a coming-of-age adventure story in which a spoiled brat named Harvey Cheyne falls overboard at sea and is rescued by a fishing boat, whereupon he must work for his living and matures rather … Continue reading →

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