While writing book reviews on my blog for the last fifteen years, I realized that I have read several first books in series (such as duologies like Gene Wolfe’s Wizard Knight or trilogies like N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth) but, for some reason, never continued with the...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 202: Jazz by Toni Morrison
by MHill | Aug 9, 2026 | Rereading Series, Toni Morrison, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
You can come full circle with your reading again. In 1993, when I was in my early twenties, I read Toni Morrison’s “Jazz,” a decision that unexpectedly set me on a course away from becoming a fan of her novels. Re-reading this over thirty years later, I realize I...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 201: A Table in the Mist by Jeffrey Meyers
by MHill | Aug 1, 2026 | Book Reviews, Books of the Bible, Christianity, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Nonfiction, Rereading Series, Study of Ecclesiastes, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Fifteen years ago, I posted a study of my favorite book in the Bible, Ecclesiastes. Jeffrey Meyers’ work, “A Table in the Mist,” served as my guide for the study. I found myself drawn to Ecclesiastes, a book that is remarkably unique and frequently misunderstood...
Rereading Erasure by Percival Everett
by MHill | Nov 1, 2025 | 2025 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Fiction about Artists, Marion's All-Time Favorite Novels, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
"A trout is very much like truth; it does what it wants, what it has to." The above quote came near the end of the novel, Erasure, by Percival Everett. I'm rereading this wonderful and thought-provoking novel again to see if it will make my all-time favorite novels...
Rereading Mr. Breakfast by Jonathan Carroll
by MHill | Jun 15, 2025 | 2025 Book Reviews, Fiction about Artists, Jonathan Carroll, Magical Realism, Marion's All-Time Favorite Novels, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
In this rereading series, spanning several years, I’ve revisited books I initially read nearly a decade ago, sharing my thoughts on these second readings. My last rereading post was on the novel, A Wooden Sea by Jonathan Carroll, and my feelings upon that reread were...
Rereading A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
by MHill | Apr 13, 2025 | 2025 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Haruki Murakami, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Rereading has become a major part of my reading life. Giving a novel a second read allows me, as a reader, to see why I enjoyed a work of fiction from my initial reading. There are things about the story I didn’t notice before that I’m now seeing. I consider most of...
Rereading The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson
by MHill | Mar 30, 2025 | 2025 Book Reviews, Athol Dickson, Book Reviews, Fiction about Artists, Magical Realism, Marion's All-Time Favorite Novels, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
A novel must meet certain criteria to become one of my all-time favorites. I must reread it, and the rereading must feel similar to my first experience reading the novel. I will write upfront that The Opposite of Art by Athol Dickson passed my criteria for an all-time...
Rereading Footprints: The Life & Work of Wayne Shorter by Michelle Mercer
by MHill | Mar 11, 2025 | 2025 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Nonfiction, Rereading Series, Wayne Shorter, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
About 2 1/2 years ago, I read the biography of my favorite musician, Wayne Shorter, and was captivated by his musical and artistic journey. Though eccentric and understated, Shorter was a musical genius whose impact on American popular music was enormous. Also, his...
Rereading Home Is The Sailor by Jorge Amado
by MHill | Aug 6, 2023 | 2023 Book Reviews, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I’ve decided for the rest of the year (and into 2024) to reread novels that I first wrote reviews for when I started the blog in 2011 and other books I read in my 20s and 30s. I want to rediscover why I read and start a new foundation for my reading life. To connect...
Best Book Ever Podcast 149
by MHill | Jun 26, 2023 | Best Book Ever Podcast, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Rereading Series, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I was invited back to one of my favorite book podcasts, The Best Book Ever Podcast, hosted by Julie Strauss. This was my third appearance on the podcast and we discussed one of my all-time favorite novels, The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber. Faber's...