Author Archives: J D Jung

Sins in Blue – Brian Kaufman

(Reviewed by Don Jung) “Audiences like their blues singers to be miserable,” said Janis Joplin. Sins in Blue is a story of an unhappy bluesman who is rediscovered by a young college student trying to revive his career. Willie Johnson … Continue reading

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An UnderratedRead Revisited and in Remembrance: Eddie: The Life and Times of America’s Preeminent Bad Boy – Ken Osmond and Christopher J. Lynch

(Reviewed by JD Jung) This “revisited” post is in remembrance of Ken Osmond (1943-2020) who passed away yesterday. “…unlike the warriors’ Valkyrie, the Hollywood version didn’t let you know that you were going to die immediately; you were baited, strung … Continue reading

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Dance with the Clouds: Backpacking the World That Was – Carl B. Yong

(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)   Dance with the Clouds by Carl B. Yong was a very enjoyable read and kept my interest from the first page to the last. The book chronicles Yong’s around- the- world backpacking journey in … Continue reading

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Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir Series) edited by Jerry Thompson and Owen Hill

(reviewed by JD Jung) “I arrived in Berkeley, back in 1991. A Berkeley that seemed to be still living off the fumes of the late sixties, which were fumes so strong you might just want to breathe them in all … Continue reading

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Instant Pot, please, make my day! – A.J. May

(reviewed by JD Jung) On the last Cyber Monday, I found an Instant Pot on sale at over 50% off. This appliance was totally off my radar. but at that price, with its rave reviews, I just had to get … Continue reading

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An UnderratedRead Revisited -Corkscrew: The highly improbable, but occasionally true, tale of a professional wine buyer – Peter Stafford-Bow

(Reviewed by Don Jung) Prep school failure Felix Hart got his first job as an inventory clerk at a wine shop. Little did he realize that this would set the stage for his career as a premier wine buyer in … Continue reading

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Retablos: Stories From a Life Lived Along the Border – Octavio Solis

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the shit on the border never changes. There will always be those who want to come across, and those who want to keep them where they are…I think it’s really a condition of our culture: it’s … Continue reading

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

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…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 until … Continue reading

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Fatal Beauty (A Cleve Hawkins Detective Novel) – R.C. Hartson

(reviewed by JD Jung) A serial killer is terrorizing Chicago, and the victims are young women. However, when private investigator Cleve Hawkins’ new client wants him to locate her sister, he initially thinks that she just doesn’t want to be … Continue reading

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The Dead Don’t Sleep – Steven Max Russo

(Reviewed by Don Jung) When I started reading The Dead Don’t Sleep, I soon realized that I would be in for an engrossing journey. Frank Thompson, a Vietnam vet, goes to a local shooting range accompanied by his nephew. They … Continue reading

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