Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

Spring Cleaning

Posted on March 16, 2016 by smellincoffee

The wind is blowing, the trees are in leaf, and I sense spring is on the way. Well, good! Not that this winter has been particularly bad, but spring has far better scenery.  I spent this past weekend cleaning while … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Dixie’s Forgotten People

Posted on March 12, 2016 by smellincoffee

Dixie’s Forgotten People: the South’s Poor Whites© 1979 Wayne Flynt200 pgs Just poor people is all we were, tryin’ to make a living out of black land dirt.. When Franklin Roosevelt referred to the forgotten man, he was likely thinking … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

All Other Nights

Posted on March 9, 2016 by smellincoffee

All Other Nights© 2009 Dara Horn400 pages Why is this night different than all other nights?  Well, for starters, Joseph Rappaport is going to poison his uncle, on suspicion that he is plotting to kill Abraham Lincoln.   That move … Continue reading →

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

The Wisdom of the Myths

Posted on March 7, 2016 by smellincoffee

Wisdom from the Myths: How Greek Mythology Can Change Your Life© 2014 Luc Ferry416 pages Well over a year or so ago, in a mood to read about the classical tradition, I happened upon Wisdom from the Myths: How Greek … Continue reading →

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Spin Me Right Round, Baby

Posted on March 4, 2016 by smellincoffee

Every so often the Classics Club does a ‘spin’ challenge, in which players post a list of twenty books from their classics-to-be-read pile, number it, and wait. After we’ve had a few days to post the list, the folks at … Continue reading →

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Fin Gall

Posted on March 4, 2016 by smellincoffee

Fin Gall: A Novel of Viking-Age Ireland© 2013 James Nelson290 pages When a Danish longboat happened upon a small Irish craft on the rough seas , it found more than quick booty.  Onboard the boat was the Crown of the … Continue reading →

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

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Posted on March 3, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Picture of Dorian Gray© 1890 Oscar Wilde180 pages Dorian Gray is the picture of youthful innocence, but his portrait is one of deathly corruption. After sitting for a painting rendered by his friend Basil, Dorian becomes a source of … Continue reading →

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Equal of the Sun

Posted on February 28, 2016 by smellincoffee

Equal of the Sun© 2012 Anita Amirrezvani431 pages When Javaher came to the Iranian court, he did so with a secret mission: he intended to find out who murdered his father, and then return the favor.  So intent was he … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

This Just In

Posted on February 24, 2016 by smellincoffee

During the weekend I said in comments here that I would love to see a book about spontaneous or emergent order that crossed disciplines. Well, by golly, now there is one — and it’s by Matt Ridley, who penned The … Continue reading →

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You Still Can’t Call me Inspector Gadget

Posted on February 23, 2016 by smellincoffee

A few years ago I penned a few thoughts  (“Go Go Gadget Literature?”) distancing myself from e-readers and e-books, then exploding in popularity. A recent post by Lori at Should Be Reading made me think of it, and for good … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflection, Reviews | Tagged | 7 Comments