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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.
Category Archives: Fiction
The Black Spider – Jeremias Gotthelf (Translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky)
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “And now the people where gripped by the ancient fear that the spider might carry off an unbaptized infant, the pledge of their old pact. The woman was beside herself, she had no trust in God, … Continue reading
Posted in Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Lost and almost forgotten, World Literature
Tagged German literature, horror, short books
1 Comment
Philosophy Made Simple – Robert Hellenga
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Rudy Harrington, a sixty-year-old widower, is trying to find the meaning of life…his life. Is there any purpose left? To try and answer this question, he takes up the study of philosophy. Since his wife, Helen, … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
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Effed Up!: Story of a Family – Russ Woody
(Reviewed by JD Jung) Mom is proud of her forty-six year old son, Lenny. After all, the music community pays tribute to his band, Pink Lloyd. As you can tell, she doesn’t realize what a tribute band actually is. She … Continue reading
Posted in Bios and Memoirs, Humor & Satire
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Return of the Heroine—Kaye Michelle
(Reviewed by Melanie Hamilton) In Kaye Michelle’s provocative and inspiring novel, Return of the Heroine, West Point Cadet Jane Archer has a problem: Should she do what’s right or save her career? The daughter of senior counsel to Providence Rhode … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction
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Together Tea – Marjan Kamali
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Darya loved to calculate the statistic of available Persian bachelors, factoring in their attributes, family histories, education, the probability for divorce. She had her very own system of assigning numbers to certain qualities… Darya was so … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Modern Literary Fiction, Travel
2 Comments
Defection Games – Haggai Carmon
(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned The CIA and Mossad (Israel’s intelligence agency) engage in a constant battle to thwart Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This is how we meet up again with former Mossad agent, Dan Gordon, as he continues his dangerous … Continue reading
Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Modern Literary Fiction, World Issues
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Jacob’s Folly
(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Something amazing had happened to my sight: it was as if the top of my head had been removed and replaced with an enormous eye. I could see jagged purple clouds drifting above me, the streets … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction
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Rose of Málaga – Bobbi Verdugo
(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) “… the greatest thing about Malagueños is that they will never ask you about your past or ask you to divulge.” That’s why Rose felt so comfortable here. People came to Málaga to go unnoticed. That … Continue reading
Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Travel
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Tides Ebb as Islands Dream – Brian J. English, Ph.D
(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) #CommissionsEarned Rule #1: Don’t try to understand anything. This was Sean’s primary rule as he began his assignment at the village of Gilutongan in the Olango Islands in the Philippines. Like so many Peace Corps volunteers, … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Environmental, Modern Literary Fiction, Travel, World Issues
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A Child Out of Alcatraz -Tara Ison
(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) When I visit San Francisco, I often gaze over the bay to that small island that radiates so much history. This island housed some of America’s most infamous criminals: Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Birdman … Continue reading
Posted in Historical Fiction, Modern Literary Fiction
Tagged book reviews, Historical fiction, San Francisco
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