Underrated Reads

The Oxford Murder – by Guillermo Martinez (Author), Sonia Soto (Translator)

Posted on January 16, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Mathematicians collide with murder and mayhem in Guillermo Martínez’s thriller, The Oxford Murders. An un-named young Argentinean graduate student goes to Oxford University to study mathematics. One evening, he returns to the house where he’s renting a room and finds Arthur Seldom, a leader in the field of logic, waiting outside.…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Latin American Literature, World Literature | Tagged Pythagoreanism, world literature | Comments Off

Nobody Is Ever Missing – Catherine Lacey

Posted on January 9, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I was beginning to realize that what I wanted was the noise of people living near me, but not near enough to cause any inaudible noises to show up because I knew that those sorts of noises often shift into inaudible minor chords and I am unable to deal with that…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged fiction, New Zealand | Comments Off

The Vices – Lawrence Douglas

Posted on December 23, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “It would be years before I would be prepared to accept his self-assessment [as a sick person], and even then, not fully. …he was handsome, wealthy, the youngest tenured professor at one of the nation’s most prestigious colleges, and already internationally known for his work; many people would have happily…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged family, lies, mystery, Religion | Comments Off

Going crazy trying to find those Underrated Reads!

Posted on December 9, 2014 by J D Jung

Dear readers, please be patient with us. You may think that we’re on hiatus, or worse, have totally disappeared. Not so. We're definitely around, struggling to find literary gems that we recommend. We've been doing a lot of reading (and I mean tons!), but just can’t seem to find that exceptional book worth your time and $$. Yes, your…

Posted in Let's talk | Comments Off

Men Explain Things to Me – Rebecca Solnit

Posted on November 1, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The shell of home is a prison of sorts, as much as protection, a casing of familiarity and continuity that can vanish outside. Walking the streets can be a form of social engagement, even of political action ...but it can also be a means of inducing reverie, subjectivity, and imagination, a…

Posted in Philosophical reads, Short stories | Comments Off

A Conversation with Author Cari Lynn

Posted on October 25, 2014 by J D Jung

Cari Lynn I was so intrigued with Cari Lynn’s latest novel, Madam, that I spent hours researching the infamous New Orleans Madam, Josie Arlington. Afterwards I just had to ask Cari about her story and what motivated her to seek out this fascinating piece of American history. JDJ - What prompted you to write about…

Posted in Conversations | Comments Off

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

Posted on October 10, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…unlike the warriors’ Valkyrie, the Hollywood version didn't let you know that you were going to die immediately; you were baited, strung along, and then let down to die a slow, lingering death. And like every actor, you would keep telling yourself that success was just around the next bend, but…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs | Tagged classic television, memoirs | Comments Off

Sex, Rain, and Cold Fusion – A. R. Taylor

Posted on September 28, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…each time he closed his eyes, he pictures working at Juan de Fuca…Down there, in that torrid, turbid world of extremes, how could he discern the workings of a fifth force so slight that it showed itself in traces, in small tugs at the universe? The other four forces are loud…

Posted in Humor & Satire | Tagged humor, satire | Comments Off

Fighting Chance – Jane Haddam

Posted on September 18, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Tibor was always surprised at how casual and unassuming most real evil really was. …so much evil was done as everyday business…And it was nothing. It was just transactions. It had the same emotional force on their brains as going grocery shopping or getting an oil change for their car.” Judge…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Comments Off

The December Project: An Extraordinary Rabbi and a Skeptical Seeker Confront Life’s Greatest Mystery – Sara Davidson

Posted on September 1, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) A few months ago I attended a Writers Bloc event to see author Sara Davidson promote her new book, The December Project. The evening began with a live video chat with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi from his Colorado home. She met weekly with the eighty- five year old Rabbi to work on…

Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction, Philosophical reads | Comments Off