Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

To Build a Castle

Posted on June 9, 2020 by smellincoffee

To Build a Castle: My Life as a Dissenter ©  1978 Vladimir Bukovsky 438 pages When frustrated Soviet officials asked Vlaldimir Bukovsky why he continued to provoke them, he replied that he doubted he could cause them nearly as much … Continue reading →

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Smuggler Nation

Posted on June 4, 2020 by smellincoffee

Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America © 2014 Peter Andreas 472 pages “What can a Governor do, without the assistance of the Governed? What can the Magistrates do, unless they are supported by their fellow Citizens? What can the … Continue reading →

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The Lion at Sea

Posted on May 30, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Lion at Sea © 1977  Max Hennessy/John Harris 368 pages The atmosphere was electric and exultant. They were sailing into history at thirty knots. But what history? Defeat or victory? Kelly McGuire never consciously intended to follow his old … Continue reading →

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Wayside School Beneath the Cloud of Doom

Posted on May 29, 2020 by smellincoffee

© 2020 Louis Sachar 176 pages I was a weekly visitor to my childhood library, always bringing home  a fresh pile of books — but some books I checked out over and over again. Sideways Stories from Wayside High and … Continue reading →

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The Thing with the Feathers

Posted on May 28, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Thing with Feathers: The Surprising Lvies of Birds and What They Reveal About Being Human © 2015  Noah Strycker 304 pages One of the blessings of living in a semi-rural area like myself is the daily sightings of birds … Continue reading →

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Never Home Alone

Posted on May 27, 2020 by smellincoffee

Never Home Alone: From Microbes to Millipedes, Camel Crickets, and Honeybees, the Natural History of Where We Live © 2018 Rob Dunn 278 pages They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky — – they’re your new roomates. Or rather, … Continue reading →

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Uncle Tungsten

Posted on May 26, 2020 by smellincoffee

Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood © 2001 Oliver Sacks 352 pages No future scientist was ever better primed for the life than Oliver Sacks.   You may know him as a neurologist and the author of numerous books … Continue reading →

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What the Robin Knows

Posted on May 24, 2020 by smellincoffee

What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World © 2012  Jon Young 277 pages I don’t envy people for their boats,  wardrobes, or  wine collections, but if I meet someone who can ‘read’ the natural … Continue reading →

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The Science of Breaking Bad

Posted on May 23, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Science of Breaking Bad © 2019 David Trumbore,  Donna J. Nelson 264 pages Yeah, Mister White! Yeah, SCIENCE!  Breaking Bad remains the best-scripted, -filmed, and –acted show I’ve ever watched, and no matter how many times I watch a … Continue reading →

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The Body

Posted on May 22, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Body: A Guide for Occupants © 2019 Bill Bryson 464 pages Bill Bryson would like to introduce you to someone: yourself.  You really are a piece of work!   Other authors have explored various aspects of the human body in … Continue reading →

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