I’ve been reviewing novels on this blog since January 2011. Outside of publishing my Kammbia novels, writing reviews has been one of the most rewarding things I have done professionally. Writing reviews has clarified my thoughts about why I connect or not connect with...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 191: Night Hawks by Charles R. Johnson
by MHill | Mar 28, 2026 | Book Reviews, Short Story Review, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
In recent years, my consumption of short stories has significantly increased. I now appreciate the short story for its own artistic merit, moving past the idea that it’s less significant than a novel. After reading several novels to start my 2026 reading year, I knew...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 190: Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
by MHill | Mar 23, 2026 | Book Reviews, Magical Realism, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Marion's Reading Life Blog, P. Djeli Clark, Wisdom From Kammbia Column, Wisdom From Kammbia Novella Review
"For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12 Revised Standard Version) I...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 189: Dominion by Addie E. Citchens
by MHill | Mar 21, 2026 | Book Reviews, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I have stated previously on the blog that I’m not a new fiction book reader. Mostly, I’ve read backlist novels and only purchased new books from my favorite authors. There is always an exception to any reading rule I have made for myself. This is the case for Dominion...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 188: Grace by Elizabeth Nunez
by MHill | Mar 15, 2026 | Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Is happiness a prerequisite for marriage? Is it possible for a marriage to withstand the moral ambiguities and difficult circumstances that life throws your way? Elizabeth Nunez’s exceptional 2003 novel, “Grace,” appears to grapple with those two critical questions....
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 187: Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson
by MHill | Mar 8, 2026 | Book Reviews, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Favorites, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
One of my favorite Booktube channels, Books with Zara, brought Small Worlds by Caleb Azumah Nelson to my attention with one of her recent videos. The video was about heartwarming reads, and she discussed several books that qualified for that honor. She captivated me...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 185: Exodus of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe
by MHill | Feb 9, 2026 | Book Reviews, Gene Wolfe, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
I’ve spent the first five weeks of 2026 engrossed in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the Long Sun Quartet. The saga of the Long Sun began with Nightside the Long Sun, progressed through The Lake of the Long Sun and Calde of the Long Sun, and reached its culmination in Exodus...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 184: Calde of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe
by MHill | Jan 29, 2026 | Book Reviews, Gene Wolfe, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Is giving yourself up as a sacrifice the right thing to do in order to bring peace? What boundaries are crossed when religion turns political and politics becomes religious? Those two questions came to mind after I finished Calde of the Long Sun, the third book in the...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 183: Lake of the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe
by MHill | Jan 19, 2026 | Book Reviews, Gene Wolfe, Marion's Favorite Books, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Have you ever read a novel and felt the story was heading one way, only to find it taking a completely different turn? This is the case with Lake of the Long Sun, the second book in Gene Wolfe’s Book of the Long Sun series. The story picks up right after the first...
Wisdom From Kammbia Book Review 182: Nightside the Long Sun by Gene Wolfe
by MHill | Jan 10, 2026 | Book Reviews, Gene Wolfe, Marion's Reading Life Blog, Wisdom From Kammbia Column
Gene Wolfe has become an author who has grown on me throughout my reading life. I’ve praised his work on my blog for years, considering him among the best American fiction writers after WWII. Even though the science-fiction and fantasy literary community lauds him,...