Author Archives: J D Jung

Down with the Poor! – Shumona Sinha, translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan 

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the same stories and the same bodies blended in my head, lost all definition and all form, became a dark and shapeless mass of giant bodies, that growled, shouted, demanded, cried, pleaded. Were they inventing a … Continue reading

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Another Exceptional UnderratedRead Revisited: Philosophy Made Simple – Robert Hellenga

(Reviewed by JD Jung) , #CommissionsEarned Rudy Harrington, a sixty-year-old widower, is trying to find the meaning of life…his life. Is there any purpose left? To try and answer this question, he takes up the study of philosophy. Since his … Continue reading

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Café Unfiltered- Jean-Philippe Blondel, translated by Alison Anderson

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Freedom of movement is what I want more than anything—particularly after eighteen months of restrictions.” Cafes just started to reopen after the release of the Covid-19 vaccines, and José, the waiter at Le Tom’s Café is … Continue reading

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An Exceptional UnderratedRead Revisited:The Fall of a Sparrow – Robert Hellenga

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) #CommissionsEarned After reading one of my favorite books, The Italian Lover, I just wanted to grab anything related to it and its characters. Author Robert Hellenga wrote a book about the protagonist’s lover, classics professor Alan … Continue reading

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Another Exceptional UnderratedRead Revisted: The Sixteen Pleasures – Robert Hellenga

#CommissionsEarned Last month, I reintroduced you to The Italian Lover, a sensual work of literary fiction.  After reading that wonderful book, I just had to grab Robert Hellenga’s earlier novel, The Sixteen Pleasures. This book recounts the beginning of Margo’s … Continue reading

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An Exceptional UnderratedRead Revisited:The Italian Lover – Robert Hellenga

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Margo Harrington, an American expatriate living in Italy, is excited to hear that her memoir, The Sixteen Pleasures, will be made into a feature film. The book details her experiences when she first came to Florence. … Continue reading

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Rainbow Rainbow- Lydia Conklin

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned I must admit that I am ignorant of many of the gender classifications, so I hoped that Rainbow, Rainbow would educate me. That said, I found these ten stories that center around queer, pansexuality and … Continue reading

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Riddle of the Sphinx – Alexandre Montagu

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned How do I begin a review of a novel that kept me captive from page one and didn’t release me until the very end? I didn’t want to break for work, family, friends, or anything. … Continue reading

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The Man in the Corduroy Suit (The Discipline Files Book 3) – James Wolff

(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Retired British intelligence officer Willa Karlsson was rushed to the hospital due to an apparent poisoning. Though the exact toxin cannot be verified, the methods look similar to those previously executed by Russian intelligence. Why … Continue reading

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A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom – Brittany K. Barnett

(Reviewed by Ann Onymous ) “Listening to King’s voice ringing out from the pulpit, i felt warmth begin to flow where only a wrung-out feeling had been. King’s tenor lifted me from within. His words were a balm for my … Continue reading

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