Category Archives: General

WWW Wednesday

Posted on September 17, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Dominus, by Steven Saylor. A novel covering one family across a century or so of Roman history, from Marcus Aurelius to Constantine. WHAT are you reading now? Day of Battle, a history of the … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday, Operation Husky Edition

Posted on September 16, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is….books that inspire candle scents? I got nothing, so here’s some historical gore instead. “Harris dashed forward only to have another mine shred his abdomen and legs; after flicking grenades into a line of pillboxes, he sprinkled sulfa … Continue reading →

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Top Ten (Recent) Villains

Posted on September 9, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is “Villains”.     We did this one ….over a decade ago, so I’m going to compose this list without looking at  that prior list, and try to focus on recent villains I’ve read.  Turns out it’s…a lot … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Books with Occupations in the Title

Posted on September 2, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is books with occupations in the title: I’m going to go back to 2007 and work my way forward, limiting each year to one book. But first, a tease! What they understood at Johnny White’s, however, was what … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday +Books I Keep Meaning to Read

Posted on September 2, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s prompt from Long and Short Book Reviews is, “Books I Keep Meaning to Read But Haven’t”. But first, WWW Wednesday. WHAT have you finished reading recently? The Great Deluge, a quasi-history of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation of New … Continue reading →

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August 2025 in Review + Moviewatch August 2025

Posted on August 31, 2025 by smellincoffee

August ended with a surprisingly abrupt break from the intense heat and humidity that usually mark this period in Alabama: a cold front moved in, and as our air-conditioners suddenly turned off for the first time since May we sat … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on August 27, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Operation Underworld, a look into collaboration between the Italian America Mafia and the American government during World War 2. WHAT are you reading now? There is No Place For Us, on the working poor … Continue reading →

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Top Ten of my Most-Watched Youtube Favorites

Posted on August 25, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is a non-bookish freebie, so I’m going to….spotlight YouTube clips I tend to watch and re-watch, excluding purely music videos. But first, the tease! Maranzano had tried to live like Julius Caesar, so Luciano’s board of directors ordered … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday

Posted on August 20, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, Jason Bailey. WHAT are you reading now? Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba, T. J. English WHAT are you reading next? Frequent readers should … Continue reading →

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Gandolfini

Posted on August 19, 2025 by smellincoffee

Like many, I was awed by James Gandolfini’s performance throughout The Sopranos,  which made him an actor whose presence guarantees I’ll watch any movie he’s in. Gandolfini is a professional biography of an actor whose charisma and commitment to his … Continue reading →

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