Category Archives: Fiction

Tristan 4 America – Bruce Overby

Posted on October 2, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) At 62, Tristan Heller finds himself unemployed after spending fifteen years at Mammon, Inc., a Silicon Valley tech company. Like many people in the industry, he has been laid off before, but this time, with his … Continue reading →

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Burn Everything …. Then Forget It – Boston Teran

Posted on September 28, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) America v. America Outcome Uncertain Set in the Bronx in August 1965, Burn Everything …. Then Forget It drops the reader into a turbulent period in American history. The Voting Rights Act has just been signed, … Continue reading →

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Eden at Dawn – Karim Kattan (Author), Jeffrey Zuckerman (Translator)

Posted on September 22, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by John Heilman) Eden at Dawn is the mesmerizing tale of two Palestinian men, Isaac and Gabriel who meet in Jerusalem and slowly captivate one another, only to back away and later reunite. Their love inspires them to embark … Continue reading →

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The Imaginary Life of a Laurel Tree – Mario Fortunato (Author), Michael F. Moore (Translator)

Posted on September 8, 2026 by J D Jung

When I was visiting Genoa, Italy, I popped into Feltrinelli Librerie and picked up a book with an intriguing and original plot: The Imaginary Life of a Laurel Tree by Mario Fortunato. Our unnamed narrator, a writer in his forties, … Continue reading →

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Good Lookin’ – T L Bequette

Posted on September 4, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I’m always drawn to crime thrillers that combine a captivating murder case with characters who feel like real people, and Good Lookin’ certainly kept me turning the pages. Oakland attorney Joe Turner has never lost a … Continue reading →

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The Eye of Goliath – Diego Muzzio (Author), Rahul Bery (Translator)

Posted on August 31, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading The Eye of Goliath, I was immediately intrigued by Dr. Edward Pierce, a physician running a sanatorium outside Edinburgh who uses hypnosis and other controversial methods to treat soldiers suffering from the … Continue reading →

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Within the Walls: A Dark Romance – V. S. Maxon

Posted on August 28, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading Within the Walls, I expected a story about a kidnapping, but it turned out to be much more psychologically complex. Actress Sophie Hartnet is abducted on her way back to her Paris … Continue reading →

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Pereira Maintains – Antonio Tabucchi, translated by Patrick Creagh

Posted on August 17, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I picked up Pereira Maintains at Paperback Exchange in Florence, Italy, I had no idea how relevant this novel would feel today. Set in Portugal in the summer of 1938, during the rise of fascism … Continue reading →

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Joan of the Arcane – Alexandra Fleder

Posted on August 11, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) What happens when a former punk-rock singer reaches her forties, her children have left home for college, and suburban life suddenly feels like a cage? That’s where Joan finds herself in this wonderfully original and often … Continue reading →

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Almost Blue -Carlo Lucarelli (Author) , Oonagh Stransky (Translator)

Posted on August 7, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)     “That’s why I’m listening to the city tonight, with Chet Baker playing softly in the background.” Another book I picked up while visiting Bologna, Italy, was Almost Blue by Carlo Lucarelli at Feltrinelli Librerie. … Continue reading →

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