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.

Nonfiction November Kickoff

Posted on October 28, 2024 by smellincoffee

Although I’m planning on doing SciFiMonth in November, there are also two “Nonfiction November” events happening, and I figured I’d join in with hopes of giving my nonfiction reading a shot in the arm, since it’s been fairly overwhelmed by … Continue reading →

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Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist

Posted on October 28, 2024 by smellincoffee

Two years ago I read a Wendell Berry collection of essays edited not by Brother Berry himself, but by someone named Paul Kingsnorth. Being the nosy sort that I am, I inquired of Google who Kingsnorth might be, I knew … Continue reading →

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Our hearts are in the trim!!

Posted on October 25, 2024 by smellincoffee

Today is the feast of St. Crispian, which means it’s time to share some Kenneth Branagh w’ ye all.

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The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis

Posted on October 25, 2024 by smellincoffee

Most people encounter C.S. Lewis as a Christian apologist or an author of stories — either the children’s series of Narnia, or his fascinating “space trilogy”, which combined mythology, medieval cosmology, and character drama to good effect. His occupation, though, … Continue reading →

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Thinking about occupations and vocations

Posted on October 24, 2024 by smellincoffee

I am not a career-oriented person: when I was younger, I didn’t have a driving ambition to Become Something other than a husband & father: a career was simply something I would’ve done to support that vocation. When I was … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on October 23, 2024 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long & Short Reviews is: what do I do when I’m bored? Ehm…. I read, if I can, and if not I think about things or tell stories in my head — sometimes thinking about fiction I’m … Continue reading →

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Top Teddy Tuesday

Posted on October 22, 2024 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is how our reading habits have changed over time. First up, though, the ol’ Teddy Tease. Loeb made a small sound, and Roosevelt waited for more, saw his son Archie running past in pursuit. With a hint of … Continue reading →

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The Old Lion

Posted on October 21, 2024 by smellincoffee

Imagine if someone wrote a fictional biography of Chuck Norris, but they used the internet legend version of Norris as their inspiration rather than the actor himself. That’s what impression The Old Lion gives me, frankly, a worshipful depiction of … Continue reading →

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Against the Machine: a weekend of mysticism and wonder

Posted on October 20, 2024 by smellincoffee

This past weekend I had a rare opportunity to meet not two, but three authors, two of whom I’d read previously and one of whom I consider my favorites. Some months ago Rod Dreher, author of The Little Way of … Continue reading →

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How Librarians Will Save us All

Posted on October 17, 2024 by smellincoffee

As promised, I read This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Will Save us All, by Marilyn Johnson. Before getting into it, though, I found a very quick work on KU that amused me, so I’m sharing it here … Continue reading →

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