Curtis Jerry Smothers
Teacher . Editor . Poet . Writing Coach . Historian . Online Tutor

Welcome to My Favorite Books

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Books have been my lifelong companions—sources of entertainment, instruction, wonder, and occasionally a good argument. This page brings together reviews of books that have stayed with me long after I turned the final page. They range from Civil War history and historical fiction to naval adventure, technological thrillers, post-apocalyptic literature, and speculative fiction.

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I make no claim that this is a complete or definitive list. These are simply books that challenged my thinking, stirred my imagination, or told their stories so well that I wanted to share them. I will continue adding more favorites and reviews as time goes on.

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Science fiction holds a special place here. In my opinion, Joseph Eckert’s The Traveler and Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s The Mote in God’s Eye are the two greatest science-fiction novels ever written. They are very different books, but each combines an astonishing premise with profound questions about humanity, survival, love, and the limits of human understanding.

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Also, my all-time "twisted history" favorite Grant Speaks, by Ev Ehrlich. You owe it to yourself to read this hilarious gem that actually has some engaging historical Civil War history

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I hope these reviews encourage you to discover—or rediscover—a few remarkable books of your own. Check back from time to time. My library is still growing, and so is this page.