I will admit that I came late to the party on the work of Walter Mosley. I read White Butterfly back in 2012 and liked it. However, I had not read other Walter Mosley novels until now. As a reader and reviewer, you get sidetracked or distracted by other books you want to read you… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Marion’s Black Author Reading List
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 lover, author, and book… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 46: Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup
One of the joys of being a book review blogger is I get to read books I would have never come across in my normal book reading encounters. Latitudes of Longing by Mumbai-based writer Shubhangi Swarup is the latest book encounter outside of my normal reading experience. This book was presented to me through… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 45: Eva Luna by Isabel Allende
“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 streets of an unnamed South American… Continue Reading
Marion’s Favorites: Rum Cake
Those who know me well have heard me speak about my love of pie (cherry and sweet potato) over cake a lot. I’m definitely on Team Pie. However, there is a cake that has become a trinity of my favorite desserts. Rum Cake! This wonderful cake has been a Christmas tradition for me since childhood… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 44: The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni
There is a popular meme where a guy is walking with his girlfriend and another woman walks past them. He turns to check out the woman’s backside to the dismay of his girlfriend. We have used the meme for all kinds of things, including how readers have always succumbed to new book fever. The girlfriend… Continue Reading
Marion’s Favorites: Okra
Daddy, this is slimy! I can not eat this. I remembered my daughter Norah saying that a few years ago when we had okra for dinner. I grew up eating okra like I did with collard greens. My mother cooked okra quite a bit and I liked it immediately. I’m a texture eater. The texture… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 43: Finding Om by Rashmi Bismark
Book covers do matter! I would have never gotten this book if it was not for the book cover I saw on Instagram a few days ago. The cover of Finding Om by Rashmi Bismark and artwork by Morgan Huff got my attention. I thought it would be a book that my 10 year old… Continue Reading
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 42: Face of an Angel by Denise Chavez
Rereading a novel can bring different expectations from when you first read it over twenty-five years ago. This is the case with Face of An Angel by Denise Chavez. Face of an Angel tells the story of Soveida Dosamantes, a waitress at El Farol Restaurant in the fictional New Mexican town of Agua Oscura. Soveida… Continue Reading
Stuck on a Desert Island What 3 Authors Would You Read?
I saw this post on my Facebook page by the local library three days ago. I have been thinking about how to answer the question since it posted. I provided a comment soon after they posted on Facebook. It was an interesting question and considering what we are dealing with in the COVID19 pandemic a… Continue Reading
