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.

From Narnia to a Space Odyssey

Posted on April 29, 2017 by smellincoffee

From Narnia to a Space Odyssey: The War of Ideas between Arthur C. Clarke and C.S. Lewis ed. Ryder Miller © 2003 175 pages First of all, reader, understand that the title of this book is overstated. It is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

1066: A New History

Posted on April 28, 2017 by smellincoffee

1066: A New History© 2009 Peter Rex The list of English kings begins with William the Conqueror, but such a list is really a thing of propaganda; although England’s patchwork of ancient kingdoms were slow to be united against threats … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Sense and Sensibility

Posted on April 25, 2017 by smellincoffee

Sense and Sensibility© 1811 Jane Austen409 pages Sense and Sensibility is the story of two sisters, Marianne and Elinor,  who are left to live on a fixed income after their father perished and the law forced him to leave all … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Shakespeare announcement

Posted on April 23, 2017 by smellincoffee

Bernard Cornwell chose this, the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, to announce his next novel: Fools and Mortals. It will follow young Richard Shakespeare as he tries to make his way in the acting world, dominated by his estranged older … Continue reading →

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The Armada

Posted on April 21, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Armada© 1959 Garrett Mattingly443 pages In the late summer of 1588, all of Europe held its breath as an enormous Spanish fleet, consisting of a hundred and fifty vessels of varying sizes, set sail for the English channel. Their … Continue reading →

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

In the Beginning

Posted on April 18, 2017 by smellincoffee

In the Beginning: the Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture © 2001 Alister McGrath354 pages In some circles of American Protestantism, the authority of the King James Bible is coequal … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | 8 Comments

Sister Queens

Posted on April 16, 2017 by smellincoffee

Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of  Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castille480 pages© 2011 Julia Fox Virtually any reader of Tudor fiction is familiar with the sad story of Queen Catherine,  the lawful wife of Henry VIII … Continue reading →

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

Hood

Posted on April 12, 2017 by smellincoffee

Hood © 2006 Stephen Lawhead 496 pages Beyond the borders of Norman-controlled England lies free Britain, and between them the March — a thick band of forest whose depths may conceal outlaws and monsters.  Hood reimagines Robin Hood as an exiled … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

Posted on April 8, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood © 1883 Howard Pyle 648 pages,  Duke Classics Edition. (Other editions seem to have anywhere from 200 to 400 pages, which is odd.) You who so plod amid serious things that you feel it … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

London at War

Posted on April 8, 2017 by smellincoffee

London at War© 1995 Phillip Ziegler372 pages “London doesn’t look down at the ruins of its houses, at the remains of its churches and houses; London looks upwards, towards the Dawn,  and faces the new day with calmness and confidence.”  … Continue reading →

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