The Newlyweds’ Window: The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing – Mukana Press (Compiler)

Posted on July 4, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Mukana” is the Shona translation for “opportunity”, and the mission of Mukana Press is to provide the opportunity for writers in underrepresented areas to show their work to a world audience. So, what is the result of this specific compilation? Twelve diverse stories selected out of 512 entries from twenty-three…

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The Scent of Burnt Flowers – Blitz Bazawule

Posted on June 28, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned It’s the mid-1960s and an African American couple, Melvin and Bernadette are on the run. Melvin sees that their only chance is to flee the U.S. Back in college, Melvin saved the life of a Ghanian student who would later become the country’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. Though Kwame promises…

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Comeuppance – Frank Honorof

Posted on June 24, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) #CommissionsEarned It’s the end of World War II and American military attorney, Philip Almeister, is sent on a liaison mission to Austria to help restore assets stolen by the Nazis. While working there he uncovers a treasure trove of pre-war German bonds worth a small fortune. How he decides to keep…

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I Buried Paul: A Novel: Bruce Ferber

Posted on June 19, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) #CommissionsEarned This is the story of forty-nine-year-old Jimmy Koslowski and his uncertain life as a struggling musician. It starts off with his family, where his father is an orchestra leader, and his older brother is a gifted guitarist. To the dismay of his parents, Jimmy leaves college for his love of…

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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Riddle of the Sphinx – Alexandre Montagu

Posted on June 14, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned How do I begin a review of a novel that kept me captive from page one and didn’t release me until the very end? I didn’t want to break for work, family, friends, or anything. How can I do this book justice? Dear readers, I will try. Eric (Keyvan) fled…

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The Uniform – G. Gruen

Posted on June 10, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) #CommissionsEarned David Korda is close to getting his medical degree in Nazi Germany when it is discovered that he is Jewish. Instead of joining his graduation class, he is sent to a concentration camp to do hard labor. Not what you expect, but this ordeal is full of what you don't…

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The Woman in the Library – Sulari Gentill

Posted on June 7, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Four strangers sit in a reading room at the Boston Public Library when they hear a bloodcurdling scream. It appears that a murder has taken place and the four are forced to remain there until security authorizes them to leave. Winifred “Freddie” Kincaid, an Australian writer in residence in Boston,…

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Rainbow Rainbow – Lydia Conklin

Posted on June 2, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned I must admit that I am ignorant of many of the gender classifications, so I hoped that Rainbow, Rainbow would educate me. That said, I found these ten stories that center around queer, pansexuality and trans life quite thought-provoking Many of the characters feel uncomfortable in their bodies, but question…

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The Lisbon Syndrome – Eduardo Sánchez Rugeles  (Translated from the Spanish by Paul Filev)

Posted on May 30, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “I feel a deep regret for encouraging them to dream, for reinforcing illusions that will lead nowhere, because they’re unattainable, because this county is finished. It stopped existing a long time ago. We are the last survivors, but we are doomed.” Caracas, Venezuela is under siege. The city has been…

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Beach Detective: Exploding Surfboard-Fred Fuld III

Posted on May 27, 2022 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) #CommissionsEarned This is one of those delightful, easy reads perfect for the summer season. Harry Lido, a PI in the laid-back town of Redondo Beach, California has a mystery to solve: who is trying to kill the part owner of a surfboard shop who is on the verge of perfecting…

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