Can we truly become our authentic self? This is the question Haruki Murakami attempts to answer in his latest novel, The City and its Uncertain Walls. It was already released in Japan in April 2023 and will be released in the United States this November. Murakami...
Chaka Khan’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert
by MHill | Jul 11, 2024 | Black History Month, Marion's Favorites, Music Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Now and then, an artist (be it a musician, painter, or writer) can inject a much-needed burst of joy into your everyday life. Here for today (July 10th), Chaka Khan gave me that shot of much needed joy. Note, I did not write a dose of happiness. I wrote joy. There is...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 146: The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi
by MHill | Jun 18, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
"History is only a story, told by those with power to justify why they have it. The truth does not bend to power's whims." These words came near the end of The Truth of the Aleke by Moses Ose Utomi. It is the follow-up novella to the excellent The Lies of the Ajungo I...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 145: The Lies of The Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi
by MHill | Jun 12, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
When you have been taught lies, what do you believe in? Is it preferable to lie in order to safeguard society from the truth? Both questions get answered in The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi. I came across this novella from the Goodreads recommendations...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 144: Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
by MHill | Jun 5, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Washing windows was great thinking work. That is one of the great mistakes people make: assuming that someone who does menial work does not like thinking. Physical labor is great for the mind, as it leaves all kinds of time to consider the world. Other work, like...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 143: The Locked Room (New York Trilogy #3) by Paul Auster
by MHill | May 22, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Paul Auster, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
Can you find your true self in living out your best friend's wishes? The narrator of The Locked Room, the last novel in Paul Auster’s innovative New York Trilogy, attempts to answer that question. A man named Fanshawe has gone missing, leaving his wife, child, and a...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 142: Ghosts (New York Trilogy #2) by Paul Auster
by MHill | May 19, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Paul Auster, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
Ghosts is the second novel in Paul Auster's innovative New York Trilogy. As a tribute, I've decided to revisit his most celebrated work and share my impressions after three decades later after since my initial reading. Blue, a private detective, has been commissioned...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 141: City of Glass (New York Trilogy #1) by Paul Auster
by MHill | May 17, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Paul Auster, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
I found out last week that celebrated author Paul Auster passed away at the age of 77. In my previous blog post, I expressed my appreciation for his stories and paid my respects. As a result, I wanted to reread his most famous body of work, The New York Trilogy, in...
RIP Paul Auster (1947-2024)
by MHill | May 10, 2024 | Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Paul Auster, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I just found out today one of my favorite authors passed away back on April 30th at the age of 77. It came as a shock to me that the renowned writer, Paul Auster, had departed from this world. I first read The New York Trilogy in my mid 20s when I lived in Santa Fe,...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 140: The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
by MHill | Apr 28, 2024 | 2024 Book Reviews, Book Reviews, Guy Gavriel Kay, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
A significant sign that you are truly invested in a book is when you prioritize reading amidst your busy work week and other commitments, consistently devouring 10 pages here, 15 pages there, and 20-30 pages whenever you can. A novel that entices and captivates your...