Author Archives: J D Jung
Liars: A Novel – Sarah Manguso
(Reviewed by JD Jung) When Jane met her future husband, John Bridges, she was ecstatic. Since she was a writer, she was attracted to him being an artist and photographer. What she didn’t realize was that the demands of … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged marriage, relationships
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Blood and Mascara – Colin Krainin
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…all the women he had known and loved, the idea of them was there in front of him…and once he had come to love then, had he not carried them about within him forever after, like … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, noir, obsession
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The Coin – Yasmin Zaher
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…in my family, America was both the key and the curse.” Our narrator, who is from a wealthy Palestinian family moved to New York after her parents died. She was left with an inheritance of which … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Middle Eastern Literature, World Literature
Tagged immigration, New York, obsession
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The Blind Devotion of Imogene: The Misadventures of Imogene Taylor – David Putnam
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s 1973, and seventy-five-year-old Imogene Taylor has just been released from the Chino Institute for Women after serving time for second-degree murder. As she returns to her home in California’s Inland Empire, readers are immediately … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Humor & Satire
Tagged dark humor
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Bad Tourists – Caro Carver
(Reviewed by JD Jung) In this riveting novel, three friends in their forties—Darcy, Camilla, and Kate—embark on an extravagant trip to the Maldives to celebrate Darcy’s lucrative divorce. Since their backgrounds and personalities are very different, we wonder how and … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, divorce, friendship, Maldives, suspense
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America – Jeffrey Rosen
(reviewed by JD Jung) “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” is a well-known phrase in the United States Declaration of Independence. But what did the “pursuit of Happiness” mean to the founding fathers? American legal scholar, Jeffrey Rosen uncovers … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged American History, happiness, philosophy, racism, slavery
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Hold the Line: The Insurrection and One Cop’s Battle for America’s Soul – Michael Fanone and John Shiffman
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “What sort of American tries to overthrow democracy? What kind of man becomes so consumed by a false belief that he drives across the country, storms the Capitol, and assaults police officers?” Those are pressing questions … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged American politics, Crime, January 6, law enforcement, memoirs, police, PTSD
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You – Keir Giles
(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading Russia’s War on Everybody: And What it Means for You, I thought “I know all of this.”, as I considered myself relatively informed on the subject. However, I am so glad that … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged cyber-crime, disinformation, espionage, history, media, murder, politics, Putin, Russia, Soviet Union
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One of our best revisited:The Riddle of the Sphinx – Alexandre Montagu
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Eric (Keyvan) fled Iran as a child during the Islamic revolution and grew up in Paris. He later studied Comparative Literature at Princeton. That is one scenario. What would have happened if he was forced … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged Historical fiction, Iran, Islamic revolution, LGBTQ, Shah
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