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.

Hitlers amerikanische Freunde

Posted on December 5, 2023 by smellincoffee

Years ago when the History Channel was more interested in Hitler than aliens and ice road truckers, I happened upon a documentary there about German-Americans in the United States who supported the “New Germany” from their adopted country. I was … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

On the first tease of Tuesmas, my true love gave to me

Posted on December 5, 2023 by smellincoffee

Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive GOLD-en RIIIIIINGS! (ahem) Sorry. ‘Tis the season. Here’s a tease and then the top ten. In order to become a swordsmith, Kevin had to be something of a Renaissance man: equal parts historian, artist, scientist, mathematician, and detective. Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

November 2023 in Review

Posted on November 30, 2023 by smellincoffee

If October was a fun month, November was more of a …work month, as I was focused either on school projects (powerpoint presentation done tonight, final paper due Tuesday, yaaay) or tackling TBR titles. Presently, I need twelve more TBR … Continue reading →

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Uncensored Memoirs of a Trailer Park Refugee

Posted on November 30, 2023 by smellincoffee

Ahh, boyhood. A time for digging out forts in the sides of hills, running from water moccasins at the creek, and repeatedly bashing .45 ACP rounds to see what’s inside. I stumbled upon this book while researching a Selma suburb … Continue reading →

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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 →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Religion and Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

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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