Author Archives: smellincoffee

Unknown's avatar

About smellincoffee

Citizen, librarian, reader with a boundless wonder for the world and a curiosity about all the beings inside it.

American Orthodox

Posted on September 30, 2025 by smellincoffee

A few months back, I happened to hear one of my favorite Orthodox pieces of music, the Paschal Troparion, put to the tune of an Appalachian folk melody. As it happens, I adore folk music: I spend time actively memorizing … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion and Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

September 2025 in Review + Tuesday Tease

Posted on September 30, 2025 by smellincoffee

‘Twenty years ago’, said Mark, toying with his knight, ‘we were fighting to save wilderness from destruction. Now it seems like we’re just fighting to keep ourselves off screens twenty-four hours a day.’ AGAINST THE MACHINE, Paul Kingsnorth September was, … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Day of Battle

Posted on September 29, 2025 by smellincoffee

Although I’ve been reading about World War 2 for most of my life at this point, beginning in middle school, the scope of my reading has never broached the Italian campaign. This is probably due to the huge role D-Day … Continue reading →

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

I Gave Yeh All I Had, I Did

Posted on September 24, 2025 by smellincoffee

Dear reader, are you familiar with the “Mom can I have _______” | “We have _______ at home” | “_______ at home: ” meme? If not, this may give you the idea. I open this review with that ominous question … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

WWW Wednesday

Posted on September 24, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished recently? Knife Creek, Paul Doiron. Game warden mystery set in Maine. WHAT are you reading now? Day of Battle, a history of the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy. Presently “knee deep” into the Italy campaign, … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 5 Comments

Knife Creek

Posted on September 23, 2025 by smellincoffee

Mike Bowditch and his biologist girlfriend Stacey were out in the woods doing game warden things — specifically, seeking and destroying feral hogs invading from New Hampshire — when they stumbled upon a shallow grave for a baby wrapped in … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR

Posted on September 23, 2025 by smellincoffee

Tuesday Teaser “If you own the corner store, you must know everyone who lives along thisroad.”“Everyone who smokes cigarettes, buys scratch tickets, and drinks beer.”He had a scratchy laugh. “In other words, yeah. I know everyone who livesalong this road.” … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Backcountry Lawman

Posted on September 22, 2025 by smellincoffee

Readers may remember that earlier this year I fell into CJ Box’s game warden novels starring Joe Pickett with the eagerness of a winter traveler who finds a cabin laden with quilts and fresh chili. I subsequently found Paul Doiron’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Riding with Evil

Posted on September 19, 2025 by smellincoffee

Ken Croke spent two years living a double life, one in which the ATF agent’s suburbanite existence was increasingly overshadowed by his second life as a sergeant in arms for the notorious PAGANS motorcycle club. The story unfolds in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Dominus

Posted on September 17, 2025 by smellincoffee

Di immortales, it’s been a while since I read any Steven Saylor! For those who don’t know the name, Saylor is an author of Roman historical fiction; I found him in college, and devoured a long series starring “Gordianus the … Continue reading →

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