Selamlik – Khaled Alesmael (translated from the Arabic by Leri Price)

Posted on December 5, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional
“I am so glad I was born in Syria and get to be young in Damascus, no matter the fear and danger. I love Damascus even if she is cruel to me.”

Our narrator Furat lives in the shadows and has always had to hide his sexuality. There are places where gay men frequent in Damascus, but they are not in the open. It gets progressively worse with the crackdowns of dictator Bashar al-Assad.

When the Syrian civil war breaks out in 2011, life is dangerous for all citizens, not just gay men. Furat, who is in his early 20’s, finds himself as a refugee, and details his treacherous journey from Syria to Turkey, eventually ending up in Sweden.

Selamlik is a stirring, autobiographical novel that brings to light the intersection of identity, survival, and resilience. Written in poetic prose, the story captures the harrowing realities of being a gay man in a repressive society, and more broadly, the universal struggle of refugees seeking safety and dignity in a world often unwilling to accommodate them.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its portrayal of Furat’s inner world. His changing relationship with the Quran from childhood to the present accentuates the complexities of faith for someone navigating their sexual identity in a deeply religious culture.

This story is interspersed with explicit homoerotic fantasies, especially at the end. Though it does not resonate with me personally, it does not overshadow the perilous trials that refugees, and particularly gay refugees must endure.

While Selamlik seems deeply personal, its themes are universal. It highlights the resilience of those forced to flee their homes and reminds readers that true acceptance requires more than tolerance—it demands recognition of shared humanity and the right to live authentically. A must read.

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Curdle Creek – Yvonne Battle-Felton

Posted on December 1, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

 

It’s around 1960 and the residents of Curdle Creek never leave for any reason. Black residents have lived there for generations and believe that anywhere outside this small remote town is dangerous.

An exception to this that the children of our narrator, 45-year-old widow Osira Turner, left years ago, as did her brother. She has had no contact with any of them. The fact that her children left has not reflected well on Osira by the community.  Curdle Creek has strict rules and rituals that are never questioned. These rituals Include the Running of the Widows, the Calling, the Moving On, and the Warding Off. It is believed that these traditions pay for the safety and prosperity of the town, including a bountiful harvest.

The Moving On follows the “one in, one out” rule. Since the number of births is usually greater than the number of deaths, it must be made up somehow. Essentially the residents vote for who will die and afterwards, they engage in the Warding Off to make sure that their spirits don’t return.

It is believed that without The Moving On and Warding off, the town would be lawless and filled with grudge-bearing ghosts. Osira never questioned the ritual, until it was her father who was chosen to be killed.

The plot is both captivating and unpredictable. Just when you think you understand where the story is headed, it twists in unexpected ways, with mystical elements seamlessly woven into the fabric of the narrative. The rituals underscore the eerie normalcy of these acts for the townsfolk. The supporting characters add depth and complexity, offering glimpses into the psychology of a community trapped by fear and tradition.

My only disappointment was the ending. It felt too abrupt and left many questions unanswered. Maybe that was intentional, and hopefully a sequel is in the works.

Still, if you are looking for an eclectic, unsettling read with horror, magic and a remarkable plot, Curdle Creek is for you.

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An Underrated Read Revisited: Down with the Poor! – Shumona Sinha, translated by Teresa Lavender Fagan 

Posted on November 25, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional
“…the same stories and the same bodies blended in my head, lost all definition and all form, became a dark and shapeless mass of giant bodies, that growled, shouted, demanded, cried, pleaded. Were they inventing a new country, a new nation, unknown wars, hidden genocides?

Our unnamed protagonist who immigrated to France seemed to be making a good life for herself. She worked as a translator between the government and those seeking political asylum. These petitioners included Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus.

So why did she risk it all by crashing a glass bottle over a strange man’s head, an immigrant like herself, while waiting for the metro?

As her interrogator tries to understand her motive, we get a glimpse into her perspective of refugee life. This is through flashbacks, reflections, and present-day dialogues. For example, when she visited the immigrant ghettos outside of Paris, she was sickened by some of their collective beliefs. Not only did she feel out of place, but she was shunned. However, she understood these people. She understood why they lie at their hearings and what they went through in their home countries. What happens if your life is constantly in danger but not for political or religious reasons? That is, how can you claim political asylum?

There is a lot to unpack in this novel. The author skillfully portrays the protagonist’s feelings of alienation and misogyny. While relishing in her lyrical prose, we learn the effects of European imperialism. We gain insight into the historical context and how it reverberates in the lives of immigrants today, influencing their identities and actions. This all takes place while we’re still trying to figure out why she committed this violent crime. The reader is constantly engaged in deciphering the web of emotions and experiences that shaped her into the person she is today.

Down With the Poor is a thought-provoking novel that explores the human condition when faced with adversity. It will encourage you to look at the world in a different light and have you think about these issues long after you finish the book.

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California Rain – Frank McAdams

Posted on November 20, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)


Set against the backdrop of 1950s America, California Rain delivers a gripping noir thriller that blends the intrigue of political scandal, the fight for justice, along with the glamour of old Hollywood. With an evocative sense of time and place, this novel keeps readers hooked from the very first page.

At its core, California Rain is a story about loyalty and truth. Investigative reporter, Mike Foyle of the New York bureau of the Los Angeles Beacon, learns that his friend, Bernie Crusher, who saved his life while in combat during WWII, died of an apparent suicide in Los Angeles. Crusher was covering a House subcommittee hearing on Communist influence in Hollywood.

Foyle asks to go to Los Angeles to cover Bernie’s assignment, but what he really wants is to find out if his death was a suicide. Based on the minimal information he has, his doubts are high. Though he attends the subcommittee hearings, he investigates his true purpose on the side. Of course, his superiors at the newspaper aren’t happy with his deviation from the original assignment. They are also suspicious of his alliance with a young female entertainment reporter, who wants to break the gender rules, and report on serious news stories. That’s not to say that his attendance at the hearings is a waste; he learns that there’s more going on in that subcommittee hearing; and it may affect an upcoming congressional race.

One of the novel’s strongest elements is its rich cast of characters. Foyle is a classic noir protagonist—cynical but righteous. Each supporting character adds to the story, and their motivations make sense.

The setting itself is as much a character as anyone else, with the novel immersing us in a Los Angeles steeped in danger and allure. From the charged atmosphere of the subcommittee hearings to the smoky newsroom and local bars, every location feels alive.

California Rain takes us on an exciting ride through corrupt politics, old Hollywood, and murder. Don’t worry, no spoilers here. However, the ending will surprise you.

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Pieces: Maddy Reynolds in the Crosshairs – John Netti

Posted on November 10, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

 

Detective Maddy Reynolds was so burned out from her job that she decided to take early retirement and move to the small, quiet town of Berry Lake, New York. Little did she know that her peaceful life would be disrupted, and her past police work would follow to haunt her.

Bodies of dead women in this town start to appear at a rapid rate with an organ extracted from each body with surgical precision. This could only be the work of serial killer, Amos Whitfield, who is still on the loose. Whitfield settles into a community long before he kills, so he’s been there awhile, taking on another identity. Maddy, who researched Whitfield in the past, soon realizes that she is a target as he leaves her a gruesome “present”.

Pieces takes readers on a roller coaster ride, that doesn’t stop. From the beginning, the plot grabs you and never lets go. The multiple supporting characters not only add depth to the plot, but also provide riveting side stories. In fact, I think that some, such as FBI agent Hannah Bates, could stand on their own in a novel.

This novel has all the pieces of an enticing crime story. Highly recommended.

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A Relevant Poem by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Posted on November 7, 2024 by J D Jung

Pity The Nation (2007)- Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919-2021)

(inspired by Khalil Gibran)

Pity the nation whose people are sheep,

and whose shepherds mislead them.

Pity the nation whose leaders are liars, whose sages are silenced

and whose bigots haunt the airwaves.

Pity the nation that raises not its voice,

except to praise conquerors and acclaim the bully as hero

and aims to rule the world with force and by torture.

Pity the nation what knows no other language but its own

and no other culture but its own.

Pity the nation whose breath is money

and sleeps the sleep of the too well fed.

Pity the nation – or, pity the people who allow their rights to erode

and their freedoms to be washed away.

My country, tears of thee, sweet land of liberty.

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A Must Read Now! -On Heroism: McCain, Milley, Mattis, and the Cowardice of Donald Trump – Jeffrey Goldberg

Posted on November 4, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Why do so many politicians and public servants continue to support a man who has little regard for the military, no regard for the Constitution, and holds dictators in such high regard? Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor in chief of The Atlantic gives us clues.

There are some though, who refuse to compromise their values, and their oaths to the Constitution. Goldberg provides us with examples, history and quotes from prior interviews in his recent book, On Heroism: McCain, Milley, Mattis, and the Cowardice of Donald Trump.

He begins the book by relaying his time with the late senator John McCain, who downplayed his service and years as a POW during the Vietnam War. The bulk of the book are essays, starting in 2019, of two military leaders: Defense Secretary James Mattis, who resigned in December of 2018, and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mark Milley.
We learn how these heroes guided Trump to resist his worst impulses. Chairman Milley tried to teach Trump the difference between battlefield aggressiveness and war crimes, unfortunately to no avail. In fact, Trump’s idea of the military has not evolved since he became president. He continues to show contempt for soldiers, seeks to politicize the military and use them against American citizens. It says a lot when White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Mattis made a pact with each other that one of them would always remain in the country, so that President Trump would never be left unmonitored.

I consider myself to be knowledgeable of current politics, but I learned so much more about the Trump presidency and the actions of these men to protect our country amidst chaos. Goldberg does not use broad generalizations; he provides specifics. The worries about the nuclear arsenal still resonate with me.

Personally, I am afraid of another Trump presidency where no heroes will be in the White House to provide these guardrails. At barely over a hundred pages, there is no excuse for any American voter not to read this book.

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Low-Hanging Fruit: Sparkling Whines, Champagne Problems, and Pressing Issues from My Gay Agenda – Randy Rainbow

Posted on November 1, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional
Who would write a Dear John letter to social media in order to get control over his attention span and basically his entire life? And how do you even navigate the damn thing? Or how about a poem on internet trolls?

Comedian Randy Rainbow of course, in his hilarious collection of essays, Low-Hanging Fruit: Sparkling Whines, Champagne Problems, and Pressing Issues from My Gay Agenda.

He feels that “…complaining has become intensely stigmatize”, as he taps into relatable annoyances such as those captcha tests that he can’t seem to get correct, just to order a dumb product on the internet. How about the iPhone dictation that always gets the message wrong? Does the massive amount of paper receipts we accumulate bother you? And why is all news “breaking news”? The only difference between me grumbling about all this and Randy Rainbow complaining, is that the latter manages to make it hilarious.

It’s hard to pick a favorite story, as there’s so much to love here. From the dating scene, problems with neighbors and touring, to a day in the life of his cat, an interview with his mother, and more. He uses self-depreciating humor to express his anxieties since childhood, including body envy along with his ongoing attempt to achieve a healthy relationship with food.

We all need this in such serious times. My only suggestion is that you not read this in public. You’ll be laughing so loudly that it could be quite embarrassing.

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Still a Grim Favorite! Revisited: Mygale – Thierry Jonquet (translated by Donald Nicolson Smith)

Posted on October 29, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Ah, revenge can be so sweet. Now mix it with obsession and a touch of madness, and it turns utterly twisted and bizarre.  Such is the case with the intense and fascinating novel, Mygale, written by the late French crime novelist Thierry Jonquet.

Richard Lafargue, a successful, well-respected plastic surgeon carries a dark secret.  He locks Eve, the stunning woman he lives with, in her bedroom.  If that isn’t enough, he forces her to turn tricks in a Paris apartment once a month while he watches. As you can assume, she despises him as much as he does her. Acquaintances would never figure out their sordid life as they both seem so content at the lavish parties, they attend with the Paris elite.

In the underbelly of society, we meet twenty-one-year-old Alex Barny. Though he has never been in prison or even in front of a court, he made a living by thumping people for his ’employers’. Strong and impulsive, he figured that he could make more money by committing his own crimes. But now he’s on the run. While robbing a bank he killed a cop and, in the process, caught a bullet in his thigh. He keeps scolding himself, not for the crime, but for his stupidity. If his longtime friend, Vincent, was around, he would have thought things through and planned the perfect bank robbery.  However, Vincent was nowhere to be found.

The lives of Alex, Richard, and Eve intertwine but not in the way that you would expect. Jonquet takes the reader back in forth between the three and their stories and you shudder as you begin to figure it all out. Though the ending makes perfect sense, it is hardly what you expect.

Mygale takes the psychological thriller to an entirely new level. This novel is so unique, seedy and gritty, that you won’t be able to put it down.  It will also linger in your mind long after you’ve read the last page. Surprisingly, at only 120 pages the narrative is concise but with elaborate detail while the characters are completely fleshed out.

This translated version of Mygale is part of the City Lights Noir collection. It’s a perfect read for this time of year. Still one of my favorites!

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Send Her Back and Other Stories – Munashe Kaseke

Posted on October 26, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

This collection will captivate you as soon as you start reading. “Send Her Back” is just one of twelve riveting tales centering around women who immigrated to the U.S. from Zimbabwe. In that specific title, a young woman who has just been accepted into medical school is in fear of being deported.

But each of these works of fiction is so different from one another. Some elaborate on cultural differences. One woman doesn’t understand issues of race in America. She wants to stand out, so she becomes a Trump supporter. After working in the U.S., another woman goes back home to visit family and realizes that even though she misses her homeland, she and the country have changed. A U.S green card holder from Zimbabwe visits Mozambique and gets a big culture shock. Some of the women who experience bad behavior from their American boyfriends, incorrectly chock it up to cultural differences.

Some stories are so heart wrenching that you’ll think about them for days. One woman works four jobs and sleeps in her car, just so she can send money to her ungrateful family. In another story, a single mother can’t relate to her American-born teenager who thinks life would be better in another family.

One story that may seem familiar is the adult who arrived in the U.S. at the age of five but can only stay if she remains a student. This is a problem in the U.S., and the author personalizes it by adding depth and nuance as she does with every story.

There’s the abused wife who anxiously awaits the death of her elderly Zimbabwean husband. A successful stockbroker sends home for her husband only to be humiliated by him once he arrives. Then there’s the cold Minnesota winter that acts an abusive partner. These stories take place in diverse American states and cities, such as North Dakota, Indiana, San Francisco, and Baltimore.

Though these women may live lives quite dissimilar to your own, you’ll find certain aspects that you can relate to. The characters are painted with color and emotion and are very real.

These stories are so engaging that you can’t wait to discover what events the next one unfolds.

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