Category Archives: Culture

Reading Well: The Passenger & Stella Maris by Cormac McCarthy

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

There are, in my view, few–if any–greater American novelists of the late 20th century than Cormac McCarthy. His final two novels, released simultaneously in 2022, form a fitting capstone on his career. The Passenger and Stella Maris are related, but … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

The bombing of MOVE in Philadelphia is something I remember in a very inarticulate way. It happened in 1985, and formed part of the backdrop of my reading things like Bobby Seale‘s Seize the Time and Samuel Yette‘s The Choice … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: Before She Sleeps by Bina Shah

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

There are two things of note for me about Bina Shah‘s 2019 novel Before She Sleeps. First, it is a Pakistani post-apocalyptic novel. Not many of those out there, and additional voices and perspectives in that space are always welcome. … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

I am a devotee of Marlon James, and a completist with regards to his work, so keep that in mind. Moon Witch, Spider King (2022) is a … I’m not even sure how to classify it. Let’s go with a … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: Children of Time, Children of Ruin, & Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Adrian Tchaikovsky‘s hefty trilogy, totaling well over 1,500 pages, begins with Children of Time (2015), continues in Children of Ruin (2019), and concludes in Children of Memory (2023). It’s brilliant. And it ain’t for everyone. There is a tradition in … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: Three Memoirs (Cicely Tyson, Stuart Braithwaite, and Dessa)

Posted on September 29, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Cicely Tyson, Just As I Am, with Michelle Burford, 2021; Spaceships over Glasgow: Mogwai, Mayhem and Misspent Youth, 2022; This was not what I expected. I don’t read a lot of non-fiction, as you may have noticed. When I do … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: The Founders Trilogy by Robert Jackson Bennett

Posted on September 16, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Robert Jackson Bennett‘s Founders Trilogy begins with Foundryside (2018), continues with Shorefall (2020), and concludes with Locklands (2022). This is rollicking ride of a trilogy, animated chiefly by well drawn characters and a very intelligent twist on the question of … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: The Dreamblood Duology by N.K. Jemisin

Posted on September 3, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun (both 2012) form a bridge between Jemisin’s Inheritance trilogy and the magnificent Broken Earth series. I mean that not in terms of its content or setting or characters, but more in how it … Continue reading →

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An Update on the Reading Well

Posted on August 21, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

I miss having a semi-current log of what I’ve read and what I’m reading. So I’m going to try to get back on the horse with Reading Well. It may take a while to catch back up. I know this … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Christopher Buehlman‘s The Blacktongue Thief (2021) is, simply, the best swashbuckling fantasy novel I’ve read in years. In some ways, that’s it: perhaps Reading Well should move to being one sentence reviews. The protagonist lives right in the middle of … Continue reading →

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