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.

WWW Wednesday, and Reading More Genre Fiction

Posted on March 25, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long and Short reviews is: what genre do you want to read more of in 2026? My science fiction and historical fiction reading last year were both fairly dismal, so….both. WHAT have you finished reading recently? Treacherous … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Books on my Alleged Spring TBR

Posted on March 24, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is books on our spring TBR. As is my custom, I’m going to look back at my previous quarterly TBR to see how I did. I batted .500, which is great by my standards: I read five of … Continue reading →

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Iran & Israel: A Lovers to Enemies Story

Posted on March 23, 2026 by smellincoffee

Trita Parsi’s Treacherous Alliance is a history of relations between the United States, Israel, and Iran from 1947 on. It principally argues that Iran and Israel’s relationship has become poisoned not because of Iranian ideology — specifically, that of the … Continue reading →

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Harry Potter and the Teenage Angst

Posted on March 19, 2026 by smellincoffee

Although I’ve frequently re-read some Harry Potter books over the years, I’ve tended to avoid Phoenix after my second read.I found it depressing and irritating my first rounds, and had no desire to ever revisit it. The full cast audio … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday + Audiobooks We Have Loved

Posted on March 18, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Robert Parker’s Blind Spot. Meh. WHAT are you reading now? I’m listening to the full cast audio of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and reading Eleanor Oiliphant is Completely Fine along … Continue reading →

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Ten Books with Green Covers

Posted on March 17, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s treble T is books with green book covers, in honor of St. Patrick, whose feast day is today. He is the patron saint of Ireland and green rivers. Funny story: blue was originally the color associated with St. Patrick, … Continue reading →

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Robert Parker’s Blind Spot

Posted on March 16, 2026 by smellincoffee

Robert Parker’s Blind Spot is a mystery/thriller novel written to continue the stories of one of Parker’s existing characters, Sheriff Jesse Stone. I ran across the novel because I was looking for novels with baseball connections: this one begins when … Continue reading →

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Mortal Stakes

Posted on March 13, 2026 by smellincoffee

Spenser is a private detective working in the Hub City, and he’s just been approached with an interesting job. Red Sox management thinks one of their players is throwing games, and they want him to find out if their hunch … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on March 11, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Double Play, Robert Parker. WHAT are you reading now? Mortal Stakes, Robert Parker — and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, full-cast audio edition. Released yesterday but I had a night class, … Continue reading →

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Double Play

Posted on March 10, 2026 by smellincoffee

Burke has returned home from World War 2 with a body full of scars and a mind even more disturbed. He arrived home not to hugs and kisses, but to a letter from his wife telling him that she’d run … Continue reading →

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