Marion's 25 Volume II

"Marion's 25, Volume II gathers more of book reviewer Marion Hill's collected writings and is recommended for readers who want to locate memorable new authors and books to read, or who want to reread classics such as Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 or David Copperfield by Charles Dickens.

"Under another hand, these classics might be presented on lists that contain older books, but Marion Hill's extensive reading and reviewing differs from most in a key way. He's a generalist, and so his tastes run from the classics to Stephen King, Katherine Kurtz, and a host of lesser-known writers that readers should place on their lists.

"One facet of these reviews that should attract a diverse audience of literary and leisure readers is that each cross-references other works, draws connections between authors and their subjects and approaches. This provides background history that give readers an expanded perception of each book's unique opportunities: "I came to reading The Cuckoo’s Calling as someone who had never read the Harry Potter books or her first adult novel, Casual Vacancy. I had read one of the reasons Rowling wanted to write under a pseudonym was so that her work could be judged on the basis of if it was good or not. Also, she did not want to be judged through the lens as a celebrity novelist.

"If this were a first novel by Robert Galbraith it would be an outstanding first novel. But it was Rowling’s second adult novel and deserved to be judged on its own merits as a crime fiction novel."

" This collection, as with its predecessor, is particularly notable for its ability to bridge reading gaps, introducing genre-specific readers to notable works outside their usual comfort zones. This is the role librarians used to assume for their readers as they identified superior works, noting their connections between genres to known productions a reader likes, encouraging a broadening of literary horizons with superior works.

"Hill's ability to inject personal notes into each of his reviews creates an accessible, inviting style that is lively and encourages such literary connections: "It is interesting how a certain genre presents itself to you as a reader. I have not been a historical fiction reader throughout my reading life. However, I read several historical fiction novels over the past couple of years. Beginning with the novels of Guy Gavriel Kay like Children of Earth and Sky, A Brightness Long Ago, and the Sarantine Mosaic Series (Sailing to Sarantium & Lord of Emperors) and I recently finished The Gondola Maker by Laura Morelli. I love reading novels about art, music, food, books and how those things helped shape a society in the story. Well, I add The Chef’s Secret by Crystal King as my latest addition to this neighborhood of books."

" Too many reviewers simply recap plots or approaches, then lend their yea or nay vote to the author's effort. Marion Hill's studied analysis uses the kind of literary references necessary to encourage readers to try different works based not just on plot or premise, but the unique, compelling draw that these selected superior pieces offer to all readers.

"Use Marion's 25, Volume II as a guide to finding new authors and rereading old ones with new understanding. Its format, tone, and analytical references lend to this style of discovery as few others can achieve, placing its detail far above anything a book list could produce.

"Marion's 25, Volume II is very highly recommended for its ability to connect the dots between seemingly diverse writings with the goal of exploring solid, good literature."
--Diane Donovan, Midwest Book Review)