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 Right to Read: Segregation and Civil Rights

Posted on March 25, 2024 by smellincoffee

Alabama public libraries were early stages for Civil Rights projects, given their high public profile and higher deals: libraries were created for the common good, for the benefit of society, meant to serve everyone. How could they bar someone from … Continue reading →

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OPENING DAY!

Posted on March 25, 2024 by smellincoffee

In celebration of baseball officially starting again this week, I’m going to be featuring books about America’s game. This will include a book about baseball parks and the American city, a baseball murder mystery, possibly a book on the science … Continue reading →

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Plum, in his own Words

Posted on March 22, 2024 by smellincoffee

I’d intended to save this for Read of England, but — rum thing, when you begin reading Wodehouse it’s as hard to resist finishing him as it is to rescue Bertie Wooster’s Aunt Agatha when she topples down the stairs. … Continue reading →

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Anxious People

Posted on March 19, 2024 by smellincoffee

The scene: an apartment showing, the day before New Year’s. The apartment is filled with people, and then enters one more: a masked individual wielding a gun, panicked. They’ve just tried to rob a bank, only the bank is a … Continue reading →

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Springing into Teases

Posted on March 19, 2024 by smellincoffee

Happy Spring! Today’s TTT is books on our TBR. But first, teases! But firster, Vivaldi! They say that a person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. But that isn’t true, at least not entirely, because if our past was … Continue reading →

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Satire and our dark hearts

Posted on March 18, 2024 by smellincoffee

From GK Chesterton’s Twelve Types: It has become a breach of etiquette to praise the enemy: whereas when the enemy is strong every honest scout ought to praise the enemy. It is impossible to vanquish an army without having a … Continue reading →

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Quotes from “Strange Gods”

Posted on March 16, 2024 by smellincoffee

I was going to post this on Sunday, but then I realized it’s the Feast Day of St. Patrick, and I’ve something else planned. So, here you quotes, quotes on idolatry and mindfulness for your Saturday. The human heart craves … Continue reading →

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Short rounds: Idols, community, and baseball bros

Posted on March 15, 2024 by smellincoffee

Despite appearances, I have been reading this past week… Elizabeth Scalia’s Strange Gods: Unmasking the Idols of Everyday Life invites readers to consider those things which get between them and God. I heard sermons on this topic in my youth … Continue reading →

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WordPress prompt just for laughs

Posted on March 13, 2024 by smellincoffee

I don’t usually respond to these prompts, but this seemed fun. First up, TV series: Star Trek Deep Space Nine. With the other Trek series, I generally pick and choose episodes. Yeah no, I’m not watching “Spock’s Brain”, “Code of … Continue reading →

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A trio of teases

Posted on March 12, 2024 by smellincoffee

“When you set foot on an island without rats, the skies are full of seabirds. It’s noisy because of the cacophony that those birds are making. And it smells of guano and ammonia, particularly if it has recently rained. It’s … Continue reading →

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