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 Life of Greece

Posted on October 6, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Life of Greece© 1939 Will Durant754 pages Ancient Greece is the cradle of western civilization, and from my elementary school days on, this world occupied by serene columns and men in togas has fascinated me. That interest grew with … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Favorite Authors

Posted on October 5, 2010 by smellincoffee

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is about authors, and I’ve listed my favorites below in count-down order — not that this order is absolute. Honorable mentions: Richard Dawkins, Steven Saylor.  10. John Grisham (fiction, notably legal thrillers set in the American Southeast) Grisham has a … Continue reading →

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Christine

Posted on October 5, 2010 by smellincoffee

Christine© 1983 Stephen King471 pages Let’s go for a ride, big guy. Let’s cruise. It’s 1983, and Dennis Guilder is just starting to get a handle on what happened four years ago, in that last and terrible year of high … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (6 October)

Posted on October 4, 2010 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday! Let’s go for a ride, big guy, Christine seemed to whisper in the summer silence of LeBay’s garage. Let’s cruise. And just for a moment it seemed that everything changed.  (p. 32, Christine. Stephen King.)

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Stephen Fry in America

Posted on October 4, 2010 by smellincoffee

Stephen Fry in America: Fifty States and the Man Who Set Out to See Them All© 2008 Stephen Fry314 pages While I am not familiar with Stephen Fry’s work,  his reputation for humor and science advocacy  lured me me into … Continue reading →

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Spook

Posted on October 2, 2010 by smellincoffee

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife© 2005 Mary Roach311 pages Having so thoroughly enjoyed Stiff last week, I visited the library this past Wednesday with the intent of reading more by the same author. I’ve walked by this book hundreds of … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (15 Sept – 29 Sept)

Posted on September 29, 2010 by smellincoffee

Recent reads… Casino, by Nicholas Pileggi, is the rise and fall of  of two real-life Mafia associates in Las Vegas. The Mao Case is a detective story with political implications set in contemporary Shanghai: Qiu’s detective is likable protagonist, so … Continue reading →

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African Exodus

Posted on September 29, 2010 by smellincoffee

African Exodus: the Origins of Modern Humanity© 1996 Christopher Stringer and Robin McKie282 pages “Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history…” Ever since Charles Darwin made that first and solitary reference to human evolution in … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Favorite Quotations

Posted on September 28, 2010 by smellincoffee

I forgot to post this last week, and decided to post it today instead of “Top Ten Favorite Book Couples“, which I can’t do as I don’t know that many book couples. I drew from the books I’ve read since … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (28 September)

Posted on September 27, 2010 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday time!  In the heady days before consent forms and drop-of-a-hat lawsuits, patients didn’t realize what they might be in for if they underwent surgery at a teaching hospital, and doctors took advantage of this fact. While a patient … Continue reading →

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