Sometimes an article can make you read a novelist you have seen in used bookstores for years. This article from the Strange Horizons website gave spotlight to Katherine Kurtz's Deryni novels. I had seen the...
Book Review 130: Warrior by K.M. Tremills
by MHill | Apr 23, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews
Last year, I read the first book in a series of an introspective and thoughtful fantasy novel by an author I had made an online acquaintance through a Facebook writers group. That first novel, Messenger, got my attention through its absorbing prose and a protagonist,...
Do You Have A Reader Prejudice Towards A Popular Author?
by MHill | Apr 16, 2018 | Marion's Reading Life Blog
I had a reader prejudice against Stephen King for a long time. I don't know why. Prejudice does that. I have several reasons or rationalizations for my reader prejudice towards King. One of them was because I did not like to read anything scary. However,...
Book Review 129: Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
by MHill | Mar 18, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews, Guy Gavriel Kay, Magical Realism, Marion's All-Time Favorite Novels, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Have you ever as a reader given a novel you did not finish another chance? Well, there is a first time for everything. I gave Children of Earth and Sky a second chance. I read it a couple years ago when it was first released. Kay writes beautifully, and the...
It’s Not Snobbish or Old-Fashioned If You Still Prefer Reading A Book!
by MHill | Mar 5, 2018 | Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I have a confession to make. I still prefer reading a physical book over an eBook or audiobook. Whew...I got it off my chest! It seems these days (in our social media age) that if you only read paperbacks or hardcover books, you are outdated like the 8-Track or...
Book Review 128: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison
by MHill | Feb 28, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews, Black History Month, Book Reviews, Marion's All-Time Favorite Novels, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Can a novel you read in your early 20s effect you in the same manner when you re-read it in your mid-40s? Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison gives this reviewer a split verdict to the aforementioned question. It is the story of an unnamed protagonist who leaves the...
Book Review 127: Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
by MHill | Feb 12, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books
Sometimes listening to an author's interview at the right time can you make read their novel. This interview on the Guardian Books podcast made me want to read Exit West by Moshin Hamid. He spoke about hopefulness towards immigration and how we are all migrants. I...
The Value of a Reading List
by MHill | Jan 30, 2018 | Marion's Reading Life Blog
I was not a fan of a reading list until a few years ago. I will admit with Goodreads coming on the book reading scene has helped in letting me see the need of a reading list. Since 2015, I have kept a reading list, and it has made a better reader. My reading list has...
Book Review 126: The Resurrection of Frederic DeBreu by Alex Marsh
by MHill | Jan 29, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews
I want to stretch my reading horizons for 2018. I believe for each year of reading you should add something different to your reading life. This year, I have decided to read more fiction from around the world. First up in this reading endeavor is The Resurrection of...
Book Review 125: Estate Planning for Authors by M.L. Buchman
by MHill | Jan 20, 2018 | 2018 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books
Estate Planning is a topic that many people dislike to talk (or even think) about. That includes the writer of this blog post. However, Estate Planning is an essential element for personal finances and especially for creative types (like yours truly). I recently...