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.

Teaser Tuesday (20/4)

Posted on April 20, 2010 by smellincoffee

“Verily, verily, I say unto you…not only for reading was Tuesday made, but for teasing also. (Jesus, Tweet from the Mount) “Leia, he was just a boy. Did you think he came out of the womb wearing a breather and … Continue reading →

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Young Hornblower

Posted on April 17, 2010 by smellincoffee

Young Hornblower© 1948, 1951, 1953 C.S. Forester672 pages (My library’s copy has long lost its dustcover, but this would certainly be eye-catching…) A few weeks ago I began reading and was immediately taken by the adventures of Captain Horatio Hornblower, … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (15/4)

Posted on April 15, 2010 by smellincoffee

Recent reading: The Infernova is a modern retelling of Dante’s inferno written to amuse skeptics by making religious hypocrites, cult leaders, and other enemies of reason the subject of poetic justice. Strength to Love was a collection of sermons by … Continue reading →

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The Bhagavad Gita

Posted on April 13, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Bhagavad Gita: a New Translation© 2000 Our Gita, the Muslims’ Koran, your Bible — it’s always the simple things that catch your breath. ‘Love thy neighbor as yourself.’ – the Mahatma, Gandhi Back in late 2006 I began a … Continue reading →

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Nehru: the Invention of India

Posted on April 13, 2010 by smellincoffee

Nehru: the Invention of India© 2003 Shashi Tharoor282 pages  The movie Gandhi introduced me to many of the key figures in India’s independence movement and early political leadership, and beyond Gandhi no man interested me more than the Mahatma’s right … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (13-4)

Posted on April 13, 2010 by smellincoffee

A tease, a tease, a Tues-day tease….from Should Be Reading. A well-worn story, perhaps apocryphal, has Churchill recalling the years Nehru spent in British prisons, saying, “You must hate us.” To which Jawaharlal replied: “I was taught by a great … Continue reading →

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Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys!

Posted on April 11, 2010 by smellincoffee

Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys!: The raucous, hilarious, big bestseller about sex, guided missiles, real estate, commuters, love and the U.S. Army in a Connecticut town© 1957 Max Shulman277 pages There are some authors for whom I will buy or … Continue reading →

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1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus

Posted on April 11, 2010 by smellincoffee

1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus© 2005 Charles C. Mann465 pages 1491: New Revelations of the Americas before Columbus is an ambitious book that attempts to rout a host of assumptions about the land and people of the … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (6-4)

Posted on April 6, 2010 by smellincoffee

If it’s Tuesday, I must be teasing like Should Be Reading.  “The ticks are not bad, are they?” I asked him hopefully, viewing the tall grass and underbrush between the road and the mounds. “No,” said the driving, beaming. “When … Continue reading →

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Millennium Falcon

Posted on April 5, 2010 by smellincoffee

Millennium Falcon© 2008 James Luceno317 pages Han Solo: Fast ship? You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?  Obi-Wan: Should I have?  Han Solo: It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs! The Millennium Falcon is almost … Continue reading →

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