Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

Shatterpoint

Posted on February 13, 2009 by smellincoffee

Shatterpoint© 2004 Matthew Stover406 pages Set very soon after the conclusion of Attack of the Clones, Shatterpoint is an Extended Universe Star Wars novel centered around the character of Mace Windu and a personal trial of his at the beginning … Continue reading →

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Deer Hunting with Jesus

Posted on February 13, 2009 by smellincoffee

Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America’s Class War© Joe Bageant 2007267 pages + acknowledgments One of the benefits of living in a university setting is that I’m constantly surrounded by people who are reading idea-centered books. One such book … Continue reading →

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How the Irish Saved Civilization

Posted on February 10, 2009 by smellincoffee

How the Irish Saved Civilization: the Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe© 1995 Thomas Cahill230 pages plus bibliography, chronology, and index. Last week I began the “Hinges of History” … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (9/2)

Posted on February 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Homeward Bound, Harry Turtledove Mysteries of the Middle Ages, Thomas Cahill The Book of Ecclesiastes, Tremper Longman III I started with Harry Turtledove’s conclusion to the Worldwar-Colonization series, Homeward Bound. While being the final book in this … Continue reading →

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Mysteries of the Middle Ages

Posted on February 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

Mysteries of the Middle Ages and the Beginnings of the Modern World© 2006 Thomas Cahill317 pages, plus notes and index A couple of weeks ago I met a friend for breakfast, and he brought with him an interesting-looking book. He … Continue reading →

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The Book of Ecclesiastes

Posted on February 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Book of Ecclesiastes.© 1998 Tremper Longman III284 pages, plus indices Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no … Continue reading →

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Homeward Bound

Posted on February 2, 2009 by smellincoffee

Homeward Bound© 2005 Harry Turtledove597 pagesThis week I concluded Harry Turtledove’s Worldwar-Colonization metaseries on a high note. Homeward Bound picks up at the conclusion of Aftershocks (1970) but quickly moves to 2030. In the opening pages, Turtledove moves the plot … Continue reading →

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This Week At the Library (2/2)

Posted on February 2, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Colonization: Aftershocks, Harry Turtledove The Battle of the Labyrinth, Rick Riordian Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman Jedi Trial, David Sherman and Dan Cragg After nearly a two-month break, I returned to Harry Turtledove’s Colonization series. Colonization … Continue reading →

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Jedi Trial

Posted on January 30, 2009 by smellincoffee

Jedi Trial: A Clone Wars Novel© 2004 David Sherman and Dan Cragg345 Continuing in my Star Wars kick this week, I read Jedi Trial. As you might guess from the title, it’s set during the Clone Wars. Anakin Skywalker is … Continue reading →

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Amusing Ourselves to Death

Posted on January 29, 2009 by smellincoffee

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Television© 1985 Neil Postman176 pages, plus index, bibliography, and notes. I read a couple of books by Postman during the summer, and both were mind-broadening. Postman is particularly concerned about … Continue reading →

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