Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

California Diaries finale: bittersweet goodbye

Posted on August 20, 2024 by smellincoffee

Round One | Round Two And….here we are, at the end of one of my absolute favorite series. The third round is a bit like Return of the Jedi, in that we have really strong books plus some stuff that, … Continue reading →

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Historic Pensacola

Posted on August 19, 2024 by smellincoffee

I don’t know that I’d ever given much thought to Pensacola before immersing myself in Florida’s colonial history prepping for my St. Augustine weekend a few years back, but reading those made me aware of how chaotic and interesting Florida’s … Continue reading →

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California Diaries, round two: double the drama, double the ….fun?

Posted on August 15, 2024 by smellincoffee

California Diaries consists of diaries from five characters in three rounds: round one’s review is here. We open round two with Sunny, who is…still not doing well. Her last diary ended with her trying to run away from home with … Continue reading →

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Fun times at Wayside school

Posted on August 15, 2024 by smellincoffee

Wayside School Wayside School was, I believe, my introduction to absurdist writing, and Sachar was a master at it in the realm of kiddie-fic. Imagine a school built sideways: instead of being 30 classrooms in a single-story campus, it’s a … Continue reading →

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Marvin Redpost

Posted on August 14, 2024 by smellincoffee

I was going to do a big Sachar post, but realized it would get…erm, unwieldly. Going to seperate Marvin and the Wayside kids up! Marvin Redpost When straining the ol’ cranium for books I was reading in the nineties, an … Continue reading →

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The Higher Frontier

Posted on August 13, 2024 by smellincoffee

Sorry, this isn’t Blast from the Past related, but Lower Decks is still two weeks away from airing and Strange New Worlds won’t return until 2025. Had to scratch my Trek itch. Got some Louis Sachar coming! On Andor, the … Continue reading →

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California Diaries, round one

Posted on August 11, 2024 by smellincoffee

Warning: big post. Comments, videos, quotes. Years ago when the world was new and dinosaurs walked upon the face of the Earth, I saw a novel with an interesting cover and took a look. It proved to be a fictional … Continue reading →

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Damned Un-English

Posted on August 6, 2024 by smellincoffee

Gilbert Maltravers, of His Majesty’s Ship Hindustan, has just been promoted to full lieutenant and has decided to jump ship. The Hindustan, anyway, not the Navy, though he has his doubts about his future there unless there’s a war. Gilbert … Continue reading →

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When Dixie was the Southwest

Posted on August 5, 2024 by smellincoffee

Everett Dick’s The Dixie Frontier offers a fascinating glimpse into the early days of the American Southwest, providing a colorful and informative account of life on the frontier. Following the end of the Revolutionary War, Americans poured westward, venturing all … Continue reading →

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What happened after Star Trek: The One with the Whales?

Posted on August 2, 2024 by smellincoffee

Have you seen Star Trek IV: A Voyage Home? It’s easy to remember — it’s the funny one, with whales and Admiral Kirk not recognizing 20th century slang. The Enterprise crew have to go back to 1986 to pick up … Continue reading →

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