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.

John Grisham’s The Widow

Posted on January 12, 2026 by smellincoffee

Simon Latch is a seasoned attorney in a dead marriage who struggles to make ends meet, even as he sleeps on a cot in his office. When an elderly woman approaches him for some estate work and mentions that she … Continue reading →

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Buy one, get one free: Jackson and Lincoln

Posted on January 11, 2026 by smellincoffee

I thought it would be amusing to do a history short round after realizing I’d read two books in which Jon Meacham focuses on Kentucky-born presidents who became icons and who dealt with secession crises. First up, Andy Jackson! Andrew … Continue reading →

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The Great Gatsby: Dramatized

Posted on January 9, 2026 by smellincoffee

As ifThe Great Gatsby needed more drama! LA Theater Works’ The Great Gatsby is a condensed audio adaptation (2 hours) of Fitzgerald’s original that focuses primarily on the relationships between Nick Carraway, Jay Gatsby, Jordan Baker, Tom Buchanan, and — … Continue reading →

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Chorus of the Union

Posted on January 8, 2026 by smellincoffee

Before the last month or so, my awareness of Stephen Douglas was that he had sparred against Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. I did not realize until reading 1858 that these debates were not part of the 1860 presidential … Continue reading →

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Harry Potter and the Cat Who Rescues Books

Posted on January 7, 2026 by smellincoffee

Harry Potter and the Cat Who Rescues Books I only made it a week before doing a short-round!  First up, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, full cast audio edition.  I loved the full-cast audio edition of Harry Potter … Continue reading →

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WWW #1 for 2026!

Posted on January 7, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? American Lion, Jon Meacham. A biography of Andrew Jackson; The Cat Who Saved Books, Sosuke Natsukawa. WHAT are you reading now? To Infinity and Beyond, Neil deGrasse Tyson; Chorus of the Union, Edward McClelland; … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Favorite Books of 2025

Posted on January 6, 2026 by smellincoffee

The first TTT for 2025 is our favorite reads of 2026. But first, a tease! “That just tears it then,” Grainier said, quite agitated. “I’m pulling this team up, and you can walk from here, if you want to beat … Continue reading →

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Boston in the American Revolution

Posted on January 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

When people ask me, a son of the Deep South, why I root for the Red Sox, my usual answer is that I began wearing their hat decades ago because I liked the look of it, and then they went … Continue reading →

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Classics Club: 26 in 2026

Posted on January 3, 2026 by smellincoffee

The Classics Club, now thirteen years strong, posted a fun-looking survey yesterday morning. When did you join The Classics Club? How many titles have you read for the club so far? Share a link to your latest classics club list. I … Continue reading →

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John Tyler: The President Without a Party

Posted on January 2, 2026 by smellincoffee

I was instantly intrigued by John Tyler when I learned that his entire Cabinet, with the exception of the Secretary of State, had resigned on him in protest of his actions and that he had been declared excommunicate by his … Continue reading →

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