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.

Plan 9 from Outer Space: Ed Woods attacks!

Posted on May 21, 2024 by smellincoffee

I love watching strange science fiction movies from the fifties and sixties, especially the B+ movies with outlandish costuming, strange set design, and bizarre characters. Ed Woods’ Plan 9 from Outer Space delivered all those in spades, along with genre … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Top Ten Authors I Want Another Book Out of

Posted on May 21, 2024 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is authors we’d like another book from, either because they’ve stopped writing series or they’ve inconveniently died. But first, a tease! Hurtling back to town, in a red Porsche driven by a beautiful woman, with the song playing, … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 12 Comments

SHELLI

Posted on May 20, 2024 by smellincoffee

Jake August is a young agent of Homeland Security who has just been welcomed into a special subsection devoted to investigating crimes committed by replican- errr, synthetics. Synths have been integrated into society as intelligent, humanoid tools oriented toward a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 18 Comments

Amy ain’t no spice girl

Posted on May 18, 2024 by smellincoffee

Back in 2004 or 2005 I heard NPR reviewing a new album, “Frank”, and after hearing samples from it I immediately became a fan of its creator, Amy Winehouse. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t resonate with any of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Breaking Point: Beating Hitler with Spits and math

Posted on May 17, 2024 by smellincoffee

Britain, late summer 1940. Jerry plans to pay southern England a visit, and Johnny Shaux and the other boys in the RAF intend on giving him a warm reception. Breaking Point is an unusual and fascinating fictional take on the … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Hit Refresh (it’s the F5 key)

Posted on May 15, 2024 by smellincoffee

When I first began using computers in the late 1990s, Microsoft was establishing itself as The Establishment — a successor to IBM, becoming the uncool behemoth. It wasn’t quite there yet, but it would be there soon. A few years … Continue reading →

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Reacting to ReaderRank

Posted on May 14, 2024 by smellincoffee

I recently noticed a thing called “ReaderRank” while browsing Booksirens for ARCs, and after connecting it to goodreads was amused to find my reviewing being…reviewed. According to it, I am a ‘lenient’ reviewer because my average review is 4 stars. … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 11 Comments

Top Ten Recentish Kindle Highlights

Posted on May 14, 2024 by smellincoffee

The Tuesday tease: “Are you busy with something?” said the Major. “You can always call another time, when your paperwork is finished.” “No, no, it’s just a final deal book I have to read—make sure all the decimal points are … Continue reading →

Posted in General, quotations | Tagged , | 21 Comments

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

Posted on May 13, 2024 by smellincoffee

Major Pettigrew’s entire life is being unsettled. He’d just suddenly lost his brother, and after the funeral, the Major’s self-absorbed and materialistic son arrives and declares his intentions to move closer to the village — along with his new finance, … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations, Reviews | Tagged , | 2 Comments

al Khamissi’s Taxi

Posted on May 7, 2024 by smellincoffee

Step into a Cairo taxi, circa mid-2000s, and listen to the rumblings of revolution. I can’t remember how this book appeared on my radar — only that it happened recently, and that I bought a used copy almost immediately — … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, World Affairs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment