Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

Station Eleven

Posted on March 12, 2020 by smellincoffee

“I stood looking over my damaged home and tried to forget the sweetness of life on Earth.” In New York City, an acclaimed actor collapses in the middle of his King Lear performance. Hours later, the world as we know … Continue reading →

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American Dirt

Posted on March 9, 2020 by smellincoffee

American Dirt © 2020 Jeanine Cummins 387 pages It was the garden party from hell. One moment,  Lydia Pérez was enjoying her niece’s quinceañera; the next, she and her son Luca were huddling in the shower, listening as their family … Continue reading →

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Of murder and meaningful ground

Posted on March 4, 2020 by smellincoffee

A friend recently introduced me to the terms lentic and lotic, referring to stagnant and fast-moving bodies of water, respectively.  My Lenten series has so far been very lentic,   as I’ve been distracted by life’s goings-on.    I have done a … Continue reading →

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Second Sleep

Posted on February 23, 2020 by smellincoffee

Second Sleep © 2019 Robert Harris 302 pages Sometimes, readers, it pays not to read anything about a book before you start it. Take Second Sleep, for instance, which I picked up purely on the strength of its author (Robert … Continue reading →

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The Bodies in the Library

Posted on February 22, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Bodies in the Library © 2019 Marty Wingate 336 pages Hayley has a secret: she doesn’t know a blessed thing about Agatha Christie’s fiction. Or Dorothy Sayer’s.   Her literary expertise is all things Austen, but thanks to a friend … Continue reading →

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Prague Fatale

Posted on February 20, 2020 by smellincoffee

Prague Fatale © 2011 Phillip Kerr 432 pages Bernie Gunther is a man contemplating suicide.  Once, in the Weimar years, he was a happily married policeman. But his wife died,  he fell into the bottle, and not long after that Germany itself … Continue reading →

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The Planets

Posted on February 19, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Planets: The Definitive Visual Guide to Our Solar System © 2014 various authors (Smithsonian Institute) 256 pages I knew the moment I laid eyes on this book that we had to have it in the library.  I was given … Continue reading →

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His Way

Posted on February 18, 2020 by smellincoffee

His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra © 1986 Kitty Kelley 576 pages His Way is a gossipy biography of Frank Sinatra,  one full of drama and interest, but more tabloid-like than serious.    Most biographies of Sinatra follow the same course:  … Continue reading →

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The Complete Guide to Fasting

Posted on February 17, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting © 2016 Jason Fung 304 pages The Complete Guide to Fasting introduces readers to fasting as a health practice for weight loss, diabetes reversal, and general health … Continue reading →

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Love, sand cranes, and civil rights

Posted on February 14, 2020 by smellincoffee

This has….not been a good week for utilities in my neck of the woods. Because of heavy rains, flooding, and thunderstormy-drama,  I’ve been without phone and DSL service since Tuesday, and the library has had to close for one day … Continue reading →

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