Tag Archives: adventure

The Winter King

Posted on October 20, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Winter King: a Story of Arthur© 1997 Bernard Cornwell433 pages The high king of Britain is dead, and the land lies in peril. Surrounded by implacable enemies, from the vicious Irish to the aggressive and hungry Saxon invaders, scarcely … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (10 October)

Posted on October 10, 2012 by smellincoffee

Fall arrived rather suddenly this week, although I imagine the cooler temperatures won’t stay for too long. October 3rd was ‘der Tag der Deutschen Einheit’, or the day of German Unity. As I did with the United States and France … Continue reading →

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A Man on the Moon

Posted on August 27, 2012 by smellincoffee

A Man on the Moon:  the Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts © 1994 Andrew Chaikin670 pages Yet a higher goal was calling, and we vowed to reach it soon So we gave ourselves a decade to put fire on the moon … Continue reading →

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Ship of the Line

Posted on July 19, 2012 by smellincoffee

Ship of the Line© 1997 Diane Carey320 pages Two captains, each without a ship. The first, Captain Picard, lost his when it plowed into the surface of Viridian III while he struggled to prevent a grief-stricken madman from destroying a … Continue reading →

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French Lessons

Posted on July 11, 2012 by smellincoffee

French Lessons: Adventures with the Knife, Fork, and Corkscrew© 2001 Peter Mayle227 pages Peter Mayle is to be envied. Some people’s work involves overseeing hundreds of people and managing the affairs of a business that skirts bankruptcy other day. Some … Continue reading →

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A Journey to the Center of the Earth

Posted on February 5, 2012 by smellincoffee

A Journey to the Center of the Earth© 1864 Jules Verne291 pages “Is the Master out of his mind?” she asked me.I nodded.“And he’s taking you with him?”I nodded again.“Where?” she asked.I pointed towards the center of the Earth.“Into the … Continue reading →

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The Sea-Wolf

Posted on May 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Sea-Wolf© 1906 Jack LondonReprinted in Tales of the North, © 1979.pp. 183-330 Humphrey van Weyden never imagined that a simple ferry ride across the San Francisco Bay would take him so far. Following a collision at sea, he is rescued … Continue reading →

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Heretic

Posted on November 10, 2010 by smellincoffee

Heretic© 2003 Bernard Cornwell355 pages The year is 1347, and the English armies of Edward III are prevailing in France, having invaded to protect old Norman lands and capture new ones like the new port-city of Calais. The Hundred Years’ … Continue reading →

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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Posted on November 6, 2010 by smellincoffee

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea © 1870 Jules Verne 382 pages  Scarcely a year after the end of the American Civil War, Professor Pierre Aronnax of the Museum of Natural History in Paris is  preparing to return to his native France … Continue reading →

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True Grit

Posted on October 21, 2010 by smellincoffee

True Grit © 1968 Charles Portis 215 pages People do not give it credence that a fourteen-year-old girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father’s blood but it did not seem so strange then, … Continue reading →

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