I've been wanting to branch out into white wines recently. I have always preferred red wines (Malbec, Merlot, & Cabernet Sauvignon) over white wines. However, I heard a recent podcast about wines from the Alsace Region of France and the podcast host recommended...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 58: Alburquerque by Rudolfo Anaya
by MHill | Sep 22, 2020 | 2020 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
One of the great joys of reading fiction is when you get a novel that makes want to read on after you finished it. There are a lot of novels I have enjoyed reading, but once I close the book or eBook (these days) then I'm done with it. Well, Alburquerque by Rudolfo...
Marion’s 31 Favorite Books of All Time
by MHill | Aug 30, 2020 | 2020 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
2020 has been a challenging year. Dealing with a worldwide pandemic, political unrest here in America, and high profile celebrity deaths like Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman have made it a year that no one saw coming. However, I have reached August 31st and another...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 53: The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa
by MHill | Aug 9, 2020 | 2020 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
The Housekeeper and The Professor by Yoko Ogawa is my first read for Women in Translation Month 2020. It is the story of a single parent housekeeper and her relationship with a former mathematics professor that can not take care of himself after a serious accident a...
Marion’s Favorites: Spades
by MHill | Aug 7, 2020 | Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I grew up playing card games. I have played Blackjack 21, Tonk, War, Bid Whist, Uno and Spades, my favorite card game all of my life. Spades is played with a partner and the object of the game is to win as many bids as possible. I have one rule when playing with a...
Best Book Ever Podcast: Episode 8
by MHill | Jul 20, 2020 | Best Book Ever Podcast, Charles De Lint, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I was invited on the Best Book Ever Podcast hosted by Julie Strauss today. We had a discussion about one of my favorite novels, Memory & Dream by Charles de Lint. Also, Julie asked about my reading philosophy and where my love of reading came from. It was an...
Marion’s Favorites: Taste The Nation with Padma Lakshmi
by MHill | Jul 15, 2020 | Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
One of the things I enjoyed in being a foodie is getting to eat different cuisines from around the world. (Also, as a wine lover too!) Food TV Shows are very popular on television these days. I have watched a lot of them. Some have been great like the Anthony...
Marion’s Favorites: Red Snapper
by MHill | Jun 30, 2020 | Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
As a fish lover, I have eaten a wonderful share of fish over the years. Grouper, Trout, Mullet, Catfish, Bass (Saltwater and Freshwater), Swai, Mahi Mahi, Tilapia, Cod, and Whiting. I like some of them (Grouper, Trout, and Swai) more than others. However, none of...
Marion’s Black Author Reading List
by MHill | Jun 8, 2020 | Black History Month, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I have been deeply affected (and many Americans) by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25th. Seeing a human being die like that should never happen in a civilized society. As a black man, I saw my worst fears come to light once again. Also, I’m a book...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 45: Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
by MHill | May 24, 2020 | 2020 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
"Words are free, she used to say, and she appropriated them; they were all hers." That sentence from early in the novel, Eva Luna, by Isabel Allende captures the spirit of her protagonist. Eva Luna is a spinner of tales and the stories from growing up poor on the...