Author Archives: J D Jung

Love, Death & Rare Books – Robert Hellenga

Posted on April 29, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “I want to live life, not read about it.” That is what people kept telling Chicago bookseller Gabe Johnson, who came from generations of rare book dealers. With the growth of online bookstores, even his … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged bookstores, death, love, philosophy | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Girl from Rostov- Shitij Sharma

Posted on April 24, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Everything adds up. Every second, every lie, every breath. In the end, it all catches up with you.” “Even if you have little to do with it. Family, for instance. “ That’s what young Maya had … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged gangsters, India, Indian fiction, Mafia, Turkey, USSR | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: My Neighbour Osama Bin Laden – Yslar Tatuky

Posted on April 18, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned What happens when one puts Osama bin Laden and Salman Rushdie at the same dinner table? Yslar Tatuky is such a person as he has grand, though idealistic, hopes for humanity in his novel, My … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Georgia, Historical fiction, Marx, Osama bin Laden, philosophy, Salman Rushdie, Soviet Union | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: Late Fame (NYRB Classics) – Arthur Schnitzler (Author), Alexander Starritt (Translator)

Posted on April 12, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Around him was an atmosphere of hope, youth, self-confidence, and he breathed it in deeply. …some of the words they were using began to sound familiar to him…words he had thought of from time to … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Austria, classics, fame, poetry, Vienna | Comments Off

Stories of a Life-Nataliya Meshchaninova (Translated from the Russian by Fiona Bell)

Posted on April 6, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned You claim that your family is dysfunctional. You may blame them for your current emotional state or even hate them. However, you can’t help but empathize with this author after reading Stories of a Life … Continue reading →

Posted in Slavic Literature, World Literature | Tagged family dysfunction, Russian literature, Sexual abuse | Comments Off

Accusation (A Raquel Rematti Legal Thriller Book 3) – Paul Batista

Posted on April 1, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned A-list celebrity Aaron Julian has recently been accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple starlets. According to his accusers, he made sure that their careers would tank if they didn’t comply with his wishes. … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged #METOO, celebrity, corruption, criminal justice, Sexual abuse, sexual harassment and assault, trust | Comments Off

Songs by Honeybird – Peter McDade

Posted on March 27, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) #CommissionsEarned “Find your focus and the story may write itself: music and drugs, race and gender, a tragic barn fire and a missing body. It’s all much more dramatic than one usually sees in a dissertation….” … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks, Romance | Tagged friendship, history, music, philosophy, Romance, sexism | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: Small Moments: A Child’s Memories of the Civil Rights Movement – Mary M. Barrow

Posted on March 25, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) #CommissionsEarned I just discovered a treasure that you might not find if you’re depending on the mainstream bestsellers list for reading recommendations. I can’t say enough good things about Small Moments by Mary M. Barrow. Small … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged civil rights, Non-fiction, prejudice, racism | Comments Off

Tard – Del Staecker

Posted on March 17, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Thou shalt not be a victim, and thou shalt not be a perpetrator. But above all else—thou shalt not be a bystander.” That’s one lesson Richard Bettis learned from Matt. One referred to Matt Mueller … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Philosophical reads, Reviewers' Top Picks, Sci-Fi/Speculative/Fantasy/Mythology | Tagged corruption, down-syndrome, family dysfunction, fantasy, philosophy, redemption, Religion, sociopaths | Comments Off