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.

Scams, beer, and the Constitution

Posted on June 22, 2020 by smellincoffee

This past week I’ve read a few books which haven’t gotten full reviews, but I wanted to mention them anyway:. Scam Me if You Can, Frank Abanagle Jr. If that name sounds familiar to you, Abnagle’s youthful feats in fraud … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

To Wake the Giant

Posted on June 21, 2020 by smellincoffee

To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor © 2020 Jeff Shaara 528 pages In To Wake the Giant,  Jeff Shaara returns to World War 2, this time with a curveball.  Unlike most of his other novels,  Wake the … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

American Terrorist

Posted on June 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing ©  2001, 2015 Lou Michel & Dan Herberck 426 pages   During a recreation period one day, a prisoner in an adjoining cage poured his heart out to McVeigh, telling him … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Corona Diary #8

Posted on June 18, 2020 by smellincoffee

Well, the partial re-opening lasted exactly a month. In the face of skyrocketing ‘rona rates across the state, and particularly in the county,  the library today shifted back to curbside-only.   (Since May 18th, we have been following a split schedule:  … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 4 Comments

Ruby Ridge

Posted on June 17, 2020 by smellincoffee

Every Knee Shall Bow / Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family © 1995, 2002  Jess Walter 416 pages “[….] people ought not to be murdered by their own government.” The inherent brutality of the police … Continue reading →

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Tully WAS known as the Roman king of coke

Posted on June 12, 2020 by smellincoffee
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How to Run a Drug Cartel

Posted on June 11, 2020 by smellincoffee

Narconomics: How to Run a Drug Cartel © 2016 Tom Wainright 288 pages I only know of one rule for the drug business, and that via Scarface: never get high on your own supply.  And as Manny could tell you, … Continue reading →

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To Build a Castle

Posted on June 9, 2020 by smellincoffee

To Build a Castle: My Life as a Dissenter ©  1978 Vladimir Bukovsky 438 pages When frustrated Soviet officials asked Vlaldimir Bukovsky why he continued to provoke them, he replied that he doubted he could cause them nearly as much … Continue reading →

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In Remembrance

Posted on June 6, 2020 by smellincoffee

It’s a day quickly only remembered by historians, but I can’t see June 6 without thinking of that night and morning in which young men threw themselves into darkness and death to fight against a genuine enemy of civilization.  In … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 5 Comments

Smuggler Nation

Posted on June 4, 2020 by smellincoffee

Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America © 2014 Peter Andreas 472 pages “What can a Governor do, without the assistance of the Governed? What can the Magistrates do, unless they are supported by their fellow Citizens? What can the … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments