An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Italian Lover – Robert Hellenga

Posted on October 11, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Margo Harrington, an American expatriate living in Italy, is excited to hear that her memoir, The Sixteen Pleasures, will be made into a feature film. The book details her experiences when she first came to Florence. While working in a convent, restoring irreplaceable books damaged in the flood of 1966, she…

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Two Suspects: A Legal Mystery – Gary Sherbell

Posted on October 3, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch)   It’s said that good things come in small packages and Two Suspects by Gary Sherbell bears this out. At only 107 pages, the book could easily be devoured on a plane flight or on a slow raining day around the house. But what it lacks in length, it makes…

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Unwanted: How a Mother Learned to Turn Shame, Grief, and Fear into Purpose, Passion, and Empowerment – Linda Smith

Posted on September 28, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Heidi A. Swan) Unwanted is the autobiography of a woman with a high school education who harnessed her convictions and life skills to improve the world for the betterment for her son, who has Down’s Syndrome, and for that of other “unwanted” people. Ms. Smith’s early life set the stage for her deep…

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United States of Distraction: Media Manipulation in Post-Truth America (And What We Can Do About It) – Mickey Huff & Nolan Higdon, Foreword by Ralph Nader

Posted on September 24, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…commercial media are in the business of marketing the immediate and sensational and have no mandate to serve the public interest.” In fact, the media profited from Trump’s celebrity and candidacy, and continues to do so from his presidency. It’s not just pro-Trump media that benefits; those media outlets critical of…

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Cleaning Up Finn – Sarah M. Chen

Posted on September 16, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Thirty-two-year-old restaurant manager Finn Roose will be the protagonist you love to hate. He over indulges in booze and women and even takes advantage of his closest friends. Needless to say, ethics and decency are not his strong suits. Life is about to change for Finn as his sleazy, misogynistic behavior…

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

Posted on September 10, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) 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 Iran…

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The Way We Work: On The Job in Hollywood – Bruce Ferber

Posted on September 5, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) So, you want to succeed in the entertainment industry? Sorry, it’s not that easy or glamorous. This anthology written by various career movie and television people will dispel the myths on what the industry is really about and how one can be lucky enough to climb the ladder of success. It’s…

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My Neighbour Osama Bin Laden – Yslar Tatuky

Posted on August 31, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned What happens when one puts Osama bin Laden and Salman Rushdie at the same dinner table? Yslar Tatuky is such a person as he has grand, though idealistic, hopes for humanity in his novel, My Neighbour Osama Bin Laden. Tatuky, who plays himself in the story, returns to Okriba, Georgia…

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Mr. Siegel Writes to Washington – Rich Siegel

Posted on August 28, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) Mr. Siegel sends a weekly letter to various Republican politicians on what they are doing wrong. This collection of letters to each Republican senator (including multiple ones to speaker McConnell) is filled with a satirical look at the problems that the U.S. Senate faces, and he describes his zany comments on…

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An UnderratedReadRevisited: Obama’s Legacy: What He Accomplished as President – Michael I. Days

Posted on August 25, 2019 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) During Trump's recent rant to reporters on the White House lawn, he panned President Obama numerous times, even more than usual. He, as well as his supporters, refuse to acknowledge the vast accomplishments of the Obama presidency, even though the facts stare them right in the face. Therefore I am happy…

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