Author Archives: J D Jung
The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s 1961, almost twenty years after the war, and it would appear as if the Netherlands has recovered. However, scars linger beneath the surface in unimaginable ways. Isabel, who is almost thirty years old, doesn’t have … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Our Best, World Literature, WWII
Tagged Dutch literature, Netherlands
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Wait: A Novel – Gabriella Burnham
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “They threw me out of the country like I was a nothing.” Wait delves into the intricate layers of family, identity, and the harsh realities faced by undocumented immigrants in the United States. Through … Continue reading
Posted in Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues
Tagged Brazil, class, immigration
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The Purple Don: Mystery Thriller Suspense Novel (Illuminati) – SLMN
(Reviewed by Don Jung) The Purple Don is a gripping and eerie murder mystery that takes readers deep into the world of crime, power, and deception. At the heart of the story is Joey Diamonds, the son of a … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction, LGBTQ, Mafia
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The Debt Collector – Steven Max Russo
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) The Debt Collector by Steven Max Russo is a very good book for readers who enjoy this genre. The basic premise is an unassuming female debt collector, Abigal, comes into a new town to … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged crime fiction
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They All Swore an Oath: Stories from Everyday Heroes in our Midst – Christopher J. Lynch
(Reviewed by Don Jung) They All Swore an Oath is a collection of interviews between author Christopher Lynch and our unsung American war heroes from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the recent Persian Gulf conflict. … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction, WWII
Tagged military, Vietnam War, WWII
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How To Burn A Rainbow: My Gay Marriage Didn’t Make Me Whole, My Divorce Did – Karl Dunn
(Reviewed by John Heilman) How To Burn a Rainbow is an honest and well-written tale of the author’s journey through the world of divorce. Author Karl Dunn describes the moment he told his husband he wanted a divorce and … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs
Tagged divorce, LGBTQ, memoir
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The Deceived Ones – Judith Krummeck
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Luck always seems to be against the man who depends on it.”- Ukrainian proverb Vira Blyzinska fled to Poland from her home in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion. She brought little with her … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged culture, family, immigration, Romance, Ukraine
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Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres – Charles Jensen
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Splice of Life: A Memoir in 13 Film Genres is structured in essays, each representing a “splice” of writer and cinephile Charles Jensen’s life. Each story is interwoven with a particular film that he studies in … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction
Tagged essays, film, film noir, LGBTQ, memoirs
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The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History – Karen Valby
(Reviewed by JD Jung) At the start of the Covid 19 pandemic, five original dancers from the Dance Theater of Harlem formed the 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council. Lydia Abarca, Gayle Mc-Kinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells, and Karlya Shelton … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, History, Non-fiction
Tagged ballet, black history, dancers, racism
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The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins -Sonny Rollins, Sam V.H. Reese (Editor, Introduction)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) In 1959, twenty-eight-year-old tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins disappeared for two years with the purpose of practicing and improving his craft. He wrote down his thoughts on technical aspects of the saxophone, “rethinking musical concepts”, as well … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction
Tagged jazz, music
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