Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

A Warning

Posted on January 2, 2020 by smellincoffee

A Warning © 2019 A Senior Trump Administration Official 272 pages In 2018, a disturbing op-ed ran in The New York Times declaring the existence of a secret band of White House staffers who were ‘working diligently’ to frustrate part … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

The Only Plane in the Sky

Posted on December 22, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 © 2019 Garrett Graff 512 pages   If you ever only read one book about 9/11, make it The Only Plane in the Sky.   I have rarely been as … Continue reading →

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

The Lost Gospel of Mary

Posted on December 21, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Lost Gospel of Mary:  The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts © 2012 Frederica Mathewes-Green 178 pages   We are presently in the season of Advent,  an ideal time to take a look at a question of mine: … Continue reading →

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My Disillusionment in Russia

Posted on December 20, 2019 by smellincoffee

My Disillusionment in Russia © 1923 Emma Goldman 271 pages “Is there any change in the world? Or is it all an eternal recurrence of man’s inhumanity to man?”    – Emma Goldman, 1921 In 1919, then-notorious anarchist Emma Goldman was … Continue reading →

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Rubbish!

Posted on December 18, 2019 by smellincoffee

Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage © 1992 William Rathje and Cullen Murphy 250 pages Given that historians often use the contents of middens to glean information about societies which have long faded away, it’s only fair to see what our … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Of stars and saints

Posted on December 14, 2019 by smellincoffee

Two also-reads in recent weeks have been Brian Cox’s Wonders of the Solar System and Kevin Vost’s 12 Life Lessons from St. Augustine. I’m familiar with Cox from his many appearances in Symphony of Science videos (a YouTube series in  … Continue reading →

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

War and Peace

Posted on December 11, 2019 by smellincoffee

War and Peace pub. 1869 Leo Tolstoy trans.  1957 Rosemary Edmunds 1444 pages My word, what a book!   In the beginning, dear readers, I’ll confess that I anticipated failure. Tolstoy’s epic addressing the nature of history and war,  and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Junkyard Planet

Posted on December 6, 2019 by smellincoffee

Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion Dollar Trash Trade © 2013 Adam Minter 304 pages I once encountered a pair of supermarket clerks unloading cases of bottled water from their pallet jack to the shelves where the water awaits the … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

This and that

Posted on December 5, 2019 by smellincoffee

Well, good news and bad news. The good news is…my book buying ban is OVER, so I have five books on the way.   A few are for next year, but I may try a couple beforehand: Rubbish: The Archaeology of … Continue reading →

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

Sword of Kings

Posted on November 29, 2019 by smellincoffee

Sword of Kings © 2019 Bernard Cornwell 334 pages “Tighten the sail!” I shouted. The trap was sprung, and now the snake would discover how the wolf and the eagle fought.  p. 19 Uhtred of Bebbanburg has been fighting all … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , | 7 Comments