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 Cancer Chronicles

Posted on July 17, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Cancer Chronicles: Unlocking Medicine’s Deepest Mystery © 2013 George Johnson 304 pages As a kid,  Cancer was an ominous abstract monster, mentioned only in whispers,  that struck without warning and left no survivors.   You just hoped it didn’t happen to you.  … Continue reading →

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

Top Ten Authors on Auto-Buy

Posted on July 15, 2019 by smellincoffee

David Mack.   I recently drafted a list of ten of my favorite pieces of Trek lit, and David Mack’s name came up again and again.  He’s handled some of the biggest stories in the Trek Relaunch, including the origin and … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 6 Comments

The Ballad of Tom Joad

Posted on July 13, 2019 by smellincoffee

Tom Joad got out of the old McAlester Pen; There he got his parole. After four long years on a man killing charge, Tom Joad come a-walkin’ down the road, poor boy, Tom Joad come a-walkin’ down the road. Tom … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Grapes of Wrath

Posted on July 13, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Grapes of Wrath © 1939 John Steinbeck 464 pages                                  “I’m just tryin’ to get along without shovin’ nobody around.” When I drew up my list of Classics Clubs entries,  I made sure to include The Grapes of Wrath … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Farewell to Arms

Posted on July 10, 2019 by smellincoffee

A Farewell to Arms © 1929 Ernest Hemingway 355 pages Beyond The Old Man and the Sea and his short story “The Snows of Kilamanjaro”, I haven’t read very much of Hemingway at all.  A Farewell to Arms seemed like … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Top Ten Characters I’d Save the World With

Posted on July 8, 2019 by smellincoffee

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is….a character freebie. Okay, fine. I’m Nick Fury and I’m building my own team of Avengers. 1. Richard Sharpe, full stop. Maybe add in Harper so he’d have someone to exchange witty banter with.   Role:   … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 9 Comments

Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder and The Birth of the American Mafia

Posted on July 8, 2019 by smellincoffee

The First Family: Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder, and the Birth of the American Mafia © 2009 Mike Dash 416 pages Although Prohibition is generally blamed for the rapid growth of the Mafia,   First Family demonstrates that America’s  mob problem began … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Welcome!

Posted on July 7, 2019 by smellincoffee

Something I began planning for in  January has come to fruition, and now ReadingFreely has its own home, with a linked twitter account to boot. I look forward to tinkering with the website as I learn more of the new … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 8 Comments

What Einstein Told His Cook

Posted on July 5, 2019 by smellincoffee

What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained© 2002  Richard Wolke369 pages What did Einstein tell his cook?  ..I still don’t know. I have learned, however, that it is possible to make a jello out of champagne;  that concrete sidewalks, … Continue reading →

Posted in science | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Prepare to Meet Thy Doom

Posted on July 5, 2019 by smellincoffee

Prepare to  Meet Thy Doom: And Other True Gaming Stories © 2015 David Kushner  ~ 5 hours, read by Wil Wheaton Masters of Doom enthralled me, covering the genesis of modern  PC gaming through its history of id software.   Prepare … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , | 2 Comments