Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

A Radical Exercise in Liberty

Posted on June 5, 2026 by smellincoffee

The Declaration of Independence: A Radical Exercise in Liberty  is a unique work,  as it is a history of how the Declaration came to be – not only politically, but philosophically. It begins as formal history,  recounting the early 1770s … Continue reading →

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The Lettahs of JFK

Posted on June 1, 2026 by smellincoffee

Having finished listening to George H.W. Bush’s family read his personal letters and diary entries across fifty years in All the Best,  I could not very well refrain from the temptation of reading JFK’s letters.  The Letters of JFK, however, … Continue reading →

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All the Best, George

Posted on May 29, 2026 by smellincoffee

. All the Best is a collection of Bush Sr’s letters, diary entries and emails, prefaced by him and read to varying degrees by his family — including “Bar” whose first particular entry is heartbreaking. As a 1990s kid, there … Continue reading →

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Lincoln

Posted on May 27, 2026 by smellincoffee

Gore Vidal’s Lincoln is a fictional rendering of President Lincoln across five years, from his rise to power to his sudden end at an assassin’s hands in 1865.  Unlike the modern film Lincoln, Vidal does not try to give us … Continue reading →

Posted in General, historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hated by All the Right People

Posted on May 21, 2026 by smellincoffee

“What’s happened to Tucker?”, Rod Dreher may have asked himself in not so many words. Since Carlson aired an interview with a young troll whose name I’ll not give further mention, and failed to press the boy on his antisemitic … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Take Me To Your Leader

Posted on May 19, 2026 by smellincoffee

Aliens have been in the news of late, as Congress held hearings on ‘UAPs’ in ’23 and ’24, and the Biden and Trump admins both began moving to release some of the government’s ‘Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon’ or UFO files. Just … Continue reading →

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

Harry Potter and the VERY SCREAMY CAMPING TRIP

Posted on May 18, 2026 by smellincoffee

One minute Harry and company are attending the wedding of Bill and Fleur, the next moment they’re running for their lives and living like vagabonds in the woods while trying to figure out how to take down the second coming … Continue reading →

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Hope Rides Again

Posted on May 16, 2026 by smellincoffee

A few years ago I read a silly story about Joe Biden and Barack Obama trying to solve the mystery of an AMTRAK conductor being murdered while their Secret Service handlers and wives went “REALLY?”. This is its sequel. President … Continue reading →

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Decision Points

Posted on May 14, 2026 by smellincoffee

I have a ….complicated relationship with George W. Bush. He was the president when I was in high school, and most importantly during 9/11: his “I can hear you!” response still makes me want to find a table, stand on … Continue reading →

Posted in General, history, Politics and Civic Interest | Tagged , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Ope! ..it’s the Midwest Survival Guide

Posted on May 8, 2026 by smellincoffee

A few years ago I stumbled into the Midwestcentric comedy stylings of Charlie Berens, and he’s become a close favorite: I rewatch his and YouBetcha’s collabs constantly. The Midwest Survival Guide is a solo effort of his, one I ignored … Continue reading →

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