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 on a road trip around the region, braving sandstorms and checkpoints to reach a village…

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American Caesar How Theocrats and Tech Lords Are Turning America into a Monarchy – Bradley B. Onishi

Posted on September 15, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I finished reading American Caesar, I found myself thinking that this book is about much more than the possibility of an American Caesar. Bradley B. Onishi examines a movement that is working to fundamentally reshape American society—one that threatens not only democratic institutions, but also racial, ethnic, and gender equality.…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Adua – Igiaba Scego (Author), Jamie Richards (Translator)

Posted on September 11, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “In Somalia I was a young girl who was full of dreams and wanted to see the world. In just a few months they’ve manipulated, abused, used, transformed me. It feels like years, not months, have gone by. I feel so old, practically decrepit.” “I wish I could ask Marilyn, but…

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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, visits his sister in Calabria, where she is hosting a party with old friends. He…

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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 case that resulted in an innocent man going to prison, but this time he isn’t…

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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 psychological effects of World War I. His newest patient, engineer David Bradley, is a particularly…

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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 hotel by Vlad, a stalker who takes her to a remote house. His goal isn’t…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited- American Refuge: True Stories of the Refugee Experience – Diya Abdo

Posted on August 24, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “When refugees leave, it is rarely, if ever, happy. And it is never something they choose to do. Their bodies, finding no other way to survive, split themselves from their souls, wave goodbye to them, on the fragile hope that soon, they will meet again.” Dr. Diya Abdo knows this firsthand…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Sign of the Cross: A Religious Conspiracy Thriller – Glenn Cooper

Posted on August 20, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Sign of the Cross is a gripping religious thriller that blends suspense, historical conspiracy, and theological intrigue. Calvin Donovan, a Harvard Divinity School professor who wrote a book on the history of Stigmata, was asked by the Vatican to travel to Rome to determine whether a young Italian priest, Padre Gio,…

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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 in Europe, Antonio Tabucchi’s novel is a powerful reminder that sometimes we have to stop…

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