Category Archives: General

Top Ten Books on my Alleged Spring TBR

Posted on March 24, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is books on our spring TBR. As is my custom, I’m going to look back at my previous quarterly TBR to see how I did. I batted .500, which is great by my standards: I read five of … Continue reading →

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Iran & Israel: A Lovers to Enemies Story

Posted on March 23, 2026 by smellincoffee

Trita Parsi’s Treacherous Alliance is a history of relations between the United States, Israel, and Iran from 1947 on. It principally argues that Iran and Israel’s relationship has become poisoned not because of Iranian ideology — specifically, that of the … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday + Audiobooks We Have Loved

Posted on March 18, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Robert Parker’s Blind Spot. Meh. WHAT are you reading now? I’m listening to the full cast audio of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and reading Eleanor Oiliphant is Completely Fine along … Continue reading →

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Ten Books with Green Covers

Posted on March 17, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s treble T is books with green book covers, in honor of St. Patrick, whose feast day is today. He is the patron saint of Ireland and green rivers. Funny story: blue was originally the color associated with St. Patrick, … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on March 11, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Double Play, Robert Parker. WHAT are you reading now? Mortal Stakes, Robert Parker — and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, full-cast audio edition. Released yesterday but I had a night class, … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Tuesday: Ordinal Numbers Time

Posted on March 10, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is “books with ordinal numbers in the title”. Mmkay….. But first, a tease from Robert Parker’s Double Play: “We need to work this out,” Burke said. “I don’t want to have to keep shooting people.”“We got plenty.” (1) … Continue reading →

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The Tragic Comedy of Suburban Sprawl (Revisited)

Posted on March 6, 2026 by smellincoffee

Almost twenty years ago I attended a guest lecture at my university and heard a talk that would prove to be exceptionally influential on my thinking.  The talk, by Jim Kunstler, was on how American urban design – the built … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on March 4, 2026 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? The Confessions, St. Augustine. WHAT are you reading now? 2/3rds through Augustine: A Very Short Introduction, by Henry Chadwick. Also starting a re-read of The KunstlerCast: Conversations with James Howard Kunstler about the Tragic … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Tuesday Freebie: Books that Sing

Posted on March 3, 2026 by smellincoffee

Today’s topic is a TTT genre freebie.   I was going to do something like “My Favorite Historical Fiction Books of the Last Five Years”. Instead, I am going to do…..ten songs to pair with ten books.   “The problem in … Continue reading →

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February 2026 in Review

Posted on February 28, 2026 by smellincoffee

February was an odd month for reading, opening with another Box binge (this time reading through his other series, featuring a sheriff’s deputy turned private investigator) before drifting back a little into history. It was not a strong month for … Continue reading →

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