An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You: Stories – Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Posted on August 11, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional
“In New Orleans, culture doesn’t come down from on high, it bubbles up from the street.” –  Jazz Pianist Ellis Marsalis (1934-2020)

This quote that opens the book epitomizes these stories, as we meet New Orleans residents of all ages and gender identifications just trying to make it day by day.

I was grabbed immediately while reading the first and title story, “The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You”. We meet a male teenage prostitute who is just hoping for something more. I didn’t think that this one could be outdone. I was wrong.

New Orleans Author Maurice Carlos Ruffin relates these poignant tales with honest, cutting language, using the vernacular of his characters. Though the stories are often ill-fated, he manages to skillfully intersperse humor in many of them.

Such is the case of my favorite, “Ghetto University”. Here, an English professor who specializes in the works of Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, resorts to mugging tourists in the French Quarter. He justifies his actions with absurd reasons, such as that he is doing a service to his victims.

I wish some of the shorter stories were longer. As I became immersed in the plot and characters, they would end, even though the conclusions made sense.

I couldn’t get the final story out of my head though. “Before I let Go”, features a woman whose house is about to be foreclosed. Though the house has been in her family for generations, she incurred debt while making repairs on it after Katrina. Through no fault of her own, every time she tries to get ahead, she seems to take giant steps backwards. This is happening as white people from other parts of the country descend like locusts to buy the house and others in the Tremé neighborhood. This story forces us to look at gentrification in an even dimmer light.

The Ones Who Don’t Say They Love You is a must-read collection of short stories, and I hope to discover more from this author.

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Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics – Elle Reeve

Posted on August 8, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

Exceptional

I’ve been amazed how CNN correspondent Elle Reeve has put herself in risky situations to get a story as well as to obtain the perspective of potentially dangerous people. This is even more evident in her latest book, Black Pill.

Through these interviews, we see the dangers of the far-right groups on the internet and how the expressed ideas have influenced mainstream thought. Many participants are social outcasts and possess a deep hatred towards women. However, they find an accepting community online and power in anonymity. Some were libertarians who subsequently fell into this dark place of the alt-right.

Though I have read articles and books about many of the key players, such as 8Chan creator Fred Brennan (who didn’t realize the monster that he created) and neo-Nazi Richard Spencer, these in-depth interviews give further insight to their thoughts and motives.

I found that in the beginning, there was too much detail, and it was hard to concentrate. However, I’m glad I stuck with it as I discovered her section on alt-right women, especially her interviews with ex-neo-Nazi and Identity Evropa member Samantha Froelich particularly fascinating. How could women find comfort in a community with so much misogyny?

The book reaches a climax with Reeve’s recounting of her experiences at the August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville and subsequently at the January 6 riot. These sections read like a thriller, with tension and danger at every turn. I found myself gripped by the harrowing details and the sheer audacity and persistence of Reeve and her crew’s immersion in such volatile environments.

Fascists hope to spread a nihilistic outlook, the “black pill”, among citizens, thus encouraging disengagement and resignation.  This makes Black Pill an essential and timely read for anyone seeking to understand and combat the rise of extreme right-wing ideology.

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Pentimento Mori – Valeria Corciolani

Posted on August 4, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

“It’s simply a matter of yellows, figs, vans, and kites…Why can’t I get a nice simple gang murder or an old-fashioned serial killer?”

Public Prosecutor Jacopo Bassi has had enough of this murder case, the victim being junk dealer Nando Folli.

However, the protagonist in this quirky, cozy Italian mystery is fifty-six-year-old Edna Silvera, an anti-social art historian and restorer who lives with her chickens that are named after old movie stars.

When she is required to represent her university at a festival in a small Ligurian town, she is less than enthusiastic. Why would she be interested in commemorating the seven-hundred-year anniversary of Dante’s death?

However, after some crazy mishaps, she finds herself at Nano Folli’s junk shop. There, she discovers a panel from the fifteenth century depicting Judas. She also finds a dead body. Edna can’t stay away from the first, while Prosecutor Bassi is more interested in the second.

While Pentimento Mori is an enjoyable read, I found it difficult to concentrate on all the excessive details of Edna’s artistic find. It was repetitive as she found more clues. What I enjoyed most were the eccentric characters and their individual stories, which drove the plot. They included Edna’s difficult mother Zara, Edna’s friend and musician Ottavio (who becomes Zara’s caregiver), housekeeper Kalina with an emotionally valuable frying plan, Nando Folli himself…and so many more.

So, if you are less demanding of a tight plot, but enjoy unusual, humorous crime stories with fun characters, you will probably enjoy Pentimento Mori. An entertaining summer read.

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Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom – Larry Miller with Laila Lacy

Posted on August 1, 2024 by J D Jung

(reviewed by Ann Onymous )

Exceptional
“Should I come clean? I was well aware of the risk of unburdening myself to the executive in a public accounting firm, but all signs indicated I was on the path to landing my first big job…I rolled out the armed robberies, my time behind bars, the community-college courses in which i excelled, living in a halfway house…”

He replied “That’s quite a story, I am so proud of you for what you’ve been able to accomplish but…”

“I would never ever reveal my prison past to anyone again….The secret was born. It has lived within me for more than three decades, corroding me from the inside, haunting me day and night, bringing me to my knees with migraine headaches and awful dreams.”

This is Larry Miller, kid from West Philadelphia, becoming the Chairman of The Jordan Brand at Nike and working with Michael Jordan is quite inspiring. As President, he took them from being a $150 million to a $4 billion dollar sports apparel behemoth. Mr. Miller revived the Portland Trailblazers NBA team from being the ‘jail blazers’ to one of the top teams in the country.

Now he serves on the Board of Directors of Self Enhancement, Inc. and he is committed to helping people learn from his own life experiences. He believes in the prison system promoting and providing educational opportunities. He serves non-profits across the country, helping countless youth.

Mr. Miller has never forgotten where he came from. He was a ‘champ’ in school and turned that “drive” to a gang, rather than school because it was no longer ‘cool’ to be the teacher’s pet. In prison, he took advantage of the classes offered and graduated from Temple University. His hard work and success at numbers took him from an entry-level accountant to the President of the company. This book is yet another book that should be available in every prison library. We can all be uplifted by reading this true story.

I really enjoyed this book because this is a life well used. Mr. Miller has taken advantage of every opportunity made available to him and has jumped forward full speed. For fans of autobiographies, this will be a joy to read. I discovered Mr. Miller when I heard him speaking in support of a particular non-profit group in Baltimore, Maryland. I had never heard of him, but now I’m so glad to have ‘met’ him via this memoir.

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Tough Rugged Bastards: A Memoir of a Life in Marine Special Operations – John A. Dailey

Posted on July 26, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)

Exceptional

Tough, Rugged Bastards by John A. Dailey is a memoir about the author’s experience helping to form and lead DET 1, a Marine special forces unit that was created after the 9-11 attacks. The book is refreshing and checks some important boxes for me (unlike many other warfare and combat books) specifically when it comes to humility, humor, and most importantly, humanity.

Other than simply explaining how the unit was formed and giving some background into the history of special Marine units, Dailey does a far deeper dive on the intricacies and challenges they faced while developing it. The book then brings us along on several of the missions of the newly minted DET 1 unit as they seek to prove themselves in the tight-knit spec-ops world.

Thankfully, I found that the narrative was not filled with the sort of boastful, “I (we) were bad asses! The baddest of them all!” bluster, so common in other military memoirs. Instead, it’s honesty and feelings of self-doubt are ever present as Dailey and the others under his command constantly worry about whether they are up to the task. This self-reflection is never more poignant than when Dailey shares his own feelings after killing a young man who was part of a terrorist cell.

This is a brutally honest book about the horrors of war, as well as the euphoria of being a part of something larger than yourself. I highly recommend this book for both veterans, and non-veterans alike.

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Liars: A Novel – Sarah Manguso

Posted on July 22, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

 


When Jane met her future husband, John Bridges, she was ecstatic. Since she was a writer, she was attracted to him being an artist and photographer. What she didn’t realize was that the demands of being a wife and mother take its toll, and the responsibilities and career aspirations are not shared equally. Also, neither of them was emotionally equipped to effectively live with these demands.

Liars takes us into the complexities of Jane’s fourteen-year marriage, marked by the strain of unequal burdens and thwarted ambitions. This narrative, presented through Jane’s perspective, reveals the cracks in their union and her contempt for John’s behavior.

As the story progresses, Jane realizes that John’s actions may be more than just the missteps of an artist and businessman struggling to find his place. She perceives a deliberate attempt to undermine her, to keep her dependent on him. She even doubts her own worth. At one point he maintained that he is a great artist, and she a “deranged lunatic”. This leads her to question her own sanity. However, she soon realizes that it was simply an attempt to control her.

She refers to John as feeling “entitled”, but initially I felt that she was also guilty of that. Though I was glued to every page, I thought that she was overly dramatic, and held unrealistic views of marriage and motherhood. However, as the story progressed, I realized that was not the case. I developed compassion for her and found her relatable. I don’t know if the author was intentional in creating that shift, but she succeeded masterfully.

Liars is a gripping read that will resonate with those who appreciate realism over romanticized fiction.

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Rakiya -: Stories of Bulgaria – Ellis Shuman

Posted on July 19, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung)

Rakiya is a very interesting collection of eleven short stories that feature various characters in bizarre situations that cover some of the history of Bulgaria. Each story has a protagonist
that struggles to find answers to their circumstances. Each is also well written with some of the characters coming back in later stories to enhance the narrative.

The writer describes the scenery of Bulgaria and pictures the culture and the history of a country with vivid descriptions. Each story has a different setting with some historical commentary of a country long forgotten in the modern world. Some are uplifting while some are heart wrenching.

The highlight for me is the story about “Forgiveness.” It portrays elderly 95-year-old Avraham asking for redemption from his involvement in the Holocaust. His call to the son
of an old friend to see him is filled with regret, guilt, and remorse as he tries to
ask for salvation for his sins. It is vivid, intense and gut wrenching to understand
this catastrophe.

Another story explores why Bulgaria aligned with Adolf Hitler and Germany in World War
II, and why the Army refused to send any of the 46,000 Bulgarian Jews to the concentration camps in Germany and Poland. It was unusual protocol to disobey the Nazi command and yet this story explains how it happened.

Another story is about a Tel Aviv resident working in Bulgaria who had to fly back
to attend the birth of his son. Every obstacle hit him as he tried to get to the airport
as flights got canceled but somehow, he was able to make it.

This is a nice introduction to the people and the history of Bulgaria as it has compelling
stories that will resonate long after you finish the last page.

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Blood and Mascara – Colin Krainin

Posted on July 17, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

“…all the women he had known and loved, the idea of them was there in front of him…and once he had come to love then, had he not carried them about within him forever after, like open wounds?”

May 1997 -Private investigator Calvin “Bronze” Goldberg is obsessed with women and is always falling in love. Hired by a powerful political consultant to spy on his unfaithful wife, Bronze soon finds himself entangled in a series of perilous events. The discovery of a young congressman’s body sets off a chain reaction, leading to more deaths as well as the realization that Bronze himself could be the next target of a paid assassin.

While the plot is undeniably intriguing, it lacks the distinctiveness to truly set it apart from other works in the genre. The most captivating element is the protagonist’s personality. Bronze’s infatuation and obsession with women are central to his character, yet these aspects are not explored as deeply as they could be. This oversight makes the title feel somewhat misleading and underwhelming.

One of the book’s standout features is its gorgeous prose, which provides a striking contrast to the fast-paced crime narrative. The writing elevates the story, expanding the readers’ experience. The supporting characters also add depth and color, particularly like his landlady Iris, who writes romance novels under a pen name, but who’s true aspiration is to write crime fiction.

Still, Blood and Masara remains a solid read for fans of noir crime fiction. The engaging prose and memorable protagonist and supporting characters make it time well spent.

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The Coin – Yasmin Zaher

Posted on July 13, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

“…in my family, America was both the key and the curse.”

Our narrator, who is from a wealthy Palestinian family moved to New York after her parents died. She was left with an inheritance of which she could only access a small portion. That is, she is only provided with a nominal, strict allowance.

However, that, along with her teacher’s salary, affords her the ability to buy designer clothes and accessories. She is obsessed with style, along with cleanliness, hygiene and a particular coin. What she cannot attain though, is control over her life. Her job as a middle school teacher in a school for underprivileged boys provides her with a certain amount of power that she craves.

We follow her through her strange and often self-destructive relationships with various people, including a trip to Paris with a homeless man, she refers to as “Trenchcoat”. However, these activities and interactions show something deeper.

I appreciate the narrative style, as the story is written as if the narrator is conversing informally with the reader. This approach allows readers to connect deeply with the narrator’s thoughts and emotions, witnessing her struggles and desires firsthand. As we observe her desire to find order and control her surroundings, we see her helplessness, though she does not see it herself. The reader will be astounded by how the story culminates.

The Coin is a quirky yet moving exploration of a woman’s attempt to navigate the intersections of heritage, order, and human connection. It is a must-read for those who appreciate character-driven stories that are as entertaining as they are enlightening.

Author Yasmin Zaher is a Palestinian journalist and I hope to read more from her.

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The Blind Devotion of Imogene: The Misadventures of Imogene Taylor – David Putnam

Posted on July 10, 2024 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)

 

It’s 1973, and seventy-five-year-old Imogene Taylor has just been released from the Chino Institute for Women after serving time for second-degree murder. As she returns to her home in California’s Inland Empire, readers are immediately drawn into a world marked by dark humor, quirky characters, and her constant reminiscing about her life with her late husband.

She needs to work to stay out of jail, so she gets a job at Dentco, a store that sells damaged dry goods. However, this ex-con can’t seem to catch a break.

Her parole officer is constantly on her tail just to lure her into violating her parole in hopes of sending her back to prison. There’s too much going on to keep Imogene on the straight and narrow, though. The story quickly picks up pace as Imogene becomes entangled in a series of bizarre and dangerous events.

For instance, a gangster tries to shake her down for protection money, and she helps a neighbor bury a body of a long-deceased woman. Let’s not forget that she is also in possession of a handgun. As all these events occur, she constantly hears the advice of her former cellmate in her head.

One of the novel’s strengths lies in its character development and the way it plays with appearances. Imogene’s resilient spirit shines through, making her a compelling and relatable protagonist. Also, as the story unfolds, it becomes evident that people and events are not what they seem. The author masterfully weaves these twists into the narrative, yielding surprises throughout the story.

The only problem I had with The Blind Devotion of Imogene was a minor yet noticeable flaw. This occurs with the mention of serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy, who were not known to the public in 1973. While this does not detract significantly from the overall story, it momentarily disrupts the historical authenticity of the narrative.

Despite this minor historical inaccuracy, the novel’s strength lies in its ability to surprise and engage, making it a fun and engaging read.

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