Author Archives: J D Jung
An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Third Hotel: A Novel – Laura van den Berg
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The foundation of horror is a dislocation of reality, a dislocation designed to reveal the reality that has been there all along, and such dislocations happen all the time. “ That was according to the fictional … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged cinema, Cuba, death, grief, Havana, Latin America, surrealism
Comments Off on An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Third Hotel: A Novel – Laura van den Berg
In Celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month
( by JD Jung) To commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) in the United States, we at UnderratedReads want to re-introduce you to a sample of the exceptional “underrated” books written by Latin American authors that … Continue reading
Posted in What the...?
Tagged book reviews, Colombia, Cuba, immigration, Latin American Lit, latinx, Mexican literature, Mexican-American, Mexico, Peru, South America
Comments Off on In Celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month
Beware the Mermaids – Carrie Talick
(Reviewed by Don Jung) What happens when you are content with your current life, but circumstances force you to make unexpected changes? Fifty-seven-year-old grandmother, Nancy, thought she was happy, but then caught her husband with another woman on their yacht. … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged boats, divorce, friendship, infidelity, sea, women's fiction
Comments Off on Beware the Mermaids – Carrie Talick
The Dark Remains – William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin
(reviewed by JD Jung) October 1972, Glasgow –Detective constable Jack Laidlaw is reassigned to the Glasgow crime squad. Though he has a sixth sense on what is happening on the streets, the higher ups feel he needs “handling”, as he … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Noir-esque fiction
Tagged British crime, Glasgow, noir, Scotland
Comments Off on The Dark Remains – William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin
The Total FilmMaker – Jerry Lewis, Foreword by Maltin Leonard
(Review and poem by Betty Jo Tucker) Way back in the 1950s and 60s, I was an avid Jerry Lewis fan. I enjoyed watching his silly characters doing nonsensical things in movies like “The Delicate Delinquent,” “The Nutty Professor” and … Continue reading
Posted in Non-fiction, Our Best
Tagged comedy, film, Filmmaking, Jerry Lewis, movies
Comments Off on The Total FilmMaker – Jerry Lewis, Foreword by Maltin Leonard
Here, Right Matters: An American Story – Alexander Vindman
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Regardless of any impact on the president, the domestic and foreign policy consequences, or personal costs, I had no choice but to report what I’d heard. That duty to report is a critical component of U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in American Politics, Bios and Memoirs, History, Immigration, Non-fiction, Our Best, Politics, World Issues
Tagged Donald Trump, ethics, immigration, impeachment, military, Russia, Soviet Union
Comments Off on Here, Right Matters: An American Story – Alexander Vindman
Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys – Joe Coulombe with Patty Civalleri
(Reviewed by Don Jung) Becoming Trader Joe is a true story about a marketing genius who went against conventional mega grocery store chains to create his own style of branding, with a name with unusual food products. Joe Coulombe started … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Business, Non-fiction
Tagged Business, marketing, Trader Joe
Comments Off on Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys – Joe Coulombe with Patty Civalleri
The Final Days of Abbot Montrose: An Asbjørn Krag Mystery – Sven Elvestad and Stein Riverton
(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) Retired Detective Asbjørn Krag and his police colleague Keller are trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Abbot Montrose. But with no photographs, no one really knows what the Abbot looks like. He … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Scandinavian Literature, World Literature
Tagged crime fiction, Norwegian literature
Comments Off on The Final Days of Abbot Montrose: An Asbjørn Krag Mystery – Sven Elvestad and Stein Riverton
An UnderratedRead Revisited: Dancing to “Almendra” – Mayra Montero, translated by Edith Grossman
Comprar este libro It’s October 1957 in pre-Castro Cuba, and Havana is filled with gangsters, casinos, and corruption. Twenty-two-year-old entertainment reporter Joaquín Porrata is fed up with working for a newspaper where he’s only allowed to interview “comedians and whores.” … Continue reading
Posted in Revisited
Tagged crime fiction, Cuba, Havana, Historical fiction, Latin American Lit
Comments Off on An UnderratedRead Revisited: Dancing to “Almendra” – Mayra Montero, translated by Edith Grossman
