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.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

Posted on March 5, 2010 by smellincoffee

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court  © 1889 Mark Twain (alias Samuel Clemens) Bantam Classic edition, 274 pages I read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court along with other highly-esteemed literature as a child through the ‘Great Illustrated … Continue reading →

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Murder at the ABA

Posted on March 3, 2010 by smellincoffee

Murder at the ABA: A Puzzle in Four Days and Sixty Scenes© 1976 Isaac Asimov230 pages     On May 25th, 1975, booksellers and authors gathered in New York City for a weekend of networking, book pitches, and speeches. One such … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (2-3)

Posted on March 2, 2010 by smellincoffee

It’s Tuesday, and thus time for teasing — as always, from ShouldBeReading.  I said to him, “What are you doing here, Isaac? Why aren’t you home writing a book?” [Asimov] groaned. “In a way that’s what I’m doing here. Doubleday … Continue reading →

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American Infidel

Posted on February 28, 2010 by smellincoffee

American Infidel: Robert G. Ingersoll© Orvin Larson 1962 / republished 1993 by FFRF Inc316 pages Robert Green Ingersoll has long been a personal hero of mine, so when during the course of a class on the Gilded Age I was … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (24/2)

Posted on February 25, 2010 by smellincoffee

This week at the library…. Dinner with a Perfect Stranger is a glorified Chick tract, although one with a more promising start. The book’s overworked protaganist is invited to dinner with Jesus and accepts, initially providing the reader with an … Continue reading →

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Yours, Isaac Asimov

Posted on February 24, 2010 by smellincoffee

Yours, Isaac Asimov: A Lifetime of Letters© 1996 Isaac Asimov, ed. Stanley Asimov352 pages Had you asked me who my favorite author was in 2007, I would’ve looked askance at you, thinking that sort of question a type of sacrilege. … Continue reading →

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The Geography of Nowhere

Posted on February 24, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Geography of Nowhere: the Rise and Decline of America’s Man-Made Landscape© 1993 James Howard Kunstler303 pages Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky-tacky Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes all the same There’s a green one, … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (23-2)

Posted on February 23, 2010 by smellincoffee

It’s that time again, from Should be Reading. Neighborhoods like Georgetown or Beacon Hill are walking neighborhoods. It is not necessary to hop in the car to get an ice cream cone or a bottle of aspirin. You walk to  … Continue reading →

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Stories Behind Words

Posted on February 23, 2010 by smellincoffee

Stories Behind Words: The Origins and Histories of 285 English Words© 1986 Peter Limburg288 pages I have long held an interest in etymology and the history of language, thus this book’s interest to me.  Author Peter Limburg expounds upon the … Continue reading →

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The Year of Living Biblically

Posted on February 22, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible As Literally As Possible© 2007 A.J. Jacobs388 pages Day 111. When I’m jotting down tips on how to land a second wife, it’s clear that the pendulum … Continue reading →

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