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.

Best from Jack: C.S. Lewis Reading Day

Posted on November 29, 2023 by smellincoffee

Today is C.S. Lewis Reading Day, hosted by Pints with Jack, and participants are asked to share their favorite Lewisian quotes. I’m going to go with twelve Lewis quotes that are especially meaningful to me personally, or insightful enough that … Continue reading →

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It’s the last tease of November, I’ll meet you at the station..

Posted on November 28, 2023 by smellincoffee

Today’s treble-T is “Top Ten Books Set in _________”. I haven’t thought of a topic yet, so I’ll edit this later. And now, the Tuesday tease! If we let ourselves, we shall always be waiting for some distraction or other … Continue reading →

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Short rounds: C.S. Lewis and the anthropology of sanitation workers

Posted on November 27, 2023 by smellincoffee

First up, C.S. Lewis’ The Pilgrim’s Regress. Lewis dashed this off immediately after converting to Christianity in 1933, and it’s a fictional and fantastical rendering of his own journey throughout the twenties as he fell away from his childhood faith, … Continue reading →

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Reflections on the Reading Life

Posted on November 27, 2023 by smellincoffee

As part of A Week with Jack, I’m going to respond to a few questions inspired by C.S. Lewis’ relationship with literature. These questions were presented to the reader at the end of The Reading Life, an anthology of Lewisian … Continue reading →

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Nonfiction November, Question 4: Recent TBR Additions

Posted on November 27, 2023 by smellincoffee

This month some bloggers have been participating in Nonfiction November, a series of queries hosted by “Based on a True Story“. The last question asks for nonfiction titles that have recently found themselves on our to-be-read pile. I think it’s … Continue reading →

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With Good Intentions? The Myth of Progress

Posted on November 25, 2023 by smellincoffee

Wait, wait, wait. Before I comment on this book, I want to say first that patience is a virtue, and so is persistence. I stumbled on Bill Kauffman nine years ago, possibly via Front Porch Republic, and was immediately taken … Continue reading →

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Make it ho, ho, ho!

Posted on November 24, 2023 by smellincoffee

When I saw that Audible had a version of “A Christmas Carol” performed by Patrick Stewart, there wasn’t a chance in the world I would not listen to it. I made myself wait until after Thanksgiving, though, because I’m a … Continue reading →

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Give thanks

Posted on November 23, 2023 by smellincoffee

Giving thanks is very meet and right, and just so to do, so — here’s one of my very favorite hymns in honor of the day.

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Wednesday blogging prompt: bookish memes

Posted on November 22, 2023 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt is memes that remind us of books, but when I opened Ye Olde Warehouse of Saved Memes, I found that I mostly save political, cultural, and Star Trek memes, so I’m just going to go with “memes that … Continue reading →

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A Week with Jack

Posted on November 22, 2023 by smellincoffee

For the last few years I’ve had the Best of Intentions of doing a CS Lewis-themed week, set between November 22nd and November 29th, the anniversaries of his death and birth, respectively. That didn’t happen, but this year — it … Continue reading →

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