Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

This Week at the Library (18 Aug – 25 Aug)

Posted on August 25, 2010 by smellincoffee

This week at the library… Working IX to V, a romp through odd jobs of the ancient and classical worlds. Though informative, the author relies heavily on humor to connect with the reader. Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies was … Continue reading →

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The Lost World

Posted on August 24, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Lost World© 1995 Michael Crichton431 pages “‘Ooh, aah’. That’s always how it starts. Then later there’s the running and the screaming.” – Dr. Ian Malcolm, The Lost World In the 1980s, a biocompany called InGen discovered a way to … Continue reading →

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Sharpe’s Eagle

Posted on August 21, 2010 by smellincoffee

Sharpe’s Eagle© 1981 Bernard Cornwell270 pages The year is 1809, and much of western Europe has been subdued by the First French Empire. Napoleon Bonaparte rules as Europe’s greatest emperor, but there are those who resist. England stands apart from … Continue reading →

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Gods of Night

Posted on August 21, 2010 by smellincoffee

Gods of Night© 2008 David Mack431 pages “The moment I have dreaded for […] years has finally arrived. The Borg, our most lethal enemy, have begun an invasion of the Federation…and this time there may be no stopping them.” (Jean-Luc Picard, First … Continue reading →

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Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies

Posted on August 20, 2010 by smellincoffee

Admiral Hornblower in the West Indies© 1957 C.S. Forester250 pages Although not the last Hornblower book published — Hornblower during the Crisis was a work-in-progress when Forester died — it is the novel set latest in Hornblower’s life. The Napoleonic wars … Continue reading →

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Working IX to V

Posted on August 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World© 2007 Vicki Leon312 pages This amusingly-titled volume caught my eye more than a few times in the past, and with an itching to read … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library: 11 Aug – 18 Aug

Posted on August 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

This week: Heroes of History by Will Durant is a brief summary of western history, though one introduced with chapters on India, China, and Egypt. Durant’s heroes are philosophers, theologians, poets, and an occasional political figure.  West and East is second in Harry … Continue reading →

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Don’t Know Much About Geography

Posted on August 17, 2010 by smellincoffee

Don’t Know Much about Geography: Everything You Need to Know about the World But Never Learned© 1992 Kenneth C. Davis384 pages I’ve taken several geography courses as part of my university education, a tribute perhaps to Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, … Continue reading →

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West and East

Posted on August 17, 2010 by smellincoffee

The War that Came Early: West and East© 2010 Harry Turtledove436 pages In 1938, the Munich Peace Conference ended in a general European war. Britain and France, outraged by Hitler’s transparent attempts to manipulate them, pledged to defend Czechoslovakia — … Continue reading →

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Heroes of History

Posted on August 15, 2010 by smellincoffee

Heroes of History: A Brief History of Civilization from Ancient Times to the Dawn of the Modern Age© 2001 Will Durant348 pages Will Durant is an author I’ve heard of but not yet read from, and this slim volume intended … Continue reading →

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