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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
An UnderratedRead Revisited: Antiman: A Hybrid Memoir – Rajiv Mohabir
(reviewed by JD Jung) “I wanted to stop hiding. I wanted to tell them that I was queer. Queer sexually, queer religiously, queer by caste, and queer countried.” Rajiv Mohabir never felt that he belonged. As a resident of Central … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged class, culture, Guyanese, immigrants, immigration, India, LGBTQ, political activism, race, sexuality
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Your Turn – Lavelle Andrew Miller
(reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned Why was a well-respected detective with the Metro Nashville Police Department framed for a murder he did not commit, and worse, the crime of killing a fellow police officer? After serving ten years, that former … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers
Tagged murder, Nashville, police, prison
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: Pancakes in Paris: Living the American Dream in France (Culinary LGBTQ+ Memoir Book for Francophiles and Foodies) – Craig Carlson
(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) “I spoke of my favorite city and how beautiful it was…How all it needed was an American breakfast joint, and then it would be perfect!” Former Hollywood screenwriter, Craig Carlson, wanted to live his dream and … Continue reading
Maximum Taxi – Douglas Bales
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “As I come out of the tunnels on my way home, the city lies below me with its lights sparkling. I think about Misty and Mickey and all of the screwed-up people running around the … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged dark humor, drugs, society
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Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility – Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young-Lutunatabua
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Nothing is inevitable, and that’s crucial to remember in this fight.” Personally, I have felt both hopeless and helpless when it comes to preserving our planet and fighting climate change. Not Too Late convinced … Continue reading
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Politics and Social Justice, Social Justice
Tagged climate change, colonization, ecology, Indigenous peoples
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Who is bombing Kyiv?! – Marina Alova
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “It was disheartening and revolting to witness the country repeating the same mistakes and going around in circles. Slava believed that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, it would be impossible to make the … Continue reading
Posted in Slavic Literature, World Issues, World Literature
Tagged propaganda, Putin, Russia, Russian literature, Ukraine, war
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An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Broken – JJ Hernandez
(Reviewed by Christopher J. Lynch) There are quite a few novels that chronicle the struggle of formerly incarcerated individuals returning to civilian life, but none that I have read that are as good as The Broken by JJ Hernandez … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged incarceration, modern literary fiction, social justice
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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 Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Modern Literary Fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks
Tagged addiction, family, immigration, Judaism, LGBTQ, Religion, San Francisco, thrillers
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An UnderratedRead Revisited – A Season in Lights: A Novel in Three Acts – Gregory Erich Phillips
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “Less than a year ago, when the curtain fell after the opening night applause, I assumed the New York City I knew—and my place in it—could last forever.” A Season in Lights celebrates performers and … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged Broadway, Carnegie Hall, COVID-19, dancers, dreams, New York City, pianists
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