Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

Catch-22

Posted on July 19, 2019 by smellincoffee

Catch-22 © 1961 Joseph Heller 453 pages “That crazy bastard might be the only sane one left on this base!”     Captain John Yossarian, said C.B.,  is convinced that everyone is out to kill him.  The Germans certainly are, at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | 10 Comments

The Cancer Chronicles

Posted on July 17, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Cancer Chronicles: Unlocking Medicine’s Deepest Mystery © 2013 George Johnson 304 pages As a kid,  Cancer was an ominous abstract monster, mentioned only in whispers,  that struck without warning and left no survivors.   You just hoped it didn’t happen to you.  … Continue reading →

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

The Grapes of Wrath

Posted on July 13, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Grapes of Wrath © 1939 John Steinbeck 464 pages                                  “I’m just tryin’ to get along without shovin’ nobody around.” When I drew up my list of Classics Clubs entries,  I made sure to include The Grapes of Wrath … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Farewell to Arms

Posted on July 10, 2019 by smellincoffee

A Farewell to Arms © 1929 Ernest Hemingway 355 pages Beyond The Old Man and the Sea and his short story “The Snows of Kilamanjaro”, I haven’t read very much of Hemingway at all.  A Farewell to Arms seemed like … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder and The Birth of the American Mafia

Posted on July 8, 2019 by smellincoffee

The First Family: Terror, Extortion, Revenge, Murder, and the Birth of the American Mafia © 2009 Mike Dash 416 pages Although Prohibition is generally blamed for the rapid growth of the Mafia,   First Family demonstrates that America’s  mob problem began … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

What Einstein Told His Cook

Posted on July 5, 2019 by smellincoffee

What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained© 2002  Richard Wolke369 pages What did Einstein tell his cook?  ..I still don’t know. I have learned, however, that it is possible to make a jello out of champagne;  that concrete sidewalks, … Continue reading →

Posted in science | Tagged , | 7 Comments

The Thinking Man’s Gangster

Posted on June 28, 2019 by smellincoffee

Meyer Lansky: The Thinking Man’s GangsterRevised and expanded reprint of Little Man: The Gangster Life of Meyer Lanksy 457 pages© 2019 Robert Lacey There’s no such thing as a lucky gambler. There’s only winners and losers, and the winners are the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

The Lone Warrior

Posted on June 25, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Lone Warrior© 2016 Paul Fraser Collard384 pages The time for grand strategy was over. The moment had come to put faith in an Enfield rifle, a steel bayonet and the exhausted and bloodied soldier who stood behind it. Jack … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , | 2 Comments

American Detective

Posted on June 22, 2019 by smellincoffee

American Detective: Behind the Scenes of Famous Criminal Investigations© 2018  Thomas Reppetto312 pages I’ve been playing through L.A. Noire lately, and its use of real-life crime (the Black Dahlia case)  prompted me to look for anything written about it. American … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Devil’s Assassin

Posted on June 19, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Devil’s Assassin© 2015 Paul Fraser Collard336 pages   Jack was filled with the madness. He could feel it searing through his veins. It resonated deep in his soul, every fibre of his being tingling with the insanity of galloping … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments