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.

Bloodlands

Posted on February 7, 2025 by smellincoffee

On a scale of 1 to 10, how demoralized, depressed, and soul-dead do you want to be? Ten? Well, have I got a book for you! Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin examines the grim fate of Eastern Europe from … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

WWW Wednesday + Memorable Friends

Posted on February 5, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Conversations with Carl Sagan, a collection of interview transcripts; and I’m within 30 pages of finishing Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. It ends a bit like War and Peace, with an essay that’s … Continue reading →

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Conversations with Carl Sagan

Posted on February 4, 2025 by smellincoffee

When I began trying to build my own worldview back in 2006, Carl Sagan’s books were instrumental in giving me a scientific orientation — and a scientific education. By the time he first appeared on the blog (November 2007), I … Continue reading →

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

Teaser Tuesday

Posted on February 4, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is books we were excited to see released in 2024, but I read both of the books whose release I was looking forward to, so today’s it’s just a tease from Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. The … Continue reading →

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Reading 1984 in 2025

Posted on February 3, 2025 by smellincoffee

This is a buddy read with Cyberkitten! I distinctly remember reading 1984 for the first time in high school, as it was the most depressing thing I’d encountered since Flowers for Algernon. and yet it’s one I’ve returned to time … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics and Literary, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Boy meets CPU

Posted on February 1, 2025 by smellincoffee

I’m one of those Millennial kids whose childhood had a BC/AD split. I was more or less oblivious to computers in the early and mid-1990s: though they were present in our elementary classrooms, none of my teachers used them. I … Continue reading →

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Moviewatch: January 2025

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

JANUARY: Supermarket Woman, 1996. Japanese comedy about a man with a struggling supermarket who runs into an old high school flame and, upon realizing she has Housewife insight into supermarket operations, hires her. Fascinating to see 1990s fashion in Japan. … Continue reading →

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The Light Eaters

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Since at least the time of Aristotle, the western mind has regarded plants as passive background scenery; useful to eat, nice for decor, but not all that interesting. Think of how we use the word ‘vegetable’ to refer to someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

January 2025 in Review

Posted on January 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

Welcome to the first 2025 monthly recap! The year is off to a good start, as I was able to hit most of my usual genres — only science fiction was neglected. I’ve already completed a quarter of the science … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday + Thoughtful Quotes

Posted on January 29, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long and Short Reviews is “Quotations That Make You Think”. But first, WWW Wednesday! WHAT have you finished reading recently? Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear. WHAT are you reading now? Multiple things, but I’m focusing … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged , , | 9 Comments