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.

War Lord

Posted on December 2, 2020 by smellincoffee

War Lord© 2020 Bernard Cornwell352 pages As a boy, Uhtred saw his father and brother slain by an invading enemy, an enemy who took his home from him. Unwilling to turn and run, the boy Uhtred attacked these ferocious warlords … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Suspicious Minds

Posted on December 1, 2020 by smellincoffee

Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories304 pages© 2015 Rob Brotherton We’re caught in a trap, and we can’t walk out*. Our brains orient us towards belief. No sex, no political leaning, no cultural demographic has a monopoly on conspiracy … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Scaling Mount Doom: November 2020

Posted on December 1, 2020 by smellincoffee

After three months of ruthlessly driving the enemy before me, my advance on the Pile of Doom has er…not been so advance-y. Here is hoping that I have not met my Marne. TBR Books Read in November:Defeat in the West, … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 3 Comments

Monday musings: games, books, and hikes

Posted on November 30, 2020 by smellincoffee

Reading has slowed down as of late, between Thanksgiving, weekend hikes, and another round of computer upgrades. I’m now running on a SSD, and was able to resolve a power issue that prevented me from playing PC Building Simulator or … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 11 Comments

Ready Player Two: Spoiler Free

Posted on November 26, 2020 by smellincoffee

Ready Player Two© Ernest Cline384 pages Ready Player One remains one of my favorite novels, ever; for me it is the Starburst jellybean of books, a perfect sweet spot between geekery and pop culture. I couldn’t wait to get my … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged | 3 Comments

Too Much Magic: Same arguments, different cover

Posted on November 25, 2020 by smellincoffee

Too Much Magic: Wishful Thinking, Technology, and the Fate of the Nation© 2012 Jim Kunstler336 pages Twelve years ago, at the urging of my sociology professor, I attended a lecture on Peak Oil and the Future of Suburbia, by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday: Thanksgiving

Posted on November 24, 2020 by smellincoffee

This week’s TTT has a Thanksgiving theme, and it’s a freebie so we can play around with it. I’m going full-throttle stream of thought here. I’m thankful for bookish friends who aid and abet my addiction, but more importantly, who … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 12 Comments

Selections from “A Grief Observed”

Posted on November 21, 2020 by smellincoffee

A Grief Observed was not written as a book, but was published as such from four reflective notebooks that Lewis kept while reeling from the death of his wife, Joy. The collection is raw, intimate, and personal; we find Lewis … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Afghan Campaign

Posted on November 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Afghan Campaign: A Novel© 2006 Steven Pressfield 368 pages Afghanistan, 330 B.C. Alexander the Great, having toppled the Persian Empire and won eternal glory for himself and his men, now looks with hungry eyes to India. The way to … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , | 5 Comments

V-2

Posted on November 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

V-2: A Novel of World War 2 © 2020 Robert Harris320 pages The Wehrmacht is being pushed from western Europe, and the Waffen-SS is reeling in eastern Europe. The Luftwaffe flies no more. And yet Germany fights on, and the … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments