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.

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War

The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Civil War© 2008 H.W. Crocker III 370 pages This is not a book I’d expected to read,   because as a Southerner who’s been reading different views about the war for twenty years,  I … Continue reading

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Stories, southern and otherwise

Rick Bragg is one of those authors I gave a shot simply because people around me wouldn’t shut up about him. It’s easy to understand why, after only a page or two;  he has a gift for storytelling, one he … Continue reading

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Southern stories: quotations from My Southern Journey

“My people tell their stories of vast red fields and bitter turnip greens and harsh white whiskey like they are rocking in some invisible chair, smooth and easy even in the terrible parts because the past has already done its … Continue reading

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Tis’ Tuesday, Tis’ Teasing Time

“I guess the best way to tell the story of how I glued myself to the wall of my house, of how such a thing could even happen, is to tell it chronologically. Otherwise, I might appear stupid. But if … Continue reading

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Together

Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World© 2020 Vivek H. Murthy352 pages People are generally open about their physical health; indeed, for men of a certain age, it’s their favorite topic of discussion — at least, … Continue reading

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Dopesick

Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America© 2018 Beth Macy384 pages More people are expected to die from accidental drug overdoses in the next five years than have died in the previous fifteen, part of an overall … Continue reading

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Oh, hai, it’s Tuesday

Two Teases today! When we’re on the digital tether, she says, we’re not fully present in either our virtual or our physical life. Also, we’re not fooling anyone. Others can tell when we’re not paying attention, and it makes them … Continue reading

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The Every

The Every© 2021 Dave Eggers608 pages Nearly ten years ago, Dave Eggers published The Circle,   about the rise of an uber-corporation whose products had transformed not only the digital world, but were beginning to shape society as well.  Think … Continue reading

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Go Set a Watchman

Go Set a Watchman© 2015 Harper Lee 288 pages When it was announced that Harper Lee had published a sequel to her legendary book, Go Set a Watchman,  I was skeptical, as were many.  Given how close its author was … Continue reading

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Teaser Tuesday: Every

Happy Tuesday! Teasing from Dave Eggers’ The Every today, the story of one woman’s quest to destroy an uber-corporation that’s Facebook/Google/Apple/Amazon rolled into one. “Now I’m thinking if I can just kill emojis, that would be enough,” Delaney said. “You … Continue reading

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