Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

The Audacity of Hope

Posted on August 22, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream © 2006 Barack Obama 375 pages Knowing my interest in political speeches, a friend of mine asked me in 2005 if I’d ever heard of Barack Obama, who spoke at … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Casebook of the Black Widowers

Posted on August 20, 2009 by smellincoffee

Casebook of the Black Widowers © 1980 Isaac Asimov 222 pages Readers who have been with me since last summer know how delighted I was to find the Black Widower mystery series. In the year since, I have checked out … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

This Week at the Library (19/7)

Posted on August 19, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Dolphins, Jacques Yves-Cousteau The Force Unleashed, Sean Williams A History of the Arab Peoples, Albert Hourani The Venus Throw, Steven Saylor The Essential Koran, translated and edited by Thomas Clearly. I began this week with Jacques Yves-Cousteau’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Leave a comment

The Essential Koran

Posted on August 19, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Essential Koran — the Heart of Islam: An Introductory Selection of Readings from the Koran © 1994 trans. and edited by Thomas Cleary 202 pages I was somewhat reluctant to include this as a TWATL post given its nature … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Venus Throw

Posted on August 18, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Venus Throw © 1995 Steven Saylor 308 pages Back during the spring I began enjoying Steven Saylor’s Roma sub Rosa series, depicting life during Rome as it passes from republic to empire through the adventures of Gordianus the Finder, … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A History of the Arab Peoples

Posted on August 17, 2009 by smellincoffee

A History of the Arab Peoples © 1991 Albert Hourani 565 pages, including appendices, maps, notes, and index. I picked this up (with both hands) to add historical context for my reading of The Essential Koran and to fill in … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Star Wars: the Force Unleashed

Posted on August 15, 2009 by smellincoffee

Star Wars: the Force Unleashed © 2008 LucasFilm & Sean Williams 319 pages Jar Jar Binks: Where wesa goin? Qui-Gon Jinn: Don’t worry. The Force will guide us. Jar Jar Binks: Ohh, maxi big ‘da Force’. Well, dat smells stinkowiff. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dolphins

Posted on August 13, 2009 by smellincoffee

Dolphins © 1975 Jacques-Yves Cousteau 304 pages In every color, there is the light. In every stone sleeps a crystal. Remember the shaman, when he used to say — “Man is the dream of the dolphin.” – “The Dream of … Continue reading →

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

This Week at the Library (12/8)

Posted on August 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Gold, Isaac Asimov Aristotle’s Children, Richard Rubenstein Footprints of God, Greg Iles Anthropology for Dummies, Cameron Smith Securing Democracy, ed. Gary Gregg III Brave New World, Aldous Huxley This was a well-rounded week, I think: history, politics, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | Leave a comment

Brave New World

Posted on August 11, 2009 by smellincoffee

Brave New World © 1932 Aldous Huxley 270 pages In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman introduced the book with his suspicion that Brave New World’s predictions were coming to fruition — namely, that human happiness will be pursued by … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments