-
-
About
UnderratedReads is devoted to discovering underrated books and under-represented authors. We highlight hidden gems from around the world–honest reviews only, never pay-to-play.
Author Archives: J D Jung
That Librarian – Amanda Jones
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “We are just collateral damage to them in their quest, and so are the students who do not fit into the mold of what they deem acceptable which is white, straight Christians. I pray for the … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction, Social Justice
Tagged book banning, censorship, Christian, homophobia, racism
Comments Off on That Librarian – Amanda Jones
An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants – Orlando Ortega-Medina
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “We were a family of emigrants, on the move from generation to generation. Forced to flee our homes because of intolerable situations imposed on us by those in power. The United States was meant to be … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged addiction, crime fiction, family, immigration, Judaism, LGBTQ, San Francisco
Comments Off on An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Fitful Sleep of Immigrants – Orlando Ortega-Medina
The Propagandist – Cécile Desprairies, translated by Natasha Lehrer
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Our protagonist had to navigate between truth and lies, reality and denial for her entire childhood. Now as an adult and a historian, she must face these truths and the role her mother played in Fance … Continue reading
Posted in French Literature, Historical Fiction
Tagged anti-antisemitism, France, Nazism, propaganda, WWII
Comments Off on The Propagandist – Cécile Desprairies, translated by Natasha Lehrer
Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World – Anne Applebaum
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The autocracies want to create a global system that benefits thieves, criminals, dictators, and the perpetrators of mass murder. We can stop them.” Historian and journalist Anne Applebaum, suggests what democracies can do to save their … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Social Justice, World Issues
Tagged autocracy, China, democracy, dictatorship, Iran, murder, politics, Russia, Venezuela
Comments Off on Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World – Anne Applebaum
White Robes and Broken Badges: Infiltrating the KKK and Exposing the Evil Among Us – Joe Moore
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) I’ll admit that as a crime writer, I’m a sucker for ‘under the radar – dual life’ narratives, and Joe Moore’s, White Robes And Broken Badges, certainly hit the mark for me. An ex-Army sniper … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Non-fiction
Tagged FBI, Ku Klux Klan
Comments Off on White Robes and Broken Badges: Infiltrating the KKK and Exposing the Evil Among Us – Joe Moore
The Scale of Time: From the Beginning – Joseph Lanzara
(Reviewed by Pat Luboff) “The underlying mission of this book is to render, with accuracy, unimaginably long lengths of time and incredibly vast distances in space, conceivable at a glance.” You’ll note that instead of listing just the author’s name, … Continue reading
Posted in Non-fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged history, physics, science, space
Comments Off on The Scale of Time: From the Beginning – Joseph Lanzara
An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s 1961, almost twenty years after the war, and it would appear as if the Netherlands has recovered. However, scars linger beneath the surface in unimaginable ways. Isabel, who is almost thirty years old, doesn’t have … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged Dutch literature, Netherlands
Comments Off on An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Safekeep – Yael van der Wouden
But Not for Me – Allison A. Davis
(Reviewed by JD Jung) It’s August 1958 and black renters, homeowners and business owners are getting kicked out of the Fillmore district of San Francisco due to redevelopment and urban renewal. Developers are using unfair tactics to enforce eminent domain. … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction
Tagged beat generation, corruption, Crime, jazz, justice, Mafia, racism, San Francisco
Comments Off on But Not for Me – Allison A. Davis