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.

God is Not One

Posted on June 24, 2011 by smellincoffee

God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Rule the World and Why Their Differences Matter © 2010 Stephen Prothero 400 pages Despite the promises of modernity to drive religion out of the human mind, the New York City … Continue reading →

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Sharpe’s Fortress

Posted on June 24, 2011 by smellincoffee

Sharpe’s Fortress: India 1803© 1999 Bernard Cornwell294 pages There’s nothing quite so miserable as a good sergeant who’s been made into  purposeless officer. Mister Richard Sharpe is a man with a mission — the defeat of renegade-murder Dodd — but … Continue reading →

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Booking through Thursday: Soundtrack

Posted on June 23, 2011 by smellincoffee

Booking through Thursday asks: What, if any, kind of music do you listen to when you’re reading? (Given a choice, of course!In general, I find that classical music is an excellent complement to reading — softer pieces, generally, nothing bombastic. However, … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (19 June)

Posted on June 19, 2011 by smellincoffee

In addition to the reviews posted this weekend, I also finished Biology Made Simple — which proved to be too simple for my needs. Although the book improved vastly as the author covered the bodily systems, the opening chapters on … Continue reading →

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Cop Hater

Posted on June 18, 2011 by smellincoffee

Cop Hater© 1956 Ed McBain236 pages The heat is on for Detective Stephen Carella of the 87th precinct and his fellow officers. As a heat wave reduces the city to misery, someone is murdering the precinct’s detectives one by one. The … Continue reading →

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Posted on June 18, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Omnivore’s Dilemma© 2007 Michael Pollan450 pages What to eat, what to eat? Between our robust physiologies and intelligent, creative minds, there’s little on Earth that we human beings cannot eat or somehow convert into food. The entire planet is … Continue reading →

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Sharpe’s Triumph

Posted on June 18, 2011 by smellincoffee

Sharpe’s Triumph: India 1803© 1998 Bernard Cornwell291 pages Four years have passed since Richard Sharpe destroyed the Tippoo Sultan’s empire and earned his sergeant’s stripes, and those four years have been relatively peaceful. But now a malicious officer (Dodd) in … Continue reading →

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The Currents of Space

Posted on June 18, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Currents of Space© 1952 Isaac AsimovFrom Triangle (pp. 1-172). © 1952. “Frightened people can be very dangerous, my Lady. They can’t be counted on to act sensibly.”“Then why do you keep them frightened?” An entire planet is doomed, and only … Continue reading →

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All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Posted on June 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things© 1989 Robert Fulghum196 pages It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor — would you be mine, could you be mine? … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (14 June)

Posted on June 13, 2011 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish event in which participants share excerpts from their current reads, hosted by Should Be Reading. “I’m not an assassin. Killing is more of a hobby with me. Have you had dinner?” p. 1, The … Continue reading →

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