Author Archives: J D Jung
Black as Hell, Strong as Death, and Sweet as Love: A Coffee Travel Guide – Steven P. Unger (Author), Ruth St. Steven (Photographer)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) For those who consider coffee more than just a morning ritual, Black as Hell, Strong as Death, and Sweet as Love is a rich and aromatic journey through time, culture, and continents. Blending travel writing with … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Food & Cooking, History, Travel
Tagged coffee, Costa Rica, Cuba, culture, Hawaii, history, Jordan, Miami, New Orleans, San Francisco, travel
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Your Pasta Sucks: A “Cookbook” – Matteo Lane
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…my romance with pasta has been my longest and best relationship.” What can you expect from a cookbook written by a gay Italian, Irish and Mexican American stand up comedienne from Chicago? Plenty! Matteo Lane writes … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Food & Cooking, Humor & Satire, Non-fiction
Tagged comedy, humor, Italy, LGBTQ, pasta
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A Carnival of Atrocities – by Natalia García Freire, Translated from the Spanish by Victor Meadowcroft
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Cocuán, a small town in Ecuador is doomed by a curse. Upon the death of Mildred Capa’s mother and the subsequent abandonment by her father, Mildred was intent on maintaining and working the farm. However, … Continue reading
The Folly of Realism: How the West Deceived Itself About Russia and Betrayed Ukraine – Alexander Vindman
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Without Ukraine, Russia is a country; with Ukraine, it’s an empire.” Without an independent Ukraine we will see an acceleration of authoritarianism. This war is a fight between authoritarianism and democracy. So how did we get … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, History, Non-fiction, Our Best, Politics
Tagged authoritarianism, democracy, Russia, Ukraine
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Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly – Hannah Selinger
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Hannah Selinger graduated from Columbia University but found herself working as a server at a hometown dive. She eventually moved back to New York and found employment at some of the most trendy, high-end restaurants. First … Continue reading
An UnderratedRead Revisited:Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World – Anne Applebaum
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The autocracies want to create a global system that benefits thieves, criminals, dictators, and the perpetrators of mass murder. We can stop them.” Historian and journalist Anne Applebaum, suggests what democracies can do to save their … Continue reading
My Bully, My Aunt, and Her Final Gift – Harold Phifer
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Hal endured a tumultuous upbringing under the cruel hand of his Aunt Kathy. While his mother suffered from severe mental illness, it was Aunt Kathy who had to step in to raise him and … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction
Tagged abuse, death, family dysfunction, mental illness
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Ugliness – Moshtari Hilal, Translated from the German by Elisabeth Lauffer
(Reviewed by JD Jung) In this deeply personal book, author Moshtari Hilal interweaves memoir, history, and sociology to explore the painful realities of feeling “ugly” in a world that prioritizes symmetry and Eurocentric beauty standards. Born in Kabul, Afghanistan … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History
Tagged Afghanistan, beauty, culture, Eugenics, fascism, Middle East, plastic surgery, ugliness
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