Author Archives: J D Jung

Rose Royal: A Love Story- Nicolas Mathieu (Translated from the French by Sam Taylor)

Posted on March 10, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Looking back over all those men, all those failed relationships, she came to one conclusion. She should never have loved them as much as she … Continue reading →

Posted in French Literature | Tagged French literature, noir, short books | Comments Off

Paris Noir: The Suburbs: Akashic Noir Series – Hervé Delouche (Editor)

Posted on March 5, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Where was French romanticism? The opulence of the West? I found Paris—Pantin, really—very different from what I had imagined. I found Pantin ugly…”. An Albanian national flees his country in fear for his life and joins … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, French Literature, Reviewers' Top Picks, Short stories, World Literature | Tagged French literature, immigration, noir, Paris | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited:My Monticello – Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

Posted on February 28, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “My whole life, it seems, there’s been a revival of hatred and violence toward people who look like me. Waves of men have surged into our town from all over the state, the country.” This … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged culture, family, gender, multiculture, race, race relations, racism, society | Comments Off

Last Words on Earth – Javier Serena, Translated from the Spanish by Katie Whittemore

Posted on February 23, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “The paradox of letters made weapons, words made bayonets with which to pierce the page and exact revenge against my own destiny, which I had judged—until then—to be so harsh.” Poet and writer Ricardo Funes … Continue reading →

Posted in Latin American Literature, World Literature | Tagged Mexico City, negacionismo, Peru, poetry, Roberto Bolaño, Spain | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: Things I Have Withheld – Kei Miller

Posted on February 19, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “…the place where I have always felt most comfortably gay is in Jamaica. In Jamaica, I know the language and the mannerisms of queerness. In Jamaica, I know how to dance. In Jamaica, I do … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Caribbean literature, gender, LGBTQ | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited:The Man Who Lived Underground – Richard Wright, Afterward by Malcolm Wright

Posted on February 12, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “…even though his entire body was drenched in what seemed to him a cloud of hot vapor, even though his throat gagged at the reeking odors, he felt that he was safe for the first … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged ethics, police brutality, racism, Religion | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Lost Treasures of R&B – Nelson George

Posted on February 8, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They were both Golden Gloves boxers and had that good foot work. They both did splits. Weren’t afraid to get on the floor. Not spinning like hip hoppers but they would get on their knees to sell … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged corruption, crime fiction, Hip hop, poverty, rhythm and blues | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited – Gigolo: Inside the Secret World of the Super Rich- Ben Foster & Clifford Thurlow

Posted on January 22, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “…I had plenty of money but always needed more. I had thought of myself as a healer when I started work at the spa. I had turned into a total slut. I played every client … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged Britain, class, massage, prostitution, rich & famous, society | Comments Off