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.

What the world needs now

Posted on March 25, 2020 by smellincoffee

 

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Corona Diaries #2

Posted on March 23, 2020 by smellincoffee

So begins week two of ….well, whatever this is, this strange moment in time we’re all experiencing together.    The library’s curbside service has been well received by the community, promoted by the paper and those of us on facebook, and … Continue reading →

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Are We There Yet?

Posted on March 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

Are We There Yet? The American Automobile Past, Present, and Driverless ©  2019 Dan Albert 304 pages Are we there yet? I mean, at the end of the book?  Because it’s not fun.  Oh, sure, the author is trying to … Continue reading →

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

Tornadoes, the stars, and eternity

Posted on March 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

I aim to minimize the amount of un-commented-on books in 2020, so here follows some housekeeping! Back in February,  I read Braving the Elements: The Stormy History of American Weather.  It opened with the importance of climate to the various … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Corona Diaries #1

Posted on March 17, 2020 by smellincoffee

March 17, 2020  Earlier today in conversation with a priestly friend, she mentioned that she and some of her  fellow clergy were keeping “Corona Diaries” to document their respective organization’s practices in the wake of the current pandemic, to monitor … Continue reading →

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Station Eleven

Posted on March 12, 2020 by smellincoffee

“I stood looking over my damaged home and tried to forget the sweetness of life on Earth.” In New York City, an acclaimed actor collapses in the middle of his King Lear performance. Hours later, the world as we know … Continue reading →

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

American Dirt

Posted on March 9, 2020 by smellincoffee

American Dirt © 2020 Jeanine Cummins 387 pages It was the garden party from hell. One moment,  Lydia Pérez was enjoying her niece’s quinceañera; the next, she and her son Luca were huddling in the shower, listening as their family … Continue reading →

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Quotes from the Ground Beneath Us

Posted on March 5, 2020 by smellincoffee

“Quotations to follow tonight,” I said. I didn’t expect AT&T to have another network outage, though mercifully this one wasn’t as long as the twelve days (you better believe I counted) of February. But enough telecom griping! On to the … Continue reading →

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Of murder and meaningful ground

Posted on March 4, 2020 by smellincoffee

A friend recently introduced me to the terms lentic and lotic, referring to stagnant and fast-moving bodies of water, respectively.  My Lenten series has so far been very lentic,   as I’ve been distracted by life’s goings-on.    I have done a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Ash Wednesday

Posted on February 26, 2020 by smellincoffee

Today is Ash Wednesday,  called for the service in which western, liturgical Christians contemplate the inevitability of death, and the need to focus on that which matters.  The forty days of Lent will  follow, and that season of preparation is typically used by … Continue reading →

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